Narrowboat (or narrow boat if you prefer) Rufford was built in the Autumn of 2004 and was lowered into the water on 14 January 2005 at Stockton Top Marina (formerly Blue Lias Marina) above Stockton Top Lock on the Main Line of the Grand Union canal.
Sister vessels Apperley and Pendlebury were built ahead of Rufford and Hawksmoor, Soudley, Beeston Castle, Castleber, Goosemoor and Huxley followed during 2005. Soudley and Goosemoore have a stern galley, rather than mid galley, layout. Further vessels have been built since to a similar design; details can be found on the Ownerships website.
Rufford has been equipped with a removable satellite dish, and has recently been treated to a new sofa-bed and new carpet. Rufford is one of the few "new generation" boats to retain its dishwasher.
Rufford is managed and maintained by Ownerships and details of other shared ownership boats can be found on their web site.
Rufford's owners have designated the boat to be both pet-free and smoke-free.
There are 12 shares in Rufford.
Currently one share is for sale for £6500.
It holds position 5 for choosing 2010 booked weeks.
For further information, contact us .
Rufford and her sister vessels were of a new improved design. This was based on Ownerships' previous design for a mid-galley semi traditional layout but with the incorporation of changes from the 'wish lists' of their existing customers.
The new vessels had a revised internal layout, different colour schemes inside and out and an improved level of mechanical and domestic equipment which includes a bow thruster and dishwasher.
Diagram of Rufford's layout
All vessels are of the same basic design but have small differences in layout
and colour.
The interior finish was designed by Jan McDermott - photographs
of sister vessel Apperley
Graham Reeves, G&J Reeves Boatbuilders, Coventry Bridge Yard, Station Rd, Napton, Nr Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 8HX, UK, Tel: +44 (0)1926 815581
John Milburn, Milburn Boats, Bridge Grounds, Staverton, Nr Daventry, Northants, NN11 6BG, UK tel. +44 (0)1327 702164
Rufford was initially based at Stockton Top Lock Marina on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire and moved home to Norbury Junction, Staffordshire on the Shropshire Union Canal in March 2007. She then moved to Heritage Marina on the Macclesfield Canal in March 2009. See the Bases page of this site for more information.
If you have any comments, questions or suggestions regarding this site or Rufford just send an e-mail to webmaster@rufford.org.uk.
Many thanks to former owner Richard Marston for use of photographs and text, and for his work over the first 4 years of this website.
Based on a web design originally hosted and managed by InitialSite