navvies volunteers restoring waterways
A light at the end of the
tunnel? issue 304 December-january 2 0 20-2021
Intro Not more cake?!?! Volunteers’ determination to hit the target of 50 birthday cakes for WRG’s 50th anniversary hasn’t been dampened by the continuing Covid rules reducing opportunities for cake-sharing. Here (and on the back cover) are some recent ones...
George’s cheesecake is as cheesy as his grin
AnnMarie’s bonfire special
Emma’s cake complete with Lego WRGies
Anne’s van
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In this issue Contents For latest news on our activities visit our website wrg.org.uk See facebook group: WRG Follow us on Twitter: @wrg_navvies Production Editor: Martin Ludgate, 35 Silvester Road, East Dulwich London SE22 9PB 020-8693 3266 martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk Subscriptions: WRG, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA Printing and assembly: John Hawkins, 4 Links Way, Croxley Green WD3 3RQ 01923 448559 john.hawkins@wrg.org.uk Navvies is published by Waterway Recovery Group, Island House, Moor Rd., Chesham HP5 1WA and is available to all interested in promoting the restoration and conservation of inland waterways by voluntary effort in Great Britain. Articles may be reproduced in allied magazines provided that the source is acknowledged. WRG may not agree with opinions expressed in this magazine, but encourages publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as policy or an official announcement unless so stated - otherwise WRG and IWA accept no liability for any matter in this magazine. Waterway Recovery Group is part of The Inland Waterways Association, (registered office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA), a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee, registered in England no 612245, and registered as a charity no 212342. VAT registration no 342 0715 89. Directors of WRG: Rick Barnes, John Baylis, George Eycott, Emma Greenall, Helen Gardner, John Hawkins, Dave Hearnden, Nigel Lee, Mike Palmer, George Rogers, Jonathan Smith, Harry Watts. ISSN: 0953-6655
© 2020 WRG
PLEASE NOTE: subs renewal cheques MUST be made out to The Inland Waterways Association NOTE new subs address below Contents Editorial The how and why of Navvies 4-5 Chairman latest from MKP 6 Waterways in Progress IWA grants 7 Camps & Covid A way forward? 8-9 Restoration feature: detailed look at the Chesterfield Canal 10-15 Cotswold Phase 1b looking at the length of canal that’s just got the go-ahead 16-21 Monty update School House Bridge 22-23 Off the wall: funding source revisited 24-26 50 years ago the birth of WRG 27-30 Working party report from the Erewash 31 Progress news roundup 32-37 Navvies news save your stamps! 38 Infill WRG Christmas carols and songs 39
Contributions... ...are welcome, whether by email or post. Photos welcome: digital (as email attachments, or if you have a lot of large files please send them on CD / DVD or contact the editor first), or old-school slides / prints. Contributions by post to the editor Martin Ludgate, 35, Silvester Road, London SE22 9PB, or by email to martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk. Press date for issue 305: 1 January.
Subscriptions A year's subscription (6 issues) is a minimum of £3.00 (cheques to The Inland Waterways Association) to WRG, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA. Please add a donation if you can.
Cover pics Norwood Tunnel on the Chesterfield Canal, photographed by the editor a few years ago during its regular inspection. See our Chesterfield feature on page 10, see also pages 4, 6, 7, 8 and frankly most of the magazine for evidence that there is also some figurative light at the end of the tunnel! And there is cake too for WRG’s 50th, as you’ll see (opposite and back cover)
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Editorial
Goats?
Is it time for Navvies to go permanently electronic? Or are you all desperate for us to get back to normality and a paper copy you can read on the bog? How does the editor do it? If you look at the first entry in the ‘Contents’ list on Page 3 of the last Navvies, you’ll see it said: “Editorial: Martin’s still being upbeat. How?” That was a slightly terser but more polite version of what I’d originally written, which was more along the lines of “How the hell does he do it?” And it reflected my own genuine surprise at having somehow managed to find so much good news to write about - the canal restoration schemes managing to find new ways of raising cash as a byproduct of other people’s plans to build roads or railways or to shift water around the country; the schemes in mainland Europe making good progress; and the big projects (all of them combining professional and volunteer input) which were gearing up to start soon on the Cromford, Wey & Arun and Montgomery. And I wrote my editorial before we’d even heard the news that the Cotswold Canals had secured final confirmation of the £9m Lottery grant which will enable the Phase 1b section to be restored and reopened, and all the work the volunteers have completed at the west end of the route over the last 10 years to be connected and become part of the national canal network. We’ve got an in-depth feature about it in this issue; we’ve also got several more good news stories of canals finding funding from unexpected places, including one that stands to benefit from its proximity to the Midland Main Line railway; there’s a piece on how IWA grants are helping restoration schemes which are in their earlier stages to provide local benefits right from the start and help their chances for long-term success at the same time; there are progress updates from projects as widely spread as the Manchester Bolton & Bury, the Stafford Branch, and the Hereford & Gloucester; and there’s a piece on WRG taking steps towards finally looking to get back to work in the New Year. Oh, and that front cover pic looking down the tunnel isn’t just a figurative picture of light at the end of the tunnel - it’s an actual photo taken inside the east end of Norwood Tunnel on the Chesterfield Canal, the section that hasn’t been completely trashed by coal mining, and will hopefully get restored, reopened, and connected to a new route over the top of the hill in the next few years - see our Chesterfield Canal restoration feature for more details. And there’s cake. As you can see from the cover pages we’ve hit our target of 50 birthday cakes to mark WRG’s 50th anniversary this year. Truly there is some light at the end of the tunnel, and yes, the editor still has stuff to remain upbeat about. But that’s “How the hell does he do it?” What about “Why the hell does he do it?” And on that subject...
Canals for goats? OK, you thought it was a misprint. Or you thought you’d misread it. And yes, I really did once spend a whole evening with a bunch of WRGies at a canal festival, laughing at all the wacky things you could come up with simply by replacing the word ‘boat’ with ‘goat’ in wellknown waterways expressions (such as the Goat Handling Competition, the National Association of Goat Owners and the Goat Safety Scheme) - you won’t be surprised to hear that some beer had been taken... But no, I really do mean ‘goats’... An online railways forum that I used to follow had an expression ‘goat herders’: this stemmed from the eternal arguments between those who were happy to embrace all manner of new technology on the railways (for example new ways of paying fares such as etickets and m-tickets) and felt that there was no reason for the train operators to go out of their way to cater for the minority who couldn’t or wouldn’t use such things; and on the other hand those who disagreed and felt it was the duty of the transport operators to con-
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tinue to cater for all passengers, even those who weren’t so gadget-savvy. (Bear with me, this is relevant, we’ll get there in the end.) It often came down to questions like “Well, who exactly are we talking about when you say we need to cater for passengers who need to travel by train but can only pay with cash?” And the suggestion was that (once you’d ignored those whose own personal choice it was to make a stand against new technology, and whose own lookout it was if they chose to make things difficult for themselves), the remaining small minority could be dismissed as “orphans herding goats” presumably in some war-torn third-world country - a minority special case so small and obscure as to not be worth catering for. OK, I’m sure there are plenty of points to be made on both sides of the debate. But that’s not what I’m interested in... Is continuing to cater for Navvies readers by providing them with a paper copy (as opposed an electronic version sent as a PDF or uploaded to an online site such as ISSU), based on the notion that we need to provide for people who can’t (rather than won’t) read it electronically, tantamount to catering for a tiny minority of ‘goat herders’? Yes, I’m being provocative. Could one make the counter-argument that there are sufficient readers for whom Navvies would be failing in its purpose of sharing information / stimulating discussion / encouraging participation etc among active volunteer canal restorers if it went all-electronic, because they would no longer have access to it? Or alternatively that although they could still access it even if it wasn’t on paper, it would in some way genuinely not be as good - rather than simply not being what the readership (and, indeed, editorship I frequently refer to my archive of paper copies) are used to? I genuinely don’t know - and I would like to hear people’s views. As most of you will be aware, since the lockdown in March 2020 we’ve been sending Navvies out electronically (by a link to an online version) to all those subscribers whose email addresses we have; and printing a much reduced number of copies for those for whom we have no email address. This has shown up some positives such as getting stuff out more quickly - in the last issue, the online version carried a newsflash about the Cotswold Canals Lottery bid success, and was published and available to the readers literally within one minute of the news being officially announced. OK we can’t always time things quite so well, and yes, we could do this because we’d received an embargoed press release (that’s how these thing work), but we’d have needed to know the news a week or two earlier to get it into the print version. And then there’s the ability to go full colour without even thinking about any extra costs. Are there any negatives, other than simply personal preference and the ability to read it somewhere with no internet / in the bath / on the bog? And are those negatives enough to make the case? Would Navvies be failing to get out to everyone it needs to if it were electronic-only? Is this already happening? It’s certainly seemed a bit lonely here at times recently - and not just because of the lack of face-to-face meetings with people. In fact from the lack of feedback that gets back to me, it often seems like each issue disappears off into a big black hole - hence the “Why the hell...” question. Does anyone even read it? Have they stopped because they aren’t getting a paper copy? Or it just that the lack of WRG work for more than half a year means folks are less inclined to either read Navvies or write for it? Are they reading it avidly but keeping quiet? Will things get better when camps re-start? Don’t worry - we aren’t going to make any sudden drastic changes. We won’t go allelectronic without much more discussion. This is just the editor using his column to soundout the readers on the idea. But if you have views on the subject, feel free to write to our letters pages (which are currently in abeyance until more people write in!) In the meantime I’ll continue finding positive stuff to report. And to end on a positive note: my thanks as ever to everyone who has helped during this rather strange year in the life of the magazine: everyone who has sent articles, pictures or other contributions; Lesley for proofreading; John Hawkins, Chris Griffiths and head office for the sometimes complicated process of getting the paper copies and electronic version out to the readers; Robert Goundry for continuing to drum up canal society progress reports; Dave Wedd for the diary in the earlier part of the year (it will be back!) Sue Watts for subscriptions in the earlier part of the year (likewise); the assembly team at the London Canal Museum (likewise); and anyone else I’ve forgotton. I can’t sign-off by saying I’ll see you on the New Year camp, but best wishes for Christmas and for a happy and (please!) rather more normal 2021. Martin Ludgate
