Waterways Magazine - Spring 2021 - Issue 271

Issue 271 • Spring 2021

waterways www.waterways.org.uk

WOMEN

ON THE WATERWAYS • Four IWA stalwarts making a difference in restoration • The London liveaboard giving a voice to female boaters

peace on the

pennines

Exploring four Silver Propeller Challenge locations in the North

FREIGHT

EXPECTATIONS

Cargo-carrying news ‫שׁ‬om across the system

PLUS Reimagining the Seven Wonders of the Waterways for the 21st-century boater 001 Cover AH SS.indd 14

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Spring 2021 Contents Issue 271 • Spring 2021

waterways www.waterways.org.uk

WOMEN

ON THE WATERWAYS • Four IWA stalwarts making a difference in restoration • The London liveaboard giving a voice to female boaters

5. Welcome

12

Column of the National Chair peace on the

pennines

Exploring four Silver Propeller Challenge locations in the North

FREIGHT

EXPECTATIONS

Cargo-carrying news ‫שׁ‬om across the system

PLUS Reimagining the Seven Wonders of the Waterways for the 21st-century boater 001 Cover AH SS.indd 14

COVER PICTURE: Spring on the Llangollen Canal.

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6. News

The latest from within IWA and beyond

10. Campaigns Update

How Covid-19 will influence the future of boating, plus the latest on sustainable propulsion

12. Restoration woman Four IWA stalwarts inspiring female involvement in the waterways

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16. Love Your Waterways

The London liveaboard putting the female boating community in print

19. Peace in the Pennines

Exploring four Silver Propeller Challenge locations in the north of the network WATERWAYS EDITOR: Amelia Hamson Tel: 01283 742962 E-mail: a.hamson@wwonline.co.uk FEATURES EDITOR: Sarah Henshaw E-mail: s.henshaw@wwonline.co.uk ART EDITOR: Claire Davis ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER: Laura Smith Tel: 01283 742956 E-mail: l.smith@wwonline.co.uk ADVERTISING DESIGN: Jo Ward ADVERTISING PRODUCTION: Samantha Furniss E-mail: s.furniss@wwonline.co.uk REPROGRAPHICS: Waterways World Ltd, 151 Station Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 1BG. Printed in England by Warners (Midlands) PLC, Bourne, Lincs

24. Two worlds clyde

A short city break on Scotland’s Forth & Clyde Canal

26. Port of Interest

Discovering the Heritage Harbour on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation

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28. Stars of the System

Your chance to update the Seven Wonders of the Waterways for the 21st century

31. Freight Expectations

An update on cargo carrying around the inland waterways

Articles may be reproduced provided permission is obtained and acknowledgement made.

ISSN 0969-0654 A non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee (612245), Registered as a Charity (No. 212342) Founded: 1946, Incorporated 1958 Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA Tel: 01494 783453 E-mail: iwa@waterways.org.uk Web site: www.waterways.org.uk Company Secretary – Genevieve Wilson National Chair – Paul Rodgers For press inquiries please contact: pressoffice@waterways.org.uk All IWA national and branch committee volunteers can be contacted by email: firstname.lastname@waterways.org.uk Nothing printed in Waterways may be construed as policy or an official announcement unless stated, otherwise IWA accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine. Although every care is taken with advertising matters no responsibility whatsoever can be accepted for any matter advertised. Where a photo credit includes a note such as CC-BY-SA, the image is made available under that Creative Commons licence; full details at www.creativecommons.org

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Seven reasons why your membership contribution is vital 1. IWA Canal Clean-ups led by our branches keep many waterways clear of debris

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2. Restoration is kept high priority through funding for the Waterway Recovery Group 3. Over 10,000 days of volunteering each year will be supported with the right training, tools and materials 4. IWA can campaign to defend the waterways from unwelcome development 5. We can pass on traditional skills and workbased experience for volunteering young people 6. We can lobby the Government and work with other organisations to repair, improve and protect our waterways heritage 7. Your voice is counted when IWA speaks up for all those who enjoy the country’s canals and rivers

IWA ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATE £36 More details are available from IWA Head Office.

Join IWA at waterways.org.uk

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Spring 2021 21/01/2021 11:59

Welcome

W

elcome to our first edition of Waterways in 2021. I wish all our members, volunteers, supporters and staff an uplifting and positive year as you emerge from the ups and downs of 2020. I am confident that the coming months will bring a great turning point and that we will be able to get back to those things we missed, while holding on to some of the wonderful new experiences that we enjoyed for the first time during lockdown.

Of course, 2021 is a very special year for the Inland Waterways Association as we approach our 75th anniversary on 15th February. In true IWA style, many stalwarts across the organisation have been turning their minds to how to celebrate this incredible milestone.

Being true to the diversity of interests that IWA represents, our celebrations will be rich and varied across the country in local and national events.

One of the planned activities that is particularly close to my heart is the IWA 75th Anniversary Charity Auction (see page 6) that has been organised by Ellen Hawes, our fundraising officer. I hope you will encourage everyone you know to get online and support this celebratory fundraising event. Celebrity auctioneer, Charles Hanson, will take to the rostrum and, in his own inimitable style, I’m sure he will help us raise

much-needed funds to promote IWA’s work across the waterways. The reason the auction is so close to my heart is that, despite the lockdown conditions of 2020, my wife and I were contestants on BBC One’s Bargain Hunt with the episode being broadcast in January.

You can still find it on iPlayer (Series 57: Brackley 8) if you want to get in the mood for the auction.

This milestone also helps us think about the 75 years that lie ahead and I’m confident that as IWA continually reassesses what the regeneration of the waterways means for future generations, there will always be a place for the vital work of our passionate members, volunteers and supporters.

I hope that as winter turns to spring, we will begin to see the vital signs of renewed activity on our waterways – restoration, investment in the maintenance of the infrastructure, an economic recovery that is centred on the environment and accessible to all.

Most of all, I hope that those who found the waterways for the first time in 2020 will continue to value this great resource and get more involved in the work of IWA and similarly minded organisations across the country.

I know that everyone reading this shares my passion for the waterways, so I’d like to encourage you to invite your friends, family and neighbours to spend some time, not just on their local

canal or river, but to use 2021 to explore the far-flung reaches of the waterways system. They’ll find a wide and varied range of activities and experiences across the length and breadth of the country as they begin to look at the positive side of life after lockdown.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has continued their active support of IWA over the last year particularly but also to recognise that, in achieving this great milestone for the Association, many of you can look back with pride having been members of IWA for much of the past 75 years.

Thank you and stay safe!

Paul Rodgers, IWA National Chair

Approaching Lock 21 on the Rochdale Canal.

DUNCAN PAINE

Spring 2021 005 Welcome AH SS.indd 5

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Waterways News

Hanson Auctioneers

Paddles at the ready for our 75th anniversary auction

We are celebrating IWA’s 75th anniversary this year and while many of our commemorative plans have had to be cancelled or changed, we’ve organised an online auction to take place on our birthday. The virtual event will honour the first official meeting of IWA, which was held on 15th February 1946.

We’re inviting you to join us on 15th February for an online auction hosted by celebrity auctioneer Charles Hanson of BBC Bargain Hunt and Flog It! fame. A full list of what’s available to bid on will be viewable online before the live auction.

We are busy compiling the lots, which already include artwork from renowned waterways artist Harley Crossley; a signed copy of Know Your Waterways: Holidays on Inland Waterways by Robert Aickman; an A4 personalised boat/house portrait by Rebekah Parrot; a Phil Speight hand-painted personalised cabin stool; and a weekend stay in a cottage on the Caldon Canal.

Not all the auction lots are waterways focused. There is also a bottle of special edition WRG whisky, and even an official Albert Square road sign straight from the set of Eastenders!

We have been overwhelmed by people’s generosity, and have received some unique and valuable items to be

auctioned in order to raise much-needed funds. For a full list of all the items being auctioned, please visit: waterways.org. uk/auction. The list will be updated on a regular basis so please keep checking back. If you have anything that you would like to donate to the auction, please use the link on the website to provide more information.

Left: Celebrity auctioneer, Charles Hanson, will be taking bids at IWA’s anniversary auction on 15th February. right: This linocut print of Fradley Junction by Eric Gaskell is among the lots on offer at the event.

IWA TV:

live streaming for the inland waterways IWA TV launched at the end of 2020, bringing live-streamed events to the living rooms and boats of waterways enthusiasts across the country. In addition, more than 30 hours of carefully curated content is now available to watch on demand.

Whether viewers are interested in the heritage and history of the waterways, restoration projects, or sustainable boating and what the future of the waterways might look like, there is something for everyone.

Volunteers and presenters from across the sector have been invited to discuss issues affecting the waterways today, as well as the rich history and heritage that make them so special.

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IWA National Chair, Paul Rodgers, has hosted many of these events. He says: “As the impact of the lockdown became apparent earlier this year, we started to move some of our events online. This initiative has demonstrated the resilience and adaptability of our volunteers and supporters.

“Members who would not normally be able to get to physical meetings have also been able to take part. Our campaigns have been brought to life with these interactive live video broadcasts in a way that we hadn’t imagined at the beginning of last year.”

Visit waterways.org.uk/tv to see details of future events and watch recordings on demand. All events and recordings are available to view free of charge.

Raffle winner announced Our restoration raffle closed in December with the top prize of £1,000 cash being won

by M. Howard. The lucky winner plans to put the money towards the cost of a hire-boat holiday this summer – we couldn’t think of a better way to spend it.

IWA’s Restoration team were delighted to hear the news that ticket sales and donations had topped £14,000, and following an email to ticket purchasers to say thank you, a further amount was raised to take income to over £15,000. The funds will be used to help train new volunteers to support and lead restoration projects this year and into next.

