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	Evesham Boat Trips on the River Avon from Evesham Each image links to a larger copy which opens in a new window/tab
	This page shows a selection of passenger boats which have worked on the River Avon based at Evesham in Worcestershire. Both historic and modern images are be included. The River Avon is a navigable waterway linking the River Severn at Tewkesbury to the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal at Stratford-upon-Avon. The river between Evesham and Stratford is managed by the Upper Avon Navigation Trust, and below by the Lower Avon Navigation Trust, reflecting the administration of the river since the restoration, when the lower Avon required only modest repairs, but significant investment was required above the town. The ancient Hampton Ferry links the town to Hampton. The main local boat operator in Edwardian times was Charles Byrd, who was established his business in 1871. He later ran excursions from the Fleece Inn, Bridge Street using the Lily. In the 1930s the fleet included Diamond Queen, Jubilee and Lilybyrd. I assume the Jubilee is the boat previously run by Charles Bathurst of Tewkesbury [1]. Lilybyrd had been converted from the Lily and then carried 120 passengers. Diamond Queen later ran for S.J.Grove. Rival services were run by the Tewkesbury boat builder Charles Bathurst. The fleet included King, Jubilee, River Queen and Swallow. Jubilee may have later worked for Charles Byrd [1]. The King, built in 1905 by its owner, was the largest vessel in the Bathurst fleet at 71ft 6ins. She could carry 192 passengers and was powered by an 80hp engine by T.A.Savery. She later became a houseboat but was discovered in Bristol in 1995 and a restoration was started, but I can find no current information about this. S.J.Grove later ran the boat services from Evesham, his fleet including the Diamond Queen from Charles Byrd. He also owned the tea gardens & dining rooms at the Marine Ballroom near the Avon Bridge, although it subsequently burnt down. Regular services in both brochures ran to Chadbury (7 miles) and Fladbury (14 miles), with steamers running every 30mins in the pre-war period. The fleet included Gaiety (138 pass), Hurley (100 pass), (both ex-Salter Brothers from the Thames) and Flying Fox (56 pass). The ballroom and boats were later owned by A.Tolley and then fleet included Diamond Queen (174 pass), Gaiety (138 pass) and Hurley (100 pass), plus motor boats King George (72 pass), Tagus (56 pass) and La Marguerite (12 pass). The Marine Ballroom was kept busy with teas and dinners during the summer, but was available for functions and dances in the winter. In later years it appears to have been used for boxing matches. Gaiety and Hurley were later converted to diesel power and Gaiety had her saloon removed to become a flush decked vessel. Gaiety remained at Evesham until 1991, after which there were no local trip boats until 1996 when Handsam Too arrived. Gaiety returned to the Thames with French Brothers but was not rebuilt for use. She was later sold for use as a house boat.

	Sections on this Page Evesham Historic Boat Images Evesham Ferries Evesham Recent Boat Images Evesham River & Town Images Operators & Boats on this Page Avon Catering & Boating Gaiety Hurley Avon Leisure Cruises Avon Spirit Frederick Spirit of Freedom Handsam Boat Company Handsam Too Operator Websites:- www.avon-boating.co.uk - Stratford-upon-Avon www.avonleisurecruises.co.uk Evesham www.handsamboatcompany.co.uk Evesham	Related Simplon River Boat Pages Evesham Header Page - this page Stratford-upon-Avon Header Page Avon Boating - Stratford-upon-Avon Handsam Too - Evesham River Thames Header Page French Brothers Salter Brothers Associated Simplon Pages Cruise Ships Ocean Liners UK Excursion Vessels World Ferry Fleets Simplon Postcards - Home Page Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates - Simplon Postcards facebook page References Trip Out Guides - Written & published by G.P.Hamer - editions 1977-2011 Trip Out Guides are available from Geoffrey Hamer, PO Box 485, Southall, UB1 9BH Cruising Monthly - www.cruisingmonthly.com Josephine Jeremiah - The River Avon - Philimore 1999 [1] Josephine Jeremiah - The River Severn - Philimore 1998 [2]
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There were tea gardens & dining rooms at the Marine Ballroom near the Avon Bridge until it was burnt down. The owners also hired out small boats and ran steam excursion boats from the river close to where Handsam Too now operates. I have two undated brochures issued by the company, one when owned by S.J.Grove and one by A.Tolley. The Tolley brochure is dated1952-1966 since an advert mentions the BMC engine installed in Hurley. At this time the fleet was Gaiety (138 pass), Hurley (100 pass), (both ex-Salter Brothers from the Thames) and Flying Fox (56 pass). Gaiety remained a steamer at this time. The S.J.Grove brochure is much older (prices are 1/3 of those post war) and the fleet was larger with steamers Diamond Queen (174 pass), Gaiety (138 pass) and Hurley (100 pass), plus motor boats King George (72 pass), Tagus (56 pass) and La Marguerite (12 pass). The Marine Ballroom was kept busy with teas and dinners during the summer, but was available for functions and dances in the winter. In later years it appears to have been used for boxing matches. Gaiety was later converted to diesel power and had her saloon removed to become a flush decked vessel. She remained at Evesham until 1991, after which there were no local trip boats until 1996 when Handsam Too arrived. Gaiety returned to the Thames with French Brothers but was not rebuilt for use. She was alter sold for use as a house boat. Regular services in both brochures ran to Chadbury (7 miles) and Fladbury (14 miles), with steamers running every 30mins in the pre-war brochure.

