IWA Waterways Magazine Spring 2019

Issue 263 • Spring 2019

waterways www.waterways.org.uk

DAY-BOAT DESTINATIONS Hire your way to a Silver Propeller Challenge plaque

INTO THE WILDERNESS

Exploring the waterways by trailboat

great scot

Good news at last for Scottish canals

PLUS

freight forward The carrying comeback on our waterways

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Spring 2019 Contents Issue 263 • Spring 2019

waterways www.waterways.org.uk

5. OVERVIEW

Column of the National Chairman

DAY-BOAT DESTINATIONS Hire your way to a Silver Propeller Challenge plaque

6. NEWS

INTO THE WILDERNESS

18

The latest from within IWA and beyond

Exploring the waterways by trailboat

10. CAMPAIGNS UPDATE great scot

Good news at last for Scottish canals

PLUS

14. FESTIVALS

freight forward The carrying comeback on our waterways

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Including progress on the Scottish canals and a focus on issues highlighted by the Silver Propeller Challenge

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COVER PICTURE: The Caldon Canal near Hazelhurst.

Previewing IWA’s Canalway Cavalcade and Festival of Water

18. DAY-BOAT DESTINATIONS

Hiring your way through the Silver Propeller Challenge, plus eight new locations to add to your cruising schedule this year

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28. LOVE YOUR WATERWAYS

Recent recipients of IWA’s Richard Bird Medal, plus exploring the system by trailboat 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 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 Chief Executive – Neil Edwards Company Secretary – Andrew Overy National Chairman – Ivor Caplan For press inquiries please contact: pressoffice@waterways.org.uk For all other contact details, including trustees and branch officers, visit: www.waterways.org.uk/about/ meet_team 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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35. RESTORATION HUB

Case studies from IWA’s upcoming restoration report, plus WRG’s plans for 2019

40. TURNING A NEW LEAF

Practical advice for tackling winding holes

42. FREIGHT FORWARD

Are our inland waterways returning to their working roots?

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44. THEN & NOW

Compasses Bridge on the Wey & Arun Canal

48. PETS ON BOARD

Tips for travelling with boat dogs, canal cats and other four-legged friends

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

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

Join IWA at www.waterways.org.uk

IWA Waterways |

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Spring 2019 24/01/2019 16:29

overview

The Column of the National Chairman

B

y the time you read this, 2019 will be well under way and I’m looking forward to what I hope and believe will be another successful and fulfilling year for IWA. Our volunteers and staff worked hard last year to lay the groundwork for our future activities and I hope we will see the fruits of many of their labours in the year ahead. Here are some tasters of what we can expect…

With politicians focusing on other matters at present, it will be challenging to keep inland waterways towards the top of the agenda but we will continue to maintain a high profile with government and engage with members of both houses, as well as with the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales.

This will be a crucial part of our efforts to secure continued, sustainable funding for all our inland waterways, both to prevent navigation closures and to realise the gains of restoration. Your support here as members and activists is essential. Your local MPs, MSPs, AMs and councillors – government at every level – need to understand the benefits that canals and rivers bring to their constituencies, the potential losses if they are not well maintained, and the strength of feeling for the waterways among local communities.

Barring unexpected developments, HS2 planning and the work to mitigate its impact will continue to dominate the thoughts of IWA, Canal & River Trust, and the many restoration groups and other interested parties along its routes to Manchester and Leeds. We have

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already scored major wins in extracting concessions that mitigate the adverse effects of the railway on waterways communities and individual users, but we will need to work hard to ensure that HS2 Ltd sticks to these commitments, especially those involving the principle of noise mitigation for boaters.

We established two new supervisory groups in 2018 to strengthen the Association’s oversight of important areas of concern. We are fortunate that our Planning Advisory Panel and Heritage Group both contain highly experienced and well-respected members, and I’m sure they will complement our Navigation Committee to cover these essential areas of protecting our waterways.

Our Heritage Group, for example, is concerned that heritage protection should focus not only on specific buildings or structures, but also on the entire character of our rivers and canals. We’re worried that the crucial diversity between highly industrial and remote rural landscapes, which has always been a major attraction of our waterways, is gradually being lost to mediocre housing estates. There is certainly a need for more housing in this country and well-designed developments can add value to our waterways, but they should not become, as they all too often do, a blight. I am confident that these two groups will endeavour to meet this challenge in the future.

As always, it’s appropriate at this time of year to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us during the last year – whether as members, donors or

volunteers. However you support us, in whatever capacity and whether at local or national level, your contribution is essential and I hope you will not only maintain your commitment in the year ahead but also consider how else you could support us. Perhaps you could expand your involvement into different areas, maybe developing new skills and meeting new colleagues, or perhaps you have friends who also love our waterways and would be interested in helping our efforts. Whatever you can give, it is – as always – enormously appreciated.

I’ll leave you with a couple of thoughts on notable 75th anniversaries that are looming – it’s just one year until we mark the seminal meeting of Tom Rolt and Robert Aickman at Tardebigge, who first broached the idea of a national waterways association, and only two years until the anniversary of the founding of IWA itself. These will be an opportunity to celebrate our achievements over the intervening years while also looking forward to the further successes that lie ahead. If you have any thoughts and suggestions about exciting ways to celebrate these anniversaries, do let me know.

Ivor Caplan

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Waterways News

EA LICENCE FEE INCREASES IWA says inflation-busting increases in charges demonstrate why Environment Agency navigations should be transferred to Canal & River Trust. This follows EA’s announcement that it will go ahead with substantial increases to its navigation charges for the next two years, despite the majority of respondents to EA’s recent consultation objecting. The announcement from EA came on the same day that CRT confirmed that it would be freezing private and business boat licence fees until 1st April 2020.

EA registration fee increases for 201920 and 2020-21 will be the same as those implemented in 2018-19 – 5.7% on the River Thames, 7.5% on Anglian Waterways and 10% on the Medway. Recognising that some level of increase is important, IWA, along with many other respondents, had asked for the increases to be linked to inflation using the Consumer Price Index (the latest available figure is 2.2%). CRT’s announcement includes a 5% reduction in the prompt payment discount, which will, in effect, mean an increase for many boaters, but this is still well below what EA boaters will be charged.

At a recent meeting between IWA and EA’s national navigation team, IWA pointed out that such high levels of increase would price some boaters away from EA navigations, deter families and young people from getting involved with boating in the first place, and could lead to an increase in registration fee evasion. EA’s consultation showed 43% of respondents would consider leaving EA waterways, and 31% giving up boating altogether.

IWA national chair, Ivor Caplan, said: “We acknowledge that EA does need to receive more funding in order to continue to maintain existing levels of navigation maintenance and service, as well as being able to address some of the backlog of work that has led to long-term closures of some waterway structures, but such high increases to registration fees are not the way to do this.

“EA needs to increase its income without disenfranchising boat-owners and pricing them off the waterways. Increased funding from Government is essential to retain vibrant waterways alive with boats, with all the associated benefits that brings to the UK economy and local communities, as well as the health benefits to the wider population.”

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WATERWAYS RESTORATION DISCUSSED AT WESTMINSTER

Waterways restoration and the benefits it brings from day one were the main topic of a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Waterways held on Tuesday 16th October 2018 at the House of Lords, hosted by Lord German.

Case studies were brought to life through presentations from IWA Trustee and Waterway Recovery Group chair Mike Palmer MBE, Robin Stonebridge from the Chesterfield Canal Trust and David Marshall from Stroud District Council.

As well as a number of MPs and Lords, many waterway restoration organisations were represented at the meeting.

You can request a copy of the new report, which promotes the social, environmental, economic and historic value of restorations in progress, from waterways.org.uk/waterways/restoration/restoration_resources/waterways_ progress.

Among those present at the APPGW meeting in October were: (l-r) Neil Edwards, Mike Palmer, Alison Smedley, Kevin Brennan MP, Lord German, Robin Stonebridge (CCT), David Marshall (STC) and David Drew MP.

THE FINAL ACT – MIDDLE LEVEL BILL The Middle Level Bill received Royal Assent and was enacted on Thursday 1st November 2018. The Act, which was brought to Parliament as a Private Members Bill in November 2016, went through its final stage in October with the House of Commons agreeing the amendments made by the House of Lords earlier in the year.

The Act will bring the Middle Level Commissioners in line with other navigation authorities by enabling better waterway management powers and allowing increased provision of facilities and moorings in connection with their navigation function.

IWA has supported the Bill through its various stages, and we welcome the Act as it will enable the Commissioners to levy charges in respect of vessels using the Middle Level waterways, including the ability to charge where vessels overstay time limits in force at a mooring place.

Other benefits include allowing MLC to generate income specifically for boating and the provision of more moorings and better facilities. MLC will also have the power to remove sunken, stranded and abandoned vessels. All boaters on its waterways will require insurance and comply with the Boat Safety Scheme. Under the new legislation MLC will use published guidance from IWA to set the standards to which facilities must be provided.

The full wording of the Act can be found at legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2018/2/ pdfs/ukla_20180002_en.pdf.

Spring 2019 25/01/2019 09:07

Waterways News

2019 PHOTO COMPETITION

Mark Featherstone’s photo of Trevor Basin on the Llangollen Canal won IWA’s competition in 2018.

Photographers, both amateur and professional, are invited to submit images in our new-look competition for 2019. There are eight picture categories and entrants can expect to see their imagery used across IWA’s website, blog pages, printed leaflets, reports and other communications materials.

Photographs received in this way allow us to improve the effectiveness of what we do and ensure that as much of our income as possible is used to protect and restore our waterways rather than in the purchase or rental of imagery. Attractive, well-executed photos really bring our communication materials to life and help encourage support for the waterways.

Each category will be judged independently with one winning image and three runners-up which will all be entered to a public vote to find one overall prize-winner.

The categories are: • Wonder in the every day – those unremarkable jobs that illustrate our vibrant communities, such as mooring up for the evening, working locks, cleaning a canoe…

• Up-close – faces of the waterways, a paddle pawl or mooring ring… beautifully shot and instantly recognisable

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• We want to be together – having fun on the waterways. A couple hand-in-hand as they walk the towpath, a family enjoying a picnic, a father and daughter fishing…

• On water – the boats that bring colour and community to our beautiful waterways – narrowboats, historic craft, wide-beams, cruisers, coracles, canoes, paddleboards…

• Restoration – there are 500 miles of waterway that could be usefully restored…

• Landscape – show us your favourite navigable waterway • Wildlife – cute, breathtakingly beautiful, awe inspiring – the animals and birds that bring our canals and rivers to life • Built environment – who doesn’t want to live by water? There are some stunning old warehouses, wonderful new developments and creative, refreshing spaces to discover – let’s get a picture of our urban, waterside environment.

To find out more about entering the competition go to waterways.org.uk/photocomp.

The deadline for entries is 30th June 2019.

SOUTH WEST REGION SEEKS NEW CHAIR IWA South West & South Wales Region, which encompasses the West Country, Avon & Wilts, South Wales and Gloucestershire & Herefordshire branches, is looking for people to fill two roles on its committee.

The region team is seeking a new chair to oversee regional activities, provide representation at various events and liaise with other IWA region chairs, officers and trustees. The position of honorary secretary is also vacant, the current post holder having been in the role for five years.

The committee meets four times a year in Bristol, and in addition to providing a forum for communication between the branches, it oversees the publication of the region’s magazine Sou’Wester and presents the prestigious Brian Sheppard Award annually.

The region includes some beautiful stretches of currently navigable waterway as well as several exciting restorations and some interesting campaigns being managed by knowledgeable and active volunteers.

To find out more, contact Nicola Kiely at nicola.kiely@waterways.org.uk.

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Waterways News

OBITUARY:

Harry Arnold MBE

IWA Waterways is saddened to report the death of its former editor, Harry Arnold, in November after a short illness. Harry was a prolific recorder and influencer of British waterways life, business and politics from the declining working-boat era of the late 1950s until his last days, and a stalwart IWA supporter. Audrey Smith reflects on his enormous contribution to our Association

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Harry was made MBE for services to the waterways in 2010.

shouldn’t I be the one to break the news to the stranded festivalgoers that they were well and truly stuck and would have to take a shuttle bus to the show instead? He did at least have the good grace to send the tallest WRGie on site with me for protection!

Harry’s editorial contract ran until 2007 when, then aged 70, he tendered his resignation to focus on other waterways writing and photography opportunities. He expressed deep gratitude for the opportunities the role had given him to work with so many of the Association’s members, colleagues and friends.

