Bright future for Steam Tug Brent with National Lottery grant

Press release, Friday 17th May 2024:

Steam Tug Brent: A Bright Future Beckons 

It is with excitement, pleasure, and pride that the Board of Trustees of Steam Tug Brent Ltd announce that The National Lottery Heritage Fund has made them a grant award of £97,488.00.  Explorations into the way forward will allow the continuation of the valuable restoration of the steam tug for future generations. The Trustees are immensely grateful to the National Lottery for granting this award and we extend our thanks to all those National Lottery players who have made it possible. 

The historic Steam Tug Brent has been an iconic feature of the Heritage Harbour at Maldon’s Promenade Park for 50 years, having been used as a family home for some of that time. Time has taken its toll and Steam Tug Brent has been the subject of an on-going restoration project for a number of years, being funded by pubic donation alone. 

This is the first major award that the Brent has received and it will allow for an eighteen month project to look into ways in which realistic plans for Brent’s full restoration can be developed, through partnerships with other local heritage and maritime organisations. 

The project aims to build a vibrant community centred on the Steam Tug Brent whilst developing its potential as a training vessel and eventually a passenger carrying vessel.  The award will aid the preparation of plans for building a jetty and pontoon, essential for allowing the Brent access to the Blackwater’s navigable channel, and for the berthing of visiting historic vessels.  A lighter barge, a vessel with a large hold space, is proposed to act as a hub for the running of the Trust’s activities. 

The project will at the same time focus on embedding the historic vessel in the identity of the area’s maritime sector activities, whilst learning from other similar projects which currently run successfully.  During this investigative period there will be opportunity for members of the public and local organisations to make their contribution and the findings will be cascaded to all interested parties. 

Commenting on the award, Trust Chairman, Janet Hall said; "We're absolutely thrilled to receive this funding from NLHF, as it presents a tremendous opportunity not only for the future of Brent but also for the benefit of Maldon." 

About Steam Tug Brent 

Brent is the sole remaining steam vessel of the many that once worked for the Port of London Authority; a precious and unique historic relic of London’s maritime history, which deserves to be restored and made working once again.  Built as part of the War effort in 1945 for the Admiralty, Brent didn’t see war service, but was sold to the Port of London Authority (PLA), who used her to help maintain the Thames as a navigable waterway and later to tow lighters and barges in the Royal Docks.  She survived because, as the last PLA steam tug to be sent for scrap in 1970, she was purchased from the Shipbreaker’s yard in 1971 and kept for pioneering preservation and private use in Maldon for the next 40 years. 

The Steam Tug Brent Trust took over the ownership of the vessel in 2011.  In a prominent position by a river walk, Brent is viewed by the thousands of passers by who visit Maldon.  On our open days she is open to the public.  A group of volunteers regularly work on board carrying out maintenance tasks and small repairs.  Largely unchanged in appearance from her working days, the Trust are seeking to raise funds to restore her back to operating condition as she was, complete with working steam engines and boiler.  Full restoration is planned for this unique vessel. 

More information about Brent can be found at www.steamtugbrent.org