The Bow Knife  -  3

Newsletter of the ‘Duchess Countess’ Packet-boat Project

Extracts from the Summer 2004 edition

‘Duchess Countess’ At Stockton Heath

For a number of years Stockton Heath was the southern terminus of the canal, due to the owner of the land beyond not being willing to sell.    Even with the eventual extension of the canal the packet-boats continued to terminate at the London Bridge Steps, beside the London Bridge Inn,    The steps are still there, in good condition and well worth a visit.

On the other side of the bridge carrying the A49 over the canal there are two other interesting and important buildings.     One, now part of an hotel, housed the ticket office for the packet-boat services.      The other, on the other side of the canal, is the former "Bank Rider's" or "Jockey's" house.

On what must at once been an outside wall of this house is an unusual painting, depicting two horses drawing a streamlined passenger boat with a rounded cabin roof.     It cannot be the 'Duchess Countess' as photographs taken at Welsh Frankton on the Llangollen Canal clearly shows she had a rounded cabin roof, whereas the 'Duchess Countess' had a flat roof.     It might well have been, however, the predecessor to 'Duchess Countess' or even the boat on the Runcorn service.

Heritage Site Progress

With recent council activity in the Heritage Area and the railway restoration having reached Pant, in the next few years Llanymynech will become an important industrial archaeological area.    The packet-boat ‘Duchess Countess’ will add to the transport heritage.   With one of the railway’s southern termini on the

eastern boundary of  the Heritage Area, the re-constructed ‘Duchess Countess’ could act as an alternative link between the Heritage Area and Pant – amongst a number of other rôles.