“I may be retiring as an editor,” his letter to the national chair concluded, “but I shall not be stepping down from writing about and campaigning for waterways.”

A year later, IWA trustees decided it was time to formally recognise both the long-standing efforts of this particular member and the expertise he could offer by appointing him an IWA vice president. It was a precursor to even greater things, including being made MBE in 2010 for the significant role he played in the regeneration of the inland waterways.

More accolades followed: in 2013 he was awarded IWA’s Cyril Styring trophy and in 2015 CRT presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Harry was here, there and everywhere. He was never without his notebook and never without a camera. His was a life well lived and he will be missed.

Harry (r) with fellow waterway campaigners Graham Palmer (l) and John Gagg (c) at Fradley Junction.

waterway images

Waterway users of today, upon looking at Harry, would have seen an elderly man, conservatively dressed and of modest stature who walked briskly, leaning forward slightly – as if in a hurry. They would not have given him a second glance and would certainly have had no idea of the range of talents he possessed, nor of the energy he had, or the massive contribution he made to the well-being of this country’s inland waterways scene.

They would never have guessed that he was a curious – possibly unique – mix of passionate volunteer and hard-headed professional who lived, ate and slept ‘waterways’. IWA in particular owes him a great debt of gratitude.

Harry joined the Association in 1962 and became a founder member of the Waterway Recovery Group, IWA’s subsidiary focusing on practical restoration. He worked with fellow volunteer and founder Graham Palmer on early ‘big dig’ projects that mobilised canal restoration volunteers nationally – in 1968 on the Ashton Canal, and the Welshpool Big Dig of 1969.

The latter ultimately led to the formation of the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust, with Harry appointed a founder trustee. The campaign to achieve full restoration continues today with a younger generation of trustees ably supported by a younger generation of WRGies. The digs in Ashton, meanwhile, were precursors to the opening of the Cheshire Ring which, in turn, led to the eventual restoration of the Rochdale and Huddersfield Narrow canals.

Harry became a committee member of the then North West Branch, serving until 1969 when he moved to the canalside village of Alrewas in Staffordshire. He went on to join and serve on the Midlands Branch committee, and the National Council too from 1971 to 1973.

In 1990 IWA contracted Harry to act as editor of this very magazine. During my years as national chair I came to think of Harry as an ogre! Every three months I was required to write my column and always there was Harry to contend with.

I was given ‘so many’ column inches. This meant nothing to me – so Harry translated it into a word count. Easy today with a computer but in the mid 1990s I wrote my contributions in longhand, laboriously counting the words and editing and re-editing before posting my efforts to Harry. Then came the anxious wait – was it too long, too tedious, too political? Would it need amending or would it do?

While fulfilling his editorial role as a contractor, Harry continued to volunteer with National Waterways Festivals in a marketing role. I particularly recall our festival at Chester in 1995 when the Shroppie was suffering water supply issues and some 30 boats, which had ventured down to Ellesmere Port’s lower basin in advance of the event, found themselves unable to return to Chester for the weekend as a result of British Waterways’ decision to close the locks. Ever the gentleman, Harry insisted he was only the festival chair. As national chair,

Spring 2019 25/01/2019 09:08

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CAMPAIGNING WITH YOU Glasgow’s ‘smart canal’ scheme and the recent EU ruling on red diesel are among some of the issues we’ve been campaigning on with your help. Here’s how we’ve been doing on these and other affairs…

Red diesel ruling

In effect, following the Court’s ruling, the expectation of the European Commission is that the UK must stop allowing the use of red diesel for the purposes of propulsion of a private pleasure craft and must therefore switch to white diesel. The UK was required to provide a response to the Commission by 22nd December, setting out how it intends to bring the UK into line with the European Directive on fiscal marking of gas oils and kerosene, as well as a timeframe for achieving this.

It remains the position of all the boating representative bodies that a change to using white diesel would create insurmountable problems for boat users and the industry. All the boating representative bodies will therefore be providing evidence of the practical implications to HMRC officials to inform the UK’s response to the Commission in the hope that we can jointly develop a practical and affordable solution in a realistic timeframe.

“The expectation of the European Commission is that the UK must stop allowing the use of red diesel for private pleasure craft and switch to white diesel”

Jason Gallop/Bollington Wharf

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced that it lost its defence against the Court of Justice of the European Union ruling that the UK has failed to fulfil its obligations on fiscal marking of gas oils and kerosene. This ruling could affect future use of red diesel for leisure boats, with implications for boat-owners and boatyard operators.

HMRC is now examining the judgement and will announce how and when the UK will adjust its practices in due course.

While IWA’s primary concern is that diesel procurement does not become more difficult (or more expensive) in the UK as a result of the ruling, we do also have a number of members who take their boats to the waterways of Europe (including Ireland) who will be affected by the judgement.

Representatives from the boating community and industry – IWA, British Marine, Cruising Association and RYA – met with HMRC officials in November to discuss the implications of the Court’s decision and evaluate the UK’s response.

The meeting was extremely informative and productive, and the continued support of the UK Government was welcomed.

Glasgow’s smart canal scheme

A meeting is to take place early this year between IWA and Scottish Canals’ new chief executive Catherine Topley, where IWA will take the opportunity to raise concerns following the launch of Scottish Canals’ ‘smart canal’ scheme, the North Glasgow Integrated Water Management System. This £17m development will use sensors and predictive weather technology to provide early warning of wet weather before redirecting excess rainfall from residential and business areas into stretches of the canal where water levels have been lowered by as much as 10cm.

While IWA welcomes innovation, we have concerns about the further lowering of the water level along this stretch of the Forth & Clyde (the 20-mile summit of the canal from Glasgow to Cumbernauld) which is already 60cm lower than it was before the canal closed. The canal was restored and reopened using this lowered water level. This already affects the number and type of boats that are able to pass through the Forth & Clyde.

We note that Scottish Canals says that it could take up to 20 years to fully connect the scheme to the canal, and that it is “targeted to produce £434,000pa to pay for maintenance of the smart canal system and maintenance of the Glasgow canal corridor”. IWA will be making the case to Scottish Canals that this money should be used for improving the stability of the banks so that the water level can be increased, while still allowing plenty of room for the 10cm of flood water. Repairs to the banks would also benefit other users of the canal such as canoeists, passengers on trip-boats and boaters using the many pontoons which have been installed.

Help keep our waterways alive IWA is working with RYA and British Marine to assess the impact of switching from red to white diesel for boat-owners.

Why campaign with IWA? We strive to make the waterways better for all.

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Spring 2019 25/01/2019 09:10

Campaigns Update

IWA responded to a request from the Scottish Parliament for advice concerning the state of Scotland’s waterways. It follows a Public Petitions Committee on 27th September where the Lowland Canals Association sought the appointment of an independent water ombudsman for Scotland. The petition was successful and the committee agreed to write to various bodies, including IWA, for advice.

waterway ombudsman, or an alternative scheme that would hold Scottish Canals to account and ensure the future of the country’s waterways. Another possible solution might be to reinstate Inland Waterways Advisory Council in Scotland; we have recommended that its remit should include all 500 miles of navigable waterways in Scotland, not just those operated by Scottish Canals.

Concerns We took the opportunity to raise with Scottish Parliament a number of concerns that IWA has already brought to the attention of Scottish Canals, particularly on the Lowland Canals, including: • The closure of the Forth & Clyde Canal as a through-route for most of 2018.

Additional funding from Scottish Government has enabled contracts to be let with work due to start in January 2019, nearly a year after the two bridges failed.

• The number of locks and lift-bridges in desperate need of maintenance. The current tally of broken infrastructure amounts to five inoperative bridges and one inoperative lock.

• Ongoing and long-term issues with operating locks. Scottish Canals’ staff have to operate many of the structures, and in recent years have imposed more restricted opening times, which don’t take into account tide times at sea locks and make it difficult for boaters to use the canal.

• The lack of dredging which puts off deeper-draughted seagoing boats using the Forth & Clyde as a coast-to-coast route.

• The amount of weed and vegetation choking up the canal – not helped by the lack of boat movements.

• The impact on the hire-boat trade and tourism as a result of the restrictions and closures in the last year.

• The deterioration of other structures, such as nearby locks and moveable bridges, due to lack of use. If this continues, even more funds will be required for repairs in the future.

It was highlighted that an Asset Management Strategy published by Scottish Canals in June 2018 includes the suggestion that whole sections of the Lowland Canals could face closure.

IWA also confirmed its support for a

Support The increase in awareness about the problems on the Scottish waterways brought about support by Members of the Scottish Parliament, and this was followed by an announcement from Transport Scotland on 23rd November that an additional £5.35m had been identified for capital funding for Scottish Canals. The funding will fix the recent failure of lock gates at Fort Augustus on the Caledonian Canal, further replacement lock gates and new moorings on the same waterway, four pairs of lock gates for the Forth & Clyde Canal, new water monitoring systems for the Crinan Reservoir and the Forth & Clyde summit pound, a review of remote operations for Bonnybridge and Twechar lift-bridges, and new dredging plant to enable Scottish Canals’ staff to improve the navigation channel across the network.

IWA got a mention on Scottish Parliament TV on 20th December when the Public Petitions Committee considered again the petition for a Scottish waterways ombudsman. The petitioner, the Lowland Canals Association, also welcomed IWA’s submission when it had an opportunity to respond in writing to the evidence that had been submitted.

“Transport Scotland announced on 23rd November that an additional £5.35m had been identified for capital funding for Scottish Canals” While the Petitions Committee didn’t reach a conclusion regarding an ombudsman, it acknowledged the problems relating to the impact on tourism, the potential waste of the £98m of public money spent on the Millennium Link, and the £70m backlog of maintenance, and agreed to invite Scottish Canals to give evidence at a future meeting.

Recent progress Just before Christmas there was some good news when Scottish Canals announced that it had secured £350,000 of funding from Sustrans to get Leamington Lift Bridge operational for the summer of 2019. We welcome this announcement as it recognises the heritage value of the bridge as well as the importance of reinstating navigation to the very end of the canal in Edinburgh (an IWA Silver Propeller Challenge location).

Meanwhile, repairs on the Forth & Clyde Canal are progressing. Work on Bonnybridge and Twechar lift-bridges is underway, along with repairs to Lock 6 and the bascule bridge at Bard Avenue in Glasgow, due to be completed in spring 2019.

Richard Davies

Concern for Scottish canals

Collapsing banks on the Forth & Clyde Canal summit.

With your support, we can do even more. waterways.org.uk/campaigns Spring 2019 010 Campaigns Update AH.indd 11

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Trailboats at Crossways Bridge on the Bridgwater & Taunton.

JANE PILGRIM

More details about IWA’s Silver Propeller Challenge can be found on the IWA website: waterways.org.uk/ silverpropeller.

Spotlight on...

SILVER PROPELLER CHALLENGE As the first anniversary of the launch of IWA’s Silver Propeller Challenge comes around, we reflect on some of the campaigning issues that have been highlighted, and progressed, as a result of it By their very nature, the Silver Propeller Challenge locations were chosen because they have a campaigning aspect about them, whether it’s just encouraging more boaters to reach a little-visited destination, or in some cases to highlight navigation campaigns or to celebrate restoration so far.

Previously we’ve covered campaigning updates about the difficulties in getting to Welney and Welches Dam on the Old Bedford River, ongoing issues on the Dee Branch in Chester, and a temporary problem of a fallen tree across the Forty Foot Drain on the way to Horseway Lock. Here are some of the other campaigns that haven’t yet reached the pages of Waterways.

Mill Bridge on the Springs Branch.

Rockfall currently blocking the Springs Branch, Skipton.

Springs Branch, Skipton

Leeds & Liverpool Canal

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Ian Moore

One of the earliest issues brought to our attention through the Silver Propeller Challenge was the rockfall on the Springs Branch. This has been limiting navigation on this branch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Skipton since January 2016. We have been encouraging as many people as possible to use the section of the branch that is still accessible, and to write to Canal & River Trust to ask it to progress the reopening of the full length. Until the rockfall, located just below Skipton Castle, is removed, the location for the Silver Propeller Challenge will be Mill Bridge, or the rockfall itself just beyond.

Spring 2019

25/01/2019 09:11

Campaigns Focus

Alan Mayo

Sandbach as far as it would get up towards Kempston Mill on the River Great Ouse.

