THE historic narrowboat Mendip will be travelling through the Midlands to Bournville in September to re-create the journeys it made 50 years ago carrying chocolate crumb.
The narrowboat has emerged from her restoration at the National Waterways Museum's Heritage Boatyard and is ready for her trip to Bournville to re-create her old runs.
Working life
Mendip spent much of her working life carrying chocolate crumb between the Cadbury factories at Knighton and Bournville, and the restoration has been helped by a donation from Cadbury.
The trip through the canal network back to the Bournville headquarters of the chocolate maker will mirror the trips on the boat made by Charlie Atkins ‘Chocolate Charlie,' the canal personality who was known to all the children who lived near the canal.
Learning skills
Much of the work in the Heritage Boatyard has been undertaken by young people learning basic boat building skills as part of a Future Jobs Fund scheme assisted by Heritage Boatyard staff and skilled volunteers from the Boat Museum Society.
Timetable—subject to change due to local water conditions:
Saturday 17th Sept—Ellesmere Port to Bunbury
Sunday 18th Sept—Bunbury to Audlem
Monday 19th Sept—Audlem to Knighton
Tuesday 20th Sept—Audlem to Brewood or Autherley
Wednesday 21st Sept—To Gas Street Basin, Birmingham
Thursday 22nd Sept—Bournville 9am to 4.30pm before return to Gas Street