Name Hyades

HYADES is a butty built in 1935 by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Woolwich, London, originally paired with HYPERION. They were the third and fourth of an order of 24 iron composite pairs, commissioned the previous year by the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company Ltd. Her first master was J Brooks.

In 1948, she was part of Grand Union Canal Carrying Company Ltd fleet that was nationalised into the British Transport Commission (Docks & Inland Waterways Executive) fleet. She was then paired with motor COLESHILL, and throughout the 1950s HYADES was paired with both her and several other motors, such as PERSEUS and BRISTOL.

In 1963, she was leased to Willow Wren Canal Transport Services Ltd of Braunston, Northamptonshire, and in 1968, after being laid up for some years on Wendover Arm, she was purchased by Stevens and Sherwood Ltd of Tipton, West Midlands. The following year, HYADES was purchased by R Hatchard of Birmingham, West Midlands, who operated her under banner of Midland Canal Transport.

In 1972, HYADES was purchased by M and K Toms and was horse drawn from then on. In 1973, she was purchased by D Armstrong of Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, and in 1976, she was sold to T Stockwell of Tiverton, Cheshire, and was used as a horse drawn passenger boat. In 1986, she was purchased by R and P Brind of Tiverton, Cheshire, who continued to use her as a horse drawn passenger boat.

By the late 1990s and early 2000s, HYADES was laid up at Tiverton, and by 2004 she was listed for sale. In 2010, she was purchased by R Wain of Tomlow, who deconverted her from a passenger boat and fitted her with a new wooden bottom the following year. In 2014, she was purchased by P and M Routledge who reunited her with HYPERION and used them as fuel boats, all the while continuing HYADES' restoration.

In 2020, she was taken on by M Hicks of Watford, Hertfordshire, and leased to her current owner, who purchased her in 2022. She is still paired with HYPERION, purchased by the owner in 2019, and they work together around Staffordshire.