Regrettably, just before the stoppage came into force (the early May bank holiday weekend of 2018) the bridge was locked out of use which prevented boaters from using the canal, including a flotilla of Wilderness boats that were attending a rally at Bathpool near Taunton. The boaters had set out to cruise to the far end of the canal at Bridgwater Docks, which is an interesting heritage site in its own right, as well as being a Silver Propeller Challenge destination. The contractors subsequently apologised for their actions and explained that problems with steel plates had affected the balance of the bridge, which resulted in it being locked out of use. They have confirmed that this has since been rectified and access has been available as per CRT’s notice.

Kempston Mill, Bedford

Head of navigation on the River Great Ouse

Despite being the official head of navigation and the limit of the Environment Agency’s navigation responsibility on the River Great Ouse, deeper-draughted boats may find it difficult to get all the way to Kempston Mill.

The location is significant because it’s near where the proposed new waterway, the Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway Park, will join the river, slightly upstream of the current limit of navigation. With this in mind we are keen to encourage as many people as possible to use the top end of the river – it is a delightful trip upstream from Bedford past islands and wooded banks.

Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterways Trust arranged (and paid) for some dredging to be carried out in the autumn of 2018 to allow its John Bunyan trip-boat to reach Kempston Mill, but initially not enough material was removed to enable deeper-draughted boats to get past the shallows. Shortly afterwards Alison and Rupert Smedley took their historic tug, Sandbach, upstream to find out if the situation was any better; unfortunately they ground to a halt in the same location as the John Bunyan had.

IWA raised the issue of the lack of depth up to the limit of navigation with the Environment Agency and agreed that for the purposes of the Silver Propeller Challenge, a photograph showing a boat as far upstream as you can get beyond the last island will suffice.

Further dredging has since been carried out by BMKWT so the situation should be improved for 2019. Shallower-draughted boats shouldn’t have a problem, although navigators should be aware that the headroom under the last bridge is very low.

Leek Arm

Caldon Canal

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IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch raised concerns late in 2017 about the near-unnavigable state of the last ¼ mile of the Leek Arm of the Caldon Canal, which had become silted up over the last few years with reed growth encroaching the navigation. Canal & River Trust agreed that the arm should be dredged and put it into its winter works programme for 2018/19.

We are pleased to report that this dredging has been carried out and boats should now be able to reach the Pete rM end of the canal again without difficulty. at th The local branch will continue to e campaign for improved facilities at the end of the canal, but at least boats can now reach the terminus and visit the market town of Leek more easily.

Bridgwater Dock

Boaters using the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal should note that Crossways Swing Bridge, which is approximately 1 mile from Bridgwater Docks, is the subject of a restriction for a 12-month period until 8th May 2019 in connection with adjacent construction works. A Canal & River Trust stoppage requires boaters to give 48 hours’ notice to use the swing-bridge on weekdays, and confirms that it will always be available for boaters to use at weekends.

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Nick Grundy

Bridgwater & Taunton Canal

LEFT: The Leek Arm in the summer of 2017 before dredging had been carried out.

ABOVE: The newly dredged Leek Arm.

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CANALWAY CAVALCADE London’s biggest, brightest and best waterways festival takes place this year between 4th-6th May. The unique boat gathering is organised by IWA volunteers and has been taking place at Little Venice since 1983

New Man at the Helm 2019’s festival is the first for its brand new chairman, Mark Saxon, who was appointed to the role last June.

He previously served as waterspace manager for the event between 2013 and 2015.

Mark, who lives in Croxley Green, has been attending the festival on his own boat for years – and picking up no small amount of silverware in the process. “I always enjoy the boaters’ events – the parade of decorated boats, the illuminated boats, the boat-handling competition. I’ve entered them all in the past and may even have won a couple.

Last year it was the illuminated boat parade. We had lights, a smoke machine, music, strobes – you name it, I loaded it onto the boat. The event is supposedly themed, but I just think the more lights the better! Sometimes tacky is good.”

When it comes to managing the

festival, however, Mark’s ethos is all about restraint. “On a personal level, I don’t believe you should go straight into an organisation and change something that works. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. So this year, although I already know the event well, being chairman is slightly different so I’ll be looking and listening and learning.”

One area where he does anticipate scope for change, however, is in the diversity of boats and boaters attending Cavalcade. He explains: “Without belittling anybody who comes to our event, we’re all mainly older, greyhaired and on narrowboats. I know that’s a generalisation, but people will understand what I mean. And the modern boating community is not like that. If we can encourage other people to get involved with the Inland Waterways Association and involved in

the event, then I’ll consider my tenure as chairman a success.”

In terms of the attracting different kinds of craft, Mark insists he’s looking for anything “outside of the norm that people perhaps haven’t seen before”.

He cites electric-powered boats as an example, “to give us a glimpse of what waterways of the near future might look like. We need to to start a conversation about where inland boating is going in the next ten to 20 years.”

Mark takes home some silverware at last year’s Cavalcade.

The new chairman hopes to improve the diversity of boats at future Cavalcades.

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Festivals 2019

Going Green

This year the Cavalcade team has developed a sustainability and recycling policy in conjunction with environmental campaigner Dhruv Boruah, to look at ways the event can be more environmentally sensitive.

Initiatives being trialled include dissuading stall-holders from bringing single-use plastic bags, asking boaters to use smokeless fuel in their stoves (Cavalcade already has a policy of not running diesel engines except for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening), inviting the bar to explore the use of returnable cups (or allowing people to bring their own cups), and asking PaddingtonCentral, which owns a lot of the land around the festival site, to provide more drinking fountains to reduce single-use plastic here too.

Cavalcade chairman Mark Saxon says: “Unfortunately we are quite constricted because it’s not our land, so we can’t install infrastructure ourselves. But we can guide, encourage and instruct others to do so.

And we need to monitor what we do, which is where Dhruv is helping this year. He’ll follow up with a report examining ways in which we can improve further.”

Book Your Spot You can reserve your mooring online at waterways.org.uk/cavalcade, or download and print a booking form by following the link on the web page. But be quick – there are only 20 spaces left.

“Cavalcade always draws big crowds, and for so many reasons. First of all, it’s a free event and takes place in a fantastic location – one that’s changing all the time. You have the modern, brand-spanking-new buildings juxtaposed with a 200-year-old canal. I think that contrast is wonderful. And Cavalcade really has something for everybody, not just boaters – it’s a real family event with fantastic entertainment. Put briefly, it’s a friendly, well-organised and accessible weekend.”

Mark Saxon, chair of Canalway Cavalcade

Volunteer Here This year’s Cavalcade theme is ‘Celebrating Our Volunteers’. Chair Mark Saxon says: “I think it’s really important that the people who volunteer at this event, and others around the network – and there are thousands of them – are given a lot more credit. We need to say thank you.

These people are doing it in their spare time, don’t get paid for it, and I think some people can take advantage of that. So I really want to say a huge thank you to all waterways volunteers.”

The Cavalcade committee currently has vacancies for several volunteer roles, including an assistant publicity manager, a volunteers manager, someone to man the information stand and an assistant health & safety manager.

Anyone interested in these positions, or in finding out about other volunteer opportunities, should contact Mark Saxon on mark.saxon@ waterways.org.uk.

He says: “It’s putting something back into the event. If people enjoy Cavalcade and want it to keep on going I’m afraid nowadays they’ve got to get off their backsides and put themselves forward. It’s extraordinarily worthwhile; you meet some fantastic people, and you’re involved in the premier boating event in London.”

Social Stay in touch with Cavalcade updates on Twitter @canalcavalcade.

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FESTIVAL OF WATER

If Cavalcade whets your appetite for London and its environs, there’s an especially good reason to come back in summer – this year’s Festival of Water takes place at Waltham Abbey between 24th-26th August on the Lee Navigation. Steve Bragger, marina manager at Springfield and Standstead Abbotts, explains what the festival means to the area and his top tips for making the most of the weekend

Lee Valley Marina Springfield now boasts a brand new chandlery.

Why is Waltham Abbey such a timely choice of venue for IWA's festival?

Well, it’s always nice to have IWA back here, where the organisation has enjoyed such successful rallies in the past. This year it’s more important than ever to bring boaters to the Lee, however. Recently we’ve noticed a downturn in the number of people boating to London, which we’re very concerned about. The waterways here have effectively become mooring sites rather than cruising areas. We anticipate the festival will do a great job of reminding boaters what a fantastic place this still is, particularly in the upper reaches of the Lea and the Stort, and why it’s well worth a visit.

Hopefully it will also promote Lee Valley Park generally, which is a lovely 26-mile-long green lung to London. We’d love to encourage more visitors to the park, and let people know it’s there for them to enjoy, and all free of charge.

What nearby or en-route places would you advise festival-goers not to miss?

Stanstead Abbotts is a lovely mooring area and we’ve got three great pubs in the village. Roydon, again, is well worth a stop, and also has three – I think – pubs to check out.

At the end of both navigations are good market towns that are very welcoming to boaters: Hertford on the River Lea and Bishop’s Stortford on the Stort, with Ware along the way. All three are brilliant places, each with their own character.

Waltham Abbey itself has interesting royal connections – it’s one of the possible resting places of King Harold, who died in the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Meanwhile, nearby Waltham Cross has one of the last original crosses marking the procession of Queen Eleanor’s coffin in 1290.

Boating through Hertford.

Very close to the festival site is Gunpowder Park, which is worth a visit too. It was formerly a Royal Ordnance site concerned with munitions testing. It’s since been given over to wildlife, although features of the original landscape have been retained and the entrance and graphics evoke its former life and the area’s connection with the manufacture of gunpowder and explosives. The park has fields, meadow and marsh to be enjoyed by walkers and cyclists throughout the year.

Finally, next door to the showground is the Lee Valley White Water Centre, which was built to host the canoe slalom events of the the London 2012 Olympics. It’s open to the public for general viewing, or to book rafting or canoeing experiences. There’s also a restaurant there.

And as marinas manager, should boaters also check out Springfield or Standstead Abbotts' facilities on their journey?!

They’d be very welcome! Springfield is situated on the lower reaches of the River Lea adjacent to Walthamstow Marshes nature reserve. The marina has 200 berths and provides a range of marina services including boat repairs and boat craning, with a brand new chandlery too, which opened in January.

Stanstead Abbotts is also located on the River Lea, a few miles north of the junction with the River Stort, and is well positioned to visit the many attractions of the Lee Valley Regional Park. The marina offers 200 moorings and storage facilities on land to carry out boat repairs, as well as a professional engineering and refit service. There is a well-stocked chandlery on site here too.

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Festivals 2019

Bookings The Festival of Water offers a weekend of fun for all who love spending time by the water. Each evening there’s entertainment for boaters and campers booked into the event, as well as an illuminated boat procession on the Sunday evening. Plus, there’s a bar on-site to make your evenings go with even more of a swing.

Moorings and campsite pitches cost just £35 (including evening entertainment). You can book these online at waterways.org.uk/ festivalofwater.

If you are interested in a trader’s space, an application form is available for download on the website too, or you can email event.trade@ waterways.org.uk.

For those who’d like to get more closely involved with the event, volunteer opportunities exist. Email event.volunteer@waterways.org.uk to find out more.

Last year’s bustling Festival of Water at St Neots.

FESTIVAL CRUISE

Tim Lewis

St Pancras Cruising Club will be leading a cruise on Friday 30th August for up to 20 boats booked into the Festival of Water. The boats will leave Limehouse following a briefing the night before on 29th August. They will cruise as far as the Thames Barrier and then be escorted back upstream to Teddington.

All boaters booked into the Festival of Water will receive information about the cruise and have the opportunity to join it by contacting mike.moorse@waterways.org.uk.

IWA is speaking to Canal & River Trust to arrange for moorings to be made available to boaters coming through London to attend the Festival. Keep an eye on the website for updates.

IWA is no stranger to the Lee Navigation – successful National Festivals were held here in 1989, 1994 and 2000.

Tim Lewis

A tranquil scene near Roydon on the River Stort.

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SILVER PROPELLER CHALLENGE

DAY-Boat destinations

Exploring the far-flung reaches of the network just got even more rewarding

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Don’t have your own craft? No problem. Sue O’Hare shares top places to hire trip-boats and unpowered craft for the Silver Propeller Challenge

Saul Junction on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.

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Silver Propeller Challenge – day-boats

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The Silver Propeller Challenge is not only for people with their own boat and the time to move around the country at 4mph. Any type of vessel may be used.

This includes powered or unpowered craft hired locally, as well as trip-boats, which often have the benefit of being run by a local society in support of restoration work.