Spring 2021 22/01/2021 14:14

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Waterways News

Waterways photographers wanted Our annual photography competition is open and we can’t wait to receive your entries. Last year’s submissions were used in our two coveted calendars and across our printed materials and social media. Many of you will have seen that our new website relies much more heavily on good photography too, and your images help bring the waterways to life, encouraging people to get out and make the most of our rivers and canals. We credit where possible and place high importance on ensuring photographers are recognised, as we know for many this contributes to your livelihood.

This year we have one new category and the return of three favourite categories: • NEW Life & Laughter: our vibrant waterways made all the brighter by the people who use them: a family laughing together as they boat through a lock, a couple walking the towpath hand in hand, the joy of the first fish of the day, the pleasure of an early morning run.

• Heritage & Restoration: from old waterways signage and rope grooves caused by horse-drawn boats to the 500 miles of waterways that could be usefully restored.

• Waterscape: enchanting views of navigable waterways.

• Built Environment: from beautiful old warehouses to wonderful new developments and creative, refreshing spaces to be – let’s get a picture of our urban, waterside environments.

Tree planting at Wendover In December IWA Chiltern Branch and Wendover Arm Trust volunteers planted 420 trees at three locations along the Grand Union Canal’s Wendover Arm, including at a new canalside picnic area. Native species were chosen including crab apple, goat willow, hawthorn, hazel and downey birch.

During the work party, Chiltern Branch volunteer John Brice was surprised with IWA’s John Heap Salver. Announced at the charity’s AGM in September 2020, the work party was the first opportunity for John to receive his award. To comply with social distancing requirements, John was presented with the salver on the end of a spade!

A trip-boat on the isolated length of the Lancaster Canal by Ann Farrell.

For terms and conditions and to enter your images go to waterways.org.uk/photocomp. Send your photos by email, dropbox link, WeTransfer or other preferred file sharing service to summer.howard@waterways.org.uk – please include the location/waterway along with the chosen category for each image. The deadline for entries is 31st July 2021 and photos should be at least 2100 pixels x 1500 pixels.

What a difference a day makes

IWA Northampton Branch volunteers spent several hours in the last couple of months of 2020 removing graffiti from structures on their adopted Northampton Arm of the Grand Union Canal.

Unsightly graffiti tags over Bridge 14 at Briar Hill, on the disused railway Bridge 16, and on 41 bays along the canal’s new flood defence wall near Northampton all needed to be removed. Six volunteers pitched in using superheated-water cleaning equipment, specially designed to remove paint and coatings from heritage structures. The team managed to clean the bridges and three bays on the flood defence wall. The result is a far more pleasant environment for the many people using the towpath for their daily exercise.

The work will continue on the remaining bays in 2021, and a wax emulsion will be applied so that future graffiti can be more easily removed.

Volunteers cleaned brickwork on Northampton Arm bridges late last year.

Socially distanced tree-planting on the Wendover Arm in December.

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Spring 2021 22/01/2021 14:14

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CAMPAIGNING WITH YOU Sustainable boating and the future of our waterways in a post-Covid-19 world are among some of the issues we’ve been campaigning on with your help.

Here’s how we’ve been doing…

Building Back Better The vital importance of the waterways to the Government’s aspirations to Build Back Better in a post-Covid-19 world was highlighted by three navigation authorities during a video meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Waterways on 8th December.

Michael Fabricant MP, APPGW chair, opened the meeting and welcomed parliamentarians, officials from Defra, IWA representatives and members of many waterway organisations and navigation authorities. Leaders from Canal & River Trust, the Broads Authority and the Avon Navigation Trust all presented on the important contribution that the inland waterways can make to the country’s economic prosperity and the population’s physical and mental health.

All three navigation authorities reported dramatic increases in visitors to their waterways during 2020, with the restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic bringing many people to their local canals and rivers for the first time. Visits to towpaths and riverside paths had increased, as had the number of people using canoes and stand-up paddleboards. All three also stressed the importance of future funding to ensure ongoing access by the whole population to safely managed waterways.

Canal & River Trust Richard Parry, CEO of Canal & River Trust, spoke about the economic benefits of the waterways and their wider efforts to support health and well-being: • 16% of the English population live within 10 to 15 minutes’ walk of a CRT waterway. Mr Parry noted that CRT could contribute to the Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ economic development agenda, helping to improve health and well-being in urban and deprived areas across the Midlands and the North.

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• CRT’s network represents a significant portion of our national infrastructure, particularly as a response to extreme weather events such as flooding. A programme of work estimated to cost £125m over the next five years is required to improve the resilience of the trust’s 68 reservoirs and hundreds of other high-risk structures.

• The trust has identified several hundred kilometres of routes to add to the National Cycle Network as part of its promotion of active travel along its waterways. Mr Parry added that there was further scope for the canal network to make a positive contribution to decarbonisation, such as by increasing green freight transport via the canals.

• CRT has been successful in its bid for the Government’s Kickstart Scheme, which provides funding for the creation of job placements for 16 to 24 year olds, and throughout the recent crisis has maintained its supporter and volunteer networks.

Further to this, Mr Main revealed ANT has a number of investment projects: • The Neptune Project – a repurposed barge to serve as a floating youth centre • The Avon Extension – a direct link between the Severn and the Grand Union Canal at a cost of £29.6m • Evesham Lock Youth & Volunteer Centre • The Wyre Whitewater Project.

Broads Authority The final presenter was John Packman, chief executive of the Broads Authority, who outlined the following: • The authority is working with organisations such as the Environment Agency to develop the Broadland Futures Initiative, aimed at using the waterways to mitigate the impact of sea-level rises on the area. With climate change already impacting the Broads as a result of coastal erosion and rising sea levels, the Government’s Building Back Better approach needs to take a longterm view in making waterways and National Parks more resilient to future environmental pressures.

• Tourism is a vital contributor to the East Anglia economy, with the Broads Below: Michael Fabricant MP (r), with Paul Rodgers, IWA National Chair, at a Parliamentary briefing pre-Covid-19. Mr Fabricant recently led virtual APPGW meetings on the future of our inland waterways and sustainable boating.

Avon Navigation Trust The second speaker was Adrian Main, deputy CEO of the Avon Navigation Trust.

He began by introducing the scope of the 48-mile route between Tewkesbury and Alveston Weir upstream of Stratfordupon-Avon, as well as the volunteer-led focus of the navigation authority: • 75% of hours worked on this independent, self-funding navigation are carried out by volunteers.

• During lockdown the river saw high levels of engagement from the public, with a further surge in visitors during the summer.

• Around £1m a year is required by ANT to maintain the navigation and to reach a steady state condition of all the river’s assets.

Spring 2021 22/01/2021 14:15

•

•

•

•

having seen a tremendous increase in visitors this year.

Investment in facilities for watersports, as well as volunteer-led investment for access and moorings, had been a major incentive for the authority.

The authority is promoting training projects for young people, providing work experience and apprenticeships in skills such as woodworking.

The authority’s large volunteer base continued working throughout the year, where possible, in areas ranging from vegetation maintenance to piloting motor launches.

Despite the Government’s Build Back Better incentive, the Broads Authority is having to meet the challenges of a cut in the National Parks Grant. In order to meet the demands for the sector, more direct funding would be required.

Further discussion Following the presentations, Michael Fabricant MP thanked the speakers and opened the meeting to questions from other participants, with contributions from MPs and peers, navigation authorities and representatives from waterway user organisations. Among the issues raised and discussed were: • The challenges associated with

Spring 2021 010 Campaigns Update AH SS.indd 11

vandalism and anti-social behaviour on canals, and the importance of volunteer opportunities and initiatives to get young people involved in activities such as angling.

• The scope for a Government rescue package for small navigation authorities, such as the Cam Conservancy, which had been hit tremendously by Covid-19 resulting in a loss a £165,000 from the usual lines of income.

• How all waterway organisations, large and small, could work better together to send a consistent message to government regarding the need for

long-term sustainable funding.

• The provision of facilities and importance of safety advice for all the new waterway users.

• How diversity on the waterways can be improved.

These were noted as potential topics for future meetings of the APPGW. The minutes of the meeting, and the presentations given by the three speakers, can be found online at waterways.org.uk/appg.

The important issues raised during the meeting will form the focus for IWA’s parliamentary campaigning during 2021.

Sustainable propulsion and net zero on the waterways The All Party Parliamentary Group for the Waterways held a video meeting on 10th November to discuss how developments in sustainable forms of propulsion can enable the inland waterways to meet the UK’s zero carbon commitments.

Members of the cross party group of MPs and Lords were joined virtually by representatives from boating organisations, navigation authorities and other stakeholders. Four presentations were followed by a lively debate led by Michael Fabricant MP, chair of the Group.

IWA’s own vision for sustainable boating was presented by Bowman Bradley, chair of IWA’s Sustainable Propulsion Group. This vision includes the opportunities associated with moving to battery and hydrogen fuel cells as a replacement for traditional hydrocarbons, and outlines the importance of a move towards more use of sustainable biofuels for existing boats. Bowman noted that policymakers would need to develop a legislative framework to meet the sector’s vision, which would require investment in recharging infrastructure, more support for biofuels, and investment in hydrogen technologies.

Jonathan Collins of Cadent Gas highlighted the growing importance and developments of hydrogen-based technologies in reducing emissions from the residential, transport and maritime sector.

Philip Whiffin from the University of Warwick noted that the low energy

and low power requirements for the majority of canal-based pleasure craft rendered battery-based solutions a feasible replacement for traditional hydrocarbon-based engines.

