Peacock (narrowboat) facts for kids
Peacock at the Black Country Living Museum
|
|
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
|
| Name | Peacock |
| Owner |
|
| Builder | Fellows Morton & Clayton, Saltley Dock, Birmingham |
| In service | 1915 |
| Reclassified | Tugboat/Houseboat (1952-1993) |
| Status | Museum ship |
| __1B0X_5H1P__ | career |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Flyboat |
| Type | Narrowboat |
| Length | 69.97 ft (21.33 m) o/a |
| Beam | 6.98 ft (2.13 m) |
| Depth | 2.98 ft (0.91 m) |
| Propulsion | 15hp Bolinder petrol engine |
| __1B0X_5H1P__ | characteristics |
The Peacock is a special British narrowboat with a long history. It was built in 1915 in Birmingham to carry goods along the canals. The Peacock is famous because it is one of the best-preserved examples of a "flyboat," a type of boat that worked day and night without stopping. Today, you can visit the Peacock and learn about its past at the Black Country Living Museum.
Contents
Discovering the Historic Narrowboat Peacock
The Busy Life of a Flyboat
The Peacock was built as a "flyboat" for a company called Fellows Morton & Clayton (FMC). Imagine a delivery service that never sleeps! That's what flyboats were like. They traveled along the canals day and night, carrying important goods across the country. To keep moving, these boats had crews who worked in shifts. The Peacock was one of the newer motor boats that FMC started using in 1912, replacing some of their older steam-powered flyboats.
A Long Journey on the Canals
From 1915, the Peacock was part of FMC's northern fleet. It worked hard for many years, transporting goods until 1948. In 1948, the canal system in the United Kingdom became owned by the government, a process called nationalisation. After this, the Peacock was sold.
For a while, from 1952 to 1993, the boat had different jobs. It was used as a tugboat, which is a powerful boat that pulls other boats. It also served as a houseboat, a boat where people live.
Preserving History: The Peacock Today
In 1993, the Peacock found its permanent home. It was bought by the Birmingham Museum of Science and Industry, which is now part of the Birmingham Museums Trust. What makes the Peacock so special is that it's still in its original condition. Many other old boats were changed over time, but the Peacock kept most of its original parts and design. Even its engine, a 15-horsepower Bolinder, dates back to the 1920s!
Today, the Peacock is on loan to the Black Country Living Museum. You can see this amazing piece of history docked there, in an area called the Lord Ward's Canal Arm in Dudley. It helps visitors understand what canal life and transport were like in the past.
The Peacock is also recognized as an important part of British heritage. It is registered by National Historic Ships and is included in the National Historic Fleet. This means it's considered a significant historic vessel that should be preserved for future generations.