This gives non-boat-owners the opportunity to participate, while boat-owners can extend their range and visit locations not connected to the main network.

As this article shows, it should be possible to visit more than 20 locations by trip- or day-boat, enabling a Silver Propeller Challenge plaque to be claimed.

The article is arranged by region, with Silver Propeller Challenge destinations highlighted in pink. Many trip-boats operate seasonally, so check availability before setting off. There is a good deal of outdated information on the internet so if you find any errors or omissions in the article, please let us know at silverpropeller@waterways.org.uk.

Above: Craft, including trip-boat New Horizons, on the Pocklington Canal.

Left: The end of navigation on the Montgomery Canal at Gronwen Bridge.

Lochrin Basin.

“Gronwen Bridge is perhaps the only Silver Propeller destination reachable by horsedrawn passenger boat” Standedge Tunnel.

SCOTLAND Lochrin Basin in Edinburgh is the eastern terminus of the Union Canal after its 31-mile journey from Falkirk, where it was reconnected to the Forth & Clyde Canal in 2002 by the Falkirk Wheel. Boat trips are available from the basin. re-union.org.uk/boat-trips

NORTH EAST The Pocklington Canal, linking the market town of Pocklington to the River Derwent at East Cottingwith, was one of the last canals to be opened. It is now known for its wildlife, and has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for much of its length.

The Pocklington Canal Amenity Society is working to restore the whole canal and runs boat trips from the current head of navigation at Melbourne Basin. pocklingtoncanalsociety.org/boattrips The Springs Branch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal runs below Skipton Castle and is currently blocked by a rockfall from the castle. Until this is cleared, the Silver Propeller location is Mill Bridge or the rockfall itself. Boat trips and day-boat hire are available from penninecruisers.com/skippered-boattrips and canaltrips.co.uk.

Boat trips into and through the UK’s longest, deepest and highest canal tunnel are available from Standedge Tunnel and Visitor Centre on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. canalrivertrust.org.uk/standedge-tunnel

NORTH WEST AND NORTH WALES Gronwen Bridge winding hole is the present limit of navigation for powered boats on the restored 7-mile length of the Montgomery Canal from Frankton Junction on the Llangollen Canal.

It is perhaps the only Silver Propeller destination reachable by horse-drawn passenger boat, which runs from Canal Central at Maesbury Marsh – bywatercruises.com. Canoes may also be hired from montgomerycanal.me.uk/mwrt.html.

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Liverpool Docks were made much more accessible by the opening of the Liverpool Canal Link in 2009 from Stanley Dock Locks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal via Albert Dock to the South Docks.

The canal passes along Liverpool’s famous waterfront including the Three Graces buildings. Cruises are available from Albert Dock. albertdockboatcruises.co.uk

WEST MIDLANDS Alveston Weir marks the highest navigable point on the River Avon, 2 miles above Stratford-uponAvon. Shallower-draughted boats can almost reach the weir, though the normal limit of navigation is at the Red House at Avoncliffe near Tiddington.

Plenty of boating options are available in Stratford, including boat trips and hire of motor boats, rowing boats, punts, canoes and even a gondola. visitstratforduponavon.co.uk/attractions/boat-tripson-the-river

Alison Smedley

A day-boat at Froghall on the Caldon Canal.

Albert Dock.

“Dudley Tunnel and Limestone Caves provide the possibility of an exciting underground exploration, courtesy of the Dudley Canal & Tunnel Trust boat trips” Both branches of the Caldon Canal end at a Silver Propeller destination. The terminus of the Leek Branch offers peace and beauty as well as a walk into the silk town of Leek, where James Brindley started out in business as a millwright. Uttoxeter Basin at Froghall is the restored basin of the Uttoxeter Canal, reached through the very low Froghall Tunnel at the end of the main line of the Caldon Canal. Both destinations may be reached by day-boat from Denford. joshuadayboathire.co.uk Dudley Tunnel and Limestone Caves provide the possibility of an exciting underground exploration, courtesy of the Dudley Canal & Tunnel Trust boat trips that depart from its visitor centre near the Black Country Museum. The longer trips include a visit to the southern portal of the Dudley Tunnel above Park Head locks. dudleycanaltrust.org.uk/visit-us/ticket-times-and-prices

EAST MIDLANDS

Alison Smedley

Trip-boat upstream of Stratford-upon-Avon.

The Chesterfield Canal offers two Silver Propeller destinations, either side of the collapsed Norwood Tunnel. The Chesterfield Canal Trust operates four trip-boats; Chesterfield is served by John Varley II, while Hugh Henshall sometimes operates trips from Worksop to Kiveton Park for the Cascade winding hole. chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk/on-the-water/trip-boats

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Trip-boat John Varley II on the Chesterfield Canal.

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Victoria Quays in Sheffield.

The Sheffield & Tinsley Canal forms the upper 4 miles of the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation, linking Sheffield Basin to the navigable River Don. The basin retains many original features including the Straddle Warehouse, now used as an office complex. In the 1990s the area was regenerated as Victoria Quays. Boat trips are available – see sheffieldboats.co.uk.

The current head of navigation on the Ashby Canal is north of Snarestone Tunnel. It may be reached in a full day’s hire of a boat from Bosworth Marina. leicestershiredayboathire.co.uk

EAST

Alison Smedley

The River Welland used to be navigable from the Wash as far inland as Stamford.

The Silver Propeller destination of Spalding may be visited using the Spalding Water Taxi or self-drive hire-boats. spaldingwatertaxi.co.uk The River Little Ouse was once navigable from the Great Ouse as far as Thetford, with plans to link it by canal to Cambridge and Bishops Stortford.

Today it is navigable as far as Brandon (or Santon Downham Bridge for small unpowered craft). Rowing boats may be hired from the Bridge Hotel at Brandon about 2½ miles from Santon Downham picnic site in Thetford Forest. bridgehotelbrandon.com Kempston Mill above Bedford is the current head of navigation on the River Great Ouse, though the planned Bedford to Milton Keynes Waterway Park will join slightly further upstream. The Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterways Trust runs the John Bunyan trip-boat from Bedford – johnbunyanboat.org. Day-boats and smaller craft may also be hired – ouseboats.com/day-boat-hire or canoetrail. co.uk.

Kempston Mill – the limit of navigation on the River Great Ouse.

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Cruising the rural Ashby Canal.

The three Silver Propeller destinations on the Norfolk Broads also offer plenty of options: • Ebridge Mill is on the isolated restored section of the North Walsham & Dilham Canal at the northern edge of the Broads. The Silver Propeller Challenge is to travel the full length from Bacton Wood Lock (Spa Common) to Ebridge Millpond by water, which may be done on an NWDCT trip-boat, or by volunteering for one of its ‘floating’ work parties. nwdct.org • Brograve Mill is an atmospheric derelict windmill at the head of navigation on Waxham New Cut off Horsey Mere. Various types of boat are available to hire locally. whisperingreeds.net, marthamferryboatyard.co.uk or marthamboats. com New Mills Yard in Norwich is a former watermill • complex at the head of navigation on the River Wensum. Hire-boats may turn at Bishops Bridge just above Norwich Yacht Station and still qualify for the Silver Propeller Challenge. Options include canoes, rowing boats or day-boats from Brundall. pubandpaddle.com or buccaneerboatsmarina. co.uk Chelmsford Basin is the head of navigation on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation. The navigation is managed by Essex Waterways Limited, a subsidiary of IWA, which also runs trips (charter and for individual passengers) on Victoria (48 passengers) and Albert (12 passengers) from Paper Mill Lock, and Blackwater Dawn (12 passengers) from Heybridge Basin – chelmercruises.co.uk.

Trip-boat Victoria at Paper Mill on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation.

IWA Waterways |

roy chandler

Tim Green

Silver Propeller Challenge – day-boats

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SOUTH EAST Inglesham Junction is where the River Thames joins the Thames & Severn Canal at the Round House; it’s also the usual head of navigation for powered craft on the Thames. The Cotswold Canals Trust operates cruises from Lechlade on the replica Thames launch Inglesham – lechladetripboat. org.uk. Day-boats and other small boats may also be hired in Lechlade – cotswoldboat.co.uk or cotswoldcanoehire.co.uk.

King John’s Castle at Odiham is at the head of navigation on the Basingstoke Canal, before the collapsed Greywell Tunnel is reached. The castle was built for King John in 1207-14 and it was from here that he set out to Runnymede to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. The Basingstoke Canal Society runs trips from Odiham on John Pinkerton II – basingstoke-canal.org.uk/jp/public-trips. Rowing boats and canoes are also available for hire from galleonmarine.co.uk/row-boats-kayaks-canoes.

The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal was initially conceived as a feeder to the Tring summit level of the Grand Junction Canal at Bulbourne, a contour canal collecting water from spring-fed streams as it wound round the Chiltern Hills. It was built as a navigable canal at little extra cost but it proved to be very leaky owing to the chalk terrain. The Wendover Arm Trust has so far reopened the first 1½ miles from Bulbourne to the Little Tring winding hole, which may be reached by day-boat from Cowroast Marina on the Grand Union summit level. narrowboatdayhire.freeblog.site The River Medway is the most important waterway in Kent and traditionally forms the boundary between ‘Kentish Men/Maids’ to the west and ‘Men/Maids of Kent’ to the east. It flows into the Thames Estuary past Rochester and Sheerness and is navigable for small craft from about 2 miles above Tonbridge, but the Silver Propeller destination is Tonbridge Rail Bridge. Trip-boats operate from Big Bridge beside the castle grounds and rowing boats may be hired. tonbridgerivertrips.co.uk The end of navigation on the Wendover Arm – 1½ miles from Bulbourne Junction.

Basingstoke Canal Society trip-boat John Pinkerton II. The Bridgwater & Taunton’s new trip-boat Somersun.

SOUTH WEST AND SOUTH WALES The Gloucester & Sharpness Canal was built as a ship canal to bypass the dangerous stretch of the tidal River Severn below Gloucester. Saul Junction is an unusual waterway crossroads where the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal is crossed by the Stroudwater Navigation, on its way from Framilode on the Severn to the Thames & Severn Canal in Stroud. The Cotswold Canals Trust is working to restore the through-route from Saul Junction to the Thames at Inglesham, and runs boat trips on Endeavour from the visitor centre at the junction – cotswoldcanals.com/boat-trips/boat-trips-at-saul-junction. Day boats may also be hired from gloucesternarrowboats.co.uk.

The Bridgwater & Taunton Canal was built to link the River Parrett at Bridgwater and the River Tone at Taunton, as part of a wider scheme to create a waterway route between Bristol and the south coast of Devon. Bridgwater Dock was once ranked fifth among Britain’s ports as a safe haven for schooners. A more recent highlight is the Somerset Space Walk scale model of the solar system with planets placed along the canal towpath. Boat trips, dayboats, canoes, kayaks and paddleboards are available from Maunsel Lock, 6¾ miles from Bridgwater. somersetboatcentre.co.uk/boats #SILVERPROPELLER We’d love to hear from you while you’re on the way to meeting the challenge. You can post your pictures to our UK waterways Flickr group, or tag your images on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook with #silverpropeller.

• Twitter: @IWA_UK • Instagram: @iwa_uk • Facebook: facebook.com/ inlandwaterwaysassociation

Further Information

• Canal & River Trust: canalrivertrust.org.uk/ enjoy-the-waterways/boating/boat-trips-andholidays/day-hire-and-boat-trips • Canal Junction: canaljunction. com/narrowboat/day_hire.htm and canaljunction.com/canal/trips.htm

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SILVER PROPELLER CHALLENGE UPDATES A year into the Silver Propeller Challenge and we have received a number of suggestions for new locations. Following consideration, eight of these have been tagged onto the list, giving you even more opportunity to explore the underused sections of our waterways.

All the existing locations remain in the challenge, and the full list is shown here for completeness. The new additions are highlighted in pink.

Readers are advised to check the website waterways.org.uk/silverpropeller for the most up-to-date information about Silver Propeller Challenge locations.

New locations to visit in 2019

Please note that the inclusion of a location on this list does not necessarily mean that the waterway is fully navigable for all types and sizes of craft. Please check with the relevant navigation authority before travelling.