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chairman Good feelings! do and how we do it. So, just because a vaccine has arrived and people are starting to think life will Here we are at the end of one of our strangest return to normal is no reason to ignore this opporyears ever. However I’m sure this edition of Navvies tunity. The Covid working group have already been should stop you all from feeling too downhearted. able to consider lots of ways of working that norLet’s start with the extracts from early editions of mally we never have time to think about. What I’m trying to say is that all of this might result in some Navvies on pages 27-30 which remind us that, for all our frustration at our lack of activity this year, at additional ways of working. So perhaps longer but least we have not been up against a set of authori- smaller camps, or camps with actual separate rooms, or all sorts of options. So if you have ever ties (both local and national) who have a stated policy of trying to close our network down. been interested in an alternative to our traditional In fact I think the monumental changes that offering then now is the time to contact Head Office while we are devoting time to examining options. have occurred since then are something that the doom and gloom might have hidden from us. This This is the last edition on Navvies for 2020 year has done a lot of damage world-wide, but and tradition states it should include an element of when the government needs to launch its recovery prediction for the coming year. So, despite it being plans what does it go with? A green recovery plan. only a twinkle in the eye of me and a few others, I Not another HS3 or a big investment in the city or like to tell you about some work we are doing that anything like that but an attempt to restart things should surface in 2021. by investing in green things – such as the work we On page 7 Martin talks about Waterways in do. Now I’m not suggesting that it was the waterProgress – the IWA report that seeks to prove that ways alone that swung it for the policy makers, but we even relatively small-scale investment in standalone have for many years been playing our part in promot- projects along a waterway could bring benefits ing the value of these ideas. So, at least for the next from day one. It’s been well received and we like to few years (till we have to bail the bankers out again) think it has made its point. So next year we are this should be a golden time for waterway restoration. going to the other end of the spectrum. There is lots Both the general public and the policy makers seem of evidence about how an individual waterway restoto appreciate the waterways for all the benefits they ration brings benefits be it jobs, tourism, community bring and we should be capitalising on this. cohesion, etc. But we feel what is needed is to sell This good feeling continues on page 24 with the idea of a whole restored network as a single good news about how other authorities and organi- entity. We need people (and government) to see sations are helping fund our efforts and aligning the waterways network as they see a road or rail with the message we have been giving for a long time. network, and to see how restoration provides the Then there are pages 10-23 that give the good expansion of it by another 700 miles or so. news from restoration schemes who are not only We intend to put together a series of case producing plans but are actually doing work, mov- studies that show how all those benefits of health, ing some of our favourite restorations forward in regeneration, environment, heritage, education, very significant ways totalling millions of pounds. national resilience, infrastructure and just being a Finally, in our own little world, we have a nicer place to live would be delivered in a more report from our Covid working group on pages 8- effective way if considered as part of a national 9 which means we can be sure that, in one form or network. Every mile you add to the Nitts and another, we will be back in action on site soon. Stuffs canal is not just a mile of that canal, but Sometimes it can be quite hard to see it, but another mile of a massive vibrant network *. I think there is good news all the way from the There is still much to sort out (including very highest national strategic level all the way getting the resources together) but over the next down to those very boots on the ground. year you should see how the contributions we are So am I suggesting all is well and if you can all about to (re)start making are part of a much just hang on a little bit longer then all will be back bigger picture – one that the whole nation should as normal? Well yes and no. Because right from the be supporting. We will keep you posted. start we said that we should use this period of Thank you all for all you have done to help standstill to do the things that we never have time 2020 pass by with some laughter and smiles. to do. This includes having a good look at what we Mike Palmer * Before anyone gets too worried about their isolated waterway don’t worry – you are still part of page 6 the network in the same way an isolated steam railway line is still part of the railway system.
Chairman’s Comment
waterways in progress News of four waterway restoration projects which are all benefiting from IWA funding grants aimed at providing benefits right from the start canal route. The first length and first bridge at Snarestone has been opened (although not without problems in the form of a recent burst) but just ...was something that you might just remember getting to the first major destination at Measham Mike Palmer going into some detail about as part will take time and money. But thanks to £10,000 of his Chairman’s page something approaching from IWA, a walking trail is being created along the two years ago. Basically the waterway restoration schemes we work on have been getting increasingly route in advance of reopening the canal: it will enable visiting boaters to walk to Measham, bring likely to take many years to complete. That’s not because we’re getting slower at restoring canals, it’s trade to the town - and ultimately form the towpath of the restored canal. because we’re getting onto the really difficult ones, Rewatering Renshaw Our Chestefield many of which have been shut for 100 years or so, and have been much more badly knocked about than Canal feature on page 10 explains in detail, but basically part way along the remaining eight-mile the the ones that have been reopened in the past. Not only that, but they’ll cost a lot more to restore. unnavigable length of the canal from Kiveton to Staveley is Renishaw, where some years ago a This means that many canal societies can’t just go to (say) the National Lottery Heritage Fund section was partly restored as part of a housing development. But it wasn’t finished, it wouldn’t and ask for a grant to complete the canal (because NLHF doesn’t have the resources to fund a typical hold water, and it is of little benefit for now. However thanks to £50,000 from IWA Chesterfield restoration right through to completion). And they’re going to struggle to get funding for it a step Canal Trust will be able to complete this length, waterproof it, provide a water supply, surface the at a time in more realistic sized grants, when all they can promise in terms of benefits is that in 25 towpath, and make it an attractive feature for local people to enjoy. And in the longer term it will years there will (hopefully) be a navigable canal. form part of the restored canal. This could stop restoration in its tracks. Coed Gwilym Park Slipway The Swansea So the Inland Waterways Association put Canal Society’s scheme is the type of difficult canal together a report called Waterways in Progress. This restoration we described in the introduction - only used a set of case studies to show how initial relaabout six miles are felt to be restorable at all, and a tively small-scale affordable projects on canals under restoration could provide benefits for local communi- lengthy new bypass channel will be needed if it’s to ties right from the start - while still not losing sight of be connected to the Tennant Canal as part of planned Swansea Bay Waterway. But a section the long-term goal of reopening the entire canal. below Trebanos Locks has been dredged, and a The examples included sections of canal restored as regeneration schemes, to create local community slipway funded by an £18,000 IWA grant will enable this length (which has the potential to be assets, to preserve natural or built heritage, all of extended to two and a half miles) to be used by which had attracted funding for their immediate trailboats and a tripboat. benefits, but at the same time had brought the Shrivenham Canal Park The Wilts & Berks rather distant prospect of full reopening a little closer. Canal Trust also has a difficult job on its hands, And then IWA put its money where its thanks to serious blockages from urban developmouth is, offering a total of £100,000 to this type of project. And it has announced the four success- ment obliterating its extremities: where it meets the Kennet & Avon Canal, the Cotswold Canals and ful bids for shares of this cash... the Thames - not to mention Swindon, where the Ashby Canal trail The Ashby Canal Assoarms of the canal meet (but see also page 25). ciation’s aim is to reopen the northern reaches of However in between there are many miles of the canal from Snarestone to Moira. However the derelict but unobstructed canal running through mining subsidence which led to the closure also means that restoration will be tricky - and in some open countryside. At Shrivenham a short length is being restored and rewatered and a canalside park places a whole new route based on an abandoned developed, supported by £13,960 from IWA. railway trackbed will be used instead of the old
IWA’s Waterways in Progress idea...
