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Issue 199, May 2022

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​CRICK BOAT SHOW SPECIAL

Celebrate Jubilee weekend at Crick Boat Show

EACH year more than 250 canal boat industry exhibitors converge at Crick Marina for Britain’s biggest inland waterway showcase, the Crick Boat Show.

After two difficult years for live events, the show is due to return to full strength with more than 26,000 visitors expected to attend. This year it will take place across the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend, June 3-5.

Crick Boat Show offers a fantastic day out with dozens of boats to view, free boat trips, free advice seminars on boat ownership, live music, children’s activities, a real ale marquee and a large variety of food and drink stalls.

The event is organised by Waterways World in association with the Canal & River Trust and Crick Marina. CRT national boating manager Matthew Symonds said: “Every year

Crick Boat Show celebrates Britain’s fantastic network of canals and rivers. This year we will be celebrating the Canal & River Trust’s 10th anniversary, looking back at what the charity has achieved alongside its volunteers, boaters and partners, since its formation in 2012.”

Show director Peter Johns said: “For three days Crick Boat Show becomes Britain’s largest chandlery when almost 300 exhibitors bring together the complete range of equipment and materials for inland boating.

“Our extra Trade & Preview Day on Thursday, June 2 offers a maximum of 1000 pre-booked visitors the opportunity to talk in depth with companies offering equipment and services for inland boating and to see the boats before everyone else.”

Tickets for the Thursday are only available in advance, priced at £25 each and give

visitors access to an exclusive online bookings system for boat viewings on the preview day. They will also receive a gift bag and a free hot drink. The bookings system will open in early May. For each of the three public days on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 3-5, adult advance tickets cost £15.30, offering a saving up to 15% on the entry price of £18 on the gate; entry for children aged 16 and under is free. Three-day adult tickets are £40 on the gate, £34 in advance.

Camping pitch prices start at £45 for one night for a 6m x 6m pitch for a tent and car. Mooring costs start at £1.50 per foot.

For more information and to book tickets, camping pitches and moorings, visit www. crickboatshow.com or call 01283 742970, Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm. Advance ticket sales close on Friday, May 27.

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Green is the colour for eco-friendly boaters

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THE move to greener boating will be one of the themes at this year’s Crick Boat Show.

Canal & River Trust national boating manager Matthew Symonds explained: “With environmental concerns increasingly on the minds of consumers, sustainability is a key area of innovation for the inland waterways sector.

“Each year, more boaters visit the Canal & River Trust marquee at Crick Boat Show asking about ways to make boating more sustainable. Their concerns range from the damaging effect on wildlife of plastic pollution in our waterways, to electric engine charging points and waste disposal.”

He continued: “Looking at our 2000mile network of inland waterways, the trust is working with a range of partners and projects to support the Government’s decarbonisation agenda and tackle the physical effects of climate change.

“From water sourced heat pumps for heating and cooling canalside buildings and generating hydro-electric power on our rivers, to promoting active travel and

the recovery of nature, there are many powerful ways our waterways can help to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.”

Matthew concluded: “The Government’s Clean Maritime Plan states that by 2025 there must be a plan in place to ensure that all vessels, including those on the inland waters, are able to meet the zero emissions target by 2050.

“The trust is committed to working towards a zero-carbon future for boating on our inland waterways, recognising that this needs to be a collaborative effort involving boaters, businesses, local authorities and the Government.”

Free boating seminars at Crick Boat Show offer people advice on reducing their impact on the environment with green boating, and a series of bookable masterclasses with exhibitors providing updates on innovations such as low impact narrowboat hull designs, hybrid and electric engines, and the latest in battery technology.

From reducing waste afloat to the latest in engine technology, the Canal

& River Trust has put together 15 sustainable boating tips and products that will be showcased at this year’s Crick Boat Show.

1. Switch to electric or hybrid engines – electric boat engines are

a vital component of our journey

towards net zero in 2050, and for boats kept in marinas with electric charging points, fully electric engines are a great option. But while the electric charging infrastructure on our network is still in its infancy, one of the most efficient forms of propulsion is the Serial Hybrid system, which can reduce the

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2022

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76 PAGES

BICENTENARY FLOTILLA

P4

SPONSORED BOAT HAUL

P5

Taking shape The extension to the navigable section of the Montgomery Canal north of Crickheath, where a large digger is being used to shape the channel. Most of the remaining metres were expected to be completed in late April, prior to the start of lining and blocking from May onwards. PHOTO: SU PUBLICITY

CRUISING WITH CROCHET

P9

FOCUSING ON BANBURY

P16

Great progress with the appeal to tackle Shropshire’s last highway blockage ORGANISERS of the Restore the Montgomery Canal! appeal are delighted with the response from supporters across the country, from Edinburgh to Southampton.

The appeal is for the final funds for the reconstruction of Schoolhouse Bridge, the last highway blockage in Shropshire, due to be rebuilt this year but affected by the sharply rising cost of construction materials.

Group chairman Michael Limbrey said: “We are absolutely delighted with the extent that people all over the country have responded to our appeal.

“We now have the formal consents for the project and contributions to the fund

Training centre

BOATS FOR SALE Starts on

P19

will help us meet those extra costs.”

The appeal launch, which featured in Towpath Talk last month, has been backed up with leaflets featuring TV canal stars Timothy West and Prunella Scales.

The appeal is boosted by an anonymous supporter match-funding the first £50,000.

In a few weeks the appeal has received many donations, some of £1000 and many of £100 or more, which with Gift Aid and the matching £1 bring the total raised already to over £25,000. A £10,000 legacy has also been received from a late member of the Friends of the Montgomery Canal.

Michael continued: “Our team of

THE Worcester-Birmingham & Droitwich Canals Society has now been registered as an Accredited Training Centre within the National Community Boats Association. The qualification sessions were held over two full days of intense examination on the society’s trip boat Cecilia. The society’s status as an ATC now allows it to deliver training to its own volunteers and external candidates through to the Certificate in Community Boat Management which qualifies helms to operate the trip boat while carrying passenger groups.

volunteers has worked for five years for the reconstruction of Schoolhouse Bridge, one of the main obstructions to restoration of the derelict section of the canal to the Welsh border at Llanymynech.

“We are now working to put in place the final arrangements to rebuild Schoolhouse Bridge and to fix a starting date. In just a few months we have to close the road, excavate the embankment blocking the canal, build the new bridge and reopen the road.”

Discussions will continue with consultants, engineers and Shropshire Council about the restoration of the final two miles from the bridge to Llanymynech.