The meeting also heard from the Innovation Hub at Oxfordshire County Council, which is progressing a scheme working with boatyards, marine engine manufacturers and electric vehicle infrastructure providers to develop a feasibility study and obtain third-party funding for a project to install electric charging points on the Oxford Canal.

Michael Fabricant MP concluded the meeting by stating that the APPGW would write a letter to the Chancellor asking him to consider the key conclusions of the discussion.

The letter requests investment in infrastructure in the form of electric charging points, suggests a proposed boat engine scrappage scheme to encourage conversion of existing boats, and notes that current proposals by HMRC and HM Treasury to move from red diesel to white for inland waterways craft is short-sighted in the context of moving towards zero carbon by 2050.

Instead, the Group considers that increased use of biodiesel would be more effective in the longer term in reducing emissions, with red diesel being retained until there is wider distribution and use of biofuels.

The minutes of the meeting, and a copy of the letter sent by the APPGW to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, can be found at waterways.org.uk/appg.

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RESTORATION WOMAN With International Women’s Day just around the corner, we meet four IWA stalwarts inspiring more women to get stuck into waterways work

Ali Bottomley Runs the WRG Training Weekend

I

“WRG has some legendary characters, many of whom are, or were, women with a solid layer of strength running through their core”

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Alan Lines

currently work as a primary school teacher in the North East. Just like in canal restoration, there is never a dull day! When I’m not at work, I enjoy volunteering. I first discovered WRG when I was 16. I was looking for an organisation that I could complete my Duke of Edinburgh residential stay with, and it was a choice between cathedral camps and canals.

Ali has helped train hundreds of The canals won! As a family, we’d always been WRGies in the last 25 years. heavily involved in sailing and kayaking, and we had been on a number of daytrips along the Kennet & Avon. I’ve always loved the water and definitely feel more at home on it than on land.

I completed a week’s volunteering at a trail-boat rally at Glasson Dock in 1989, where I met some very unique characters who left a lasting impression.

One of these new friends was heavily involved with the logistics side of WRG. He was very keen to promote a more professional image of volunteering and was passionate about training volunteers to drive and use the vehicles and plant (which are regularly used on sites) safely and responsibly.

Ali on a WRG training weekend.

The first training ‘event’ we organised was a very humble trailer training exercise and from there it evolved into something far bigger, taking place over bank holiday weekends and even including sponsors at one point!

Although there’s always some element of training on the camps themselves, the benefit of having a dedicated weekend for it is that we can upskill large numbers of volunteers without impacting on often urgent timescales on projects during the summer.

My role is really to coordinate the instructors and volunteers. A whole weekend of training sessions are timetabled to teach anything from dumper driving and using 360 excavators to bricklaying and scaffolding. Depending on the level of skill required, we sometimes bring in outside professional training, but the majority of sessions are delivered by a set of wonderful volunteers who have become WRG instructors by virtue of having gained significant experience on our sites. Without them, the weekend just wouldn’t be possible.

This year marks 25 years since the first event, and in that time we’ve probably trained quite a few hundred WRGies and local society members. When I first became involved with WRG, there was no shortage of women. Many of the girls I met when I was 16 are still some of my closest friends 32 years on. With regards to training, however, there’s much less female involvement. This is a real shame as my experience of learning to drive plant and vehicles was extremely positive and is one of the things I love most about working on the canals.

We would love more women to get involved and redress the gender imbalance. I defy anyone to complete an excavator training session without a Cheshire cat smile on their face! It’s a brilliant opportunity to learn something different in a wonderfully welcoming environment. The great thing about WRG (and this was one of the reasons I became so involved in the first place) is that the majority of volunteers ignore gender stereotypes. Everyone is encouraged to learn and become involved in any task with which they are comfortable. As a young, female volunteer, certainly in the group of people I was ‘digging’ with, I never felt that I was overlooked because I was a woman. In fact, I was positively encouraged to give everything a go. By the time I turned 21, I was happily driving all vehicles and operating just about every piece of plant available on site.

WRG has some legendary characters, many of whom are, or were, women with a solid layer of strength running through their core. They taught me to have a voice, they taught me to never be afraid to have a go, and they taught me that you will find kindness if you look in the right places.

Spring 2021 22/01/2021 14:29

Restoration Woman

Jess Leighton WRG volunteer and Waterway Legacy Leadership Programme participant

Jess became involved in WRG through the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

I

’m 26 and work as a junior doctor in the North East. Like Alison, I stumbled across the Waterway Recovery Group website while completing my Duke of Edinburgh Award and, thinking that it sounded a bit different, I signed up. My dad drove me down to Chesterfield for the camp and I didn’t really know what to expect. But I threw myself into the week and had a really incredible time. Everyone was so friendly and encouraging, I would have stayed for another week if I didn’t have my Gold expedition a few days later!

After a few years of camps, I started to think about how I could contribute more to WRG. I was encouraged to get involved as a leader, but the main thing holding me back was unfamiliarity with the technical procedures and planning side. So when I saw WRG was advertising a programme to give budding leaders training in these areas and to support them in leading camps, it felt like the perfect opportunity. I applied for the programme and was over the moon to be successful.

“Over the years I’ve been involved with WRG, the women I’ve met have taught me to be unapologetic about having an ‘unusual’ interest, which is a very valuable life lesson”

Above: ‘Hard work but heaps of fun’: Jess wholeheartedly recommends WRG camps to other female volunteers.

Left: A WRG leader in the making: Jess is part of the Waterway Legacy Leadership Programme.

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The Waterway Legacy Leadership Programme is investing in 15 volunteers who will receive over £1,000 worth of training and development across 2020 and 2021. The aim is to meet the needs of the restoration sector to ensure robust and volunteer-led canal and waterways restoration projects continue.

Unfortunately, we’ve been held up a little by Covid-19, so are just settling into the training schedule for 2021.

But I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in, and especially to putting it all to use on my next camp.

I’ve also recently been involved with the Covid Canal Camp Working Group. It’s been really lovely to chat to the other volunteers and try to work out a safe way to return to restoration. We have devised an outline of what a WRG camp might look like in 2021 and are sharing that with volunteers to see if they would feel comfortable. It’s a huge challenge but vital that volunteers are safe.

Over the years I’ve been involved with WRG, the women I’ve met have taught me to be unapologetic about having an ‘unusual’ interest, which is a very valuable life lesson. There’s no reason why more women shouldn’t get involved. Admittedly, WRG camps are physically challenging, and it can be mentally tough too. I think it’s really important to know when to take a break or ask for help, and not to feel like you need to push yourself. You should be enjoying yourself too.

IWA Waterways |

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22/01/2021 14:03

Rhiannon, centre, has IWA in the blood – her grandmother was a former chair of the association.

Rhiannon Smith WRG volunteer and Waterway Legacy Leadership Programme participant

‘Being a WRG volunteer is really important to me,’ says Rhiannon.

I

’m 22 and I’m currently studying for a Masters in Classical Linguistics (in layman’s terms, Latin and Greek grammar) at Newnham College, Cambridge. I’ve been rowing for 11 years now so a lot of my life has been spent at, on, or occasionally in various bodies of water.

My grandmother is Audrey Smith, who was IWA chair from 1994 to 1998 and has been an amazing inspiration to me. I proudly tell people that my grandmother has her own blue plaque in Liverpool docks – like actual proper famous people do.

Waterways are a family legacy to me, and I grew up spending my summers with her and Grandpa boating around England. I don’t remember a lot of things she achieved (I wasn’t even born for some of them) but seeing pictures and hearing the stories make me wish I had – I can just imagine boating a flotilla of narrowboats down the Manchester Ship Canal and how much organisation must have gone on behind the scenes to make it happen.

But the balance is starting to shift: I used to jokingly complain that I was only ever recognised as ‘Audrey Smith’s granddaughter’ but Grandma has been amused to tell me someone recently greeted her with the words: “Oh, you’re Rhiannon Smith’s grandmother!”

As far as we can tell, my first experience with WRG and IWA was a combined leaders training weekend and IWA committee meeting when I was three months old. From then, I spent many summers running around festival sites and generally getting underfoot. I began to properly become involved with restoration in the summer of 2015: I have been on four camps, three of them as assistant leader, and several weekends since then. Now I own the steeltoecap wellies and boots, it seems a waste not to keep using them!

Joking aside, being a WRG volunteer is really important to me.

Waterway restoration might not be the most exciting of volunteering roles, and people might not think I’m changing the world, but I look around and think, if not me, then who? I get to meet people I would never normally cross paths with, do things that others like me never do, and who knows, I’ve started so young that I might see a fully operational canal pass through some locks I’ve restored eventually.

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Rhiannon (r) has been on four WRG camps so far.

“I’ve started so young that I might see a fully operational canal pass through some locks I’ve restored eventually” The lack of women in waterways restoration, and the lack of young people generally, is something that needs addressing. The Duke of Edinburgh scheme provides a steady stream to our camps, but I think we could be doing more to capitalise on that. There needs to be more targeted advertisement aimed at DofErs after they’ve done a camp to return for another one, and also to attract people from more walks of life. Perhaps, after their first camp, new WRGies could be put in touch with their local volunteering group, for example, and a concerted effort should be made to reach out and invite newbies on weekends. When I transitioned to weekend digs last year, I essentially fumbled around on Facebook finding groups, searching for people I knew and asking my dad what to do – a set of resources that your average post-DofE volunteer isn’t going to have. Having spent my entire educational years in female-only settings, I’d also love one day to see a female-only camp in the way we’ve started having family camps.

Spring 2021 22/01/2021 14:03

Restoration Woman

Margaret on the Droitwich Canal.

Margaret Gwalter Vice chair of THE Neath & Tennant Canals Trust

I

have been boating since 1974 when, while visiting friends who lived near Great Haywood, my husband and I saw narrowboats for hire along the canal and decided to book one for the following Easter. I was hooked.

We joined IWA back in 1977 when we acquired a small boat of our own, and soon got involved with Canalway Cavalcade.

When we got our own narrowboat, Ernest, in 2000, we began taking a more active part in the event, for several years being the boat that housed the public address system! It became our habit to cruise the canal system every year making the National Festival our destination and helping out on the IWA stand. We were also active members of St Pancras Cruising Club but had to give up boating a few years ago as we were getting very creaky, me especially.

When we lived in London I was heavily involved with the London Canal Museum, first as education officer (having taken early retirement from teaching) and then as a trustee and chair. During that time we were able to turn the museum around from near-closure. I was project manager for the refurbishment of the ground floor, working with museum designers and colleagues and doing a great deal of fundraising. Further work was then done in developing the back room areas. I stood down as a trustee in 2003 but was still involved for a few years after. It was the greatest satisfaction to be part of the team that laid the foundations for the museum to become the thriving place it is today.

“It was the greatest satisfaction to be part of the team that laid the foundations for the museum to become the thriving place it is today” Margaret is currently campaigning to save Aberdulais Aqueduct.

Spring 2021 012 restoration woman SH SS AH AB.indd 15

I joined the South Wales Branch of IWA when we moved permanently to South Wales, and became chair in 2010. My aim was to make the South Wales canals better known, especially those in the Neath and Swansea valleys where there are myriad smaller canals, including an underground one.

When I stood down, about five years ago, I got involved with the Neath & Tennant Canals Trust. My first involvement with the Neath Canal was when, as IWA chair, we set up a meeting with representatives of the canal company. We were concerned the canal was not being properly managed and, in particular, we wanted to see more facilities for boaters. Sadly negotiations seem to have come to a full stop, with Canal & River Trust wanting a large dowry to take it on and the canal company not wanting to pay it. The canal is becoming neglected; where we had 27 boats for the Trailboat Festival in 2011, it is now so overgrown that a canoe would have difficulty getting through.

The trust is currently campaigning to save Aberdulais Aqueduct. There have been attempts over the years to restore the structure, including feasibility studies in 2009 and 2012, but none has been followed through. Flooding in February 2020, and especially the suggestion that the aqueduct should be destroyed, has given us the impetus to campaign more urgently for its repair and restoration. Last year we were in contact with Bwrdd Cymru, CRT’s board in Wales, Neath Council and IWA. The latter has written to CADW, the Welsh equivalent of English Heritage, National Resources Wales, Neath Council, the aqueduct’s owners and the local Assembly member. Depending on the responses we get, we will take the campaign further this year, involving local heritage groups and councillors. In the meantime we hope there will be no further damage to the aqueduct over the winter.

In terms of recruiting more women to the restoration sector, I think it’s a case of better promoting the female participants we already have.

There are so many strong women involved with waterways. Let’s champion them more.

IWA Waterways |

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WOMEN'S WRITES London liveaboard Tilly Bungard tells IWA why she felt compelled to launch a magazine championing female and nonbinary boat folk We hear you have boating in your blood...

Yes, my dad set up the Bristol Ferry Boats company in the 1970s, and he met my mum when she was living on a narrowboat in the city. They brought a Dutch barge over from Amsterdam together and I was born on that. When I started crawling they worried about me potentially falling overboard, so we moved to a house in Gloucestershire. We emigrated to Spain when I was seven years old and stayed there until I was 15. In that time my parents were still part-shareholders in the ferry company, until it folded in 2016. At that point we moved back to Bristol and, with lots of friends of the Bristol Ferry Boats company, we managed to resurrect it as a community benefit project. My parents bought another barge from Amsterdam and I lived on that during sixth form and worked on the ferries in my holidays. It was quite an idyllic time. Everyone who works on those boats feels like family.

At the helm of her narrowboat en route to London.

When did you decide to buy your own boat?

When I graduated from uni in London I met a few female boaters through Sisters Uncut, which campaigns against cuts to domestic violence services.

After chatting to them, moving onto a boat felt like the natural thing to do. It was always something I’d wanted to do, but for some reason I thought I’d need a man to move in with. Talking to these women, most of whom lived aboard alone, and hearing how many opted to move around the city together in groups, gave me the confidence to buy my own boat at last.

That happened 2½ years ago. I bought a 45ft narrowboat in Oxford and took it to Bristol on the back of a lorry to do some work on the hull. We repainted it at the same time – yellow and bright pink. In total I spent about £6,000 tarting it up, before cruising to London.

What gave you the idea for a magazine for female boaters?

Tilly’s mum was a single female liveaboard herself in the 1970s.

Tilly’s dad set up Bristol Ferry Boats in the 1970s.

I was mainly inspired by all the creative people I’ve met on a Facebook group specifically for London boatwomen. I asked if anyone on there fancied making a magazine with me and the reaction was great. We had our first meeting in the Waterstones café in Piccadilly. About 15 people turned up, all with such a breadth of experience including editors of really glossy magazines, graphic designers etc. It was amazing.

What then happened was that the subsequent meeting only attracted two people... I suppose it’s normal to get really excited about a new project without quite realising what a commitment it might be. I’m guilty of that too. In fact, this magazine feels like one of the first projects I’ve been able to see through to the end. I think that’s only because I’ve involved other people, and don’t want to let anyone down.

The core group was myself, an interior designer called Asha Mehr (who has since moved off her boat and now lives in Folkestone), and Estelle Morris, who runs a printing studio in Hackney Wick called Duplikat Press. It turned out so much more manageable with just the three of us than the initial 15. And from start to finish it has been boatwomen-led, which feels right.

We had a GoFundMe campaign in March 2019, which was really successful, and launched our first issue a year later.

Who came up with the title, Fear Naut?

We stole it from a boat! Asha spotted it, although it was spelt ‘nought’. We changed it slightly because, aesthetically, the four letters just work better.

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Spring 2021 22/01/2021 14:02

Love Your Waterways

Tilly and her parents celebrate a new beginning for Bristol Ferry Boats in 2016.

Why did you feel the waterways needed a publication aimed solely at women?

There’s so much creativity on the canals that maybe isn’t getting the attention or nurture it deserves, often because living on a boat is a part-time job in itself. I’m always talking to friends who live in houses who have creative side projects on the go, or who have managed to make it a full-time concern. But it feels so difficult to find the time to do that while living on a boat. So much of your free time is taken up with chores and moving.

Another motivation was because people seem so interested in boat life at the moment. Something we really didn’t want to do was to sell boat life as an idyll, which we feel happens a lot right now in mainstream media. They present a very rose-tinted version of canal life. What we wanted to do with the magazine was make clear that there are certain aspects that are actually quite hard. We carried an article in the first issue, for example, on juggling the complexities of the school run as a continuous cruiser. But at the same time this was balanced by a feature on how living aboard had positively affected one woman’s mental health. We want to give the whole picture so readers can make up their own minds before leaping into a boat purchase. So many people I’ve met have only lasted about six months afloat before moving off, because they’re weren’t necessarily prepared for the challenges.

Who is the magazine aimed at? People on boats already, or those looking to make the leap?

To date, readers who have got the most from the magazine have been other boatwomen, because they see a reflection of their own experiences and feel more connected with the boating community.

Before we made it, we had an idea about the different sorts of people who would be interested in Fear Naut – environmentalists, people exploring alternative ways of living – and there are definitely readers who aren’t boaters, but the core audience is really liveaboards. It’s driven by the submissions we have from the people who are part of that community, rather than being made for an outside eye.

“We want to give the whole picture so readers can make up their own minds before leaping into a boat purchase”

How can we attract more women to the waterways? Is there a perception that it's too unsafe, for instance, or too difficult?

Yes, crime is something that comes up a lot on social media posts about boating as a lone female. Although it’s a concern wherever you live in the city, I suppose because towpaths are generally darker and less busy they can feel more dangerous. But the thing I always tell people is that if you’re walking down a towpath you can count on 90% of boaters moored on that stretch to help you if needed. You could knock on their boat and will likely be let in, in a way I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing on a residential street.

I think women just need to find out more about the lifestyle. And if they’re not confident about the maintenance side of boat-ownership, I would reassure them that it’s usually easy to find someone close by who can help or, failing that, pay someone to do it for you. You only need to learn as much as you feel happy learning. And if you do want to do it yourself, there are so many people willing to show you. On the London Facebook group there are currently a series of winter workshops, for instance, including on how to keep your boat warm and your batteries healthy. I haven’t yet met a boatwoman who wasn’t surprised by the amount she could do, in terms of maintenance, when she put her hand to it.

What are your plans for the magazine for the year ahead?

Issue Two is now published and we’ve increased the print run as we’re really hoping to find more stockists this year. And then in late spring or early summer we’ll be releasing our third issue, on the theme of ‘growth’. We’re hoping to make the magazine biannual. The first issue took us a year. Issue Two took us about six months, so that feels very doable to me.

Spring 2021 016 LYW Tilly SH SS AH.indd 17

Tilly, dressed to match her boat, on her way to work in 2019.

Tilly bought her 45ft narrowboat 2½ years ago.

Find out more Fear Naut is an artisanal, limited-run, risograph-printed magazine. No two copies are 100% alike.

It includes essays, artwork, photography, Issue One of Fear Naut creative writing, crafts launched in spring 2020. and more, all produced by women and non-binary boat folk.

Buy a copy online at duplikat.co.uk/shop for £10, or download a digital issue for £3. Find out more on Instagram: @fear_naut_magazine.