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canal camps and Covid? With WRG’s particular mode of operation, getting back to work in the current situation is tricky. Alex Melson reports on discussions under way available doses and health implications for individuals suffering with specific health Volunteers are working hard behind the conditions. The WRG Board has put toscenes to adapt and assess how WRG can gether a Covid working group made of volget back out there and get boots on the unteers from several different backgrounds ground restoring our derelict canals. The to assess these issues and to present solutions ever-evolving situation with regards to Covid- and findings for implementation or even the 19 has made it difficult to safely support postponement of Canal Camps in 2021. volunteers in our existing format. Whereas Whilst this article does not announce how we at The Inland Waterways Association we will be moving forward, it aims to give an (WRG’s parent body) are confident in our insight into the discussions taking place. approach to create a Covid secure site, which can be found in our IWA Covid Guidance The issues Note for Restorations (provided for the benefit of restoration societies and trusts for their Working on site: this is the easy part, and own working parties), the issue surrounding it is agreed that WRG would be able to enaccommodation, catering and numbers for sure work is carried out in a secure way that WRG work is a more complex one. is adapted to ensure the upmost safety to At this point the nation is giving a volunteers. Depending on the restrictions in collective sigh of relief at the thought of the place locally and nationally, volunteer numvaccine roll out, but even here there are bers could be limited, work bubbles several complexities around priority roll out, formed, rigorous guidance implemented
Tim Lewis
WRG Covid Working Group
London WRG camping out on the Buckingham in September. An option for canal camps?
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and a Covid officer implemented to ensure guidelines are followed. Volunteers across the country: perhaps the most rapidly changing aspect and unavoidable one during this pandemic has been the introduction of lockdowns and different tiers for different regions. WRG being a national organisation offering opportunities all over the place, restrictions could very easily result in unavoidable cancellations that would disappoint both volunteers and host societies. We also need to be aware that the leadership teams may end up under lockdown themselves Accommodation: perhaps the worst thing we can do right now is jam 18 volunteers from all over the country into a cramped village hall. We must also be aware that our regular providers of accommodation may not want us using the halls, nor might the local community. This could be due to the number of groups using the halls or
limited access to cleaners.
What options are being looked at? The working group is looking at methods to run a canal camp on a single site and will then assess how this could be rolled out across the country, or indeed whether can be. At this point everything is being considered: from campsites to sleeping cabins; increasing the leadership teams size; and selecting the right volunteers for the job to make up for any reduction is camp size. The group are hoping to put together a plan for the WRG Committee to review by the end of the year. Fingers crossed we can get everyone back out on site sooner rather than later. Alex Melson If you have any thoughts on changes you’d like to see then please do contact Alex at Alex.Melson@waterways.org.uk
KESCRG in action on the Wilts & Berks As our working group discusses the issues involved in a future return to something akin to the WRG way of working (see above), our friends in KESCG recently got together with the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust for an urgent one-day job to fence off a collapsing wall by a well-used towpath length on the Wilts and Berks in Wantage. Covid considerations included: being aware of what tier the site and potential volunteers’ homes were in; volunteers bringing and using their own tools; wearing masks; 2m distancing at all times; sanitiser; a formal Covid risk assessment; and no shared catering. After the initial planned date fell victim to the November lockdown, a small team completed the work successfully on the re-scheduled date in early December, and are now planning a similar day on another length of the canal in late January, provisionally the 23rd: contact Stephen Davis on srdavis_76@yahoo.co.uk.
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Restoration feature As we once again use the reduction in WRG work to take a wider look at projects, When the Chesterfield Canal Society (now the Chesterfield Canal Trust) was launched in 1976 with the aim of restoring The restoration back-story: “Starting the derelict 20 miles west of Worksop (the at the beginning” is a subject that’s come up 26 miles from there to the Trent having regularly in these article: it would be really already been rescued from falling into an nice if groups launching a new canal restora- unnavigable state by the activities of the tion scheme could actually begin work where Retford & Worksop Boat Club in the 1960s) it the derelict canal branches leaves the navimust have seemed like this was an ideal case gable network, and work their way along it for “starting at the beginning”. The first derelict lock, Morse Lock just west of opening up sections as they go. But sometimes it doesn’t work out that way: they have Worksop town centre, could be restored, to settle for working wherever they can in the followed by a couple more locks to get to the early days, in the hope that as the project first restoration ‘destination’, the village of progresses they can gradually start to link up Rhodesia, before continuing with the increasthe restored lengths in a more logical way. ingly steep climb to the next village, Shireoaks, and on up towards Norwood Tunnel. Sure, the 2893yard tunnel itself would be likely to be a sticking point for some time, given its more-or-less complete destruction by coal mining and associated subsidence, but for the first six miles to that point it looked very much like a “start at the beginning” restoration. The Trust talked to the canal’s then owners the former British Waterways (since transformed into the Canal & River Trust), published a document called The Route to Rhodesia, set up a trip-boat on an isolated length of the summit level as a fund-raiser and source of London WRG carrying out chamber clearance at Wheeldon publicity, secured an agreement Mill Lock 2 in 1991 and (below) the restored lock recently that no developments on the route (such as the new Worksop bypass road) would be allowed to be put any more obstructions in the way of future restoration of this length, and looked forward to starting by reopening Morse Lock. But as so often is the case in the not-terribly-logical seeming world of canal restoration planning, the Chesterfield turned out to be yet another where rather than start from the connection to the navigable network, it made Martin Ludgate
Tim Lewis
Restoration Feature: Chesterfield Canal
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Chesterfield
Canal
we feature a restoration that’s down to its last eight miles - but they’re tricky ones more sense to begin with an isolated length which wasn’t going to be connected up for many years. Only in this case (unlike, for example, the Grantham or Cromford canals) it wasn’t technical problems dealing with major obstructions of the route that made it difficult to simply start at the beginning; it was down to the impossibility of getting any kind of agreement from British Waterways to allow volunteers to work on restoring Morse Lock. And with no sources of funding available to get it done professionally, BW’s flat
refusal meant no work happened here for the first 20 years of the Trust’s existence. But on the far side of the Norwood Tunnel in Derbyshire, it was a different matter. Never mind that the canal there was in much worse condition, a length in Killamarsh had recently been filled in and used to build an estate of 17 new houses, the route had been sold off to various owners, mining subsidence had damaged some lengths, road bridges had been replaced by flat crossings, and it was threatened by the Staveley /
Chesterfield Canal Length: 46 miles (12 miles restored, 8 miles left to restore) Locks: originally 65 (2 added, more needed) Date closed: between 1907 (end of through traffic, Norwood Tunnel collapsed) and 1961 (officially abandoned) The Chesterfield Canal, opened in 1777, ran for 46 miles and 65 locks from the River Trent at West Stockwith via Retford and Worksop to Chesterfield. The first six locks were 14ft wide allowing Trent barges to reach Retford; the remainder, including the steep climb to Norwood Tunnel, descent to Killamarsh and final climb to Chesterfield were all built for 7ft-beam narrow boats. The canal was successful, carrying coal, stone and metals from the mines and quarries near its western River Trent lengths. The arrival of the railways provided competition for the canal (and led to to the Humber it being diverted in places to accommodate the new lines) but it continued in use W Stockwith until a collapse caused by mining subsidence closed Norwood Tunnel in 1907. Some trade remained on the eastern lengths until the 1950s, while the remainder fell derelict. In the 1960s it was threatened with closure but the Stockwith to Worksop length was saved thanks to a campaign by Retford and Worksop Boat Club Worksop to Kiveton restored and reopened in 2002: 6 miles 31 locks (inlcuding 1 extra added)
Staveley to Chesterfield restored: 6 miles 6 locks (including 1 extra added) Sawmills narrows Killamarsh work site
Hollingwood Lock
Norwood Tunnel Kiveton
Chesterfield
River Trent to Nottingham
Morse Lock Retford
Renishaw
Staveley Tapton Lock
Drakeholes Tunnel
Staveley Town Basin and Lock
Worksop Kiveton to Staveley unnavigable ‘missing link’ including current restoration sites: 8 miles 14 locks (orginally), diversions needed at Killamarsh and Norwood Tunnel
West Stockwith to Worksop saved from closure in 1960s: 26 miles 16 locks
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Darren Piotrowicz
Darren Piotrowicz
Brimington bypass plans which would block it in five places. Crucially, having been sold off it was no longer within British Waterways’ remit - so they couldn’t stop the Trust from working on it. The final five mile length from Staveley to Chesterfield was still used to supply water to industry, and had therefore survived in rather better condition and in 1987 it was acquired by Derbyshire Council. This wasn’t with any idea of restoring it - it was more to do with stopping it getting The new Staveley Town Lock: one of numerous concrete pours in the way of the bypass (above) during construction and (below) in use at a boat festival plans. Indeed, even the Canal Trust didn’t initially see reopening of this length as a possibility, but it fairly soon changed its views and began supporting the restoration of this length - initially by campaigning (a petition raised 14,000 signatures) to get the bypass plans changed, then by beginning practical restoration work at Tapton Lock, the very last one at the Chesterfield End (so much for “starting at the beginning”!) Completion of the lock in 1990 was followed by the remaining four locks on this section - with WRG support, CCT’s volit will make full provision for the canal where unteers restored Wheeldon Mill, Bluebank it crosses. and Hollingwood locks, while a new Dixon But meanwhile things were moving at Lock was built by a combination of contraclast on the British Waterways length east of tors and volunteers as the old lock needed to Norwood Tunnel as a result of successful bids be demolished for opencast coalmining. for external funding. Thanks to support from Three bridges were rebuilt, and this length sources including Derelict Land Grants from reopened in 2002. the UK governemnt and the EU RECHAR Oh, and in case you’re wondering what fund ( for support to ex-mining areas), Morse happened with the Staveley / Brimington Lock was at last restored in 1996, followed bypass plans... well, 33 years after Derbyby the remaining 29 locks (plus a new one shire bought the canal to ease the passage added to combat subsidence) and six miles of the new road (and something like 90 of channel - and the canal reopened through years since it was first proposed in the to Norwood Tunnel’s eastern portal at 1930s), it still hasn’t been built (apart from a Kiveton Park in 2002. short section around Staveley which crosses Since then the volunteers have continthe canal on a new bridge). But if it ever is, ued eastwards from Hollingwood Lock to the
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newly built Staveley Town Basin, and on from there via the new Staveley Town Lock added to lower the canal to get it under a moribund (but in theory not abandoned) railway line - to the point where only about eight miles of the canal remain to be restored. And those last eight miles have already seen some attention - not only in terms of restoration working to chip away at that missing link (as you’ll see below) but also in dealing with the unexpected and unwelcome arrival of the HS2 railway plans, which we’ve covered in a separate panel.
Where are we at now? As already described, what was a 26 mile navigable length from the Trent to Worksop has now grown to become a 32 mile length from the Trent to Kiveton; and at the other end of the canal there are around six miles continously navigable from Staveley to Chesterfield, where some excavation has been carried out on a new terminus basin on an ex-industrial site which will be the centrepiece for an urban regeneration scheme. In between are
the eight most difficult miles to restore... The eastern 450 metres of Norwood Tunnel is in decent condition, but the rest is well and truly trashed. But a start has already been made on a diversionary route which will climb out of the tunnel through new locks and run over the top of the hill. Some lengths of dry channel have been dug, plus some basins excavated which will one day be a marina but for now are used as fishing lakes. At the other end of the tunnel the Norwood lock flight (a spectacularly steep descent via one staircase of four locks and three of three locks each) is largely intact and restorable (albeit the set of four locks is in poor condition), as is the length below them. But then comes the missing section where the houses in Killamarsh are built on the line: possible bypass routes have been identified, but will involve dropping down something like 60ft to Nethermoor Lake and then climbing back up again to rejoin the original route on the other side of Killamarsh. The fallback approach to this would be two new flights of maybe eight
Chesterfield Canal and HS2 As originally announced around 2012, the north eastern branch of the HS2 railway would have followed the Rother Valley from near Staveley to Killamarsh, obliterating the canal, undoing a lot of good work by restorers and making reopening much harder. However following a re-think of plans for serving Sheffield (plus lots of objections from canal supporters) the route was diverted further east, greatly reducing its impact on the canal restoration. Unfortunately by this point it had already blighted the canal for long enough to lose what had looked like a good chance of a successful bid for major Lottery funding. (continued right)
But the canal isn’t entirely free of HS2 blight. Firstly the new railway will still need to cross the canal once, near the west end of Norwood Tunnel. Here, as explained overleaf, the Trust already needs to divert the canal; the railway adds another unwelcome dimension to the problem. Secondly, there still needs to be access to an HS2 maintenance depot being built at Staveley. HS2 Ltd have failed to give the canal restorers plans for the access line (making it difficult to plan the restoration), and their latest masterstroke is to put in a formal objection to CCT’s planning application to restore the rest of the canal in Chesterfield borough. However this seems like a final bit of haggling - and meanwhile there are now suggestions that the north east arm of HS2 might be shelved indefinitely. To London
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locks each; but alternatives are under consideration [see panel opposite]. Two houses would need to be demolished for the diversion, but the Canal Trust already owns them and rents them out in the meantime for a useful income. From the other side of Killamarsh, the canal is basically still in existence and with no major obstructions for most of the way to Staveley - and a fair amount of work has already been done on this length including partial reinstatement of a length of channel at Renishaw. Some bridges still exist, several will need to be reinstated (including three road crossings), a length of channel towards the Staveley end of his section has disappeared where it runs across farm fields, and the major embankment (known as the Puddlebank) over the Doe Lee Stream will need some serious earthworks to bring it back to full height - plus a new aqueduct over the stream. In addition, where the restored canal currently ends, having dropped down the new Staveley Town Lock and passed through the remains of the original railway bridge, a second new lock will need to be built to bring the canal back up to original level.
So what next? The CCT volunteer team is currently just finishing off work on Staveley Town Lock, the new pound below it and the railway crossing, before moving to start work on the next focus of volunteer attention which will be the Renishaw length. This is part of the section being supported by an IWA Waterways in Progress grant (see article, page 7) to re-line and complete this part-rebuilt length of canal, and the volunteers will be carrying out some of the work. In addition a new footbridge (Miner’s Crossing) is to be built and the channel extended as far as the Chesterfield Borough Council boundary. Meanwhile a mile or so south of there, the Puddlebank section is likely to see attention from professional contractors - subject to a planning application recently submitted, and to the canal being included in the Town Investment Plan for Staveley (a bid to the Government Towns Fund which will hopefully come up with a chunk of the £11m or so needed for the Puddlebank and associated structures). If all goes well, construction could start in 2021. And in Chesterfield it’s hoped that increasing developmenat around the new terminus will provide the incentive for some progress on the basin itself, from being basically a hole in the ground to something more like a canal basin.
And then what? As you might expect from the above, the emphasis for the following couple of years is likely to be largely on filling in the remaining gap between Possible design for a boat lift which could replace one new lock flight at Killamarsh the Renishaw
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length and Staveley, to complete a two and a half mile extension of the restored Proposed Planned diversion via Kiveton Navigable Chesterfield-Staveley Rother Link Nethermoor Lake and Waters to the Trent section, and bring the new locks (and lift?) remaining ‘missing link’ down to under six miles. Eastern 450m But there’s also of tunnel to some hope of be restored progress in the not Norwood too distant future on Locks to be the Kiveton to Remainder of restored To Staveley and Killamarsh section. It tunnel to be Chesterfield 17 houses built on would be good to bypassed extend the navigable canal in Killamarsh length, initially by reopening the The two most serious obstructions to reopening the canal are Norwood restorable first 450m Tunnel and the houses built on the line in Killamarsh - and CCT has been of Norwood Tunnel looking at options for getting around them. and building the new The tunnel has been largely destroyed by mining over all but its locks needed to raise easternmost length; the idea is to restore this section then emerge into a the canal to ground cutting and climb through three new locks to ground level. (Much of the level at Kiveton Watunnel wasn’t very deep underground; partly it seems to have been built to ters (the marina / placate the local landowner rather than out of engineering necessity.) In fishing lakes) - but fact the canal’s reservoirs are at a suitable height that they could supply unfortunately it’s a this higher summit level. But then further sets of new locks would be rather more expensive needed to climb over the higher part of the hill above the west end of the project than the tunnel - and that would mean backpumping water supplies. So the Trust is National Lottery Heritlooking at whether a short new tunnel instead of the extra locks (albeit far age Fund (seen as a more expensive in capital costs) might pay for itself over (say) the next potential source of 100 years by avoiding water pumping costs, maintenance (and regular gate funding) would be replacement) on the new locks, and HS2 and M1 crossing issues. able to support, so it’s Meanwhile at Killamarsh the plan for many years has been to build probably going to be a diversion which would descend via a flight of between six and eight a few years before it locks to enter Nethermoor Lake, then another similar flight to climb back can happen. But in out of the lake to rejoin the original line on the far side of the houses the meantime the which obstruct the route. But recently the possibility of a boat lift replacCanal Trust hopes to ing the flight of locks on the eastern (Norwood) side has been considhave discussions with ered: not only is there the usual ‘Falkirk Wheel’ argument that a landmark Highways England structure and attraction might be easier to fund (and bring in tourist about getting under income once open); there is the added benefit that it might reduce water the M1 motorway supply costs. which crosses over Both of these issues are very much still up for discussion. the top of the old tunnel - a farm underpass has been identiincludes a diversion with two new flights of fied as one possible way of getting the dilocks [or one and a boat lift - see panel verted canal through [but see also the panel above], but surely full reopening of the entire on this page], and to discuss other possible Chesterfield Canal can’t be too far away. heritage projects between there and And then, CCT can start work on the Killamarsh with NHLF once it reopens the Rother Link: a proposed new navigation currently closed Lottery funding application based on the River Rother running down the process. Rother Valley from Nethermoor Lake to the Get the canal to Killamarsh, and that Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation near brings it down to the final three miles left to Rotherham. But that’s another story... restore from there to Renishaw. OK, so it Martin Ludgate
Killamarsh and Norwood plans
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Restoration feature Our newsflash last time confirmed the £16m Cotswold Canals Phase 1b restoration Cotswold Canals get connected! Those who are currently receiving the online version of Navvies (rather than the limited number of print copies) will have seen the ‘Stop Press’ newsflash on the front cover of the last issue: ‘Cotswold Canals £9m Lottery win means boats to Stroud’, and the brief explanation inside the magazine that confirmation of a Lottery grant meant that a £16m funding package would reopen the canal from Saul Junction to Stonehouse, and give us a ten-mile addition to the waterways network. We promised you a detailed article this time. So here it is...
What’s got the go-ahead? The National Lottery has given final agreement to a grant which (added to other contributions from local authorities, Cotswold Canal Trust and others) means that the four-mile section of canal from Saul Junction to Stonehouse (known as Phase 1b) can be restored and reopened in around four years. We’ve got a full description of the route and what’s involved in reopening it on the following pages.
But wait a minute, you said ‘ten miles’! Yes: that’s because this four-mile section links up with another section almost six miles long that’s already been restored
Cotswold Canals: how do the phases work? Length: 36 miles Locks: originally 56 (at least one extra needed) Date closed: 1927-54 The Cotswold Canals is the canal restorers’ name for the route from Saul Junction on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal to Inglesham on the Thames, made up of the Stroudwater Navigation (opened in 1779 for eight miles via 12 locks from the River Severn to Stroud) and the Thames & Severn Canal (opened in 1789, continuing the route for a further 29 miles and 44 locks to the Thames at Inglesham). The canals were shut in stages between 1927 and 1954, and by the time the Cotswold Canals Trust’s forerunner was formed in the early 1970s they were in a poor condition and seen as a difficult restoration. To break it down into more manageable chunks, CCT more recently divided it into ‘phases’. Phase 1 would be the Saul Junction to Brimscombe length, seen as likely to be the first to be reopened. Phase 2, seen as likely to be the next focus for attention (although that by no means precludes working there earlier), was the eastern section from the Thames at Inglesham to the Cotswold Water Park. Phase 3 was the difficult central length with the collapsed Sapperton Tunnel, road blockages and many locks: probably the final length to open, but again, no reason for not working there if opportunities arose. It became clear that even Phase 1 was beyond Lottery grants available, so it was subdivided. Phase 1a (Stonehouse to Brimscombe) included more heritage and regeneration potential, and so (after some soul-searching) it was (correctly, as it turned out) chosen as the initial candidate for funding grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Regional Development Agency as it matched their agenda better even though it meant restoring an isolated length of canal with no connection to the national network. Phase 1b (Saul to Stonehouse) was then the key connecting length linking the Phase 1a section to the national network. It was felt (again, correctly, as it now turns out) that the Heritage Lottery Fund would look favourably on it now, as (even though there is relatively little heritage restoration involved, and rather more engineering construction work) it will help the already restored Phase 1a section to achieve its full potential. Phase 1b: Saul to Stonehouse Phase 1a: Stonehouse to Brimscombe
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Phase 3: Brimscombe North Wilts Canal to Cerney to Swindon
Phase 2: Inglesham to Cerney
Cotswold Canals Phase 1b had got the go-ahead. We look at what’s involved - and when it will happen... When will it happen? The initial announcement said work would be complete by the end of 2023; in fact it will continue into 2024. But all in all, a lot less time than it’s taken to restore the Phase 1a length. And that’s not just a guesstimate: see our timeline for when the various sections are due to be worked on.
Will volunteers be involved? Yes, very much so. Probably on fewer different projects than we were on the Phase 1a section, but a major task for us will be the restoration / rebuilding of Westfield Lock (which has been partially demolished) along with the reinstatement of the aqueduct / culvert which carried the canal over a stream and formed part of the same structure. If you look at the timeline you’ll see that it’s down for completion by the end of 2023. So let’s hope we can get started on it fairly soonish...
Pictures by Martin Ludgate unless credited
but currently doesn’t connect to anything. That’s the Phase 1a length from Stonehouse through Stroud to the site of the buried Hope Mill Lock just short of Brimscombe. WRG and other volunteers have done a huge amount of work on this section over the last ten years or more (including restoring Griffin Mill, Ham Mill, Bowbridge and Gough’s Orchard locks). Meanwhile contractors have carried out the major engineering jobs such as building a new section of canal to avoid a length obliterated by Stroud’s old rubbish tip and new bypass road. We’re hoping the final funding to turn Brimscombe Port (a former transhipment basin) itself into a regeneration scheme with a reinstated canal basin as its centrepiece - and to complete the restoration of the short length from there to Hope Mill - will be sorted in the same timescale. Then the whole ten mile length can be opened and connected up to the national canal network in one go.
Connected to the network in 2024: tripboat on the already restored Phase 1a length in Stroud
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Cotswold Phase 1b: end to end On the previous pages we explained where the recently funded Cotswold Canals Phase 1b length is, and how it fits in with the other phases of the restoration. Now we’ll take a detailed look at this length, and what will be involved in completing its restoration within the next four years... Given how long it’s taken to restore the six miles of canal from Stonehouse almost to Brimscombe, it might seem that less than four years to deal with the four miles from Saul Junction to Stonehouse, even given the confirmation of funding, is a tad optimistic. But although there are some major jobs to be tackled, there’s also a great deal of work that’s already been done on this section - as this walk-through of the length To be completed: part-restored Whitminster Lock will show. We begin at Saul Junction, where the Stroudwater Navigation leaves the navigable Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. The first few hundred yards are already in water and used for moorings and for access to a marina. This section ends at Walk Bridge, the first obstruction on the route. It carries a minor road across the canal at just a foot or two above water level, and will be replaced by a new high-level bridge. A short distance beyond, we reach Whitminster Lock, the first of eight on the Phase 1a length. It’s a very shallow lock as a result of levels changing when the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal was built, but it will still be needed mainly function as a water control. It was partially restored some years ago, but needs completing. The reason for a water control lock being required is that the canal then joins the River Frome in a combined channel (where the river was diverted, straightened, the levels changed, and the former aqueduct demolished) in a 1970s flood relief scheme. The channel looks large enough to be navigablesized but clearance will be needed. This ends where the canal will leave the river (a new exit will need to be excavated) at Lockham and rejoin its original course; this is the start of a section which has seen a great deal of attention from our forestry and scrub-bashing teams during the last couple of Christmas canal camps. This includes the site for Stonepitts Bridge, a new liftbridge to be built where a causeway (used for vehicle access to the worksite on Christmas camps) currently blocks the canal. An oil pipeline crossing the canal with insufficient headroom will need to be moved, but Occupation Bridge, a traditional brick-built structure linking farm fields, survives in good condition. This length of canal (and WRG’s scrub-bashing involvement) comes to an end at the A38 crossing, where until recently the canal disappeared for a mile, a victim of the M5 motorway construction and associated Lockham: WRG Christmas camp preparing the way changes to the connecting main roads in
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the 1970s. Now, however, this crossing has been reinstated [you will have seen pictures in recent issues of Navvies of the new channel being built across the middle of the A38 roundabout, via with two new concrete bridges - see over for latest pic], all funded by a £4m grant from a Highways England budget for remediation of environmental damage caused by national road network construction in the past. Beyond here, the canal will take a completely new route - partly because as mentioned above the original line has been obliterated; partly because the most practicable way of creating a new navigable M5 crossing is to share the existing bridge over the River Frome, which is some way south west of the original route. This will need a new Bristol Road Lock as the original is not only buried under the A38 but would be the wrong height for the M5: the canal will squeeze under alongside the river diverted canal anyway. Emerging from the M5 crossing, the canal will continue on its new course alongside the river for some distance before taking a left turn, climbing through a New Lock and rejoining the infilled original route at the surviving Westfield Bridge. Westfield Lock is part buried and also part demolished, and its restoration will be one of the major projects for WRG and other visiting volunteers - including construction of the Oldbury Aqueduct at the head of the lock to take the canal over the Oldbury Brook. Here the canal channel reappears and has been partially restored including chamber works some years ago at Dock Lock. Pike Bridge was rebuilt in 2005, and the adjacent Pike Lock has also been partially restored. It is followed by a length completely restored and operated as a trip-boat length for many years by Cotswold Canals Trust, including the navigable Blunder Lock and Newtown Lock and surviving hump-backed Newtown Bridge. The next bridge, Bonds Mill Bridge, was the scene of an innovative project in the 1990s to rebuild it as a liftbridge constructed from advanced plastic materials - not entirely successfully, so the deck will need replacing. This is another section where the canalside trees and vegetation have been targeted by scrub-bashing volunteers from WRG, KESCRG and other groups in recent winters. It ends at the Ocean Railway Bridge, the final major obstruction on this length, where a the canal is carried under the Birmingham to Bristol main line in a small unnavigable culvert - which is to be replaced by a full size canal bridge. Beyond the railway, the canal emerges into the wide pool known (ironically?) as The Ocean. This is the end of Phase 1b, and the start of the (almost) already completely restored six miles of the Phase 1a length reaching nearly to Brimscombe Port. So that’s the route and how it’s going to be reopened: turn over for Volunteer site: aqueduct needed over Oldbury Brook timeline of when it will happen...