Community funding

A PILOT scheme by the Lapal Canal Trust to provide boat trips for the elderly, people with disabilities, schoolchildren and minority groups has been awarded £10,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund. Trips recently resumed for groups which would benefit from the companionship, calmness and education of a canal experience. The boat trips start from Selly Oak where Sense HQ is situated by the junction of the to-be-restored Dudley No 2 Canal and the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

This will match what is going on across the border in Powys where a programme of restoration is being planned under recently announced government grants.

“We hope that work will get under way later in the year. This year too volunteers of the Shropshire Union Canal Society are working to finish their lottery-supported extension of the navigable section north of Crickheath,” Michael added.

Donations can be made through the Local Giving page for the Restore the Montgomery Canal! appeal: www.localgiving.org/charity/ restorethemontgomerycanal.

Volunteer plea

THE Ratho-based canal charity Seagull Trust Cruises has restarted trips for people with special needs but is struggling to provide pre-Covid levels of service. After two years of no sailings on the Union Canal in Scotland, the trust has lost some crew volunteers and, with increased bookings, needs more to continue sailing. It relies on donations to cover costs and operates solely using trained volunteers. Anyone wishing to help should contact chairman David Mieras on 0131 445 2022. y

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2 NEWS

May 2022

WELCOME​ AS SPRING turns into summer live events are definitely back on the calendar and I am sure many people will relish the opportunity to get out and meet boating friends who they probably haven’t seen face-to-face for a couple of years.

It doesn’t seem like nine months since our last Crick Boat Show Special but it’s back although this year over the first weekend in June to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend.

It’s great to have news from events back on our pages including the launch of the Chichester Ship Canal bicentenary year, see Alison Alderton’s report on page 4 and the open day at Hebden Lock from which Colin Wareing reports on page 6.

Members of the WorcesterBirmingham & Droitwich Canals Society have been hauling their trip boat Cecilia along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, see page 5 and there are news of completed projects on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Eshton Road Locks on page 5 and Rishton on page 10.

Nicola Lisle visits Banbury Museum and Tooley’s Historic Boatyard on page 16 and Lee Senior takes a walk along the Union Canal in the Scottish Lowlands, see page 67. And this month’s towpath journey from Coolcanals takes you along London’s short cut – the Hertford Union Canal – see feature on page 70.

Sadly we say farewell to Cracker’s Chat this month after seven years – 84 monthly musings! The team at Bywater Cruises have reluctantly decided to call time on their horse-drawn cruises aboard Countess on the Montgomery Canal and thank everyone for their support over the years.

It really is the last word on page 74 and we wish Cracker a long and happy retirement.

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Shipshape and Braunston fashion

By Tim Coghlan

WITH the lifting of lockdown and the prospect of a full season of waterways rallies and festivals ahead, the owners of Effingham, Keith and Jill Astley, have recently had its paintwork restored to the original 1959 British Waterways livery.

The work was carried out by father and son boat painters Dave and Aaron Bishop in Braunston Marina’s famous

1792 ‘little dry dock’ used by generations of famous narrowboat painters, including Frank Nurser and Ron Hough.

The Astleys acquired Effingham in December 2019 and moved it to their home mooring at Braunston Marina before the first lockdown in the spring of 2020. They have since been very restricted in the opportunities to use the boat and more importantly to continue the great restoration programme carried

out by its two previous owners which the Astleys willingly acknowledge.

Effingham, which is now on the National Historic Ships UK Register, had been rescued by the first owner from the British Waterways maintenance fleet in 2010, lying half-sunk on the Montgomery Canal.

It was one of the last steel motors made for canal carrying, built by Pimblott & Sons of Northwich in

1959 and designed to a shallower and narrower specification to cope with the decline of the northern canals through a lack of maintenance.

Effingham will parade with more than 50 historic narrowboats already booked in for the Braunston Historic Narrowboat Rally at the end of June. And there is every prospect of many more, including at least two other surviving narrowboats from the original 12 Admiral Class.

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Father and son narrowboat painters Dave and Aaron Bishop with proud owners Keith and Jill Astley astern on the repainted Effingham at Braunston Marina. PHOTO: TIM COGHLAN

‘Games On’ focus at West Midlands meeting

By Phil Pickin

​DURING the Canal & River Trust’s recent West Midlands Regional Annual Public Meeting and Showcase, this year’s Commonwealth Games continued to dominate much of the discussion.

West Midlands chairman John Hudson chaired the online event which was attended by more than 100 people. Speakers included regional director Adnan Saif, CRT chief executive Richard Parry and Liz Shaw, head of engagement Midlands & East at the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Although preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer tend to dominate much of what is happening locally, Richard Parry noted that this year is also the 10th anniversary of the Canal & River Trust formation on July

12. This too will be celebrated, however no details were given at the time of the meeting.

Ian Lane, CRT’s head of operational projects, went into considerable detail to outline what will happen in the run-up to and during the Games as the trust enters what it calls the Games On phase. Events, such as the Birmingham Festival, have already begun and will run through until the end of September.

Throughout the summer and during the games, events such as Paddle to the Heart, the Boating Parade, CRT's 10th anniversary and the Canal Games are planned.

Adver tising displays and engagement with national and international media are planned. Even the Conservative Party Conference, held in the city in October, is on the timeline of the events. However, just how engaged the delegates

will be with the local waterways is unknown!

Project funding

Liz Shaw outlined the various funding levels on offer from the heritage fund and how local groups can apply. She passed on helpful information about the timescales and precisely what is needed to succeed in an application.

The fund already contributes to several waterways projects within the region, including £11.4 million to CRT for the Unlocking the Severn project.

Attendees of the meeting were told that the infrastructure and programme plan for 2022 would include spending 26% of the national priority works budget in the region, with £5.5 million to be spent on 97 packages of maintenance work.

In addition, there are plans to spend an additional £6.5 million on other significant

projects like Bridge 37 on the Caldon Canal and stabilisation work on the Woodseaves Cutting in Shropshire; £563k has already been spent on offside vegetation clearance on a number of regional waterways and £1.8 million spent on dredging.

Plans are in place for another £1.9 million to be spent over 2022/23 and a further £600k has been secured from Severn Trent Water to tackle invasive non-native plant species across the network over the next four years.

Looking even further ahead, there are plans to deliver towpath improvements and waterway wall improvements, helped by external funding, in central Birmingham, Kidderminster, Leamington Spa, Brewood, Great Haywood and Fradley.

There is also the launch of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Walkway, with 40% of the route

using central Birmingham canals. The presentation also mentioned the development of a range of externally funded projects in the future, including HS2, Levelling Up Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

With the trust’s grant funding fixed at £52 million per year until 2027, attendees were told it represents a loss in real terms. There would be a ‘Grant review to determine future Grant funding beyond 2027’ with determination due by July 2022.

As such, the trust is, ‘looking at different grant scenarios and applying HM Treasury Green Book methodology’, the meeting was told.

Worryingly ‘analysis to date indicates not possible to sustain waterways without a good level of Grant post-2027, reflecting rising infrastructure costs from climate change’.

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Fund pledges £5m boost for canal project

An aerial view of previous restoration from Staveley Waterside through Hartington Harbour and under Eckington Road Bridge in the foreground.

PHOTO: MIKE PATTERSON

THE Chesterfield Canal Trust has been awarded £5.3 million from the Staveley Towns Fund.

This means that over the next three years the canal will be extended by half a mile from Hartington Harbour on to the Staveley Puddlebank which runs across the Doe Lea valley.

There will also be two miles of multi-use towpath all the way to Renishaw, a new lock and two new bridges. A siphon pipe will take the water from Staveley Waterside (the new name for Staveley Town Basin) to the new canal section. In addition, full designs will be prepared for further work.

Trust chairman Peter Hardy said: “Our scheme will bring enormous benefits to the residents of Staveley and surrounding areas with the extension of the canal from Staveley Waterside almost to the river Doe Lea. “Together with the other projects awarded money from the Towns Fund, it will enhance the environment, health and well-being of all who live in the area.

It will be the catalyst for the Chesterfield Canal Trust to complete the restoration of the canal.

“We are indebted to the local company Suon Ltd which has donated the clay to be used in this project; without this generosity the scheme would not have been possible.”

It is hoped to complete the canal restoration through to Renishaw. This

will include the spectacular Doe Lea aqueduct, planned to be 37m long and 10m above river level.

The trust’s volunteer work party has already started its Rewatering Renishaw project which will bring another half mile of canal back to life. The aim is to join the two projects together, finishing up with an extra 2½ miles of canal in the next few years.

For the next few months, the project team, led by Mark Potter, will be making detailed preparations, preparing tender documents, appointing staff and awarding contracts.

The first actual construction work will be the new Trans-Pennine Trail bridge, just east of the existing Eckington Road Bridge. This is scheduled to start early next year. The main earthmoving to rebuild the Puddlebank will not start until 2024.

Since his appointment as the trust’s development manager nearly three years ago George Rogers has worked tirelessly to get the restoration to this point.

Upon hearing the news of the award his reaction was: “Now the hard work starts!”

The trust is also grateful for all the support that it has received from Chesterfield Borough Council, the Staveley Town Deal Board, Derbyshire County Council, Lee Rowley MP, Toby Perkins MP, countless councillors and, perhaps most importantly, its membership and the local people in whose hearts the canal holds a very special place.

​ oaters march on trust’s London B office to fight for moorings ​HUNDREDS of boaters held a demonstration in London recently to protest about policy changes which they claim are a continued attack on the capital’s liveaboard boating community.

Starting in Regent’s Park, the protestors marched to CRT’s offices in Little Venice where they were addressed by speakers from the boating community and landbased supporters.

Boaters also engaged with the public to explain how these changes, which they described as discriminatory, are threatening people’s livelihoods.

The protest was hailed as a great success by Ian McDowell, chairman of the London branch of the National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA), which has helped organise the boaters’ opposition.

Early in 2021, CRT announced that it would be restricting moorings along 10km of the River Lea, claiming that mooring in these Water Safety Zones was unsafe.

The NBTA, together with the London boating community, fought back by organising two flotillas involving over 70 boats and more than 1000 people.

The results of a consultation showed boaters are concerned about safety, but these zones would not make the river safer. The River Lea Forum was established with representatives from all interested user groups to discuss what would make the waterways safer.

But in October 2021 ‘no mooring’ signs started appearing on the river before the first forum took place. According to NBTA, boaters moored in these areas were told they could face enforcement action under the new Improper Mooring Process, making these new rules for areas where boaters have lawfully moored without any penalty for many years.

In Ja nu a r y 2022, enforcement action began on the ‘no mooring’ sites and since then, boaters have been served with notices threatening to terminate their licences.

Amelia and Tyrone have lived on a boat travelling the

Boaters on the march to CRT’s Little Venice office. PHOTO: NBTAL London waterways for seven years.

They have a two-year-old son and are expecting their second child, but worry that they may have to leave the water and perhaps London altogether.

“This area is our home,” said Amelia.

“My son attends a nursery here and we’re registered with doctors, dentists and my midwife appointments are in Homerton Hospital. The stress of receiving abrupt emails, notices and knocks at the door, about where we are moored, in areas we have been allowed to be in for years, is

​ ward-winning lock keeper A hangs up his windlass ​A LOCK keeper on his retirement and has just bought the Kennet & Avon a new bicycle to Canal for more than 30 years, Bob Preston keep active. has retired from his Asked why he’s duties at Caen Hill. saying goodbye He started and hanging up work with British his windlass, he replied: “It’s time Waterways when he to give a younger, was 19 in 1973 as a fitter, stronger general operative on person a chance the Kennet & Avon Canal and has been a to do the job.” lock keeper since 1991.

Bob also In 2014 he received received another the prestigious Retiring lock keeper Bob Preston award last week – a special Lock Keeper of the receiving a British Marine certificate of Year Award from certificate of commendation commendation the Association from Russell Fletcher at of Pleasure Craft Foxhangers. PHOTO SUPPLIED from British Operators.

Marine – which He has enjoyed welcomes people from was presented to him meeting and working many locations – as Bob by Russell Fletcher at with some lovely people said: “The world comes to Foxhangers holiday at Devizes. The flight visit us.” He plans to enjoy hire base.

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causing us a great deal of stress at a time when, as a young and growing family, we already have a lot going on.”

CRT also put out a consultation with proposals for paid-for bookable shortterm moorings of less than 14 days, just before Christmas 2021. Its own figures showed that the two ‘test sites’ for these new chargeable moorings have had less than 25% occupancy – most of the year they were wasted moorings.

The NBTA London branch (NBTAL) is supporting boaters in their direct action to disobey the ‘no mooring’ signs through providing a template complaint letter if they do receive a notice and posters to display in windows declaring the boat is moored in protest. Hundreds of boaters have defied CRT’s restrictions so far.

Ian McDowell commented that CRT was crossing a dangerous line that could see London Waterways and other waterways become usable only by those who could afford any extra costs in addition to the licence fee.

“Their actions only serve to show that while CRT markets itself as a charity that promotes well-being, it repeatedly tries to introduce policies which attack boaters’ well-being and way of life,” he added.

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Chichester Ship Canal bicentennial anniversary celebrations start with a bang!

A group of Victorian Strollers at the heritage centre.

By Alison Alderton

SUNSHINE filtered through the trees surrounding Southgate Basin, creating a tapestry of shadow as rich as the fine fabrics of costumes adorning the Victorian Strollers.

This group, which specialises in portraying Victorian gentlefolk, along with the Fort Cumberland Guard, a Napoleonic re-enactment group, were present at the 200th anniversary celebrations of the opening of the Chichester Ship Canal on Saturday, April 9.

Pomp and ceremony were the order of the day in 1822 and this again played a major role in this year’s event with gunfire reverberating across the water at the official opening. This was followed by speeches from local dignitaries and invited guests applauding the sterling efforts of the Chichester Ship Canal Trust’s volunteers.

I caught up with BBC Radio 2 newsreader Adam Porter, one of the guest speakers and a confirmed ‘canalaholic’ and narrowboat owner.

Adam commented how wonderful it was to see so many people at the basin hopefully securing the future of the canal for another 200 years!

Others at the event included: The Martlet Sword and Morris – a traditional English dance group – and the West Sussex Fire and Rescue, who fired their water cannon over the basin. Music and sea shanties were provided by The Duck

The bicentennial plaque.

PHOTO: WORTHING SOCIAL MEDIA

The Fort Cumberland Guard start proceedings with a bang! PHOTO: DAVID STANDLEY Pond Sailors, South Downs Folk Group and Ukes of Wallington whose rendition of Alexander’s Ragtime Band certainly had my toes tapping! On-water activities included displays by Chichester Canoe and Kayak Club and Portsmouth Model Boat Club.

The event culminated in a cavalcade from Hunston Corner where the now derelict Portsmouth & Arundel Canal once headed east towards the River Arun. Led into Southgate Basin by trip boat Kingfisher this comprised of barges, workboats and tugs followed by skiffs, canoes, paddleboards and kayaks where they were met by the Mayor and Mayoress of Chichester, Couns John and Cherry Hughes, amid great cheer.

The Martlet Sword and Morris in action.

Useful information www.chichestercanal.org.uk

BBC Radio 2 newsreader Adam Porter.

The speeches start on the balcony of the canal centre as visitors look on.

The cavalcade along the canal led by trip boat Kingfisher.

Capturing the event on canvas.

Model boats on display.

A couple of Victorian Strollers beside the basin.

Tugs, kayaks and SUPs enter the basin.

PHOTOS: ALISON ALDERTON UNLESS INDICATED

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Choir serenades boat haulers Getting the gates into position was no easy task.

The team of boat haulers from the Worcester-Birmingham & Droitwich Canals Society.

THE Worcester-Birmingham & Droitwich Canals Society’s volunteers recently completed a sponsored boat haul on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

Around 18 volunteers took it in turns of small teams to haul the society narrowboat Cecilia from Bridge 60 in Alvechurch to Bridge 67 at Hopwood in just 90 minutes. They were sung under way by the Alvechurch Village Choir and sung to again when they reached their destination.

While the boat has been there for the use of the community for many years, its layout was such that it wasn't right for the type of use it has been getting. Bedrooms have been removed, new seating added, repainting and updating inside to make her into a day boat for all to enjoy. The society now needs to have the boat repainted and make other repairs and it was raising funds for this work.

Cecilia has undergone extensive repairs over the last two years. The boat desperately needed a new floor, which cost well over £10,000 which the society funded.

Hauling Cecilia along the canal.

The boat is for the use of the local community and is operated entirely by a committed team of volunteers. To find out more please visit the society website www.wbdcs.org.uk and Facebook page @wbdcs.org.uk It’s not too late to make a donation. Please visit the society JustGiving page: www. justgiving.com/wbdcs

Yo heave ho! PHOTOS: WBDCS

Lock gates return to Newport ​AFTER two years of planning, lock gates have finally been returned to Town Lock on what remains of the Newport canal in Shropshire, thanks to the hard work of the Shrewsbury and Newport Canal Trust.

The section of the Newport canal, just off Water Lane, was reduced to a near trickle of water when the canal was partly filled in after its purchase by the local council in the late 1960s.

Many years have passed and a new set of decorative gates has been fitted.

These gates have been fashioned from a set previously fitted to Lock 10 on the Audlem flight. These were donated by the Canal & River Trust in 2019 and have been stored at Norbury Junction until recently.

After being cut down to size, the gates have been moved to their new location and fitted and, at the time of writing, were just waiting for the fitting of their new balance beams. With new gates in place, the area close to the town centre will look more like a canal again, a view voiced by local councillor Tim Nelson who volunteers with the trust.

The installation of the gates was overseen by John Mayers, one of SNCT’s trustees and a group of trust volunteers who turned up to watch and help. The next phase of the work, carried out close to the well-known ‘black shed’, will see the launch of a narrowboat into the adjacent basin. Discussions are also under way regarding the refurbishment and future use of the black shed itself, a local landmark for boaters and locals alike.

The first of the new gates ready for installation.

Lowering the new gate into place.

order as part of the new lock wall.

Around three-quarters of the original stones are in good enough condition to be reused in the build, with the remainder sourced from a nearby quarry and cut to the exact measurements of the originals.

Heritage advisor Ruth Garratt added: “It’s vitally important to find the balance between minimum intervention, which retains as much of the authentic ‘as built’ fabric of our historic structures while also adopting a constructive conservation approach, which acknowledges that the waterways are a living, working heritage.”

Individually marked stones awaiting replacement. PHOTOS: CRT

Words & photos: Phil Pickin

Lock repairs back on track after storm setbacks REPAIRS to the Grade II-listed Eshton Road Lock on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near Gargrave are back on track following setbacks and damage caused

by Storm Eunice in mid-February.

The Canal & River Trust team has been been working with specialist stonemasonry contractors Lyons on

An archaeological inspection at Eshton Road Lock.

a painstaking restoration project at the 200-year-old structure to prevent the lock’s wall from collapsing. The towpath and navigation were closed in November after a significant bulge was discovered.

Senior project manager Graham Ramsden explained: “We’ve been working hard to reopen the lock in time for Easter, but have been delayed by three weeks after Storm Eunice washed through the site causing further damage. We are hopeful to complete our work and get the lock back open to boats by early May.” An important stage of the repair programme involves the painstaking process of taking down the original lock wall stone by stone. With concrete piles in place to support the ground, each original stone is removed and carefully marked to ensure that it is replaced in the correct

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Mass paddle marks boat lift anniversaryy

MORE than 40 paddleboarders from the Mid Cheshire Stand Up Paddle Board Club made history by going through the Anderton Boat Lift at Northwich.

The event on March 26 was one of the celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary since the lift’s restoration. A Canal & River Trust spokesman said: “There were so many paddleboarders, we had to transport everyone in two stages.”

The first paddleboarders to travel through the lift, the group

The paddlers emerge on to the River Weaver. PHOTOS: CRT/

descended in one of the caissons before paddling en masse along the River Weaver down to Northwich and back, returning to the lift for the upward journey.

Other events over the weekend included a memories exhibition, the unveiling of a community patchwork quilt of the River Weaver Navigation, Lego building and Walking the Lift tours.

The following day Shropshire Paddlesport arrived with more canoeists, kayakers and

paddleboarders to do a one-way trip up the lift.

A weekend steam festival will take place on May 7-8 and a 10k charity run on Sunday, May 15, organised by the Running Bee Foundation. For young children and less active adults, there will also be an opportunity to get involved in the ‘My First Mile’ event which will be held at the same time as the 10k run.

Go to www.runningbee foundation.co.uk for more details about the event.

A wave from the top of the boat lift.

LYNN PEGLER

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COLIN WAREING Lancashire in January 2019. PHOTO:

eams for 2019 are revealed k’s TTop TTeams T k’s Towpath Talk a s, we bid farewell awn AS A new decade dawn t th to 2019 with the results of our Towpath Top Team award which has been k Top Talk r r. running throughout the year.

With four teams shortlisted for the final with vote it was a veryy close-run contest t volunteers ty the Grantham Canal Society taking the title by a short head.

Such was the support also for from Crusader Community Boating first Blisworth that we are awarding our a rd – something Community Boat awa f the we had alreadyy been planning for r r. coming year. of Commended are the Friends the River Nene and the Waterways Buck.

Chaplaincy’s Martin and Fiona Award presentations to our finalists

r The r. will take place in the new year. off a winning team receives the hire day boat carrying up to 10 people, generously sponsored by ABC Leisure Group Ltd. The runner-up will receive a £100 voucher to spend at Midland four Chandlers at Braunston and all finalists will receive a £100 donation towards their volunteering organisation the from Mortons Media Group Ltd,

Talk. tth Tal publisher of Towpath Our thanks go to the readers who rose of to the challenge of finding a group a gone that extra ave unsung heroes who have f their local stretch off towpath, mile for a association or ays canal or river, waterways a our judging ave community boat – and gave the of panel a difficult job shortlisting four finalists.

2 page on • Continued

found on a boat moored Ouse bodies t achievemen f nd 100-dayCommunity of two men were fou probe Action Network (UCAN) THE bodies Boats gunshot were called UPPERMILL Y k city centre. Emergency services after starting in Yor investigating damage to narrowboats POLICE are Officers were after gunshots were fired in Cambridge. a December 5, at around 10.15pm, ay, called on Thursday, f m shots fro after nearbyy residents reported hearing near boats on the what was believed to be an air rifle the window of one River Cam. Photographs off holes in a since been published. One resident ave of the boats have the Chesterton told reporters thatt shots, coming from moored at Browns side of the river, were fired at boats on for about five Field, Fen Ditton, and this went no injuries were minutes. Cambridgeshire Police said reported and enquiries were continuing.

achieved its 100-day volunteering milestone 2300 hours of out in 2015. This included more than who, according voluntary work achieved by local people to, crafting to UCAN, “care about, and are committed environment”. and maintaining our beautiful local and for the positive Thanks were given to all supporters, work parties will feedback from the community. The next 8 and 20. The usual be on January 4 and 23, and February on Moorgate bridge canal the at 10am is meeting point Killan on 01457 Street but this can change. Contact Peter l.com 878361 or peterkillan@hotmai

at around 8pm to Lendal Bridge on the River Ouse said officers on December 4. North Yorkshire Police f two men for attended “after concerns were raised with their touch in their 60s who had been out of bodies. Fire .” Upon arrival officers found the family.”

The deaths and ambulance services both attended. although did were being treated as ‘unexplained’ a post-mortem not appear to be suspicious and men had not The examination was due to take place. alk went to press.

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The paddlers enter the aqueduct.

Descending the lift.

​Lock open day at Hebden Bridge Words & photos: Colin Wareing

A SPECIAL in-person open day was held on March 12 at Lock 9 on the Rochdale Canal in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.

The Black Pit Lock had been drained and emptied of water for work on the cill of the bottom gates to help reduce water leakage. This enabled new timbers to be fitted and beneath the wood a special concrete mix was used to bed them on.

Experts from the trust and volunteers were on hand to describe the work taking place and a range of activities included canoe taster sessions. Heritage walks and talks were led by local guides who explained the history of the canal and its impacts on Hebden Bridge.

The trust is also hosting a virtual open day on its website at www.canalrivertrust.org. uk featuring behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from the experts involved in lock gate replacement at the Bingley Five Rise Locks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in West Yorkshire.

Working with specialist waterways contractor the Rothen Group, construction experts from CRT’s direct services team have been replacing the gates at Locks 25 and 26 of the staircase flight, which is the steepest in the UK.

The Canal & River Trust team included Charles Wood who has worked on water control and construction on the Rochdale Canal for several years, one of his hardest jobs having been retaining water levels for navigation. On the right is partnerships and external relationships manager Lizzie Dealey.

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The first heritage walk of the day along the towpath between Black Pit Lock and Stubbins Lower Lock.

The drained Black Pit Lock enabling work to reduce water leakage.

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Adam Smith, founder of the Real Junk Food Project.

Olympic gymnast Kathy Williams, co-founder of RJC Dance. PHOTOS: CRT

Local heroes added to Leeds waterfront art trail

UNSUNG heroes of Leeds and their families gathered at Leeds Waterfront recently to officially unveil the latest additions to a large-scale art installation.

Supported by Canal & River Trust and Leeds City Council, the project’s community consultation and artwork has been led by Artworks Creative Communities.

Leeds Heroes celebrates people from Leeds who have made a positive impact and whose accomplishments deserve to be acknowledged. The installation overlooks the River Aire and Fearns Island, near Crown Point Bridge on a well-used thoroughfare past Leeds Dock and is part of Leeds Waterfront Art Trail.

Three new heroes joining the original line-up are: Adam Smith (Enterprise),

founder of the Real Junk Food Project; Kathy Williams (Community), Olympic gymnast and co-founder of RJC Dance and Diana Phillip 1927-2011 (Equality), Leeds’ first black magistrate.

Other heroes represented included Gertrude Paul 1934-1992 (Education), the first black headteacher in Leeds and co-founder of Leeds West Indian Carnival.

Each artwork within the installation focuses on a different theme and linked hero. The themes are health, social activism, waterways, education, nature, creativity, innovation, sport, enterprise, community and equality.

Drawing upon heraldic symbolism, each of the monochromatic, laser-cut steel portraits is similar in appearance to a coat of arms, linking the work

visually and conceptually to the Royal Armouries, based in the city.

Ged Walker, a Menston-based street artist and director of Artworks Creative Communities, has led the creative project.

He said: “Leeds has produced many great people. There have been innovators who have shaped our way of life, sporting heroes who have made us proud and stars of stage and screen who have entertained the whole nation. But there have also been many unsung heroes. It’s been great to be able to realise this project, which has been supported by Leeds City Council and the Canal & River Trust and help to put a spotlight on more people who may not have been given the credit or attention they deserve.”

At the unveiling ceremony are, from left: Mark Durham, Leeds City Council; Heather Paul, representing her late mother Gertrude Paul; James Phillip, representing his late mother Diana Phillip; Kathy Williams – Leeds hero; Ged Walker, Artworks; Adam Smith – Leeds hero and Becca Dent of the Canal & River Trust.

Becca Dent, strategic programmes manager at the Canal & River Trust, is overseeing the programme in Yorkshire. She explained: “Art can enrich the visual and educational experience of those using our canals and rivers to take time out to unwind and relax, making a powerful impact.

“Towpath counters show an average of 4500 visits to the Leeds Dock area into Brewery Wharf on a typical day, with people walking, running or cycling along the waterfront. It’s amazing to think just how many people will get to know these unsung heroes.”

The other heroes featured in the art installation are: Leonora Cohen 1873-1978, suffragette and trade unionist; John Smeaton 1724-1792, civil engineer and designer of bridges and canals; Charles Turner Thackrah 1795-1833, surgeon and co-founder of Leeds School of Medicine; Yona Knight-Wisdom, Olympic diver; John Barran 1821-1905, fundamental to public ownership of Roundhay Park; Ivy Benson 1913-1993, saxophonist and bandleader who pioneered for female musicians and Joseph Aspdin 17781855, inventor of Portland Cement.

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​ rane barge joins C Cotswold Canals Trust fleet

Arriving at Stroud on the back of a lorry.

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​VOLUNTEERS at the Cotswold Canals Trust (CCT) have taken delivery of the 10th work boat to join the restoration project’s fleet.

The money has been fundraised by CCT on behalf of the canal project and will be operated by Stroud Valleys Canal Company (SVCC).

Once restored by skilled volunteers it will become a very useful asset and will join the nine other work boats currently owned by Cotswold Canals Trust and its partner SVCC. This barge, at 10ft wide, is stable enough to act as a safe crane platform and will pass through all locks on the canals from the Severn through to the River Thames.

Although the boat needs full renovation, CCT is well known for making good use of recycled materials, refurbishing industrial plant and bringing new life to the machinery needed to restore the Cotswold Canals.

It will be sited during this work at the Old Merchants Yard (Newland Homes development site), Cheapside, Stroud.

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Great turnout for New Cut ‘Big Litter Pick’ WALKERS and cyclists on the towpath of the New Cut Canal were amazed by one of the biggest litter picks in Warrington when 27 volunteers ensured that this popular walk was in pristine condition.

Organised by the New Cut Heritage and Ecology Group in conjunction with Warrington Borough Council, the clean-up saw a total of 30 bags of assorted rubbish cleared from the path and undergrowth on March 12.

This annual event is planned to clear litter in particular from the undergrowth and shrubbery before the summer growth and bird nesting season begin. In total 3km of towpath were cleared with volunteers working in teams spaced along the canal, each with a section to clear. The teams then took the black bags of collected litter to an agreed drop-off spot along Manchester

Terry Eagan helping to collect the bags of rubbish.

Road for council staff to remove.

Most ‘prized’ items found this year were a computer and a new microscope still in its box. Vacuum cleaners, gas cylinders and three bicycles all in need of repair were also found.

A spokesman for the New Cut Heritage and Ecology Group said: “This path is an increasingly popular heritage asset appreciated by the vast

Grantham Canal Society’s chief executive stands down

The barge is craned off awaiting restoration work. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

THE chief executive of the Grantham Canal Society (GCS), David Lyneham-Brown, has announced his resignation from the role due to personal reasons.

He has held this position since October 2006 and in recognition

Renovation will take around four months with new barge corner support legs and two new hydraulic cranes to be fitted and various engine/tool stores and welfare unit cabin modifications carried out.

CCT trustee and team leader Alan Jones said: “We are really grateful for the support of Newland Homes for allowing us access to their site. It means we can make use of this once busy canalside wharf for modern-day restoration. The barge will then be lifted into the Stroudwater Navigation Canal to help with the planned restoration and maintenance works.”

Planning permission to renovate this barge at this location has been applied for and once this has been granted by Stroud District Council, works can start.

Full details of the planning application S.22/0702/FUL will be published on the council’s website at www.stroud.gov.uk

www.towpathtalk.co.uk www.towpathtalk.co.uk

Driving force: David Lyneham-Brown at a Grantham Canal Discovery Day. PHOTO: JANET RICHARDSON

of his significant contribution to the canal over three decades, he has been made honorary vicepresident of GCS. David reported that his decision to step down from active management had not been taken lightly. It was with understanding and also with great reluctance that the GCS Board accepted his resignation.

The driving force behind Grantham Navigation Association (GNA), David spearheaded the restoration of Hickling Basin to include the stretch of canal to the Leicestershire boundary. This included three new swing bridges and dredging, allowing for a commercial trip boat to operate on this section upon completion in 1994.

David has been central, devoting his energies to the Grantham Canal Society, previously the Grantham Canal Restoration Society, since the merger of GNA and GCS. More recently, he could be found at the centre of celebrations to mark the opening of locks 14 and 15. This followed years of planning and restoration under his leadership.

