Windermere Jetty Museum had the pleasure of welcoming Liz Knox, one of our valued donors, to the site recently so she could lend a hand in conserving one of the boats in our collection. Here she is assisting signwriter Chris Merckel in giving ‘Raven’ its name back. Liz’s donation was in memory of her late husband, John Knox, who, with friends, spent many fun-filled weekends on ‘Raven’ during the mid-1960s and 70s, which was a colourful period in the boat’s history.
Built in 1871, cargo boat ‘Raven’ took supplies to remote locations when the only means of transport was horse and cart over bad roads, and during winter ‘Raven’ was also an ice-breaker for passenger steamers. In 1922, competition from road transport meant the end of ‘Raven’s time as a cargo boat and it was sold to Vickers Armstrong for testing mine-laying equipment. In the 1950s, the abandoned ‘Raven’ was rescued by George Pattinson and later became a summer bunkhouse for water skiers. This is where we pick up John Knox’s story.
‘Raven’ is currently undergoing vital conservation works and plays an important role in the Windermere Jetty Museum collection. Donations like Liz’s are vital in ensuring this conservation work happens and our Lakeland heritage is preserved for future generations. We will shortly begin fundraising again for Ravens deck.
Do you have a story or memories of ‘Raven’ that you can share with us? If you do, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch by sending an email to: info@lakelandarts.org.uk