Places accessible to all craft kept on the connected inland waterways Waterway Ashby Canal Avon, River (Warwickshire)

Basingstoke Canal Birmingham Canal Navigations (Dudley No 1 Canal) Birmingham Canal Navigations (Dudley No 2 Canal) Birmingham Canal Navigations (Titford Canal) Birmingham Canal Navigations (Walsall Canal) Birmingham Canal Navigations (Wednesbury Oak Loop) Black Sluice Navigation Caldon Canal Caldon Canal Cannock Extension Canal Chesterfield Canal Erewash Canal Gloucester & Sharpness Canal Grand Union Canal, Slough Arm Grand Union Canal, Wendover Arm Great Ouse, River

Silver Propeller Location Limit of Navigation beyond Snarestone Wharf Alveston Weir

Safe limit of navigation: larger boats Avoncliffe near Tiddington, shallower-draughted boats just below Alveston Weir. Either location accepted. All boats must hold an Avon licence, and obtain guidance notes, in advance, from ANT.

Titford Pools

Canal & River Trust

Walsall Town Basin

Canal & River Trust

Bradley (end of the Wednesday Oak Loop by Bradley Workshops) Boston Black Sluice

Canal & River Trust

Basingstoke Canal Authority Canal & River Trust

Slough Basin

Canal & River Trust

Current limit of navigation at Little Tring Kempston Mill

Canal & River Trust

Environment Agency Also accessible by trailable boats via an EA slipway at Hubberts Bridge.

Leek Arm canal terminus Canal & River Trust Boats up to approx 13.7m (45ft) can turn at the end. A full-length winding hole is located ¼ mile before.

Uttoxeter Basin, Froghall Canal & River Trust Beware of height restriction through Froghall Tunnel.

The winding hole before the tunnel is not full length.

Norton Canes Canal & River Trust Cascade winding hole or Canal & River Trust Cascade winding hole is also known as Manor Road limit of navigation ½ mile winding hole. beyond Langley Mill Basin Canal & River Trust Saul Junction Canal & River Trust

Lancaster Canal

Tewitfield Marina

Lee & Stort (Bow Back Rivers) Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Carpenters Road Lock, Queen Elizabeth Park Liverpool Docks

Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Springs Branch

Little Ouse (Brandon Creek) Brandon (or Stanton Downham Bridge for small, unpowered craft)

024 Silver Propeller updates AH original.indd 24

Avon Navigation Trust

Canal & River Trust

Standedge Tunnel and Visitor Centre

| IWA Waterways

Navigation notes

King John’s Castle, Odiham Southern portal of the Dudley Tunnel (above Park Head locks) Coombeswood Basin

Huddersfield Narrow Canal

24

Navigation Authority Canal & River Trust

Environment Agency Location is the limit of navigation at Kempston Mill, or upstream of the last island for deeper-draughted boats.

Canal & River Trust Passage through Standedge Tunnel must be booked in advance and is only available on certain days of the week in each direction.

Canal & River Trust Access to the Lancaster Canal via the Ribble Link is tidal, must be booked in advance and is subject to a planned timetable for passage in each direction.

Canal & River Trust Passage through Carpenters Road Lock needs to be booked at least seven days in advance.

Canal & River Trust Passage along the Liverpool Link needs to be booked at least five days in advance.

Canal & River Trust Turning at the end is restricted and boats longer than 10.7m (35ft) will need to reverse out. Until the rockfall is removed, the location is Mill Bridge or the rockfall itself.

Environment Agency Maximum length through Brandon Lock according to EA is 12.4m (40ft) but slightly longer narrow-beam craft will be able to fit in diagonally.

Spring 2019 25/01/2019 09:36

Silver Propeller Challenge – location updates Maud Foster Drain (Witham Navigable Drains)

Maud Foster Windmill, Boston

Middle Level Navigations

Horseway Lock (or junction of Vermunden’s Drain and Sixteen Foot Drain) Holme

Middle Level Navigations (New Dyke) Montgomery Canal

Pocklington Canal

Gronwen Bridge winding hole, Maesbury, Welches Dam Lock or Welney Melbourne Basin

Ripon Canal Rochdale Canal Sheffield & Tinsley Canal Shropshire Union Canal

Ripon Basin West Summit Lock Sheffield Basin River Dee Branch

Sleaford Navigation

Cobblers Lock

Stourbridge Canal Thames, River

Fens Branch Inglesham, junction with the Thames & Severn Canal Winsford Bridge

Old Bedford River

Weaver, River

Environment Agency Only navigable May-September. Boats up to 19.8m (65ft) can continue past the Mill and Packet Boat steps and turn around after the main A16 road-bridge, where the wall finishes and the grass banks start. Larger boats can turn further down towards the tidal sluices. Further navigation information about the Witham Navigable Drains available at waterways.org.uk/lincolnshire.

Middle Level No winding hole at Horseway Lock.

Commissioners Middle Level Commissioners Canal & River Trust

Maximum length of craft through Lodes End Lock is 20.70m (68ft).

Environment Agency Access only available via Old Bedford Sluice, which needs to be arranged in advance with EA. Canal & River Trust Accessed via the tidal Ouse and River Derwent through Barmby Barrage.

Canal & River Trust Canal & River Trust Canal & River Trust Canal & River Trust Ongoing navigation issues on the branch may prevent access all the way – the location point for the challenge is as far as you can get down the branch.

Sleaford Navigation Trust/Environment Agency Canal & River Trust Environment Agency Canal & River Trust

Places only accessible by local, portable and trailable craft Waterway

Silver Propeller Location Harlem Hill Lock

Navigation Authority Environment Agency

Bridgwater & Taunton Canal Broads (Waxham New Cut) Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Chesterfield Canal

Bridgwater Dock Brograve Mill Chelmsford Basin

Canal & River Trust Broads Authority Essex Waterways Ltd

Chesterfield

Eastern Rother, River

Bodiam Castle

Exeter Ship Canal Forth & Clyde Canal (Glasgow Arm) Grand Western Canal Medway, River

Exeter Quay Port Dundas, Glasgow

Derbyshire County Council Environment Agency (no licence required) Exeter City Council Scottish Canals

Ancholme, River

Monmouthshire Canal Montgomery Canal North Walsham & Dilham Canal Union Canal Welland, River Wensum, River Wey & Arun Canal

Spring 2019 024 Silver Propeller updates AH original.indd 25

Lowdwells Tonbridge Rail Bridge, Tonbridge Pontypool, limit of navigation beyond Cwmbran Tunnel Berriew Ebridge Mill Lochrin Basin, Edinburgh Spalding or Crowland Norwich New Mills Yard Southland Lock, northerly limit of navigation from Loxwood

Devon County Council Environment Agency Canal & River Trust/ Torfaen Borough Council Canal & River Trust North Walsham & Dilham Canal Trust Scottish Canals Environment Agency Broads Authority Wey & Arun Canal Trust

Navigation notes Harlem Hill Lock is currently closed. Location is below the lock, or can be above for a canoe or other small craft.

Maximum length 9.1m (30ft).

All boats must be licensed by Essex Waterways Limited.

All boats must be licensed by Derbyshire County Council.

All boats must be licensed by Devon County Council.

Please notify NWDCT of your intended visit.

Crowland Slipway requires an EA short-term licence.

Location can be Bishops Bridge if a condition of boat hire.

Slipway at Drungewick. Please advise WACT of your intended visit at weyandarun.co.uk.

IWA Waterways |

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WORTHY WINNERS

T

IWA’s annual awards recognise the hard work and dedication of its volunteers. We take a look at what prizes are on offer, as well as three recent recipients of the Richard Bird Medal

here is no such thing as an IWA volunteer job description. The roles carried out by the hundreds of men and women who give their time to the Association are as varied as the holders of those posts are diverse.

Each year, a number of these volunteers are nominated for and presented with IWA’s national awards at the Annual General Meeting. The prizes are a way of recognising the amazing amount of work carried out by our members throughout the year, and over longer periods of time too. Waterways readers are reminded that nominations for these awards are now open. From fundraising efforts to restoration endeavours, it’s time to say thank you for the contributions to the work IWA simply couldn’t do without additional help.

Nominations Nominations for awards are invited from members, branches and regions and should be emailed to awards@waterways.org.uk by 31st May 2019. Award nominations are then considered by an Awards Panel nominated by trustees, and recommendations made to trustees for final approval.

Cyril Styring Trophy

John Heap Salver The John Heap Salver, the Association’s major fundraising award, is presented to a member who has made an outstanding contribution to raising money for IWA. The trophy, a silver salver, was first awarded at IWA’s national rally at Marple on the Peak Forest Canal in 1966.

The Cyril Styring Trophy, the Association’s premier award, is given to an IWA member who has made an outstanding contribution in furthering the Association’s campaigns. Cyril Strying was an early IWA member who, in 1950, was instrumental in setting up a new IWA branch based around Sheffield. The trophy has been awarded most years since 1960.

Christopher Power Prize The Christopher Power Prize is awarded to the person, society or trust that has made the most significant contribution to the restoration of an inland waterway. The award is based on a bequest from the Power family in memory of Christopher, a keen boater who died very young, and includes a cash prize for the winning restoration project.

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Mike Gallagher

Chair Jim White accepts the prize from Ivor Caplan in 2018 on behalf of Cotswold Canals Trust.

Audrey Smith OBE received the Cyril Styring Trophy from Ivor Caplan in 2018.

Spring 2019 25/01/2019 09:37

Love Your Waterways

Richard Bird Medals Roger Wilkinson London walks organiser

KE G AL LAG HER

One of the main sources of funds for IWA London Region is the London Canal Towpath Walks. These were started in 1977 by Michael Essex Lopresti and since then more than 16,000 walkers have helped donate over £47,000 to support local waterways and national restoration projects.

Roger Wilkinson became the secretary of IWA’s Towpath Walks Society in 2006 and took over the administration. Having guided walks since 1999, he began liaising with London Walks company, which provides the marketing and publicity.

In 2012, Roger became chair of the society while continuing his role as secretary. During his tenure he has developed a range of new walks and now manages close to 20 different routes along London’s waterways.

Since 2006, Roger has coordinated 400 towpath walks, guided 5,742 customers and has brought over £26,000 into IWA’s fundraising pot. This money has been shared among IWA’s London branches which choose the projects on which to spend this income.

Roger Wilkinson was awarded a Richard Bird Medal in 2018.

MI

One of IWA’s most renowned volunteers who was active in the 1980s and ’90s was heavily involved in IWA’s festivals and events. Richard Bird always had an eye on the money and was able to turn a healthy profit whether it be from the festival bar or selling space to traders. Working on the festivals team meant that he came into contact with thousands of volunteers and members over the years. When he died unexpectedly, many wanted to commemorate his contribution and the Richard Bird Medal was created.

These coveted medals are awarded to volunteers every year at IWA’s AGM to celebrate and recognise the incredible contribution of specific individuals. They also inspire the rest of us to give volunteering a go.

Lynda Payton IWA Northampton Branch volunteer Lynda Payton has been a loyal and committed member of the IWA Northampton Branch for many years. She has been heavily involved with all areas of the branch, including the publicity for the annual boat gathering – Northampton branch’s principal fundraising event.

Lynda was branch chair for several years and editor of its magazine, Endeavour, transforming the publication into a vibrant, informative and award-winning read. Most recently, Lynda has worked tirelessly to promote the work and activities of the branch as publicity and grants officer, and now looks after the website and social media. In 2015, when Northampton was selected to host IWA’s Festival of Water, Lynda was instrumental in the promotion of the event and worked closely with the festival team, which had a high regard for her work ethic.

When asked what her proudest IWA volunteering moment has been so far, Lynda revealed it was when she shared a megaphone with Sonia Rolt on Butcher’s Bridge at Braunston while protesting against government funding cuts to the waterways in 2007.

Lynda won a Richard Bird Medal in 2017; her nominee described her as “a very worthy recipient of a Richard Bird Medal for her indefatigable work for waterways in general and for IWA specifically”.

Peter Bowers IWA and WRG member GA E LLA GH R

028 LYW awards AH.indd 29

KE

Spring 2019

MI

Peter has been a member of IWA and a Waterway Recovery Group volunteer since 1992, initially working with Ipswich Branch on the River Gipping at Bosmere Lock where he has continued to be at the forefront of restoration work.

His many years of brickwork, digger driving and much more have made him an invaluable work party volunteer. WRG’s records show that in the last five years Peter has attended 22 WRG Canal Camps all over the country from the Chelmer & Blackwater Canal in Essex to Inglesham in the Cotswolds. This equates to a total of 1,232 hours spent sleeping in village halls, being knee deep in mud and restoring canals.