GCS looks forward to David’s continued support as a member and ambassador for the restoration of the Grantham Canal.

A volunteer collects litter around the River Mersey. PHOTOS SUPPLIED majority of users but sadly there are those few individuals who don’t value it as they should.

“Hopefully the public spirit of these wonderful volunteers will set the example for all to follow.” www.newcuttrail.com Facebook: New Cut Heritage and Ecology Group

UCAN joins in Great British Spring Clean ​ EMBERS of the Uppermill Community M Action Network (UCAN) took part in the national Great British Spring Clean which recently returned for its seventh year.

The theme for 2022 was ‘One Bag – Big Difference’ highlighting that every act to protect the environment, no matter how small, makes a difference.

UCAN worked alongside Oldham Council as part of its commitment to keeping the borough clean and litter free and thanks the council for its support, supplying the appropriate bags and litter picking tools for the day.

UCAN volunteers making a difference with their bags of litter.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Work parties will take place on Thursday, May 12 and Saturday, May 28. New volunteers are always welcome and anyone interested should contact Peter Killan on 01457 878361 or email peterkillan@hotmail.com

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Characters of the Cut

Parks Trust teams up with Electra to offer new cruising opportunities

Janice Price, Nancy May Crochet

By Alice Griffin

DESPITE Janice Price’s roving trader business – Nancy May Crochet – being named after her nan, it wasn’t her nan that taught Janice how to crochet.

“I taught myself how to crochet after a family member had a premature baby. He was super tiny at just under 2lb and although I didn’t learn how to crochet anything quickly enough for him, I was obsessed with learning how to do it,” she told me.

Hours spent poring over YouTube tutorials and pestering her mam and friends paid off as Janice soon began making premature baby clothes and blankets for Kettering General Hospital. “It's really just the last couple of years that I have found myself writing my own patterns and trying more and more complex projects.”

Nowadays you will find Janice, along with husband Haydn and cats, Sparkle and Bibo, cruising the canal network aboard their 57ft traditional stern narrowboat, Drifter.

“We always wanted to move on to the waterways, having had leisure cruisers in the past and taken some narrowboat holidays but then my husband was seriously ill and it was a ‘life is too short’ moment. We decided that once he was well enough, we would have our own narrowboat.”

Janice and Haydn moved on board in the dead of winter, which put their new life to the test of tests! However, even in the depths of winter, they were captured by this way of life.

“Would I go back to bricks and mortar? Absolutely not!”

New lifestyle

It wasn’t always their plan to be roving traders. “We wanted to travel but still had some ties. My husband was in a band and still had treatment to go for, so we spent the first four years on the River Nene.” However during this time Janice found her skill with a crochet hook was growing and after speaking to a friend who was in the Roving Canal Traders Association, got her trader’s licence a couple of years into their new lifestyle.

Now they continuously cruise from market to market, festival to festival. “The RCTA tries to organise markets to follow a set route, to minimise to-ing and fro-ing.” Last year Drifter travelled from Northamptonshire

up the Soar, to Birmingham twice, Wolverhampton then over to Market Drayton and up the Llangollen before returning via Middlewich to Blisworth for a Christmas floating market.

“The whole system could take years, but I am going to give it my best shot!” Janice told me.

However, a firm favourite is Stoke Bruerne on the Grand Union.

“There’s a great pub, friends live close by and trading is usually good.”

Online orders are also popular and recently Janice has started thinking of doing a bit of towpath selling. “I enjoy meeting and chatting with people, but we tend to travel as much as possible and enjoy the waterways.” Her creations are certainly coveted, even by my own daughter who has just placed an order for a second hat in summer colours!

“Mostly I make whatever the demand is. I make to order as well as stock items, but even stock items evolve as fashions change and new patterns become popular.” Last year, Janice told me, was all about baby boots and before that, ponchos. “I prefer not to conform to what you might find in high street shops. I like quirky and I love colourful wares. The most bonkers thing I got asked to make was a bull’s hat haha! I had no pattern but I could see what was needed!”

Tight knit

For Janice, life on the water is all about freedom of movement and the relaxed, no rush kind of lifestyle many crave. In particular though, it’s the tight-knit community she enjoys. “There is always someone to help you out if something goes wrong or you just want a natter.”

This ‘helping out’ attitude came into play on their first outing on the River Nene. Janice and Haydn came across a sheep

MAJOR works to restore and interpret the historic park at Great Linford Manor have included the provision of a mooring point for Electra.

This allows Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust volunteers, who run the popular all-electric community boat, to offer a new selection of Grand Union Canal cruises.

Lead cabin host James Clifton said: “We are most grateful to the Parks Trust for giving us access to this mooring and charging point for Electra. It means we can now offer cruises starting at Great Linford, including relaxing cruises through Stanton Low Park, and cream tea cruises

Janice Price taught herself how to crochet.

on Wednesdays. This is in addition to our existing routes from our base at Campbell Wharf.” Last year the trust hosted more than 180 cruises from Campbell Wharf.

“We’re also delighted that, on the third Thursday morning of the month, we will be running an ‘Explore the Canal’ at Great Linford. This combines a cruise from Campbell Wharf with a 45-minute guided tour by a Parks Trust speaker about the canal at Great Linford and the impact it had on the manor gardens and the village,” James added.

Julie Dawes, the Parks Trust’s events and community engagement

manager, said: “The Parks Trust is delighted to work in partnership with the Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust.

This work will allow visitors to enjoy another view of the canal, which passes through the park.

The partnership is a great way to engage new audiences with the National Lottery Heritage funded project, that is revealing, reviving and restoring the wider 18th century landscape of the park.”

Details of all cruises, including dates and booking information, can be found by visiting the website Book a trip on Electra

A picture and greetings card from Skinny Boat Photography. PHOTOS SUPPLIED which had fallen in and in a howling wind they nosed their boat over. “With sheer brute force little ol’ me jumped off the front and heaved a fully grown (thankfully shorn) ewe out of the river. I don’t know who was more surprised – me or the sheep!”

In addition to crocheting Janice is also a keen photographer and operates Skinny Boat Photography, making pictures and greetings cards from the images she captures. This year she fancies taking her wares further north on the canals but just as fashions are flexible, so are Janice’s dreams. “As is always the case with boating life, plans usually change!”

A view from the Grand Union Canal over Great Linford Manor Park near Milton Keynes.

PHOTO: GILL PRINCE PHOTOGRAPHY

​

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Open for business as a roving trader on board Drifter.

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Some of the colourful wares in the Nancy May Crochet range.

