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All the United Kingdom England Gloucester Gloucester Waterways Museum
AO Edited

Gloucester Waterways Museum

This fantastic museum honors Gloucester waterway heritage.

Gloucester, England

Added By
Alan Newman
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Marine steam engine display.   Chris Allen
  GingerbreadKitten / Atlas Obscura User
Steam engine on the dredger.   Chris Allen
Steam pumping engine.   Chris Allen
Single cylinder canal boat steam engine,1890. This is thought to be the only surviving genuine narrowboat steam engine.   Chris Allen
Steam crane.   Chris Allen
Gloucester Waterways Museum   Andy Dolman
Preserved steam dredger.   Chris Allen
Replica warehouse in the museum.   David Merrett
Fireless steam locomotive. For work in flammable areas.   Chris Allen
  GingerbreadKitten / Atlas Obscura User
The docks during filming of Alice Through the Looking Glass   Rodw
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About

Gloucester Waterways Museum presents the fascinating history of British inland waterways including both rivers and canals. It showcases canal boats from both narrow and broad canals and river barges, alongside machinery and artifacts that supported the waterways operations. The museum is based at Gloucester's historic docks, formerly an important transport hub.

The museum also contains a steam-powered dockside crane, a steam dredger, along with numerous steam and internal combustion engines. They were used for both motive power and pumping. There is also a surprising amount of railway-based exhibits, reflecting the important interface between these two modes of transport. Included here is a fireless steam locomotive that topped a tank of superheated water from a separate boiler plant. It was used as a fire precaution in high fire risk warehouses.

The museum is based in an old dock warehouse and has recently been refurbished, along with the addition of new galleries. The warehouse was once used for storing timber, tobacco, and alcohol.

Until recently, the museum was named the National Waterways Museum, but changed its name to Gloucester Waterways Museum to access grant aid designated for non-national museums.

The museum organizes numerous special events and cruises are available on the nearby waterways.

Related Tags

Boats History & Culture Museums Water

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Added By

Dr Alan P Newman

Edited By

katherineg, GingerbreadKitten

  • katherineg
  • GingerbreadKitten

Published

June 4, 2021

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  • https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-gloucestershire-28844711
  • https://www.gloucestertallships.co.uk/
Gloucester Waterways Museum
Llanthony Warehouse
The Docks
Gloucester, England, GL1 2EH
United Kingdom
51.861753, -2.252568
Visit Website
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Photo of England

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Explore the Destination Guide

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