History of Steam Tug Brent

1942

In 1942 tugs were urgently needed for War duties both in the UK and overseas and the British Admiralty requested the construction of a standard ‘Utility’ vessel, which could be built quickly and easily. Known as ‘TIDs’, 182 of these little prefabricated tugs were built by various yards around the UK.

1945

Brent started life as TID 159 and was one of the last to be constructed, being built by William Pickersgill & Sons of Southwick, Sunderland in 1945.

Brent missed being used for Admiralty War service, being finally launched 5 November 1945. The Port of London Authority bought TID 159 for £4,000 renaming her ‘Brent’, after a Thames tributary. Brent was stationed in the Thames, on mud and silt clearance work including dredging up of bombs and mines left over from the War.

Late 1950's

Brent was moved to the enclosed dock system where she towed lighters and barges between ships, docks and shoreside warehouses.

With the opening of the new expanded Port at Tilbury and the adoption of containerisation, the London Docks went into a slow decline with most closing by the mid 1960’s. Brent was retained and so she became the last steam driven vessel left in service with the Port of London Authority.

Brent’s last full working day was recorded in her PLA Log Book 9 October 1969.

1970

Brent was soon considered redundant to need and finally went to the shipbeakers, Stour Salvage Co at Mistley in 1970. The majority of older tugs had already been scrapped, Brent was one of the last survivors of her kind. Her new owners the Hall family of Maldon felt that she should be saved for posterity, the best way being by converting her into a family home and tug yacht.

1977

Brent took part in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 on the Thames, lying near to Sir Walter Raleigh’s Steps above Greenwich. Twenty five years previously she had towed the firework barge for the Coronation celebrations!

1979

Brent took the Hall family to the Netherlands, crossing the North Sea to Ijmuiden and through the North Sea Canal to Amsterdam.

1980 - 2010

Brent’s last major trips were in the 1980’s to London, where she lay at Tower Pier and to Chatham Dockyard for a steam festival.

In 1994 Brent was laid up. The Steam Tug Brent Trust was established in 2010.

2024

The National Lottery Heritage Fund made Steam Tug Brent a grant for explorations into the way forward to allow the continuation of the valuable restoration for future generations.