Historic steamship moved this weekend in first stage of £2 million restoration programme
SS Robin – the world's oldest complete steamship and one of only three Grade 1 / Core Collection ships in London – left her home berth in Canary Wharf on Saturday 14 June in the first stage of a historic journey to transform her into the capital's newest landmark. See pictures of the move on the Londonist website (NB link opens in new window).
In a complex co-ordination of bridge openings and tow operations, the Victorian coastal cargo steamer ventured from her home berth at West India Quay where she has been moored for the past eighteen years to a holding berth at Thames Quay.
The last time Robin made this journey in 1991, Docklands was a forgotten wasteland of derelict wharves. Today the towering skyscrapers present a very different landscape, and a navigational challenge for ships to pass through what are now narrow waterways.
At 0800 on Saturday, four tugs began the delicate manoeuvre, which involved a carefully choreographed route through five new bridges, timed to lift as she passed through.
The operation was the culmination of six years' work for the SS Robin Trust, and a triumph of co-operation and goodwill between public and private enterprises involved in the regeneration of the area.
Funding for the steamship's refit is the result of a £1.9 million loan from Crossrail, the new east-west railway for the Capital, which is set to begin work within the dock on a new station in 2009. Passage through the Docklands Light Railway bridge was enabled by construction firm Taylor Woodrow, currently working on extension plans for TfL, while Canary Wharf Group undertook carefully timed bridge lifts to enable the ship to pass underneath. The whole operation was overseen by dock operator British Waterways, working closely with towage firm GPS Marine.
"Volunteers and professionals have been working for months to prepare Robin for this complex journey, the first time she has left her home berth for nearly two decades," said David Kampfner, Project Director and co-founder of SS Robin Trust.
"She's such an important symbol of this nation's successful history of trade and transportation, it's fitting that she should be moved with the combined skills of organisations involved in today's transport, trade and marine industries. Moving a vessel nearly 120 years old is always going to be tricky, but we're confident that with these combined skills she'll come through with flying colours."
Notes to Editors
The National Register of Historic Vessels lists SS Robin in its Core Collection as one of 60 ships of pre-eminent national importance.
At the end of June the historic steamship will complete final preparations for her 20-hour tow to drydock in Lowestoft, on Englands ' east coast, returning to her home berth at the end of the year. The ship will then begin her new role as an innovative learning centre dedicated to helping disadvantaged school kids from the East End of London.
The proposed £15.9 billion Crossrail scheme proposes a route that will run from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, through a tunnel under Central London with new stations at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel Isle of Dogs and Woolwich, out to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, joining the Great Western and Great Eastern railway networks. A Bill is currently before Parliament and Royal Assent is expected in summer 2008. Crossrail services are scheduled to begin in 2017.
Towage route from 0800 hrs 14 June 2008 as follows:
For further information, please contact:
Nishani Kampfner
Managing Director
SS Robin Trust
M 07887 530426
E info@ssrobin.org
W www.ssrobin.org
West India Quay, Hertsmere Road, London, E14 4AE
Registered Charity No 1095884
Patrons: Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Jon Snow
Honorary Member The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT
