St Pancras Cruising Club
St Pancras Cruising Club (SPCC) is a members' association of boat owners located between Camden Town and Islington on the Regent's Canal in Central London. Most boats in the basin are narrowboats, the most common form of craft on the British canals. .
Location and facilities[edit]
St Pancras Cruising Club is based at the basin of the same name, next to Camley Street Natural Park, between St Pancras Station and St Pancras Old Church, one of the oldest church buildings in London,[1] hence the name of the district. The club, which was founded in 1958,[2] is situated in a canal basin that was used to handle building stone.
SPCC has a clubhouse with a bar. It constructed the first new dry dock in London for many decades, now the only one in Central London.
In 2001 the club became the guardian of a listed water tower, originally used to refill the steam locomotives with water. The Victorian Gothic brick structure, designed by the office of Sir George Gilbert Scott around 1870, was moved a few hundred metres as it was in the way of the St Pancras International station enlargement. The club organises a number of open days during the summer when visitors can visit the water tower.
Activities[edit]
SPCC has gained a reputation as one of the country's foremost cruising clubs, based not least on the year-round safe navigations that it conducts and marshals on the Tideway, the tidal Thames. Notable cruises include the 2007 one to the Houses of Parliament protesting DEFRA cuts to the inland waterways budget and the 'Fund Britain's Waterways' campaign cruise to Westminster in May 2024 protesting at proposed cut to waterways funding.. It was also a pivotal organiser in the narrowboat contribution to the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012.[3]
SPCC has always played an active part in waterways events. It is a founder member of the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs, The club helps organise events such as the Angel Canal Festival and the Canalway Cavalcade at which the boat handling competition novice winner's trophy is named after a former commodore of SPCC, Dr Roger Squires.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Historic England. "Old church of St Pancras (1113246)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "St Pancras Golden Anniversary". Waterways World. June 2008. p. 52. ISSN 0309-1422.
- ^ Summerley, Victoria (1 June 2012). "Setting sail for the Jubilee". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022.
External links[edit]
- Club website
- Map sources for St Pancras Cruising Club