WRG chair Mike Palmer commented: “If we had more volunteers like Peter, it’s almost certain we would have run out of canals to restore.”

Peter received his Richard Bird Medal in 2018.

IWA Waterways IWA Waterways | 29 |

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25/01/2019 09:38

BITS AND

BOBBLES

Beached on the exquisite Upper Lot, France.

John Parker, chair of the Wilderness Boat Owners Club, expounds the joys of waterways exploration by trailboat Photos by John Parker

A

s far as conventional canal craft go, my wife and I own something of a misfit. Although Bobbles is made of GRP, she is not a gleaming white wide-beam cruiser. And, despite being only 6ft 10in wide, neither is she a narrowboat. It might be tempting to suggest that she is perhaps a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’, but this would be far from the truth. Bobbles is a 23ft long Wilderness Beaver and, as such, is the ultimate trailboat. With all mod cons fitted into the 15ft of full standing headroom cabin, plus an extra 5ft of real estate out the back, she can be loaded onto her purpose-built twin-axle trailer using the simplest of slipways and then towed to any waterway of our choice in the UK or abroad.

We bought our first boat, a 16ft Yeoman Cougar, 37 years ago but only kept it for a year. This was replaced by a 26ft narrow-beam Creighton Inlander, which allowed us to extend our cruising from the Great Ouse to the Nene, and from there to join up with other connected canals and rivers of the main inland waterways network.

Dream boat Over the next six years we reached the Trent, Severn and Thames, but it became obvious that we could go no further due to lack of time. We came across the solution to our problem in the form of the brilliant Wilderness Beaver, but finances and the arrival of our daughter meant that our precious copy of the manufacturer’s publicity pamphlet remained safely filed away.

30

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030 LYW trailboat AH.indd 30

Serene cruising on the Upper Lot, France.

Finally, in 1988, we saw an advert for Bobbles in Waterways World magazine and within 48 hours we had driven the 400-mile round trip to Bradford-onAvon to purchase our dream boat. With the addition of a second-hand purpose-built trailer, we were at last free to visit all those waterways that we had previously only been able to dream of – although the search for a competent, comfortable and affordable tow vehicle took considerably longer.

Over the following years we cruised most of the navigable canals and rivers in England and Wales and visited many of the un-navigable canals in support of their restoration. We first took Bobbles abroad to France in 1994, completing a 400-mile waterways ring based on the Canal du Nivernais and finding the time to cruise down the Seine and back to Spring 2019 25/01/2019 09:39

Love Your Waterways

Oast houses on the River Medway.

IWA Trailboat Festival 2019

“We can reach the Canal du Midi within 36 hours of leaving home without getting the boat wet” spend three days in Paris. While there we twice cruised past Notre Dame and down to the Eiffel Tower from our mooring in the Bassin de l’Arsenal, learning the hard way that early afternoon bateaux mouches tourist traffic can be hairy to negotiate in a small boat. Early morning, before the trip-boats start their engines, is a far preferable time to explore the Seine through central Paris!

The following summer we took Bobbles to Brittany and we have been back to France almost every year since. We did miss out 1996 when we cruised Heading under Tower Bridge.

This year is the bicentenary of the opening of the northern reaches of the Lancaster Canal and, to mark the occasion, IWA Lancashire & Cumbria Branch will be hosting the Trailboat Festival as a highlight of the celebrations.

The Festival will be held alongside Country Fest at Westmorland Showground on the 1st2nd June. Trailboaters will be invited to cruise the newly restored ‘First Furlong’ and admire the work of the Lancaster Canal Trust and the Lancaster Canal Regeneration Partnership. It’s anticipated the festival will raise the profile of the current and future regeneration of the Northern Reaches and promote the benefits of the inland waterways corridor to the wider community.

The most recent Country Fest attracted 16,000 people and Trailboat Festival-goers will benefit from all of the show’s attractions, as well as canalside activities. For more information visit waterways.org.uk/trailboat.

IWA’s 2017 Trailboat Festival in Moira, on a restored section of the Ashby Canal, attracted a great turnout.

Spring 2019 030 LYW trailboat AH.indd 31

IWA Waterways |

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Pulteney Weir on the River Avon in Bath.

St Cirq Lapopie on the Upper Lot, France.

Crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal.

to the IWA 50th anniversary National Festival at Windmill End (receiving the Robert Aickman Trophy for the most enterprising journey to the event), 1999 when we spent five weeks cruising in Ireland, both north and south, and 2004 when we took the boat to Scotland via the River Weaver and the Trent & Mersey, Bridgewater and Rochdale canals and called in on the River Tees on the way back.

Far-flung cruising We have now cruised the majority of the French system with the exception of some of the canals of the north west (we prefer a sunnier climate) and the River Rhône, which is just too big to be fun. In any case, we can reach the Canal du Midi in the south within 36 hours of leaving home without getting the boat wet!

On its trailer the boat is used much like a caravan, which allows us to stop overnight in one of the many aires de repos on the French motorway system.

While in France we have occasionally strayed over the border to cruise down the Moselle into Germany and Luxembourg, the Saar also into Germany, and the Meuse into Belgium twice. With the exception of the Meuse, these rivers, along with parts of the Seine and the Saône, are European Class Vb waterways with locks 185m long and 12m wide, often with a fall of 7m or more. We have often shared these with large commercial craft, the biggest so far being the Caron at 135m long with a displacement of 4,200 tonnes!

We also get around a bit closer to home. In 2012 alone we spent a few days moored at Little Venice in London, cruised the Four Counties Ring and attended the National Trailboat Festival on a newly restored section of the Cotswolds Canal in Stroud before doing

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030 LYW trailboat AH.indd 32

the Droitwich Ring – all before spring had even ended. We were in France again over the summer and October saw us cruising down the lower Thames from Windsor and into London along the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal. All this and we still found time to cruise the Great Ouse and Cam from our mooring on the Old West.

The arrival of our first grandson four years ago changed our boating priorities somewhat, with a greater emphasis on cruising home waters in the summer, particularly the Norfolk Broads. Our own children must have enjoyed their enforced cruising as they grew up as our daughter and her husband bought a boat themselves a few years ago, and have recently purchased a trailer. We spent two weeks last summer cruising the Thames with them after launching at Windsor.

We appreciate that our type of cruising would not suit everyone but we have gained a great deal of pleasure over the last 30 years visiting a wide variety of waterways both at home and abroad. If trailboating has taught us anything in that time, it’s that the old adage rings true: the best things really do come in small packages.

Acknowledgement Many thanks to the Great Ouse Boating Association (goba.org.uk) for letting us reproduce certain parts of this article from its newsletter.

More info For further information on trailboating, visit the website of the Wilderness Boat Owners Club: wilderness.org.uk.

Spring 2019 25/01/2019 09:39

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Spring 2019 24/01/2019 16:31

restoration HUB: Waterways in Progress: The Waiting Gain

IWA’s long-awaited report highlighting the potential of restoration projects even before they’ve completed is published early this year. Included in its many case studies are the following two sites, which demonstrate how well thought-out, strategic, partial restorations can deliver right from Day One Case Study

Montgomery Canal – A Successful Balancing Act

Waterway Images

The Montgomery Canal is testament to how both built and natural environments can be rejuvenated by sensitive ongoing restoration projects.

After becoming derelict in the 1930s, restoration began on the waterway in 1969. Now, around half of the canal’s 35 miles have been returned to navigation and the towpath has also been brought back into use.

Most of the canal is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and in Wales it is a Special Area of Conservation. However, thanks to a 2005 conservation management strategy these precious habitats continue to be protected, even as the waterway welcomes increasing boat and visitor numbers. Restoration to date has included the creation of off-line nature reserves to safeguard wildlife and rare water plants when sections of the canal are reopened to traffic. These have become an attraction in their own right.

Meanwhile, the built heritage – an integral part of the restoration – has also being given a new lease of life. Currently 25 of the canal’s 28 locks have been restored and many of its bridges, aqueducts, warehouses and other structures have been conserved; more remains to be done.

Above: A canal diversion under a new road bridge leaves a stretch unused for Whitehouse nature reserve

Waterway Images

Before & After: The transformation of Frankton Locks

Spring 2019 035 restoration AH.indd 35

Schoolhouse Bridge Restoration efforts are currently centred on rebuilding Schoolhouse Bridge, approximately 8 miles from Frankton Junction on the Llangollen and the last road blockage on the Montgomery Canal in Shropshire. Rebuilding the structure will allow 2 miles of canal through Llanymynech to be completed and reconnect the restored section at Welshpool to the main network.

Not much is known about the bridge. It was a small structure that crossed a local road not far from the Welsh border. Some time after canal traffic ceased on the route in the 1930s, the highway authorities blocked the then-derelict canal by an embankment where the bridge had been.

The aim is for volunteers to excavate the site before constructing a new bridge. Following the successful restoration of other sections of the waterway, the Montgomery Canal Partnership is confident the project, and the subsequent rewatering of this section of the canal, will bring a host of benefits to the local area.

The project will cost an estimated £300,000, of which over £250,000 has already been raised thanks to a grant from IWA’s Tony Harrison Legacy and other fundraising efforts. Readers can find out more or donate to the project at restorethemontgomerycanal.uk.

The site of Schoolhouse Bridge.

“The Montgomery Canal is a fascinating reminder of our industrial heritage which retains more of its original structures than most canals. On the restored but isolated 12 navigable miles in Welshpool, people on boat trips and on the towpath enjoy the restored built and natural heritage, and a Welshpool Festival takes place annually.

On the restored 5 miles linked to the Llangollen Canal at Frankton to Maesbury, pubs and restaurants have benefitted from the 1,000-plus boats a year that visit in addition to the craft kept on the canal. As a result, there are plans to build a new marina which should generate around £1m per year for the local economy. This is being held up by highways access problems but wouldn’t even be a possibility without the canal’s restoration.

Heritage has also been greatly helped by the presence of a horse-drawn boat – one of only six left in the country.”

John Dodwell, chair, Montgomery Canal Partnership

IWA Waterways |

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25/01/2019 09:40

“Hollingwood Hub has brought amazing benefits to an area that had come to regard itself as being as derelict as the industry it once overlooked.

“The trust was told that it was mad to want the Hub where it was, and that the building would never be allowed to work. Within days of opening, local teenagers were employed and being trained in the coffee shop. Within months the three-year target for visitor numbers had been met.”

Robin Stonebridge, chair, Chesterfield Canal Trust The flexible space lends itself to a variety of different uses, including publicising the work of the Chesterfield Canal Trust.

Care for a cuppa?

The Hub has its own coffee shop.

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Spring 2019 25/01/2019 09:41

restoration hub

Case Study

Hollingwood Hub, Chesterfield Canal – Serving the Whole Community Hollingwood Hub stands alongside a lock on a 5-mile restored length of the Chesterfield Canal, showcasing the restoration to all walkers and cyclists who stop here.

Formerly a lock house, it was converted in 2010/11 thanks to a government grant of £385,000 under the Community Assets Programme and now boasts a coffee shop, a meeting and education room, a play and picnic area, shower and toilets.

It also serves as an archive and office base for the Chesterfield Canal Trust.

With many local facilities closed

due to financial cuts, the Hub has filled a much needed gap in the area. Its flexible space lends itself to a wide variety of different uses. The meeting room is used by schools, crèches and playgroups. It is available from early morning until late evening so social events, training courses and night school classes are also easily accommodated.

Meanwhile the garden is being developed by local volunteers and schoolchildren. Benches, picnic tables and cycle racks have already made this an inviting area for all.

The Hub is conveniently located on the Chesterfield Canal towpath (which also forms part of the Trans Pennine Trail), attracting some 55,000 walkers and 30,000 cyclists each year, as well as the occasional angler and canoeist. Many of them call at the Hub for coffee, for information about the canal or for volunteering opportunities.

The site itself is owned by Derbyshire County Council, which supervised the renovation and construction, and it is run by the Chesterfield Canal Trust.

Hollingwood Lock House before work began.

Chesterfield Waterside

The Hub attracts some 55,000 walkers and 30,000 cyclists each year.

Spring 2019 035 restoration AH.indd 37

Hollingwood isn’t the only Chesterfield Canal location that’s luring investors – 2019 will see construction continue on what’s billed as one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects, taking place in Chesterfield itself.

Comprising five neighbourhoods including housing, shops, offices, a hotel, multi-storey car park and new canal basin, Chesterfield Waterside is expected to create up to 2,000 jobs. The innovative mixed-use regeneration project is part of a £320m development and covers a 16-hectare site adjacent to the canal and close to the railway station.

