Recollections of Richard Merrett.

Pre & post WWII recollections of Richard Merrett.

By George Merrett

Local history connected with the Stroud and Gloucester sharpness canals.

My grandfather and other local farmers would buy a boat load of coal and have it delivered to the quay in Walk meadows, just behind the weir.

During the war when we farmed Walk meadows the Stroud canal contained mine sweepers.

The Germans tried unsuccessfully to destroy the Sharpness canal by bombing it at Pegthorne bridge. The first bomb was dropped in the canal. The second hit two elm trees and threw them across the orchard, propping them against two other trees. The third bomb was dropped by the windmill water pump, this bomb did not explode. The fourth bomb was dropped in the canal.

Filming for a children's television series(Animal Ark) was filmed in and around Frampton on Severn, five scenes were filmed at Packthorne farm.

Cadbury's

Cadbury's opened after 1909. Cadbury's collected milk by boat from local bridges, they also collected their own coal by boat at the rate of two boat loads a week.

Morelands factory

Morelands factory relied on the canal for its supply of timber to make the match sticks.

Canal uses in and around Gloucester

The current Ready Mix site at Gloucester was originally used as a log pond were a boat loaded with timber and towing two barges of timber plus six tree trunks would deposit the tree trunks in the log pond. Logs would be stacked up where the Gas Works site at Gloucester is currently located after been retrieved from the log pond.

Shell owned a depot at Quedgeley, where they would deposit oil and petrol that was transported on the canal by their own boats, one of which was called the Bisley.

Regent oil brought their own oils in to Gloucester via the canal with their own boats named the Regent King which towed the Regent Jack and the Regent Jill which were oil barges. Another Regent owned boat the Regent Queen also towed two oil barges. Regent oil is currently known as Texaco.

Esso also had a depot in Gloucester. Esso also had its own boats, the Warfdale amd Foxendale. All Esso boats had 'Dale' at the end of their name.

CLICK HERE   to see an interview with Richard Merrett ( Current owner of Packthorne farm )