IWA Waterways |

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22/01/2021 14:02

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21/01/2021 08:52

Silver Propeller Challenge

SILVER PROPELLER CHALLENGE

Exploring the far-flung reaches of the network is now even more rewarding

Sheffield Basin, nowadays known as Victoria Quays.

JOHN LOWER

Peace in the

Pennines

Sue O’Hare explores four Silver Propeller Challenge locations in the north of the network

F

ollowing the events of the last year, boaters may find quieter areas away from the crowds more appealing in 2021. IWA’s Silver Propeller Challenge is designed to encourage more people to visit underused waterways, which perfectly suits our post-Covid-19 world.

Northern canals and rivers are less frequented than those further south, but they have a distinctive character and are richly rewarding.

This article covers four Silver Propeller Challenge locations, one on each of the three trans-Pennine routes and one in South Yorkshire. Navigation is not always straightforward – water shortages can be a problem, pre-booking and the assistance of Canal & River Trust are required for some sections, and locks are frequent. Yet there is magnificent scenery and canal engineering on a grand scale, plus warm and welcoming communities. In two cases there is also the chance to marvel at the scale of the restoration work and the efforts of those involved. Trip-boats may be used to visit three of the locations.

Spring 2021 019 Silver prop Pennines AH SS.indd 19

Heading through Tinsley Locks outside Sheffield.

Sheffield Basin Sheffield & Tinsley Canal The Sheffield & Tinsley Canal was opened in 1819 at the instigation of the Cutlers Company, to extend the River Don Navigation by 4 miles from Tinsley (upstream of Rotherham) into Sheffield. This enabled a wide range of services including fly-boats connecting with steamers for long-distance shipment.

Around 1895 the unusual Straddle Warehouse was built over Sheffield Basin.

Improvements to the navigation continued until as late as 1983, when it was upgraded to the 700-ton Eurobarge standard as far as Rotherham. Above this point the locks remain the size they were built for Humber keels: 61ft 6in by 15ft 3in.

The River Don Navigation includes both urban and more rural stretches. Two bridges are particularly interesting: the M1 viaduct that pioneered the use of rubber bearings and a new waterproofing system, and the medieval Rotherham Bridge with the best-preserved of Britain’s three surviving bridge chapels.

Leisure boaters should be aware that some commercial traffic continues.

The Sheffield & Tinsley Canal is a good example of an industrial canal regenerated for leisure use after a period of decay. Meadowhall Shopping Centre is adjacent and the improved towpath provides a pedestrian route into the city centre. There is another notable bridge, Bridge 6 or Bacon Lane Bridge, which appeared in the opening scenes of The Full Monty. Sheffield Basin itself was regenerated in the 1990s as Victoria Quays, with offices in the Straddle Warehouse and restaurants, bars, a hotel and boat trips (sheffieldboats.co.uk).

IWA Waterways |

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West Summit Lock, Littleborough Rochdale Canal The Rochdale Canal was opened in 1804 and was the first to cross the Pennines, connecting the Bridgewater Canal in Manchester with the Calder & Hebble Navigation at Sowerby Bridge. Unlike its two competitors it went over the hills rather than tunnelling through them, hence its nickname of the ‘Everest of Canals’. It was a real engineering feat, with 92 broad locks and, reputedly, the first canal skew bridges.

Water supply was always an issue, not helped by the short (¾-mile) summit pound. The locks were standardised as far as possible at a rise of 9ft-10ft, to help conserve water as well as simplify construction, and many were built without bywashes so that excess water goes over the top gate and fills the lock rather than being lost. Seven reservoirs were built, including Hollingworth Lake near Littleborough, which developed as a Victorian tourist attraction, but they were later sold to local authorities for water supply.

The Rochdale Canal was very successful commercially during the Looking east from Lock 38 on the Rochdale Canal’s summit. The Silver 19th century, but traffic Propeller location is Lock 37. declined during World War I and the canal was largely closed in 1952, with only the nine locks in central Manchester linking the Ashton Canal to the Bridgewater Canal remaining. Its potential began to be appreciated in the early 1970s when there was public debate over the infilling of a section in eastern Manchester to create a shallow water Hebden Bridge. park. Many years of Ross Turner campaigning resulted in the first Millennium Lottery grant for a major restoration project.

Additional government funding was allocated on the basis of the predicted economic and social return, and British Waterways reopened Hebden Bridge.

Sally Johnston

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Hebden Bridge.

Sally Johnston

the canal in 2002. The most striking feature of the restoration is the new Tuel Lane Lock near Sowerby Bridge, which replaces two of the original locks, enabling the canal to tunnel under a road, and at almost 20ft is the deepest lock in Britain.

My husband and I explored the eastern half of the Rochdale Canal in August 2004, when we hired a boat from Mirfield. We were delighted by the isolation and other-worldly feel of the Calder & Hebble Navigation, and the handspikes to operate some of its short (57ft 6in) locks. When we reached the Rochdale and climbed towards the summit the scenery became wilder, and the deluge of rain and water cascading over the locks that we encountered on most days made us feel like pioneers.

We found the towns very enjoyable: Hebden Bridge with its arts and crafts, Todmorden with its community spirit and ‘Great Wall of Tod’ (an enormous, curved brick retaining wall that supports the railway embankment), and Mytholmroyd with its history of ‘coiners’ (manufacturers of illicit coins). Literary connections abound. The poet Ted Hughes was born in Mytholmroyd and his wife Sylvia Plath is buried in the churchyard in Heptonstall, a village on the moors reachable from Hebden Bridge via a steep cobbled path. Branwell Brontë (brother of Charlotte, Emily and Anne) worked for a time as a booking clerk at Luddenden Foot station too.

We ended our cruise above Nip Square Lock and walked up to see the summit. The highlight of our return journey was a stop at Grandma Pollard’s Chippy, a local institution in Walsden (sadly now closed) where we ate in the old bus parked next to the canal.

Spring 2021 22/01/2021 14:05

Silver Propeller Challenge

Spa Mill, Slaithwaite on the HNC. Sue O'Hare

Aspley Basin, Castle Hill and Jubilee Tower, Huddersfield Broad Canal.

Sue O'Hare

Standedge Tunnel and Visitor Centre Huddersfield Narrow Canal

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Sue O'Hare

Standedge Tunnel and Visitor Centre.

moonrakers (smugglers). The next section to the Silver Propeller location at Marsden is perhaps the most inspiring scenically. We had to have a British Waterways escort because of the shortage of water. The next day we had a memorable 2½-hour trip through Standedge Tunnel in the glass-topped visitor ‘module’ pushed by an electric tug, with our boat wrapped in rubber sheets following in a convoy of three. Nowadays boaters steer their own boat through the tunnel with a CRT tunnel chaperone on board, and boat trips are available from the visitor centre (canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-tovisit/standedge-tunnel-and-visitorcentre).

After the tunnel we particularly enjoyed the villages of Dobcross and Uppermill, as well as the reconstructed canal in Stalybridge, which provides a centrepiece for the Saddleworth Viaduct viewed from Dobcross. regenerated town centre.

Dobcross.

Sue O'Hare

Sue O'Hare

INSET: Preparing to enter the tunnel.

Sue O'Hare

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal runs between the Ashton Canal to the east of Manchester and the Huddersfield Broad Canal, which links it to the Yorkshire waterway network. It was started in the same year as the Rochdale Canal but took another seven years to build, owing to the difficulties caused by its direct route (76 locks in just over 19 miles) and Britain’s highest stretch of canal including the longest and deepest tunnel at Standedge. It had many engineering problems and was not a commercial success. In 1944 it was abandoned, though fortunately it was retained as a water supply channel.

In 1948 Robert Aickman and other early IWA activists made the last end-to-end trip along the HNC aboard Ailsa Craig. By the early 1970s momentum was building to restore the canal. Despite being described as “the impossible restoration”, thanks to tireless campaigning, the Millennium Commission and government funding, British Waterways was able to reopen it in 2001. Since then it has gradually become better known for its spectacular high moorland scenery, fascinating engineering, Victorian mills, factories and warehouses, and welcoming towns and villages.

We were fortunate enough to make a one-way trip on a hire-boat in August 2006 from Sowerby Bridge along the Calder & Hebble Navigation and the Huddersfield Broad and Narrow canals to Ashton-under-Lyne. The Huddersfield Broad Canal is short but provides a green, semi-rural approach to Huddersfield through the famous Turnbridge Loco Lift Bridge, with views of Jubilee Tower up on Castle Hill. From Aspley Basin the HNC sets off through the campus of Huddersfield University. This stretch had to be extensively re-engineered, with two new tunnels built under industrial works (one later opened out as part of a new waterside development).

After a long climb the canal emerges into a wide open space dominated by the impressive Titanic Mill, before reaching Slaithwaite (pronounced ‘Slawit’) with its new concrete channel and tales of

Lock 21W, Uppermill.

IWA Waterways |

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Leeds to Liverpool at Skipton.

Steve Nightingale

Skipton on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

A.A. Marshall

Springs Branch, Skipton The Leeds & Liverpool Canal was the first trans-Pennine canal to be started (in 1770) but the last to be completed (in 1816). At 127 miles, it is the longest canal in Britain built by a single company. It has five branches, one of which – the Springs Branch in Skipton – is a Silver Propeller location.

The canal runs from the River Mersey in Liverpool to the Aire & Calder Navigation in Leeds, with 91 broad (but short, at 62ft) locks on the main line.

