W.H. Walker and Brothers was a narrow boat builder based in Rickmansworth

Rickmansworth

Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England, 4¼ miles west of Watford.The town has a population of around 15,000 people and lies on the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne, at the northern end of the Colne Valley regional park.Rickmansworth is a small town in...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, from 1905 to 1964. They were one of the major producers of narrow boats for the English Canal Network.

The business of W.H. Walker and Brothers was established in 1905 by Harry Walker. He took a lease of part of Frogmoor Wharf from Robert Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Ebury

Robert Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Ebury

Robert Wellesley Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Ebury was a British politician.He was educated at Harrow School and King's College London....

. The firm thrived there for most of the twentieth century. Eventually the land was sold for redevelopment to Tesco

Tesco

Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...

 in June 1989.

History

Harry Walker started with repair work to boats but in 1907 he started building his own boats. Walkers specialised in wooden construction. It took eight oak trees and one elm tree per boat. The first were horsedrawn, but motor power was introduced from 1913. Boats were built for Fellows Morton and Clayton

Fellows Morton and Clayton

Fellows Morton & Clayton Ltd was, for much of the early 20th century, the largest and best-known canal transportation company in England. The company was in existence from 1889 to 1947.-Origins:...

, the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company

Grand Union Canal Carrying Company

The Grand Union Canal Carrying Company was a freight carrying transport service in England from 1934 to 1948.-Background:For more detail on this section see the History of the Grand Union Canal....

, Cadbury of Bournville

Bournville

Bournville is a model village on the south side of Birmingham, England, best known for its connections with the Cadbury family and chocolate – including a dark chocolate bar branded "Bournville". It is also a ward within the council constituency of Selly Oak and home to the Bournville Centre...

 and Wander of Kings Langley

Kings Langley

Kings Langley is a historic English village and civil parish northwest of central London on the southern edge of the Chiltern Hills and now part of the London commuter belt. The major western portion lies in the borough of Dacorum and the east is in the Three Rivers district, both in the county of...

, the manufacturers of Ovaltine

Ovaltine

Ovaltine is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract , sugar , cocoa, and whey...

.

The last new boats were built before the Second World War. Repair work kept the boatyard in business until 1964. The total production of the business was 212 new boats and repairs to over 600 boats. The business was known as Walkers’ of Ricky.