Weaver - S.S.Davenham scrapyard

*Keywords....   Northwich, River Weaver, Navigation, Waterways, British Waterways, W.J.Yarwood & Sons, shipping, Brunner Mond, Brunners, ICI, Mersey, shipbuilding, shipyards
 

The remarkable survival of one little Northwich ICI ship

The S.S. Davenham

By a series of unusual circumstances, the Davenham time and again survived cutting up on Garston Beach, going on from ICI to work for Liverpool Lighterage, Bulk Cargo Handling, Frodsham Lighterage, and then to be restored in Northwich creating great interest. Then her longest journey ever, coastwise Southwards about to London to an ignominious laying-up in a muddy backwater behind Brentford High Street as a residence.

How did she manage to survive. Well, in 1945 it appeared that there was a certain amount of Admiralty quality steel left over which was used on Davenham but probably not the other 3 steamers, and certainly not the later diesel craft which suffered considerable hull corrosion at the waterline. This tough old girl was pensioned off in 1968 to work the Mersey for Liverpool Lighterage  who then placed a Gardner 8L3B into her during a refit in 1973. So off she went again.

This is the story of Davenham's survival against all the odds.

PART 1

Copy of Yarwoods blueprint, original stolen from ICI archives now missing January 1946 hull launched About to hit the water Then fitted out, here in red lead undercoat. Here loading for first trip in this "Rail Blue" and black/white livery. Her first load leaves Winnington Works. Later the ICI corporate livery became orange and white. Engineer Sam Gleave and Captain Tom Mulheirn. Sold to Liverpool Lighterage, in their dock at Northwich. Note steam slipway BWB destroyed. Working around Liverpool, still in steam 1968. Here with Kearne and Barnton. 1973 refit when diesel fitted. Hardly recognisable, just another Scouse barge. Bulk Cargo Handling Services owner     Working on MSC Frodsham Lighterage owners did a weekly grain run from Liverpool. It was used as a cheap grain silo though for the rest of the week. (here at Weston Docks). The first time I ever saw it, on a strangely light run to Anderton. The engine had been taken into Liverpool Museum store. then Ellesmere Port Boat Museum took it and is now an exhibit.

Part 2.
So there I was, sitting on my passenger boat when a small motor boat lost way alongside. The bloke, Lennie off the barges, from Widnes, hailed me. "Do you know the Davenham is for sale? If nobody wants her, she will go for scrap. Pity to take her to Sammy Evans as she still goes and is quite sound." Yes, well, ...what do you say? You have seen her photo at Anderton. It was dire!!

I did go down with some friends to the stinking oily backwater called the Frodsham Waterfront, and Davenham's rusting hulk was there, languishing in the mud. It looked as though she had sunk as there was about a foot of hull rising out of the water. Then we noticed that right up to the hatches was a very full cargo of fine Canadian wheat. More than that, the boat had not taken in one drop of water to wet the cargo, and clearly the Gardner had flogged her across the Mersey with power to shove 300 tons of grain and around 120 tons of craft. We prized open the engine room and like all engine rooms of old ships it was very black. And very dirty. The decks had a solid 1/4 inch of rust scale from stem to stern, everything removable had been nicked, and there was a prevailing air of gloom.

Then they started. All I said was "Let's go  home..." and like snarling rottweilers they turned on me. "You know you want it. You can do this, even if it takes years. You have the ability, look what you did with that wrecked narrowboat last year. My only qualification as a shipwright was:
1. My great, great, great grandfather was Peter Ferris the wooden shipbuilder from Falmouth.
2. I had done a 12 week night class in welding bits of tin with an underpowered knitting needle.
I did not want to do it. I wanted to spend my days being a boat skipper in a white shirt and gold flashes.....not a horny handed artisan shipwright in discarded ICI overalls.

They say that the day Yarwoods shut down, Northwich couldn't cope with the silence after years of rivet guns rattling away. It was all about to start up again. And ironically on the very same place within 10 feet of where Davenham's hull was laid out 50 years before. Within constant sight of old W.J.Yarwood's  office across Navigation Road. Is this what they call Deja Vu or something?? And I loved every minute of it.

If I was in need, people would resource me, Waterways doing a heavy lift, ICI apprentices making steel hatches and a big funnel, Jonathan found a 3-phase alternator and Dorman engine, Tommo's cousin was in steel stockholding in Dudley, Sam Evans scrappie in Widnes let me have a complete mizzen mast off Sabre, DippinStrippin beautifully restored the huge oak wheel, Bob Collicutt managed a whole pallet of real red lead from his Winnington Works, while ICI paints came up with another pallet of top coat Dulux after winning sponsorship and letting the Dulux Dog wear my hat.

Couldn't do it again though, for this 40-year-old is now mid 50's. Old Isaiah in the Bible said..."your young men shall see visions.....and your old men shall dream dreams..." Suppose I could cope with a narrowboat....

Dutton lock-keeper Carl Leckey saw us through ICI official photo of the wheel Delivered to Town Quay My first try with a big beastie The people who persuaded me to do it. Paul Knight, Carl Brierley John Stowell Dippin and a strippin the ropes Oh what a mess and all that Frodsham oily mud An old ICI skipper thought it was going for scrap Where do I start?? With the rust, of course. Till it comes up like this. ICI apprentices new funnel, the derrick is a wooden ladder!! Waterways help crane steel tubes for me to make into mast and cargo derrick A firm in Crewe made up rigging, no charge. Capt. Peter Herbert had this winch...in Bude!! Carl listens to the Gardner for hours. Waterways blokes made a mast cup for a fine mizzen mast given by Sammy Evans This whistle maker is a driver on Snowdon Mountain Railway. The original ICI Dulux Dog Jeff Statham, sea cadets leader back then, took this for his newspaper A crafty tip-toe down the river through Nav. Bridge Sir John Deane's college houses this original Yarwoods model Then we put her back on the quay where she belonged and staged a break-out. Dutton locks, where I bent Mr. Leckey's top hand rail. Sorry Carl.   Dutton Arches with about 2ft to spare over the truck. Clive Guthries pics hereon Kastner Kellner should clean her bottom nicely. Weston Marsh lock Ooh, all that water And a waterway you could swing her round in... and tie up on Runcorn MSC Yard Gently onto the slips What a lot to clean!! Passed hull survey A1. No work to do at all A whip round with anti-foul , with Mate Bill Harris And then it snowed horizontally. Bitingly cold Mersey weather Fly that flag Restoration complete to almost original appearance. Continued next page.     Many of these pictures featured in articles in Old Glory, Waterways World and Sea Breezes. Old Clive Guthrie takes a good photograph....

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