Thames boat Maple Durham

[Stilllearning]

I have just met a man out here in France who tells me that he used to occasionally skipper a Thames passenger boat called Maple Durham or Mapledurham. Does anyone have any information about it? I have found some photos online that may be of it. He tells me it was 105 feet long and carried 250 people, from Windsor area.

[cereal tiller]

I have just met a man out here in France who tells me that he used to occasionally skipper a Thames passenger boat called Maple Durham or Mapledurham. Does anyone have any information about it? I have found some photos online that may be of it. He tells me it was 105 feet long and carried 250 people, from Windsor area.

Mapledurham was a Salters Steamer,she was laid up for around 15 years prior to Scrapping several years ago at Donnington,Oxford

 

 

CT

[Scholar Gypsy]

A bit more information here, and some photographs and old postcards: http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Salters_Mapledurham.html

Edited February 16, 2017 by Scholar Gypsy

[Stilllearning]

Thanks for those replies, I am seeing him tomorrow and will tell him what I have learned.

[cereal tiller]

Thanks for those replies, I am seeing him tomorrow and will tell him what I have learned.

The reason for that Boat and it's sister Ship Cliveden being taken out of service was their length

 

Salter's Boats are of 65 - 88 feet which is a sensible limit for the Thames should the flow be brisk,the two largest boats were deemed unsuitable for unladen use as they had some difficulty negotiating some bends when the River is less than Summer flow rates

 

CT

[Stilllearning]

The reason for that Boat and it's sister Ship Cliveden being taken out of service was their length

 

Salter's Boats are of 65 - 88 feet which is a sensible limit for the Thames should the flow be brisk,the two largest boats were deemed unsuitable for unladen use as they had some difficulty negotiating some bends when the River is less than Summer flow rates

 

CT

He did tell me that it was a single screw boat, and that manœuvres were quite exciting .

[cereal tiller]

He did tell me that it was a single screw boat, and that manœuvres were quite exciting .

Their design was good,lovely Boats to handle,have Skippered several of them.

 

Cliveden was the last one to be converted from Steam to Diesel in 1966,I went for a trip on it at the age of seven and I blame it for my lifelong fascination with Boats of all kinds!

 

CT

[mark99]

Iirc these boats get a few mentions in the late David Blagrove books.

[nebulae]

Was Cliveden the one that spent several years on Willen Lake in Milton Keynes? It came and went on a huge lorry.I think the plan was to use it as a floating retaurant.

[Riverman]

Marlow was the one that went to MK and then returned to the Thames for restoration by Peter Freebody ( not sure where it is now ). I know John Salter and I think with changing times the larger boats were not needed.

Cliveden and Mapledurham just became beyond economic repair. They operated on theThames for over 50 years without their size being a problem and I have known several of their old skippers who said they were great boats to drive.

Clivden still sits in Salters yard awaiting its fate and was certainly in my opinion the best steamer that ever operated on the Thames.

Many of the Salters built tunnel stern boats like Cliveden and  Mapledurham such as Queen Elizabeth, Kingwood and Conort still operate down in London.