Grand Union Canal Carrying Company
Encyclopedia
The Grand Union Canal Carrying Company was a freight carrying transport service in England from 1934 to 1948.
In 1929 the Regents Canal bought the Grand Junction Canal
and a new company the Grand Union Canal
was established. Later that year the new company bought the Warwick Canals.
In 1932 the Grand Union Canal bought the Leicester and Loughborough Navigations and the Erewash Canal
for £75,423. (£ as of ),
For the first time the main line from London
to Birmingham
and the River Trent
were all owned by one company with the exception of the Oxford Canal
between Braunston
and Napton. The Grand Union Company attempted to buy the Oxford Canal
but the agreement failed.
The Grand Union Canal was now over 300 miles long. A main objective was to create a route capable of taking 14 ft barges or two narrow boats from London to Birmingham.
The company secured new traffic in the 1930s and ordered new boats from W.J. Yarwood & Sons
of Northwich, Harland and Wolff
at Woolwich
and W.H. Walker and Brothers
of Rickmansworth
. Eventually the company acquired around 186 pairs of boats of a new improved design. The boats acquired the nicknames Woolwichs, Northwichs and Rickys.
men again left the canal. In 1942 the Ministry of War Transport took control. For the duration of the war the company made a loss. The assets were taken over by the British Transport Commission
on 1 January 1949.
Background
For more detail on this section see the History of the Grand Union Canal.In 1929 the Regents Canal bought the Grand Junction Canal
Grand Junction Canal
The Grand Junction Canal is a canal in England from Braunston in Northamptonshire to the River Thames at Brentford, with a number of branches. The mainline was built between 1793 and 1805, to improve the route from the Midlands to London, by-passing the upper reaches of the River Thames near Oxford...
and a new company the Grand Union Canal
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
was established. Later that year the new company bought the Warwick Canals.
In 1932 the Grand Union Canal bought the Leicester and Loughborough Navigations and the Erewash Canal
Erewash Canal
The Erewash Canal is a broad canal in Derbyshire, England. It runs just under and has 14 locks. The first lock at Langley Bridge is actually part of the Cromford Canal.-Origins:...
for £75,423. (£ as of ),
For the first time the main line from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
were all owned by one company with the exception of the Oxford Canal
Oxford Canal
The Oxford Canal is a narrow canal in central England linking Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and Rugby. It connects with the River Thames at Oxford, to the Grand Union Canal at the villages of Braunston and Napton-on-the-Hill, and to the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury Junction in Bedworth just...
between Braunston
Braunston
Braunston is a village and civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire, England. It has a population of 1,675 . Braunston is situated just off the A45 main road and lies between the towns of Rugby and Daventry....
and Napton. The Grand Union Company attempted to buy the Oxford Canal
Oxford Canal
The Oxford Canal is a narrow canal in central England linking Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and Rugby. It connects with the River Thames at Oxford, to the Grand Union Canal at the villages of Braunston and Napton-on-the-Hill, and to the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury Junction in Bedworth just...
but the agreement failed.
The Grand Union Canal was now over 300 miles long. A main objective was to create a route capable of taking 14 ft barges or two narrow boats from London to Birmingham.
Formation of the company
The new company bought Associated Canal Carriers Ltd. and started the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company Ltd in 1934. The boats were marked with GUCCC as an abbreviation for the company name.The company secured new traffic in the 1930s and ordered new boats from W.J. Yarwood & Sons
W.J. Yarwood & Sons
W.J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd were a shipbuilding company based in Northwich, Cheshire from 1896 to 1966.-History:The company founder, William James Yarwood served an apprenticeship at an ironfoundry in Northwich. He was appointed as a blacksmith with the River Weaver Navigation...
of Northwich, Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
at Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
and W.H. Walker and Brothers
W.H. Walker and Brothers
W.H. Walker and Brothers was a narrow boat builder based in Rickmansworth, England, from 1905 to 1964. They were one of the major producers of narrow boats for the English Canal Network....
of Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England, 4¼ miles west of Watford.The town has a population of around 15,000 people and lies on the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne, at the northern end of the Colne Valley regional park.Rickmansworth is a small town in...
. Eventually the company acquired around 186 pairs of boats of a new improved design. The boats acquired the nicknames Woolwichs, Northwichs and Rickys.
Decline and closure
With the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
men again left the canal. In 1942 the Ministry of War Transport took control. For the duration of the war the company made a loss. The assets were taken over by the British Transport Commission
British Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...
on 1 January 1949.