It formed part of an inland route between the Irish and North Seas, enabling Yorkshire keels to cross the Pennines and providing access to export routes through Liverpool. It was very successful commercially at first, although water supply was an issue. Traffic declined throughout the 20th century, until the hard winter of 1962/63 put many traders out of business. As a leisure waterway it has benefited from the opening of the Ribble Link to the Lancaster Canal in 2002 and the Liverpool Canal Link across the Pier Head into the Albert Dock in 2009.

From Liverpool the canal runs across the flat agricultural landscape of west Lancashire before reaching the 21-lock Wigan Flight. The climb continues

David Horner, shutter@talktalk.net

Late summer on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal between Rodley and Apperley Bridge.

through the cotton towns of east Lancashire to the summit level and Foulridge Rope marks on a Tunnel. Beyond bridge at Halsall. lies wonderful countryside and the attractive towns of Barnoldswick, Gargrave and Skipton, followed by the iconic Bingley Five-Rise staircase. Next comes the estate village of Saltaire built by Sir Titus Salt for his mill workers, before Leeds is reached.

The Springs Branch was built by the Earl of Thanet, the owner of Skipton Castle, to transport limestone from his quarry. It leaves the main line near the town centre and runs behind the castle, cut into the side of a rocky valley. Limestone was brought by horse tramway and dropped down chutes into boats below. Several years ago there was a rock fall two-thirds of the way along the branch, which impedes navigation, so the Silver Propeller location is Mill Bridge or, if you can reach it, the rock fall itself.

Holiday hire-craft and day-boats are available (penninecruisers.com and canaltrips.co.uk).

Sue O'Hare

Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Further Information The full list of Silver Propeller Challenge locations is available at waterways.org.uk/ silverpropeller.

You can find more information on the canals mentioned in this article at penninewaterways. co.uk.

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TWO WORLDS

CLYDE

Christine Cameron enjoys a Glasgow city break in the slow lane aboard her 57ft ‘nolly barge’

L

ast year proved a particularly frustrating one for Scottish boaters, and not just because of Covid-related restrictions.

The breach of the Union Canal near Muiravonside put that waterway out of action, while on the Forth & Clyde it was weed growth which made cruising problematic.

Having spent the last seven years working on our boat, however, we were itching to take it out. It’s a 57ft ‘nolly barge’ (the word ‘nolly’ is what local kids used to call the canal), which was originally used as a children’s trip-boat. It had subsequently been stripped out and, by the time we bought it, was little more than a shell. We’ve slowly built it up and were keen that one of our first trips would be a cruise into Glasgow city centre to see the new skyline and enjoy the bright lights.

Birthday treat Last autumn we finally got our chance.

After Scottish Canals cleared the channel of weed, we set off for an overnight trip from Lambhill Stables on a beautiful, sunny morning. The occasion coincided with my granddaughter’s birthday, so she and her husband accompanied me and husband Neil on the boat.

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Although there wasn’t much in the way of boat traffic on the trip, the wildlife was abundant. All along the canal ducks, moorhens, crows, pigeons and swans were busy hunting for food, while in the brambles we spotted a bunting devouring the last of the berries. We had been told that on this stretch of the water there was a strong possibility of seeing kingfishers, but although we kept our eyes peeled we saw no sign of one. Leaves fallen from the overhanging trees made the water reflection look like a painting, and the horse chestnuts added further to the natural beauty, being among the first to change into their autumnal colours.

“Although there wasn’t much in the way of boat traffic, the wildlife was abundant” Stockingfield Junction Other points of interest in the early stage of the trip included some old, rusting steel safety gates. They had been installed during World War II to prevent water flooding Glasgow in the event that

The once-derelict Claypits area, which now forms part of a wider regeneration effort in north Glasgow.

Remains of the WWII safety gates at Stockingfield Junction.

Stockingfield Aqueduct was damaged by bombs. A second set of stop locks was also installed at Firhill, and a third set was built at the Craighall Road Narrows near Speirs Wharf.

After this the canal splits: Glasgow is to the left, or you can go through Maryhill Locks to Bowling by turning right. There are plans for two new bridges across the canal here at Stockingfield Junction to improve access for walkers and cyclists.

Work had just started but it will not be completed until autumn.

The passage to Bowling through Maryhill Locks was not yet open due to weed problems and issues with the drop lock at Dalmuir. An interesting historical titbit about this stretch is that, during World War I, barges moored on the canal at Maryhill were turned into barracks to provide accommodation for soldiers.

Spring 2021 22/01/2021 14:06

Forth & Clyde Canal

A canalside mural in Ruchill, unveiled in 2019.

Cruising the outskirts of Glasgow.

Firhill Basin.

The most prominent building is the converted warehouse at Speirs Wharf. The old cobble stones along the dock remind the walker of times past and different modes of transport. All along the wharf are a variety of colourful boats, some pristine and others, like the John Hume, in need of a bit of TLC and a lick of paint.

The canal doesn’t end here but continues for a short distance to Port Dundas, where it used to meet the Monkland Canal (which went to Coatbridge). Unfortunately this was filled in when they built the motorway.

Hopefully, it will one day be developed into an attractive destination for residential and visiting boats.

As we retired for the night, we looked out over the beautiful reflection of the moon on the water. The next day we would rise early and head back to our home mooring at Auchinstarry, but for a few hours more this city was still ours. Its twinkling lights certainly brought our short, 4-mile hop to a very happy conclusion.

But we turned left and cruised past Firhill Basin and Partick Thistle’s football ground.

There are new moorings constructed along the bank and work is ongoing to turn the derelict Claypits area into a recreational facility and nature reserve.

Pleasing panorama By now we were in the heart of the city, with the spires from the art gallery, Italian towers and university coming into view. We passed Ruchill with its famous Rennie Mackintosh church, the Nolly Bridge and continued through the new bridge at Garscube, which had only just been opened. It was built to connect the communities of Panmure Gate and Woodside, and to give residents access to an urban nature reserve in the heart of Glasgow.

As we entered the basin at Applecross Street we were treated to a panoramic view of the city. As a child, I remember coming down to Glasgow from Fort William and seeing the city covered in smog. The sky on our arrival was wonderfully clear, however, although traffic along the M8 thunders through the city.

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Clear skies overnight at Applecross Street Basin.

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Heybridge Basin.

PORT OF INTEREST

Maldon’s Hythe Quay is home to a number of Thames sailing barges.

Waterways discovers why the terminus to the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation has been named the third UK Heritage Harbour, a new scheme to promote and preserve maritime history

I

n late 2019, the port town of Maldon in Essex, along with nearby Heybridge Basin on the River Blackwater, was declared the third UK Heritage Harbour. This new designation seeks to preserve and maintain historic ports across the country, providing havens for heritage craft and encouraging tourism through an increased awareness of our rich maritime history.

Colin Edmond of Essex Waterways, were among its founding members. “Forming an association was necessary so that we could come together and work with Maldon District Council to develop and promote the scheme,” say Andrea. “While there is more going on in Maldon, we agreed that it should include Heybridge Basin, which has a fascinating history and had a huge impact on the Maldon and its changing fortunes.”

Background

History

So far unique among its fellow Heritage Harbours, Maldon & Heybridge is the only one to be directly linked to a canal, the Essex Waterways-run Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation, as well as the River Blackwater.

It was identified as a suitable site for the scheme by Andrea Raiker, a retired academic and keen sailor who moved to Maldon in 2016. “I joined the Maldon Little Ship Club and set up a heritage subcommittee so that we could contribute to the annual Heritage Open Days scheme,” explains Andrea. “I was put in touch with Brian Corbett (see top right) who introduced me to the Heritage Harbours initiative and we began to have meetings with local interested parties.”

The Maldon & Heybridge Heritage Harbour Group, first formed in August 2019, was established as an Association in June 2020. Around 30 people from organisations in the local area, including the lock-keeper at Heybridge Basin and

In researching the area, Andrea discovered that the ancient port town of Maldon and the small settlement around Heybridge Basin (distinct from Heybridge village slightly to the north) were inextricably linked.

Located on England’s east coast, Maldon’s Hythe Quay has welcomed seagoing ships for over 1,000 years. Once vital for trade, cargo was moved to and from London, Kent, the south coast, Yorkshire and Northumberland, as well as across the Channel to the Netherlands, France and Belgium. Exports included coal and chalk, while dyes, cotton, iron, oil, dried fruits and canvas were among the imported goods.

Maldon prospered until the mid-17th century by monopolising trade routes and placing tolls on all goods passing through its waters to Heybridge and over land to the burgeoning town of Chelmsford. In 1641 a petition was raised by vested interests in Essex to the House of Lords complaining that Maldon could end up starving the

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country because of its high rates. As the River Blackwater became increasingly shallow due to siltation, larger ships bound for Maldon were forced to stop in Colliers Reach (the section of the River Blackwater between Northey Island and what is now Heybridge Basin) and unload cargo onto smaller vessels, causing tolls to increase further.

A navigation linking Chelmsford to the Blackwater Estuary was first mooted in 1677; it was not until 1797, however, that the canal was completed. Opposition from Maldon meant that the final stretch of the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation was made to kink north over the town and exit onto Colliers Reach. The opening of the new canal had an immediate impact on the area with Chelmsford replacing Maldon as Essex’s cheap port. Heybridge Basin at the navigation’s terminus also evolved as a haven for both ships and their crew; its Jolly Sailor pub dates from 1793 when all there was in the surrounding marshland was a windmill pump and a small salt pan.

By the middle of the 19th century, Maldon, Heybridge Basin and Chelmsford began working together, and the area saw healthy levels of trade until World War I. A steep decline in cargo carrying over the last century put the region’s maritime heritage at risk, leaving the waterways, the harbour buildings and local vessels in a vulnerable position. Today, passenger vessels form the main traffic on the estuary.

