Wide-boats at Rickmansworth

Historical Profiles: NarrowBoat, Summer 2026

Christopher M Jones

Chris M. Jones studies images of wide-beam craft around Rickmansworth, mainly engaged in short-haul traffics

There were several notable companies based in the Rickmansworth area that used canal transport: the Rickmansworth Gravel Co Ltd, the Springwell British Table Water Co Ltd and, most famously, W.H. Walker & Bros Ltd. Known mostly for its boat-building work during the early decades of the 20th century, W.H. Walker & Bros also traded from its Frogmoor Wharf premises as English and foreign timber merchants, builders’ merchants, and coal and coke merchants. The business was established by William Henry Walker in 1905 and, during World War I, was trading as W.H. Walker & Bros. The firm was incorporated in 1922 as W.H. Walker & Bros Ltd. Walker’s built up a small fleet of its own boats and acted as a local carrier. The first two craft it built were narrowboats named Frogmore in November 1907, and Eileen in February 1908. Another named Rickmansworth was launched in January 1909. Some of these craft were later sold off. Others were added from 1911, including Celia, w…