Gloriana Seeking Home

Hounslow backs campaign to bring Gloriana home to Brentford

Hounslow Council is backing the local campaign to provide a permanent berth for the Queen’s Rowbarge Gloriana in Brentford.

The Gloriana was built as a lasting legacy to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, and is now looking for a permanent mooring.

Plans for a berth and visitor centre in Orleans Park, Twickenham, have met with local opposition, so local campaigners have called for Gloriana to return to Brentford, where it was built.

Leader of Hounslow Council, Cllr Steve Curran, said:

“We are more than happy to support the campaign to bring the Gloriana back to its rightful berth in Brentford.

“It was built here, launched just upriver in Isleworth, and it would be a great addition to the town’s regeneration as a tourist attraction with real local links.

"We will work with the Brentford Chamber of Commerce and all relevant authorities to help make this happen.”

Master boatbuilder Mark Edwards assembled a highly-skilled team of craftsmen to build the hull and the coach in what was then a secret location in Brentford and then moved to Isleworth, where she was launched in April 2012. 

Following the Jubilee celebrations, Gloriana was to promote better use of the Thames through providing opportunities for Royal-supported, and other charities, to play their part in occasions and celebrations upon the Thames, with a particular emphasis on events involving young people.

August 12, 2014