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Cotswold Phase 1b: timeline So how long will it take? Here’s the provisional schedule for completion of all the individual projects which make up the four miles of the Phase 1b restoration. Note that these will inevitably be subject to changes as the restoration progresses, but they (hopefully) give a good idea of how it will proceed. And how the important volunteer project - the second to last in the 2023-4 section of the list - rebuilding Westfield Lock and the adjacent Oldbury Aqueduct (which WRG volunteers will be heavily involved in) fits into the overall programme. Scheduled for completion in 2020-21 Nov 2020 Jan 2021 Apr 2021 Jun 2021 Jul 2021 Jul 2021 Jul 2021 Jul 2021 Aug 2021 Oct 2021 Oct 2021 Nov 2021 Dec 2021 Dec 2021 Dec 2021
A38 Roundabout Crossing construction: finished Newtown Lock reconditioning Pike Lock restoration Oil Pipeline to A38 channel restoration A38 New Lock construction Mooring Basin above A38 New Lock construction Blunder Lock reconditioning Ocean Railway Bridge construction Bonds Mill Bridge repair Walk Bridge construction Oil Pipeline removal Dock Lock restoration Saul Junction to Walk Bridge channel works Whitminster Bridge & Lock restoration Stonepitts Bridge to Oil Pipeline channel works
Scheduled for completion in 2022 Stonepitts Bridge construction Bonds Mill Embankment repair River Frome canalisation Walk Bridge to Whitminster Bridge channel works Newtown Lock to Bonds Mill Bridge channel works Mooring Basin above A38 New Lock to M5 new channel construction
Gloucestershire Council
Feb 2022 Mar 2022 Mar 2022 Apr 2022 Jun 2022 Jun 2022
Job done: the first task on the list is ticked-off with completion of the A38 roundabout crossing
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Jul 2022 Sep 2022 Oct 2022 Oct 2022 Nov 2022 Dec 2022
Pike Lock to Blunder Lock channel works Whitminster Lock to River Frome new channel connection Lockham River Frome to canal new channel connection Blunder Lock to Newtown Lock channel works Dock Lock to Pike Lock channel works Lockham to Stonepitts Bridge channel works
Scheduled for completion in 2023-4 Jan 2023 Feb 2023 Aug 2023 Oct 2023 Dec 2023 Feb 2024
M5 Crossing construction Oldbury Aqueduct to Dock Lock channel works M5 to New Lock east of M5 new channel construction New Lock East of M5 construction Westfield Lock and Oldbury Aqueduct restoration / rebuilding New Lock east of M5 to Westfield Lock new channel construction
Cotswold Canals:
Gloucester & Sharpness To Gloucester Canal Saul Junction Walk Bridge: new To bridge to be built Sharpness Canalised River Frome section Whitminster
Phase 1b restoration Saul to Stonehouse
Bridge and Lock Lockham
Stonepitts Bridge: new liftbridge to be built Occupation Bridge A3 8
Oil pipeline to be moved
A38 crossing: two new bridges completed Oct 2020 New lock to be built M5
River Frome (unnavigable) Mooring basin to be built Diversion to be built Diverted canal will share existing River Frome bridge under M5 motorway
Original route obliterated by M5 and connecting roads A4 19
New lock to be built Dock Lock Pike Lock and Bridge Blunder Lock
Volunteer project: Westfield Lock and Oldbury Aqueduct to be rebuilt
Newtown Lock Newtown Bridge
Stonehouse ‘The Bonds Mill Bridge Ocean’ Ocean Railway Bridge Restored to Stroud and beyond
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montgomery
Update
Preparatory works are already under way for 2021’s big project to remove the only remaining blockage on the Montgomery before the Welsh border Montgomery Update The Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust and its partners are continuing to gear up towards the big project for 2021: construction of Schoolhouse Bridge, to replace the causeway which was built to carry the road across the canal when the old bridge was removed, and which is now the only road blockage still to be removed on the English length of the canal. John Dodwell of MWRT brings us the latest...
Michael Limbrey
Originally, canals were the preferred means of transport over poor, badly constructed roads. Nowadays road transport takes precedence and we have had to build a temporary roadway before we can start rebuilding
Schoolhouse Bridge. Doesn’t look much, does it – that photo? (Taken before rolling the surface). But without it we wouldn’t even be able to think about starting our next phase of restoration. This photo means we’ve done the work I wrote about last time! The enabling works to rebuild Schoolhouse Bridge have started – this temporary roadway will be used as a diversion for heavy traffic when we close the lane to rebuild the bridge. Some people have said its surface is better than the lane itself! And what about Covid? Well, we welcomed WRG NorthWest in the autumn and managed social distancing OK. And we do have a local Premier Inn and a local Travelodge which people can – and did - use. Navvies 303 had a report about their work –
Enabling works are under way for the new Schoolhouse Bridge, including this diversionary roadway
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thanks for coming, guys! Our local volunteers have also managed their way around Covid. The main civil engineering industry is keeping going – so are we. But one important difference is that civil engineering staff (and our local volunteers) go home each night, whilst most of WRG NW stay overnight. We may need to do the same with WRG Summer Camp people – who knows? [See article on pages 8-9 ...Ed] Shropshire Council have agreed to allow the road bridge to be rebuilt - they knocked it down in the 1950s/60s and we’ve persuaded them to take ownership of the new bridge after we’ve built it. Our volunteer engineers have designed it and Shropshire’s Highways department have approved the design. The bridge arch will be installed by Macrete, specialist concrete engineers. Specialists sub-contractors will do the concrete foundations and abutments. Most of the rest will depends on volunteers – we’ve got some brick works. And Shropshire Council have been mightily impressed by what they’ve seen you volunteers do on other parts of the canal. So you can see why your role can be so important. Sometimes, time is not important with restoration projects. This is VERY different. We shall be closing the country lane which crosses the canal. We cannot keep the lane closed too long. So we HAVE to finish on time. We hope to run a series of WRG Camps in July/August 2021. The work will involve brickwork (no cleaning of old bricks!); gabion support works; and backfilling around the bridge abutments and Newtown the road. We’d be delighted if you’d volunteer to come on one of the Camps… or outside of the Camps. By then, we shall have put in the bridge foundations. The concrete shuttering will have been done. The abutments will be in place. And then… if you’re lucky, you’ll be on site when the clever bit starts. The bridge arch will be designed, fabricated and delivered by Macrete who say they will then install the bridge arch in a day! They will use their flexi-arch technique. The hinged concrete sections will arrive on a flat bed lorry. When lifted up by a crane, these sections will “bend” into the arch shape. Don’t believe it? Then look at the
Montgomery Canal Length: 35 miles Locks: 27 Date closed: 1936 (breach south of Frankton), 1944 (legally abandoned) Llangollen Canal to Llangollen
To Hurleston
Frankton
Crickheath Pant Llanymynech En W glan Carreghofa ale d s Locks (restored) Arddleen Burgedin Locks
Former Weston Arm Aston Locks Gronwen Bridge (navigable limit) School House Bridge (to be reinstated)
4 road blockages between Llanymynech and Arddleen
Welshpool
Berriew Refail Garthmyl
12 mile isolated restored navigable length from Arddleen through Welshpool to Refail
3 locks restored but several road blockages remain south of Refail Final length into Newtown obstructed by sewer in canal bed, terminus basin built on, possibility of diversion to new terminus
website at www.macrete.com! So just add a dose of volunteers….and then watch what happens! “A giant step forwards” – didn’t someone once say? We need a constant pool of volunteers to call upon throughout the project, in addition to the WRG Summer camps. If you are interested in helping us (and we hope so) then please contact Ken Jackson at kgjackson@btinternet.com or 07778 417 315 or 01584 823401 John Dodwell Chair, Montgomery Canal Partnership
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update Outside of the box Since our feature in the last Navvies on new and unlikely-seeming sources of support for canal restoration there have been some more developments... Restoration outside of the box... ...or ‘off the wall’. Or ‘blue sky thinking’. Or ‘left-field’. Or whatever this week’s buzz-phrase is for something that seems to have come from nowhere but might just turn out to be the next big thing. In the last issue we included a feature on three unlikely sources that were looking like there was just a chance that they might be the next big providers of waterway restoration funding (like the Millennium Fund turned out to be, some 20-plus years ago, or more recently the National Lottery Heritage Fund). And even in the few weeks since then, we’ve heard of a couple more examples where things seem to be moving in the right direction. So here’s an update...