Complete PDF files of both brochures can be downloaded:-
Pre-war Brochure - 2.5MB PDF File
1950/60s Brochure - 4MB PDF File

Hurley was formerly Phoenix and Caucase, and is now with Parr's of Kingston. She was built by Salter's as a private yacht named the Caucase for a Russian count in 1914. A fire broke out in Salter’s slipway building on Monday 24 May 1920 and the Caucase, which was being refitted, was virtually destroyed. Only her hull survived, which Salter’s put to use when in 1924 a vessel named Phoenix joined their passenger fleet, having risen – as a phoenix does – from the ashes of the Caucase. She was smaller than Salter's usual boats – 66' in overall length, 11' in beam – and her funnel and machinery were placed aft of the saloon. Phoenix was renamed Hurley in 1927 but in February 1931 followed Gaiety (ex-Oxford) to the River Avon at Evesham where for many years she sailed for S J Grove. She returned to the Thames in 1981 and currently (2011) runs for Parr's of Kingston.

Handsam Too was built by by Hornbeam's of Wallasey in 1934 as the Princess Margaret for service on the River Dee at Chester. It is believed that she had a sister Princess Elizabeth. Princess Margaret later worked on the River Ouse at York and on the Trent at Newark. She was brought from there to the Avon at Evesham in 1996 by Tom Sandham (Handsam is an an anagram of Sandham and was the name of a sailing boat previously owned). The last previous boat to operate trips at Evesham had been the Gaiety (ex-Oxford (1) of Salter Brothers) which returned from the Avon to the Thames in 1991. Handsam Too has now been running on the Avon for 21 years, despite sinking in severe floods in 2007. She was restored within six months and has been painted cream since then; her hull colour previously being blue. the owner also owns a smaller boat Empress which is out of service and for which no images are available.

Motor boats and rowing boats are also available for hire from the Handsam Too berth at Abbey Park, Evesham, WR11 4ST.

To travel on Handsam Too
Website:- www.handsamboatcompany.co.uk
Email:- info@handsamboatcompany.co.uk
Phone:- 07860 895416
2011 Brochure:- Download 4MB PDF File

Evesham Abbey was founded by Saint Egwin at Evesham in England between 700 and 710 A.D. following a vision of the Virgin Mary by Eof.

According to the monastic history, Evesham came through the Norman Conquest unusually well, because of a quick approach by Abbot Æthelwig to William the Conqueror. Only one section of walling survives from the actual abbey, although fragments of the chapter house, the bell tower and the gateway remain, which were added later: the chapter house in the 13th century and the bell tower in the 16th century. Simon de Montfort (1208–1265) is buried beneath the high altar of the ruined abbey, the spot marked by an altar-like memorial monument dedicated by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1965. The abbey is of Benedictine origin, and became in its heyday one of the wealthiest in the country. During the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the abbey was demolished leaving only the bell tower surviving into the 21st century.