Spring 2021 22/01/2021 14:08

Heritage Harbours

History of Heritage Harbours A relatively new initiative, the Heritage Harbours scheme has been spearheaded in the UK by Brian Corbett, trustee at the Maritime Heritage Trust. He was inspired to make Chatham on the River Medway the first Heritage Harbour following the 350th commemoration of the Dutch defeat of the Royal Navy in June 2017, which saw around 200 vessels visit the waterway. Two fleets of modern and historic craft created a tremendous display of Dutch maritime heritage, which wasn’t equalled by British boats.

Working with Martine van Lier, chair of the European Maritime Heritage’s Cultural Council who is leading the way for the Netherlands’ Heritage Harbours, Brian created the criteria for the UK’s scheme. This sets out the long-term benefits to the economy of protecting and preserving ageing ports and harbours, their historic buildings, moorings and facilities for both local and visiting vessels through increasing tourism and encouraging balanced and sympathetic waterside development.

Chatham on the River Medway was made the first Heritage Harbour in December 2018 (later expanded to include Sheerness), followed by Faversham & Oare Creeks in early 2019, Malden & Heybridge later in 2019, and Exeter Quay in December 2020.

Future locations could include Royal Docks on the River Thames, Sandwich in Dover and Cardiff Bay, as well as a number of inland ports around the connected network.

The scheme is run jointly by the Maritime Heritage Trust (maritimeheritage.org.uk) and National Historic Ships (nationalhistoricships.org.uk).

The marshy area of Heybridge Basin known as Fish Pet has changed little over the centuries.

Heybridge Basin Lock. The association is hoping to install window museums here to showcase the area’s history.

Association's Aims

Maldon & Heybridge Heritage Harbour Association continued to work throughout 2020, in spite of the challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a year with few positives but as people were forced to remain closer to home and explore their local areas, interest continued to grow in the scheme.

The association’s diverse committee, with representation from a wide range of businesses and organisations, has been able to identify a number of key projects, some of which are already being progressed. Andrea explains the organisation’s main aims, which include: u Preserving Maldon’s boat-building and maintenance yards. “Heritage craft – whether made from metal or wood, and powered by engines or sails – need a lot of attention.

The Marine Heritage Foundation currently has three apprentices, but we want to help create more opportunities for young people to get involved. Maldon has five boatyards that are still in operation, so we’re inviting the owners to join the association.” u Improving facilities for visitors to the area arriving by both land and sea. “A new discovery centre will be established in Maldon’s Hythe Quay. A number of Thames sailing barges are moored here, which already attract tourists, and we want the centre to educate people about these and other vessels as a living legacy of the harbour.” u Promoting the importance of Heybridge Basin. “One of the things we want to do is create a window museum at the lock, telling people about the lesser-known aspects of the village’s history, such as its association with eel fishing.” u Creating heritage trails along the River Blackwater and the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation. “We’re working with Maldon District Council to create three trails for people to walk or cycle. There will be leaflets to download onto smartphones, and posts displaying QR codes to scan along the routes that will provide more information about points of interest.” u Encouraging membership and raising funds for new initiatives. “We have formed as an association and are going to apply for charitable status so that we can broaden our opportunities for funding. In addition to having local organisations represented on our committee, we’re inviting individuals to become members for a small fee.” u Supporting the Heritage Harbour scheme within the UK and abroad. “Myself, Brian Corbett and those leading the way on the other Heritage Harbours in England are working with Hannah Cunliffe, director of National Historic Ships, to get the government to acknowledge the importance of what we’re doing. We’re trying to expand the number of sites in the UK and Europe by sharing information and ideas.

Every location is different but by working together we can identify the similarities.”

It’s hoped the scheme will help promote use of the waterways.

Waterway Manager vacancy Essex Waterways manages and maintains the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation as a subsidiary company of the Inland Waterways Association.

There is a current vacancy for General Manager of the Navigation with a salary of up to £50,000. With responsibility for the staff team and the management of a busy waterway, it is a demanding role which will suit applicants with initiative, resourcefulness and life experience. To find out more visit waterways.org.uk/essexjobs.

Heritage trails will identify points of interest, such as Ulting Church on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation.

Find out more

For more information about Maldon & Heybridge Heritage Harbour Association, visit facebook.com/Mand3HA. You can also watch the IWA webinar The UK’s Heritage Ports and Harbours Initiative online at waterways.org.uk/iwa-tv.

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We take a look at the Seven Wonders of the Waterways as selected by IWA co-founder Robert Aickman in 1955, and ask how this list should be updated for the 21st-century boater ANDERTON BOAT LIFT The Anderton Boat Lift (above) is the iconic Victorian structure in Northwich, Cheshire, that links the Trent & Mersey Canal to the River Weaver some 50ft below. Opened in July 1875, it was designed

by Edward Leader Williams to assist with the transportation of cargo from inland industries, such as china from the potteries in Stoke-on-Trent and Cheshire salt, to Liverpool for exportation around the world. The ingenious solution cut days off the otherwise convoluted route along the T&M and Bridgewater canals.

Its mechanism was initially powered by steam-driven hydraulics before being converted to electric operation in 1908.

A series of faults saw it close in 1983 after more than 100 years of operation. As a Scheduled Ancient Monument, demolition was prevented but the cast iron structure was instead left to disintegrate. Work began on its restoration in 2000 and just two years later its hydraulic pumps were brought back to life and boats could once more hop between canal and river with ease.

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BARTON SWING AQUEDUCT Located at Barton-upon-Irwell near Manchester, Barton Swing Aqueduct carries the Bridgewater Canal over the Manchester Ship Canal. The unique, iron structure was built in 1893 but is not the canal’s original solution to traversing the Irwell Valley.

The Bridgewater initially crossed the old Mersey & Irwell Navigation on James Brindley’s stone aqueduct, opened in July 1761. However, when construction of the MSC obliterated the Mersey & Irwell Navigation, Brindley’s arches were too constrained to admit the ocean-going ships that would ply the new canal and it was unceremoniously demolished.

Its replacement, the Barton Swing Aqueduct, was designed by Edward Leader Williams (better known for the Anderton Boat Lift), and built by Andrew Handyside, a Derby-based iron founder. It uses guillotine gates to seal off water at both ends of the aqueduct so that it can be rotated through 90° around a central pivot based on a purposebuilt island in the middle of the MSC. Declining traffic on the MSC means that the aqueduct and the nearby Barton Road Swing Bridge are rarely swung for tall ships these days, but remain in good working order with regular tests.

Spring 2021 22/01/2021 14:09

Wonders of the Waterways

BURNLEY EMBANKMENT

BINGLEY FIVE RISE The Bingley Five Rive Locks raise the level of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal by 60ft over a distance of around 320ft, making it the steepest staircase flight in the country. Whether viewed from the bottom, looking up the flight, or the top, with vistas over the town, you cannot fail to be impressed.

Built in 1774 by John Longbotham, the locks have remained relatively unchanged since. The sheer scale of the chambers have the power to sometimes intimidate even the most experienced and proficient of boat crews, but lock-keepers are generally on hand to see you along without a hitch. Ascending can take up to an hour, while descending is around half that time.

A short way along the canal is Bingley Three Rise, a smaller staircase flight that raises the canal by 30ft. There are 93 locks, including 14 sets of staircase flights, that take the Leeds & Liverpool across the Pennines, climbing more than 400ft in the process.

Of all Robert Aickman’s Wonders, Burnley Embankment is the one that many struggle to remember. The marvellous engineering achievement carries the Leeds & Liverpool Canal across the River Calder and its diminutive tributary, the Brun, and provides a truly remarkable panorama of Burnley’s industrial surroundings.

The embankment was designed by Robert Whitworth and work started in 1796. Construction was costly, difficult and involved the mammoth task of transporting around half a million tons of earth from the nearby canal cutting at Whittlefield and tunnel at Gannow by horse and cart.

It opened in 1801 and is the largest canal embankment in Britain at 1,225 yards long (not quite living up to its local name, Straight Mile) and 60ft high.

CAEN HILL LOCKS Situated on the Kennet & Avon Canal, the Caen Hill flight is perhaps best known for its main section, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, which is formed by 16 locks that ascend in quick succession. As well as this laborious stretch, there are another six locks at the Devizes (top) end, and seven at Foxhangers. The 29 widebeam chambers lower or raise the canal by 237ft in the space of 2 miles.

The work of canal engineer John Rennie, the flight was the final project completed prior to the Kennet & Avon’s opening of 1810, and one of the last restoration challenges to be surmounted before the waterway was reopened in 1990. To resolve serious water supply problems, backpumping was installed at Foxhangers in 1996, designed to return 7 million litres of water per day to the top of the locks.

An efficient crew can clear the 16 locks in two hours (and two narrowboats are much quicker than one), but three or even four hours is more usual. The full run of 29 locks can take up to six hours to negotiate.

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PONTCYSYLLTE AQUEDUCT

STANDEDGE TUNNEL Deep beneath the Pennines is Britain’s longest canal tunnel: Standedge. Located on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal near Marsden, the 3½-mile-long bore also lays claim to being the country’s deepest (636ft below the moors) and highest (645ft above sea level) tunnel. These are impressive statistics, especially for a structure that’s more than 200 years old.

Standedge Tunnel provides a direct link between Manchester in the west and Huddersfield in the east on the HNC. It took 17 years to build – far longer than expected – and it finally opened in 1811. Business was initially brisk with around 40 boats passing through each day.

The last commercial boat used the tunnel in 1921 and it was closed in 1944, although Tom Rolt and Robert Aickman made a final passage in 1948 leading to its inclusion in the Wonders of the Waterways list.