The company behind it, Bolsterstone, says: “Our ten-year vision is to make Waterside a vibrant, attractive, sustainable new community in the heart of Chesterfield. Waterside will become a focal point for businesses, workers, investors and residents alike, all benefitting from the development’s central location, great transport links, canalside environs and contemporary styling.

“Residents living at Waterside will enjoy the benefits of inspired, sustainable modern housing situated in a parkland setting, within easy walking distance of the canal basin, railway station and town centre and excellent motorway links, as well as having the wonderful Peak District only minutes from their home.”

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restoration HUB: Waterway Recovery Group Canal Camps 2019

ralph mills

Waterway Recovery Group’s programme of weeklong residential working holidays for 2019 is now open for bookings with 23 different Canal Camps to choose from across 13 different waterways.

Each year restoration societies up and down the country suggest projects to our Restoration Hub team which works with the WRG committee to nail down the optimum programme. Our aim is to support the admirable work of the local canal societies and give a welcome boost to a wide range of restorations.

The largest projects we plan to support in 2019 are based on the Grantham Canal in Nottinghamshire, the Lancaster Canal and the Wey & Arun Canal in Surrey and West Sussex. Our volunteers will have the chance to learn new skills, meet new people and get stuck into tasks such as restoring locks, relining canals, creating towpaths, removing vegetation and uncovering archaeological artefacts.

In 2018 over 390 volunteers joined us on our Canal Camps, and between them spent the equivalent of 452 working weeks restoring canals. If we were to give that time a monetary value, we calculate that WRG has provided over £260,000 in equivalent labour costs! But, of course, the time and effort given by our volunteers is worth so much more than just money.

Family fun Finding time to volunteer can be tricky when you have young children. A few years ago we launched our Family Camps so that kids, as well as parents and grandparents, could get involved in canal restorations. By offering family volunteering we hope to engage children from a young age and enable them to find out about waterways heritage, work outdoors and learn new skills.

After three successful weekends and fantastic feedback in 2018, we have chosen three further locations for our residential family camps this year. These are open to families with children aged between six and 14 years old.

• Uttoxeter Canal: 14th-16th June 2019 • Grantham Canal: 16th-18th August 2019 • Wendover Arm (Grand Union Canal): 25th-27th October 2019

Get involved To book spaces on any of our Canal Camps and find out more about our family weekends, please go to our website waterways.org.uk/wrg, call 01494 783453 extension 610, or email enquiries@ wrg.org.uk. Camps cost just £70 for the week, which includes accommodation and three meals per day.

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Spring 2019 25/01/2019 09:41

Martin Ludgate

Calling all civil engineers

Each of WRG’s Canal Camps is headed up by a volunteer leader and assistant leader, and a cook provides all the meals plus the oh-so-important cakes for the breaks. We are looking for at least 90 volunteers to fill these crucial jobs in 2019.

The leaders and assistant leaders bring a broad variety of skills and hail from a range of working backgrounds. On site they are responsible for making sure each canal camp is a safe, fun-filled, enjoyable experience. They run the canal restoration site, organise social activities in the evenings, and ensure that everyone is still smiling by the end of the week. With assistance from IWA’s technical support officer Mikk Bradley, our camp leaders work closely with the host restoration society to ensure each week is well planned and delivers the anticipated results.

Mike Palmer, chair of WRG, describes the benefits our volunteers gain from getting involved: “In return for helping to preserve our industrial heritage and restoring our beloved canals, we can offer volunteers a fantastic chance to learn new skills such as bricklaying, restoring a flight of locks, building a new section of canal, or even rebuilding a bridge. It’s also a great opportunity to have fun and mix with different people who all share a common goal – to bring our waterways back to life.”

WRG volunteers working on the arch of Weymoor Bridge in 2017.

Alan Lines

Looking for leaders

We are looking for volunteers with civil engineering or machine-operating expertise to assist with the completion of Weymoor Bridge on the Cotswold Canals. The bridge carried a bridleway over the Thames & Severn Canal until the arch was levelled and replaced by a causeway in the early 1950s.

Reconstruction of the bridge is progressing well and we have two summer camps dedicated to its completion this year: 3rd-10th and 10th-17th August. A large variety of machines, including excavators, dumpers and rollers, will be used to carry out landscaping and to construct the bridge approach for vehicular access. Priority will be given to experienced machine operators.

The site of Weymoor Bridge in 2012 before construction began.

Lichfield Canal Camp Leader Emma Greenall surveying towpath and wall levels.

Spring 2019 038 WRG AH.indd 39

IWA Waterways |

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TURNING A NEW LEAF

Allow any moving boats to pass before turning your craft.

What's in a name?

Turning your craft round can be more bothersome than it looks. IWA has some top tips on tackling winding holes without winding up your fellow boaters...

A

s with other aspects of boating, there is an etiquette in both planning and executing a turn. Knowing exactly where winding holes are and planning which one to use is the first step, so do your research beforehand by taking a look in your cruising guide or asking other waterway users.

On arrival the objective is to turn in a way which causes as little inconvenience to others as possible, including both moving and moored boats. It may be necessary to signal your intentions ahead of manoeuvring (horn signals are defined in Canal & River Trust’s The Boater’s Handbook (canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/141.pdf) although rotating your hand in the air may be more widely understood. Consider whether it is sensible to allow any moving boats to pass, and signal clearly. If you are following a boat approaching a winding hole, bear in mind that they may wish to turn and keep clear. Don’t try to pass them while they are turning unless they signal clearly for you to do so.

As a general rule, don’t moor in such a way as to obstruct the use of a winding hole.

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Taking a rope ashore can reduce the need for engine power, and avoid stirring up mud.

On narrow and broad canals, turning spaces are generally known as ‘winding holes’ (as in fastmoving air, the verb ‘to wind’ describes turning the boat round). They are indentations in one or both banks of the canal, generally V-shaped, which allow a boat longer than the width of the canal to be turned. On navigable rivers and areas near the coast, nautical terms are found, such as ‘swinging area’, ‘turning space’ or just ‘wide’. In addition to officially designated spaces, there are also informal turning points where the canal widens, for instance at junctions or marina entrances.

Spring 2019 25/01/2019 09:42

Winding holes

Making your move When it comes to actually turning, the most helpful pieces of advice are to be pragmatic and prepared to change your plan. The aim should be to keep the propeller and rudder away from any shallow areas and debris, and to keep turbulence to a minimum, trying to avoid stirring up mud as far as possible. For these reasons the default approach is to put the bow of the boat into the winding hole and keep the stern on the towpath side.

However, conditions may dictate varying this, particularly the wind and the flow on rivers and on canals such as the Llangollen. Both wind and current can be used to help turn the boat – and equally, both can cause difficulties if they are not taken into

“As with other aspects of boating, there is an etiquette in both planning and executing a turn”

Alison Smedley

Winding at Flint Mill Lock on the Caldon Canal.

account. Taking a rope ashore on the towpath and using it to help the turn can reduce the need for engine power and hence turbulence. Also bear in mind the effects of ‘propeller walk’ (the tendency of the propeller to cause the boat to rotate as well as move forwards or backwards, which is much greater in reverse gear) and try to use it to help, rather than hinder, the manoeuvre.

If conditions are normal, the general advice is to push the tiller over and start turning into the winding hole, glide gently up to the deepest part and apply reverse to stop with the bows resting gently on the bank.

Next, apply revs in forward gear with the tiller pointing the way you want to go. The stern should motor across to the other side of the winding hole.

Now, push the tiller the other way and reverse off until you are clear.

Keep the stern on the towpath side.

IWA and winding holes: Campaigning for you

Spring 2019 040 winding holes AH.indd 41

lost (or the size of boat that can use them has been reduced) as a result of siltation, overhanging vegetation, prohibiting notices or chains, or permanently moored boats. It also asked for suggestions for new winding hole locations.

The joint initiative came about because both organisations had started to look at issues relating to winding holes around the same time. IWA’s initial concern was centred around a number of locations where winding had previously been allowed, but where signs or chains had been put up preventing boats from turning. HNBC’s concern was loss of traditional winding holes following instances of them being given over to long-term moorings.

The information gathered through the results of this survey will allow a greater understanding of the geographical spread of any problems relating to winding holes, and enable both organisations to lobby navigation authorities about these issues. Find out more at waterways.org.uk/news_campaigns/ campaigns/winding_holes.

Winding holes were originally built at or near wharves, where working boats would need to turn.

Rupert Smedley

Winding holes were originally an important enabler of efficient commercial carrying. They were built at or near wharves where working boats would need to turn, and of a size appropriate to the largest craft that could reach the site. Since those days the requirements for turning have changed as leisure boating has taken over from carrying. Indeed, many winding holes have become either completely unusable or useful only to shorter boats owing to silting, vegetation growth, permanently moored boats or access restrictions by landowners.

IWA is concerned about both the standard of provision and the accuracy of information about winding facilities. It has been running a long-standing campaign on winding holes with the aims of: • Working with CRT and other relevant organisations to improve the standard of information about winding facilities • Lobbying to improve the standard of signage, dredging and vegetation clearing at winding holes • Determining where additional facilities could be established and what the optimum specification is to meet 21st century needs, in order to reduce unnecessary travel and consequent use of water and other resources, and to increase the options for cruising.

More detailed information can be found in IWA’s Winding Holes Specification Document, one of a series of IWA policy documents that is on the website.

IWA has been carrying out a joint survey with the Historic Narrow Boat Club to gather information about winding holes on the inland waterways. The project asks boaters to report, via a survey, on winding holes in the areas they know, or have boated recently, in order to identify where winding holes have been

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FREIGHT

Thames Surge It’s certainly looking promising on the Thames thanks to a 40% surge in the volume of freight moved between wharves in 2017. The figures, released by Port of London Authority last autumn, prove its ‘vision’ to maximise use of the river in this way is no mere pipe dream. A total of 3.4m tonnes was moved on the Thames in 2017, just 0.6m tonnes short of PLA’s target of 4m tonnes by 2035, which would remove 400,000 lorries from the region’s congested roads.

And as Waterways went to press there was further good news with the announcement that leading civil and environmental engineering company, Land & Water, has invested in a £500,000 dredging campaign to increase the capacity of its Thames-side marine logistics centre at Coldharbour Lane, Rainham, Essex.

Coldharbour Lane Jetty will support major infrastructure projects along the Thames Estuary.

The wharf, which has three fully operational shipping berths, will handle waste spoils from construction works and allow them to be shipped to the company’s adjacent habitat creation site at Rainham Marshes.

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The hub will also act as a transport node for materials and products to be shipped onto barges for onward distribution into London.

James Maclean, CEO of Land & Water, said: “I am convinced that innovative logistics solutions will unlock future supply chains into London as the days of diesel-fuelled heavy trucks delivering commodities into the capital are numbered.

“Our sustainable hub at Rainham offers the ideal solution, taking advantage of our close proximity to the A13 and M25 trunk roads, linking them directly to water transport, unlocking the River Thames as a liquid highway.”

The new facility saves 86 articulated lorry movements into and out of the capital for every 1,200-tonne barge that leaves the hub.

Cory’s Riverside Energy uses a fleet of 55 tug boats and barges on the Thames to deliver three quarters of a million tonnes of residual waste to its Belvedere recovery plant each year.

Cory

Could our inland waterways finally be heading back to their working roots? We look at three navigations experiencing something of a carrying renaissance

Cory

FORWARD

Spring 2019 25/01/2019 09:44

Freight

Cory

New Leeds Wharf At the northern end of the network, meanwhile, the Aire & Calder is also priority for development as a freight route, with a new commercial wharf potentially being built at Stourton, Leeds.

For some time Canal & River Trust, encouraged by the Commercial Boat Operators Association, has been reviewing a wharf here – with room for either one or two barges to be tied alongside, depending on demand. Last summer West Yorkshire Combined Authority agreed to provide £3.17m towards construction as part of the Port of Leeds project.

The site is well located in logistics terms, being close to both the motorway and rail connections. The new wharf would be able to handle sea-dredged aggregates brought by barge to Leeds from the Humber. Steel and timber products are also possibilities, along with other goods imported via the Humber ports. With modest improvements to the navigation, barges would be able to bring containers to Stourton, relieving road traffic congestion on the M62 and reducing pollution.

