A historic British waterways workboat has been brought back to life after nearly a century, as Norway, a wooden cargo narrowboat first launched in 1927, has been reborn as a faithful steel replica following an eight-year restoration project.
Originally built in 1927 for the Anderton Company, the 72ft ‘knobstick’ motor narrowboat spent decades carrying cargo on Britain’s inland waterways. After a long working life, Norway was eventually laid up at Stone before being broken up. Crucially, key ironwork — including the stempost and knees — was saved from destruction.
In 2017, boatbuilder Dan Caudwell and his wife Vikki acquired the surviving ironwork and set out to reinterpret Norway as a steel boat, combining historic authenticity with modern boatbuilding techniques. Their aim was not to create a museum piece, but a working replica that honoured the original vessel’s form and purpose.
Construction took place at the couple’s boatyard in Langley Mill, where the replica was painstakingly built using traditional proportions while embracing contemporary materials. The completed boat was launched at the Great Northern Basin, in front of a crowd of around 100 people — a fitting celebration of years of dedication and craftsmanship.
The completion of Norway increases the number of surviving floating knobstick narrowboats to just five, underlining the significance of the project in preserving Britain’s canal heritage for future generations.
Watch a video of the launch