The tunnel lay unused for more than 50 years before being repaired and reopened to traffic in 2001.

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Situated on the popular and picturesque Llangollen Canal, which runs between England and Wales, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a marvel of late 18th-century engineering. It was constructed by Thomas Telford and William Jessop between 1796 and 1805 to carry the canal over the River Dee valley.

The aqueduct measures a recordbreaking 1,000ft long and at its highest point is 126ft above the River Dee. There are 19 elegant arches, each with a span of 45ft, and to keep the structure as light as possible, the slender masonry piers are partly hollow and taper at their summit.

The aqueduct was officially opened on 26th November 1805 when a procession of boats crossed it from the south end at Froncysyllte Basin.

Over two centuries later on 27th June 2009, 11 miles of the Llangollen Canal were made a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the centrepiece being the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, itself a Grade I-listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Have your say In the 66 years since Robert Aickman published his Seven Wonders of the Waterways, hundreds of miles of canal have been restored to navigation, and with them the building of new structures and establishment of waterside developments that have transformed the look and feel of our inland routes.

We want you to tell us what should be on a new list of Wonders of the Waterways for 2021. It could be something brand new that didn’t exist in 1955, a symbol of a restoration success story, or something older that was previously overlooked.

Let us know your suggestions at waterways.org.uk/sevenwonders and we will reveal your modern Wonders of the Waterways later in the year.

Spring 2021 22/01/2021 14:09

Flood Advice

FREIGHT

EXPECTATIONS There’s been good progress returning cargo traffic to our inland waterways in recent years.

Waterways surveys the hotspots...

The Thames Despite the national lockdowns, work continued apace on London’s new ‘super sewer’ last year, with tunnelling on the central section now completed.

On 30th November, a giant tunnel-boring machine finished its 7.6km journey from Battersea to Bermondsey after breaking into a deep shaft at Tideway’s Chambers Wharf site. Over a million tons of spoil was excavated, all of which was removed from site using barges on the Thames – preventing more than 250,000 HGV trips. Around 240 barges were also used to transport concrete segments to site. These segments slot together underground to form the rings which make up the tunnel.

The breakthrough means more than 19km of the Thames Tideway Tunnel is now finished. Work on the remaining 5.5km section is due to begin very soon.

Another cheering Thames story last year came via Cory Riverside Energy, when an employee with 44 years’ service at the company launched a new barge named after his daughter – on her 21st birthday.

John Daly, whose father, grandfather and father-in-law also worked for Cory, launched Gemma D with Gemma at the company’s Riverside site in Charlton. The new barge can carry 20 containers holding around 270 tons of non-recyclable waste. The new 20 box barges will ultimately replace the fleet currently operating from Smugglers Way in Wandsworth, Cringle Dock in Battersea, and Walbrook Wharf in the City of London.

In total, Cory operates a fleet of five tugs, more than 50 barges and in excess of 1,500 containers. This fleet is used to transport non-recyclables from waste transfer stations along the River Thames to Cory’s energy-from-waste facility in Belvedere. These same barges and tugs also transport the ash resulting from the energy recovery process further down the Thames to Tilbury where it is processed into aggregate for the construction industry. This use of the river removes around 100,000 vehicle journeys from London’s roads each year.

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The Regent's Canal & Paddington Arm Since January 2019, iRecycle has been transporting waste by tug and barge from canalside businesses in King’s Cross and Camden, including the waste from Camden Market, out to the wharf at Powerday’s Old Oak Sidings materials recycling facility. Between January 2019 and September 2020 1,748 tons of waste were removed by barge, replacing 4,806 miles of road journeys.

At its peak pre-Covid-19, each week two to three 1520 ton barges were moving waste by waterway.

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The Aire & Calder The return of commercial traffic on the Aire & Calder Navigation in September 2020 has been boosted with a second barge joining the new weekly aggregate-carrying run from Hull to Knostrop, as demand for the building material in Leeds increases.

Humber Barges’ Fusedale H joined at the end of October, its first cargo being 290 tons of marine grit sand loaded at Albert Dock, Hull.

This was loaded simultaneously with 350 tons on Branford Barge Owners’ Farndale H. Farndale H is capable of carrying over 500 tons, while Fusedale H can take 450 tons. Canal & River Trust says it is working hard to prepare the canal channel to accommodate the vessels at full capacity, and when this is completed each barge run will take 17 lorryloads off the roads.

Following concerns about the need for dredging below Lemonroyd Lock, CRT says it has completed a hydrographic survey here and below Knostrop Lock, where the narrow channel to Thwaite Mills has also developed siltation problems following flooding.

If CRT can address these issues it would vindicate the confidence that AC Aggregates, Branford Barge Owners, Humber Barges and Leeds City Council have placed in the effort over several years to bring back carrying to the Aire & Calder.

A fully laden barge can carry as much as 18 lorries, emitting only 25% of the CO2. Long term, the current business plan relies on 200,000 tons a year and eight fully laden barges a week.

Andy Horn/CBOA

Farndale H approaches Beevers Bridge near Sykehouse Junction, on its inaugural trip.

Since 2004 barge transport on the River Severn had moved aggregates from Ripple Quarry, next to the M50 River Severn crossing, to a processing plant at the former Ryall House Farm Quarry near Upton-on-Severn.

Following exhaustion of Ripple Quarry, the operator (Cemex) moved its extraction to a new quarry at Ryall’s Court, north of Upton, complete with a new wharf so that use of water transport to the processing plant could continue. Boaters on the River Severn may pass the blue 170- to 185-ton capacity barges operated by Thompson River Transport in the Upton area.

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Loading takes place on the River Severn near Upton in 2013.

John Pomfret

The Severn

Spring 2021 22/01/2021 14:11

Flood Advice

The Humber July saw the safe delivery of a 155-ton transformer to Cottam Power Station, upriver of Gainsborough.

Having been originally shipped from Korea to Rotterdam, it was loaded onto the MV River Trader, for shipment across the North Sea to Goole. Here the transformer rendezvoused with the Lastdrager 19, a dumb barge that completed the trip, towed by local tugs Pushette and Gillian Knight, managed by John Dean. The journey took nearly 36 hours, testament to the complexity of the operation.

Goole handles a wide range of different cargoes and specialises in large, awkward lifts, helped by the constant water level that enables heavy-lift working on most of the port’s berths. The 100-acre site handles around £800m in UK trade each year, has a dedicated rail-freight terminal, and well-used canal connections to West and South Yorkshire.

The Nene Wisbech has been an important river port in the Fens ever since the ‘new’ outfall channel of the River Nene was completed in 1838.

Ships with a length of up to 83m and capacity of up to 3,000 tons now regularly make the 12-mile inland waterway journey from The Wash, through Cross Keys Swing Bridge on the A17 at Sutton Bridge, to the port situated at the north end of the town.

Wisbech Port has actively promoted its Baltic trade and has purchased two ships, Sandal and Seg, to operate a regular fortnightly freight service to Riga in Latvia, mainly importing timber. Other cargoes handled regularly include bricks and steel.

Demand has shown a steady growth over the last few years, with the annual number of ship arrivals having tripled since 2010, reaching 96 in 2019.

Richard Humphrey CC BY-SA 2.0

The 1,800-ton capacity Leyla at Wisbech in 2020.

One of the new DHL Express riverboats cruises past St Paul’s Cathedral.

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The Thames One of the more interesting freight developments last year came when parcel service DHL Express teamed with Thames Clippers Logistics to launch London’s first riverboat mail delivery service, It was introduced as part of DHL’s commitment to using what it calls ‘blended transport modes’ to improve access to urban areas. The service runs daily at 7.30am, with shipments loaded from electric vehicles onto the boat at Wandsworth Riverside Quarter Pier before travelling at high speed to Bankside Pier in central London. From here, bicycle couriers take over the final stage of delivery.

Robin Mortimer, chief executive of Port Couriers unload the parcels for the final leg of of London Authority, said: “This project their journey. opens up the movement of small parcels as a new and potentially substantial area of river use. The shipment of bulkier freight by river already takes more than 200,000 HGVs off the capital’s roads every year.

A riverboat and emission-free last mile delivery is a great innovation and the ideal combination for the city’s next evolution.”

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PA727BB01

THIS COMPANY IS PART OF HOWE MAXTED GROUP WHO ARE AUTHORISED AND REGULATED BY THE FINANCIAL CONDUCT AUTHORITY

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| IWA waterways

IWA Classies Spring21.indd 34

iwa classified advertising Lineage adverts cost £1.38 per word (inc. VAT), minimum 12 words.

Box adverts start from as little as £33 per issue (plus VAT)*.

A copy of our terms and conditions is available on request. (*4 series booking)

WWW.CHANNELGLAZE.COM T: 0121 706 5777 E: ENQUIRY@CHANNELGLAZE.COM

Spring 2021 21/01/2021 10:22

EvErYtHiNg CaNaL BoAtS FoR AlL Of YoUr BoAtInG NeEdS We ArE BaSeD At 14 MaRiNaS ArOuNd ThE Uk AnD OfFeR ThE FoLlOwInG SeRvIcEs

Boa�ng Holidays Day Boat Hire Holiday Co�ages Boat Building Chandlery Boat Maintenance & Repairs Marina Services Boat Sales Boat Management Moorings

FiNd OuT MoRe

Go to our website for full details of our services across all areas of our business. www.everythingcanalboats.com

Call us: 0330 333 0595

v4.0 19/2/18

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Are you an IWA member?

Find out more information online www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/iwa



Your 5% discount is available in store & online Take advantage of your discount in store by presenting a valid membership card at the till, or register for your discount online at www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/iwa. *No other offers apply.

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