Existing barges can carry up to 550 tonnes each – the equivalent of 27 lorries carrying 20 tonnes. With the navigational improvements, it would be possible to bring across from Europe Euro-Class 11 barges, which can take 650 tonnes.

Steve Higham, service and outcomes development manager at CRT, said: “With increasing pressure on our road and rail network, navigations such as the Aire & Calder from Leeds to Goole present fantastic opportunities for cutting the costs and environmental impact of transporting goods.

“This is why we have developed proposals for an inland port in Leeds, with funding and support from West Yorkshire Combined Authority. We believe this facility would pave the way for further development of the inland waterway freight sector across the UK and internationally.”

Port Salford Manchester Ship Canal is also set to enjoy a cargocarrying comeback thanks to ambitious plans to create a new ‘tri-modal’ (rail, road and waterways) freight terminal at Port Salford.

The £138m development, led by Peel Land & Property in partnership with Salford City Council, will create a new port and warehousing facility in Barton, next to the canal.

There’s already been significant progress. Food and drink logistic specialist Culina was the first to occupy new warehousing space in Port Salford in April 2016. Once fully completed, the warehousing element of the Port Salford project will provide 1.6m2ft, enabling specialist goods handling and redistribution throughout the North West. Peel estimates 3,860 permanent jobs will be created as part of the scheme Spring 2019 042 freight SH AH.indd 43

Northern waterways are already served by Humber Barges, whose 500-tonne vessel Fusedale H is pictured. The company operates between the Humber ports connected freight waterways, which extend to York, Leeds, Rotherham and Nottingham.

“Port Salford is part of the Atlantic Gateway project and also involves extensive redevelopment of the Port of Liverpool” and companies reported to be interested in locating to Port Salford include online retail giants Amazon and Ocado.

The port is part of the Atlantic Gateway project and also involves extensive redevelopment of the Port of Liverpool, which suffered as a result of the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894. The initiative aims to right historical wrongs by better linking trade between the two cities.

Peel Ports already runs a successful container shuttle service from Liverpool to Irlam which, says John Pomfret of IWA’s Inland Waterways Freight Group, “has increased over the years, from 3,000 TEU in 2009 to over 25,000 TEU, “There’s never been a better time for requiring bigger and bigger ships”. businesses to explore waterways as a “The intention is that some of means of freight transport. Waterways this traffic will eventually go to Port provide businesses with the perfect Salford,” he adds.

Conference Call to Arms

opportunity to reduce costs and environmental impact and should be an integral part of any effective multimodal logistics strategy. However, further investment in infrastructure is desperately needed for it to reach its full potential.”

Alex Veitch, Freight Transport Association lead on water freight and coordinator of the Freight by Water 2018 conference

Inland waterways throughout the UK and across Europe should be considered as an alternative to road and rail freight, an international conference held in Leeds late last year recommended.

Freight By Water 2018 was hosted by Canal & River Trust and the Freight Transport Association in October, and funded by an EU Interreg North Sea Region grant. It highlighted how switching freight from road and rail to water can compete on cost and cut emissions.

The ‘unsung hero’ of transportation network modes, inland waterways across the world have proven to be effective and efficient channels for moving everything from beer to building materials. The conference highlighted several success stories and also discussed opportunities for freight by water, including the Leeds Inland Port at Stourton, which could take at least 200,000 tonnes of freight traffic off the roads.

IWA Waterways |

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Then and Now: celebrating restoration success stories

Compasses Bridge Wey & Arun Canal

I

n September 1816, the Wey & Arun Junction Canal was declared open at Compasses Bridge near Dunsfold, Surrey. Two hundred years later, on 2nd October 2016, the bridge was reopened as part of the canal’s bicentenary celebrations organised by the Wey & Arun Canal Trust.

Originally conceived as the inland route from London to Portsmouth to avoid Napoleon’s threat to coastal shipping and the tricky journey around the Kent coast, the Wey & Arun Canal was opened just slightly too late. By 1816, better ships and the defeat of the French revolutionary meant the coastal journey was much safer. While the canal was never much of a success, for over 50 years it provided the only inland link from the main waterways network to the south coast – as it will do once again.

The new Compasses Bridge was built to replace a concrete causeway that was causing an obstruction to the restoration of the canal.

Constructed in 1942 in response to increased traffic on the main Guildford to Horsham road, the causeway found itself in the middle of a 1¼mile section of waterway which had already been desilted.

WACT’s plan is to restore this whole section to navigation. The completion of a viewing platform

2010:

(Left) Unpowered craft could just about navigate along the unrestored canal but the concrete causeway blocked the route.

(Below) Volunteers from WACT start clearing vegetation.

2012:

A summer work party builds an access ramp to the site.

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Spring 2019 25/01/2019 09:45

2016:

WRG volunteers progress with building the landing stage.

and landing stage close to the new Compasses Bridge, will allow a trip-boat to operate along what is a pleasant, wooded length of the Summit Level of the canal. This will be the second section of the canal to host such a service; three trip-boats currently run along the idyllic Loxwood Link on the Surrey/West Sussex border.

As WACT’s largest restoration scheme in Surrey (the new bridge cost £750,000), the strategic aim behind rebuilding the structure was to help raise the profile of the Trust and its projects in the county. Since 1971 when restoration of the waterway started, more than half the route has been worked on, with 12 locks, 24 bridges and two aqueducts restored or rebuilt.

It was recently reported in WRG’s Navvies magazine that “the need for volunteers to assist in all aspects of the work [on the Wey & Arun] is increasing” as there are projects with permissions and funding in place which “can’t progress without the volunteer teams to lead and execute them”.

WRG will be running three Canal Camps on the Wey & Arun in July 2019, and London WRG and Newbury Working Party Group will continue their weekend work parties. To find out more about how you can get involved, visit waterways.org.uk/wrg.

ALL PHOTOS BY WEY & ARUN CANAL TRUST

2016: (Left) A kayaker paddles underneath Compasses Bridge on its official opening on 2nd October.

2017: (Below) The completed Compasses Bridge is WACT’s biggest project to date.

Spring 2019 044 Then and Now AH.indd 45

IWA Waterways |

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25/01/2019 09:45

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47 24/01/2019 16:52

A cruiser stern is good for larger dogs.

With his life jacket and cooling mat, this Westie is prepared for a summer on the water.

PETS

ON BOARD Tips for travelling the waterways with fluffy, furry and four-legged boating companions

Boat Dogs

Tall ones, long ones, short ones, muddy ones, noisy ones, quiet ones – there is no limit to the size and shape of dogs that travel on boats. They are all happy to be near their owners, watching the world go by and, of course, barking at the ducks.

Home comforts When welcoming a pet pooch on board your boat, you’ll need to think about how much room they need. There isn’t normally a lot of open space on narrowboats and cruisers, but allocating them their own corner can help them settle in to their new home. You can have as many dogs of whatever shape and size as you want – just bear in mind those wet, wintry days when no one fancies spending much time outdoors and make sure to leave yourself enough room to live comfortably too.

Keeping the boat warm in winter and cool in summer for pets can be really difficult. An insulated basket near to the stove or radiator is perfect for cosying up in on a cold frosty night.

In the summer, opening the front and back doors of the boat can create a nice through-breeze, and cooling mats, coats and collars can provide some welcome relief from the hot weather.

“There isn’t normally a lot of open space on narrowboats and cruisers, but allocating pets their own corner can help them settle in to their new home.”

Underway

Keep pets safe on a semi-trad deck.

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If you can’t moor close enough to the bank for your pet to be able to step ashore, be prepared to have to carry them or set up a ramp. Some dogs might have trouble finding the towpath if you’ve moved the boat – it might not be on the same side it was the last time they stepped ashore. Steer them in the right direction, or place an obstruction, such as a plant pot, on the water side so they don’t take an accidental dip in the drink.

A lot of boat dogs hop onto the towpath around locks.

Walking between the paddles gives them some much-needed exercise – and a chance for them to do some important sniffing around. Do be aware, however, that dogs don’t know the Spring 2019 25/01/2019 09:46

Alison Smedley

A lead can keep your cat safe, while allowing it some freedom to move around.

Don’t be tempted to tie the lead to the boat – if your cat falls overboard, there’s a risk it can get trapped under or between boats.

dangers of locks – walking over the top of narrow lock gates is particularly hazardous.

There are mixed feelings among boat dog owners about life jackets. What it comes down to is personal choice, how well behaved/trained your dog is and whether or not it is a strong swimmer. Life jackets are normally brightly coloured and have a handle along the top so that you can easily spot and retrieve your dog from the canal or river in the event of it going overboard.

There are a surprising number of dogs that don’t like water, but if yours is one that’s liable to leap into the cut or swim into the channel after sticks and balls, make sure you’re aware of the symptoms of Weil’s disease – a bacterial infection that can affect dogs and cats as well as people.

“Always keep pets safe in the cabin or a travel basket while going through locks, tunnels and over aqueducts”

On the towpath Quieter towpaths, especially in the countryside, make great dog-walking routes. It can be nice, especially on a sunny day, to walk between locks or bridge holes where it is easy to get on and off the boat, or even between dog-friendly canalside pubs.

It is important to dispose of dog poo properly. Bins are normally located near to main roads, but out in the countryside you can end up carrying that little black bag for miles. A small metal bin on the roof or deck of your boat can be used to store the bags until you can empty it at later date.

Canal Cats

Spring 2019 048 pets AH.indd 49

Alison Smedley

After dogs, cats are probably the next most popular pet to be found living afloat, either permanently or occasionally. While some of the advice regarding boating with dogs is transferable to cats, there is one obvious difference to consider: cats are independent creatures who prefer to explore their territory alone. With this in mind, you may need to adjust your schedule to allow time for delays caused by missing cats.

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Pets on board

Alison Smedley

Making friends with the local wildlife.

When first introducing your cat to the boat, let them settle in and get used to their surroundings (with some food and water) before going cruising. Some cats will always hide in the wardrobe or under the bed whenever the engine starts up, but some love it and like to be out on deck as much as possible. Always keep them safe in the cabin or a travel basket while going through locks, tunnels and over aqueducts, though.

Other Pets

Besides cats and dogs, there are Rabbits are sociable animals so enjoy being plenty of other animals – where the action is. whether furry, feathered or fanged – that take to a life afloat very well. Many people keep rabbits onboard and we’ve heard of pet tortoises, tarantulas, hamsters and guinea pigs making great liveaboards. For most, it’s no different to being on land.

Mice, hamsters and gerbils ty will happily roam around a boat in Da y r in an exercise ball. You might have to Ker make some adjustments to your current design or layout to make room for them, and carry out some ‘pet proofing’ to ensure there’s no way escapees can find their way into the engine bay or bilges.

Rabbits, guinea pigs and tortoises might appreciate being let out onto a grassy towpath. A high-sided playpen that you can secure to the ground is ideal – just don’t leave them unattended.

Out and about A lockable cat flap that lets them in but not out is useful for keeping them in the cabin when you need to move your boat.

Another trick is to not give them breakfast until after you have set off, as otherwise there is a tendency for them to go off to find a nice place to curl up for the day that might not be on board the boat.

Being constantly on the move means that your cat is always venturing into other cats’ territories, so the odd fight is inevitable.

If spending any length of time in one area, it can be helpful to find out where the nearest vets are. Keeping their vaccinations up to date is also a good idea.

Identification is important for boating cats (and dogs).

Microchipping is relatively inexpensive and allows a vet or charity to find out if a lost animal has an owner. It’s a good idea to also consider a collar with a name tag. If you don’t live on board all the time, you can have two name tags for your pet’s collar, one with your home details on and a second with the boat name and a mobile number.

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Thomas the tortoise munching on some canalside dandelions at Fazeley Junction.

A hamster, safely secured in its cage, can be taken outside too.

Alison Smedley

A litter tray is essential for when you are on the move and your cat can’t just jump off to do their business on the bank. Once moored up, cats will choose where to go anyway.

Cats can swim – very well, in fact. They just don’t like it very much. The important thing is to make sure that they can get out if they do fall in. Fenders or rope ladders are a good idea, positioned close enough to the water for the cat to climb out on.

Some people have life jackets for their cat, and this should be considered when boating on tidal waters, unless you can be absolutely certain that your cat will not escape from the cabin.

It’s a good idea to plan your mooring location each night with the cat in mind – busy roads are best avoided, while rural locations provide plenty of hunting ground. However, be prepared to be woken up in the early hours of the morning with ‘presents’, some of which may still be alive!

Bob Wheal

Life on board

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