The Jericho Living Heritage Trust has secured £210,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to restore Kilsby, a historically significant 1912 canal boat, and relaunch it as an accessible floating community hub on the Oxford canal network.
Kilsby at Tooley’s Boatyard, Banbury, after its hull was repaired.
Kilsby is one of just 24 surviving craft commissioned by Fellows, Morton & Clayton, the famous canal-carrying company that once dominated Britain’s waterways transport. The boat served through two world wars before being converted into a residential vessel in central Oxford. It was donated to the Jericho Living Heritage Trust in 2019.
The new funding ensures both the preservation of Kilsby’s heritage and its future as an active community asset, enabling structural restoration, accessibility improvements, and long-term engagement plans for local residents, schools and visitors.
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Towpath Talk readers can discover a full feature on the project, including restoration details and community plans, in next month’s issue.
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