Name Parbold

Built in 1936 by W J Yarwood of Northwich, PARBOLD is a Leeds & Liverpool longboat of steel construction. Her first owner was recorded as H & R Ainscough of Burscough, and she was used to carry grain on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal continuously until 1960 - she was then the last horse drawn vessel in commercial use on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. She was then sold to Albert Blundell, re-named NORMAN after a family member, and carried coal between Bickershaw Colliery and Trafford Power station. When that traffic finished in 1972 she was sold to Apollo Canal Carriers Ltd for carrying grain between Liverpool and Manchester, but refurbishment was not carried out and about a year later she was sold for private use.  

She was found abandoned at Bedford by her present owners and purchased by them in 1996. After one year in dry dock and 6 months in wet dock she re-emerged into her new life as a houseboat.