I’m delighted to share with you this month part of the photographic collection from our Christleton Archives relating to the successful boat building and Leisure industry that grew up along the banks of the Shropshire Union Canal in Christleton. I am grateful to the late David Wain, Geoff Taylor, Jim McCready and other friends for allowing us to use their photographs and helping telling the story.

In 1935 the boating business was started on rented land next to Geoffrey Wain’s property Dinas Rowton Bridge, by a small group of friends. Their object was to build up a fleet of holiday hire cruisers to operate on Britain’s canals. It was incorporated the following year under the name of The Inland Cruising Association Ltd. The company began trading with five cruisers, Stanford, Barbara, Beryl, Bobby and Jazz. Six new ones were added later; Freda, Betty, Audrey, Valerie, Pat & Joyce, all built by Taylor’s of Chester. Docks and repair sheds were built in 1937-38, and a further large boat building shed was added in 1938-39, bringing the total covered boat building and repair area to 4400sq.ft. This was the first hire fleet to be developed for operation on Britain’s canals.

The outbreak of WWII in 1939 brought with it petrol rationing, and boat hiring had to be abandoned. This was a major disaster for the company, which had now lost its principle source of income. It was not until 1946 that a limited amount of petrol was made available for leisure uses, and the business could start trading again. During the war some of the cruisers were hired out as holiday houseboats on their moorings in Christleton, by people who had been bombed out of their homes, or just wanted to get away to the country. At the end of hostilities the company had drifted into debt and two thirds of the fleet had to be sold. This left only four of the original fleet. The Boating Industry however was growing fast and by 1962, The Wain Family had acquired all the remaining shares , and set about rebuilding the fleet.

When Geoffrey Wain died in 1956, David Wain took over the business and became one of the great names in the development of the canal leisure industry. During the next twenty years the yard built 19 hire cruisers for it’s own fleet, as well as building restoring and repairing many inland and coastal boats for private owners.

David developed a deep interest in the canals and waterways of Great Britain, and became friends with Lionel Thomas Caswell Rolt and his family. Lionel Rolt was the inspiration for the revival of the canal system in the late 1920’s, and wrote many excellent books, which became best sellers. He was born in Handbridge, Chester and his mother Annie was the sister of Rector Lionel Garnett, and whose life is commemorated with a memorial plaque at St James’ Church. From 1954 to 1963, David was a committee member of the Inland Waterways Association’s North West Branch. He served as National secretary for seven years between 1962 and 1969, and from 1969-1974 as National Chairman of the Pleasure Craft Operators. In 1968 he was appointed a Council member of a newly created advisory body on Inland waterways, the Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council, becoming Chairman in 1977 until he retired in 1992. In 1983 he was appointed an OBE for his services in the development of tourism and recreation on Britain’s Inland Waterways. David created a very successful canal museum at Llangollen, which received the British Tourist Authorities top award for that year’s outstanding Tourist development in Great Britain.


In 1992 he became IWA Vice President, Vice President of the Trent & Mersey Canal Society, Vice President of the Shropshire Union Canal Society, and a trustee of the Anderton Boat Lift Trust and Boat Museum in Ellesmere Port. Previously he served as a trustee for the Rainbow Boats for the disabled which operates from Christleton from 1979-1997, and the Waterways Trust 1999-2003. He was President of the British Canoe Club from 1975-1990, and Chairman of the National Waterways Museum (1994-2001)

In addition to Wain’s Yard on Skips Lane there was Charlie Luxton’s Yard and on the other side of Rowton Bridge, the very successful Dean’s Marina. This collection of photographs illustrates the work carried out in Christleton by three very successful Families.