Falconbrook

[John Cooper]

 

My late uncle worked on a tug called FALCONBROOK on the River Lea Navigation  starting in 1949 for over 40 years.

Purely for family interest, I have been trying to find the present whereabouts or the ultimate fate of the tug.

My enquiries with the Canal & River Boat Trust, Waterways NE London and the Enviroment Agency have had no joy.

From various websites I see that Falconbrook was photographed moored in Limehouse Cut near Bow Locks as recently as 2008.

Since then it has vanished into thin air and no one can even trace a record that it ever existed

Can anyone help, does someone have a memory of the Lea from those times, or any theory at all about where the tug may have ended up ?

I attach photos of Falconbrook in its heyday and those taken in 2007/8

 

P.S. Not to be confused with a more recent tug given the same name built in 1956

[Leo No2]

This might be the wrong one having read your post more fully however Falconbrook was used five days ago to tow one of the so called 'slum boats' from just below Teddington Lock to a 'place of safety' - I assume that to mean the EA dry dock further upstream.  I haven't boated on the tidal Thames for a while but do recall seeing Falconbrook on a number of occasions.  I believe she belongs to the Environment Agency now.

If you look at the Twitter feed for @EnAgencySE for 5 days ago (from the date of this post) you will see a short video of Falconbrook towing one of the boats out of Teddington Lock.

Edited March 5, 2017 by Leo No2

[rivergate]

Nice looking tug  

[OldGoat]

Always happy to oblige. Here she is - removing the "wrong sort of continuous moorer". EA's answer to s. 8 perhaps

Probably the wrong Falconbrook.

In the back of my mind is a smaller tug moored on the offside at Pangbourne on the Thames with the same name?

 

 

[pete harrison]

Are you looking for the 'historical' details about FALCONBROOK or just its current location ?

I suspect that the FALCONBROOK (2002) seen on the River Thames is the 1958 built boat of the same name and owned by the Environment Agency - exCASPAR C (1984), exGENERAL V (1970), exBLACKBOYS and built as such by E.C. Jones in 1958.

And below is the FALCONBROOK in that John Cooper has an interest in:

Things do get confusing when there are boats with the same name in the same area at the same time, especially when they both have the same intended use 

edit - add photograph of the B.W.B. tug FALCONBROOK

Edited March 5, 2017 by pete harrison

[davidg]

Sitting drinking tea with Rex Wain, he thinks it was sold via Go Industry to the Green Barge Company(?) and subsequently scrapped.

[pete harrison]

7 minutes ago, davidg said:

Sitting drinking tea with Rex Wain, he thinks it was sold via Go Industry to the Green Barge Company(?) and subsequently scrapped.

FALCONBROOK was certainly included in the contracted out British Waterways auction that closed on 14 February 2008, and I have no record of it after this date 

[Tim Lewis]

Below is a picture of mine of Falconbrook taken on April 2003 at, I believe, Lea Bridge, in April 2003

 

Tim

[magnetman]

I saw a boat which appears to be the OP's Falconbrook moored at canary wharf. Its definitely one of of the old Lea tugs with the air cooled enginebut no name on it so not certain which one. Its in good order.

Here (visible in satellite view).  

51°30'04.3"N 0°00'57.0"W

https://goo.gl/maps/y9tCM2Zpeev

Edited August 31, 2017 by magnetman

[ThamesBen]

The FALCONBROOK was sadly broken up around about 2011 in Tilbury Dock.  She was purchased by the Green Barge Company (now folded) for use on the River Lea/Bow Creek along with the tug you mention now working in Canary Wharf named GREENWICH ex Naseby.       Green Barge company towed the pair (pictured) and basically they decided she was too rotten and she was broken up on site 

 

 

[magnetman]

I think I put a comment on your sosugary site about it as well but not sure where.

Its a great resource

http://riverthames.sosugary.com/