Alice Griffin wanders the waterways aboard narrowboat Melody.

She’s an author and poet. Website: www. alicegriffin.co.uk Instagram: alice_is_in_ wanderland Make sure you stop to say hello and share your stories if you pass her on the canal!

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May 2022 www.towpathtalk.co.uk

Green boost for Manchester canals

Greater Manchester Deputy Lieutenant Dr Carl Austin-Behan, third from left, Lord Mayor and Mayoress of Manchester, Coun Tommy and Mrs Carole Judge, left, with CRT staff and volunteers Neville Rumsby, Jim Atkinson, Andrea Barnett and Sara Ponting planting an ornamental cherry tree at Tib Lock on the Rochdale Canal.

MANCHESTER’S city centre canals have been given a green biodiversity boost, thanks to the Canal & River Trust and the government’s Green Recovery Fund.

Over the last 12 months, CRT has worked with dozens of volunteers, community organisations and youth groups to deliver a community project to green up the Rochdale and Ashton canal corridors running through the city centre.

CRT’s community engagement co-ordinator Sara Ponting said: “The Green Recovery project has made a big difference for wildlife and the many people who live and work near Manchester’s historic waterways.

“The Rochdale and Ashton canals provide a peaceful, off-road route through the city centre, which is now greener, cleaner and healthier thanks to the efforts of volunteers.”

Alongside the canal towpath, walkers and boaters can now enjoy more wildflowers, spring bulbs, flowering shrubs, more than 600m of hedgerow and new rowan, crab apple and ornamental cherry trees.

New floating reed beds at Piccadilly Basin.

Bare concrete lock sides and paved paths have been brightened with the installation of 17 large planters, including rainbow-painted planters in the Gay Village.

A new reed bed has been established in Piccadilly Basin and all along the waterway, there are new pocket-sized community vegetable gardens, linear orchards and wildflower meadows, improving biodiversity for plants and animals, and air quality for local residents and workers.

Training volunteers and young people in environmental skills was a key part of the project for the trust, which led courses on countryside management, planting, tools and boat handling. Schools and youth groups were encouraged to get involved and appreciate their local waterway by joining in fun activities like pond dipping and paddleboarding.

And families were invited to ‘get active and fight plastic’ by taking part in canal clean-up walks.

Sara added: “Although the Green Recovery funding has sadly come to an end, the project has been such a success that we have applied for other grants in the hope we can continue the great work that has been started here.”

The Lord Mayor and Mayoress of Manchester, Coun Tommy and Mrs Carole Judge, and Greater Manchester Deputy Lieutenant Dr Carl AustinBehan recently joined CRT staff and volunteers to plant a flowering cherry tree at Tib Lock, near the Bridgewater Hall, as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Green Canopy– marking

New rainbow planters in the Gay Village. the 70th day of the 70th year of the Queen’s reign.

Coun Judge said: “I am delighted to be here on the canal and supporting a scheme that is leading towards a greener Manchester. The canals made Manchester. Two hundred years ago, they would have been really busy with lots of boats, so it’s great to see the waterway now also being put to other uses.”

Canal & River Trust volunteers Jim Atkinson and Neville Rumsby plant spring flowers at Tib Lock.

Kayaking fun. PHOTOS: CRT

Restoration work to start at Toddbrook Reservoir

THE permanent restoration of Toddbrook Reservoir in Whaley Bridge has got the green light following planning approval by High Peak Borough Council.

It gave the Canal & River Trust the go-ahead to start on the project, which is due to cost in the region of £15 million.

The main construction phase around the dam is likely to begin in the autumn and take around two years to complete, with the aim of reopening the reservoir in 2024.

CRT North West regional director Daniel Greenhalgh said: “We are pleased to be moving forwards with the complex permanent repair project. We are very grateful to everyone for their continued patience and support, as we appreciate that the works will inevitably cause some disruption for Whaley Bridge residents, particularly those living nearby.”

A new overflow structure will be constructed to the north of the dam. This involves building a side channel weir, ‘tumble bay’, spillway channel and stilling basin which will link into the existing bypass channel flowing into the River Goyt in the town’s Memorial Park.

The concrete panels from the 1970s-built overflow spillway, damaged in summer 2019, will be removed. The dam will then be repaired and grassed over.

To make way for the new spillway works, the sailing club will be relocated behind the new tumble bay. The current

An artist’s impression of the new sailing club. clubhouse will be taken down and replaced by a new sailing club slipway, clubhouse, boat storage and car park.

Another building close to the works, the former Victorian reservoir-keeper’s house, Toddbrook Lodge, has been acquired by the Canal & River Trust and will be carefully preserved. It will initially serve as a site office for the construction works.

Over the next few months, the trust and its contractor Kier will set up a temporary site compound at the northern end of the Memorial Park, by the playground next to the dam.

Preparation work will include installing new fencing and hoardings, essential tree felling, creating new access routes to the compound and tumble bay area, diverting drainage and feeder channels, and essential

Concrete panels from the 1970s spillway, damaged in summer 2019, will be removed. The dam will then be repaired and grassed over. PHOTOS: CRT

site clearance. A footpath will be retained across the park, connecting Reservoir Road along the river to the Memorial Park Bridge and will feature a viewing point for the construction work.

New play equipment is being installed as a temporary measure at the top of the dam, next to Whaley Bridge Athletic Football Club. At the end of the project in 2024, a new playground, similar to the existing one, will be rebuilt at the same location in the Memorial Park.

The park will also be re-landscaped with replacement trees, wildlife habitats, extra paths and a new footbridge over the bypass channel. The project will achieve a net biodiversity gain of more than 10%.

Daniel continued: “Our contractor Kier will provide a dedicated traffic liaison officer who will be on site throughout the works to help with any issues.

“Construction access will be along Reservoir Road and we very much appreciate the co-operation of those residents in particular as we make

preparations for the main works.

“Restoring Toddbrook is vital to ensure the long-term viability of the Peak Forest and Macclesfield canals. The reservoir will be restored to the most stringent 21st century engineering standards – keeping everyone safe is our top priority.”

The main phase of the project will be followed by works to the inlet cascade, at the far end of the reservoir, to increase resilience to high flows from Todd Brook stream.

High-volume pumps will remain in the reservoir to manage water levels until the end of the restoration project.

Breach repairs completed at Rishton

The refilled Leeds & Liverpool Canal following repairs to a breach between Bridges 109 New Barn and 110 Aspen in October 2021. The canal reopened to navigation on April 8. PHOTO: COLIN WAREING