Road, water and rail To recap, the three unlikely saviours of canal restoration and the examples we quoted in support of them were:
.
Roads: in particular Highways England’s recently established fund specifically for remediating environmental damage from national road-building scheme (such as construction of new motorways) in the past. This has already produced £4m towards reinstating the ‘missing mile’ of the Cotswold Canals which was obliterated when the M5 and associated new road connections were built in the 1970s: the money has paid for the newly completed crossing of the A38 roundabout near Whitminster, as described in the Cotswold Phase 1b feature on pages 16-21. And in the Black Country another grant from the same pot has paid to clear the Titford Pools on the Birmingham Canal Navigations which have suffered from silting-up from run-off water from the M5.
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.
.
.
Water: here we’re referring to the possible use of the canal network to shift drinking water supplies around from parts of the country with plenty to areas where it is in short supply - and the possibility of such schemes paying for canals to be restored (the eastern section of the Cotswold Canals being a front-runner for this). Rail: we were less optimistic about this one, given that the impact on the canals of the obvious current big rail project, HS2, seems to be generally looking like being more negative than positive at the moment (having seemed a few years ago like it might help get part of the Ashby northern reaches restored). Housing too? One further source that we didn’t mention last time (mainly because it isn’t quite so off-the-wall as the others, having already resulted in some canal restoration in the past), but which we’ll mention here because of one recent news story, is new housing and other building development. The idea is that not only can local authorities insist on canal restoration work being carried out by housing developers as part of the ‘planning gain’ from getting permission to build, but also the uplift in property prices (often quoted at something as high as 20%) as a result of a waterside location can actually make it worth their while. It can be a bit of a controversial one - would canal restoration supporters be happy for their formerly rural waterway to be lined with modern housing schemes along most of its length, if that’s the easiest (or only) way of getting it funded? But if (as is often the case) the land is earmarked for building anyway, the choice can be between a development with a canal and a development without a canal.
Hope for Wilts & Berks M4 bridge
Wichelstowe / Swindon work, this could create a significant length of restored canal if only the M4 crossing could be built to connect it up. The latest news is that the same Highways England fund is paying £42,000 towards a feasibility study into putting in a navigable culvert under the motorway. It’s a relatively modest sum compared to the £4m for the Cotswold Canals, but WBCT reckons it could be a real game-changer in finding a solution to a blockage which has left the Trust’s vision for reopening the canal “clouded for many years by uncertainty”.
This is actually a combination of the ‘housing’ and ‘roads’ themes. But first, a bit of background... The Wilts & Berks Canal was always going to be a tricky one to restore, given that at all three of its extremities (Melksham at the west end, Abingdon at the east, and Cricklade at the north end of its North Wilts Canal branch) it’s been obstructed by urban development, and diversions will be necessary to re-connect it to the Kennet & Avon, River Thames and Cotswold Canals respectively. To make matters worse, right in the middle where the Wilts & Berks and the Railway comes to Derby’s aid North Wilts met, is Swindon - and a chunk of canal lies buried under it. And then, immedi- Last time we rather played down the likeliately south west of Swindon, is what will be hood of railway projects supporting canal one of the most difficult / expensive new restoration - but one has popped up in the transport crossings needed to reopen the news since then. Network Rail is investing canal, where it’s blocked by the M4 motor£350,000 to help restore a section of the way. historic Draycott length of the Derby Canal to Many years ago Wilts & Berks Canal reduce flooding on the railway, rebuild heritTrust identified possible diversionary routes age and create new recreational facilities for or both canals around the west and south locals and tourists alike. side of Swindon; more recently an imaginaThe section to be restored, known tive new alternative idea proposed reinstatlocally as the Golden Mile, was infilled in the ing some urban lengths on a new route 1960s after the canal shut. In 1999, a drainmuch closer to the original line, by pedestriage ditch was installed along the canal route anising some of Swindon’s streets, and addto help to prevent flooding on the nearby ing a new canal channel dug down the midMidland Main Line, which connects Derby dle of the road. and London. Whilst this did help, increased Meanwhile to the south side of the rainfall has seen the railway flooded 19 times town, a major expansion of the urban area is in the past eight years, costing around £2milunder way. Consisting of several phases of lion and causing over 357 hours of delays for construction, the Wichelstowe developments passengers. are adding some thousands of new homes Work on the scheme has now started on an area which includes parts of the origiand will see a 1.1km stretch of canal renal canal and parts of Swindon M4 proposed the east-west motorway diversionary route for Access road the restored waterway. for new And already some housing lengths have been restored, and new ones built, as part of the first Proposed phase of this work. new canal Meanwhile to the route south west of Swindon, several lengths have Original been restored reaching canal route as far as Royal Wootton Bassett, including rebuilding Chadderton (West Summit) lock. Plans for getting the Wilts & Berks Canal across the M4 near Swindon Combined with the
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stored, as well as low points of the canal bank raised by 1 metre to reduce the chances of water overflowing onto the nearby rail route. This is a key step in reducing flooding in the area, but further work will also be required. Network Rail’s contribution joins a £100,000 investment, which has been fundraised by the Derby & Sandiacre Canal Trust over the last three years. The project will create a new section of canal which can be used by boaters and will ultimately form part of the restored canal from Sandiacre to Derby. Existing facilities for walkers, cyclists and horse riders will also be improved with the current footpath re-laid, and the scheme will bring environmental and biodiversity benefits. A former mill, later turned into cottages, is also being restored by DSCT and turned into a community hub, with toilets and a café for visitors. The scheme is expected to complete in Summer 2021. Chris Madge, Chairman for Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust, said: “We’ve been working for many years to bring this project to fruition and we are delighted that work has been able to begin”.
MB&B breach to finally be fixed?
was finally officially abandoned in 1961. Since 1987 the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Society has been campaigning to restore the canal, and there has been progress at various locations (including a development scheme which saw the first section in Salford reopened) - but at some point the breach was going to need to be repaired - and it appears that a housing scheme is likely to do just that. Bolton Council has received an application to build 300 homes near Nob End (although I bet they don’t call it that in the estate agents’ brochures!) and as part of the plan the developer proposes to repair the breach and recreate a 700m length of canal including a new access bridge. There’s currently a slight issue about dimensions - the developer is offering a 3m wide channel, whereas local waterways campaigners want 4.5m (to cater for the 14ft beam craft that the canal and its locks were built for), but it does look like one of the canal’s trickiest problems could be sorted. And the canal society is optimistic that this will lead to removal of a further blockage at Radcliffe, creating an 8km navigable length.
And finally...
If you were on our Christmas Canal Camp a few years back on the Manchester Bolton & ...back to the Cotswold Canals where the roles of road and canal were reversed reBury Canal, you will be familiar with the layout of the canal at Nob End, where the cently and the canal came to the rescue of canal climbs six locks before splitting in two: the roads. A length of the Old A40 near Northleach had been closed for five years one branch running high along the side of the Irwell Valley as it heads eastwards to after cracks appeared as a result of damage Bury; the other heading north westwards to a supporting wall, with repairs costed at along the Croal Valley towards Bolton. £800,000. But it’s been fixed for a fraction of If you wandered off along the Bury line that, by strengthening the wall with soil piled you will soon have arrived at the site of the against it, sourced from... the excavations for famous breach where in 1936 part of the the canal at the new A38 bridges! canal embankment collapsed into the valley some 30 metres below (very nearly taking a boat with it), and was never repaired. Some local traffic continued, but that was the beginning of the end for the Repaired at last? The 1936 breach which shut the Manchester Bolton & Bury canal, which
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1970: WRG? What’s that then? The final part of our series marking WRG’s 50th year in which we look back at what was happening in 1970, and how Navvies Notebook reported it... 50 years ago... In the previous article in Navvies 303 I covered the actual launch of WRG in summer 1970 as reported in Navvies Notebook (to give the magazine its original title). Well, I tried to. But it was the ultimate ‘low key’ launch: although the WRG display made an impressive debut at the Inland Waterways Association’s National Rally of Boats at Guildford, in the pages of Navvies there was precious little to even give the faintest hint that some thing major was on the way - that Navvies and the canal volunteer movement that it served were undergoing a transformation: from being a magazine for assorted ‘mobile’ volunteers not attached to a particular project, into being a national organisation in its own right, with the magazine at the heart of what it did. But if Issue 26’s coverage of WRG’s arrival on the scene was scant basically the words “published by Waterway Recovery Group”, brief mentions of the “WRG bank” and a “WRG calendar” for sale, and “cheques payable to Waterway Recovery Group” for people ordering safety clothing by mail order then the “rather skinny” (in the editor’s own words) 16-page issue 27, published in November 1970, was marginally more forthcoming. It still wasn’t exactly prominent in editor and founder Graham Palmer’s leader column on the first page, but there was just a hint of an organisation and one of its roles in his comments about the “WRG Bank” being “under heavy pressure” having supplied safety gear and tools to various groups, his thanks to people for their support of this fund, and his appeal for more donations of trading stamps, coupons and cash to keep it going. Elsewhere in the magazine there’s another hint of the move from a magazine to an organisation: The WRG is having a social-cum-business type meeting at
the Albert public house [Victoria Street, London SW1 - it’s still there today!] on Friday the 4th December. Among events will be the first London showing of a film dealing with the Welshpool Working Party and the Montgomeryshire Canal in general, and discussion of future plans for 1971. Please try to come along if you can. I wonder what was planned at that meeting. Where did we work? This was pretty similar to the lists of sites that I included in previous issues (and the ‘eleven we made earlier’ photo feature on the cover pages of Navvies 303) - the diary pages showed that work was continuing on the Upper Avon, Pocklington, Kennet & Avon, Stratford and River Wey - but there were a couple of new projects on the horizon... Looking ahead: two new projects got a mention elsewhere in the mag. Firstly, the following appeared in the ‘Bits ’n’ Pieces’ column: Confirmed: that Stoke on Trent City Council, Staffordshire County Council and British Waterways Board have finally reached agreement, both physical and financial, concerning the restoration of the Caldon to Froghall; work is expected to commence shortly. That one was completed and reopened four years later in 1974. But there’s a second new project mentioned, which is still with us today, albeit usually referred to among canal restorers under the collective name of ‘Cotswold Canals’, covering both the Thames & Severn and the Stroudwater... Like that other disused canal in the south, the Wey & Arun, the Thames & Severn Canal still excites a lot of attention from would-be restorationists. One of these is Pete Stevenson, who has written a lot of letters to the press concerning the T&S. For those of yu who cannot yet decide upon your priorities, Pete writes the following: After reading Mr Household’s fine book of the canal
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[The Thames & Severn Canal, Humphrey Household, pub: 1969] little need be said of its history and a mere detailing of the distances and locks should suffice. The Thames and Severn Canal is 28 miles long and has 44 locks lifting it to 362ft 6in above sea level for a distance of nine miles between Daneway Top Lock and the Siddington Flight (including the 2 1/4 mile Sapperton Tunnel). The Stroudwater Navigation is 8 miles long and has 13 locks, if we include the filled-in lock and basin at Framilode on the River Severn. Briefly the Stroudwater Navigation has the M5 motorway bisecting it near Eastington; two short filled-in sections at Ebley and several lowered or culverted bridges. The junction between the two canals is at Wallbridge in Stroud. From here to Sapperton is eight miles and 29 locks (two are eliminated) with Brimscombe Port filled in and built upon. The tunnel has fallen-in at three places, but can be restored, it is believed. From here to Inglesham (near Lechlade) is 19 miles and 15 locks (including a two-step staircase lock) and has filled-in lengths at Siddington (1/2 mile) Cerney Wharf (300 yards and 3 locks) and a ploughed away sector from Marston Meysey to Kempsford (1 1/2 miles). Between them the canal is frequently a linear jungle but both the Thames Conservancy and the Gloucestershire County Council are said to believe that the Inglesham to Kempsford length is restorable; and the sector between Cerney Wharf and Cerney Wick is also not without hope. The Stroudwater Navigation is virtually a civil engineering job (if a feasability plan can be adopted for the motorway crossing) and from Stroud to Sapperton spot clearance at locks and a general clean-up at Daneway to the tunnel is called for. But the real work would be to tidy up Siddington four locks and clear the towpath to Cerney Wharf. Interesting that half a century on, the bit that he describes as “virtually a civil engineering job”, implying that it’s the most difficult, is the one that in this very issue we’re looking forward to seeing reopened (see p16-21). Running the canals: We’ve already seen in earlier articles in this series that contributors had some fairly strong views on how the waterways were being run by British Waterways Board, but in issue 27 this extended to the start of a series Thoughts on Waterways Management, written under the pen-name of ‘Woolwich Small’. Article No 1 kicked off with a moan about how BWB spent more time moving its dredgers around the country to where they were needed than actually clearing silt out of the canals - and went on to criticise the inefficency of time spent “waiting for the hopper, waiting for the mechanic, waiting for the foreman, or simply waiting for their pension and playing cards meanwhile”. And on that subject I can remember a time
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when it was a standing joke about British Waterways dredger crews that they spent all their time sitting around and drinking tea - so it tends to raise a wry smile when I hear folks today suggesting that contracting work out has been the downfall of the Canal & River Trust, and they should improve efficiency by bringing it back in-house. However Woolwich Small isn’t following that route, as he continues “Let us dismiss at once the purely political notion that all nationalised concerns are automatically inefficient: when they are, they can survive longer than a commercial firm, but that’s all.” He goes on to philosophise about railways (“running the railway involved a lot of clerical work, obeying the rules and no initiative”), and canals (“most were owned by the railways who regarded them as unwelcome encombrances, bought to stifle opposition, and deputed their management to staff found unfit even to run the railway”). He blames this for the situation in 1970 where the canals were still run by staff with no great abilities beyond “running a deliberately noncompetitive enterprise”, adding that although there were still “many devoted and enthusiastic men, particularly at local depot level” without whom things would be much worse, “below their level many of the rank-and-file are dreadful: dimwitted layabouts in search of a sheltered occupation... Why should the maintenance gangs always be filled up with the sweepings of the labour exchange?” and blaming this last issue largely on low wages. One wonders what these underpaid menials thought of being called useless by the only people on the waterways who were paid less than them the volunteers... Ultimately, though, he blamed it on bad management - but cautioned against bringing in management consultants (for fear of appointing a canal equivalent of the railways’ Dr Beeching, whose 1963 report led to large-scale closures) - and promised to “think about the sort of brief that waterway management should have” for issue 28. Of course if you want to criticise management (and let’s face it, most of us do!) you perhaps need to be ready for the challenge “So, do you think you could do it any better?” Well, perhaps they did. Another piece elsewhere in the same issue commented on the recent change of Government (Ted Heath’s Tories had won the election and replaced Harold Wilson’s Labour Government), on concerns at the impact of possible public spending cuts on the waterways (especially given that officialdom was still felt to take the view that eliminating an urban canal such as the Ashton in Manchester was cheaper than restoring it), and the more optimistic prospect that (under Heath’s stated aim of “not more but less government” - yes, politicians
have been saying it since then!) responsibility for waterways could be farmed-out to a non-Government body. The author ended with the following:
that with few exceptions the whole of British industry and commerce is conducted inefficiently compared with other countries in the world; our position in world markets proves this. ‘Woolwich Small’ would appeear to be a typical We have always said we could run the waterways better than byproduct of today’s educational manufactory - a human anyone else; given breadth of imagination and strength of machine packed with facts and figures without any idea how purpose, that is precisely what we have more chance of to use them. His knowledge of human relations in a achieving than ever before. situation where both volunteers and paid workers are required to co-exist would appear to be very small.” So that answers that question. Yes, we genuinely did think we could do it better! The writer continued that he had “the highest And finally: the Bits ‘n’ Pieces column regard for BWB’s employees” with few exceptions, reported that it was “Rumoured that a plan has had worked with them for seven years as a volunonly recently been abandoned to lease quite a teer, and felt that “voluteers can hardly preach percentage of canalside land to two well-known efficiency to BWB staff when our work is often holiday camp firms.” Hi-de-Hi, boaters! completed inefficiently.” The average BWB emBut there’s more: That was where this ployee, he maintained (to more than a few raised article (and the whole 50 years ago series) was eyebrows, I suspect!), “gains great satisfaction from going to end, having reviewed six issues of Navvies his work and in return puts that little bit extra into Notebook from 1970 in the corresponding six 2020 it and ito his interest and love for the waterways. issues of Navvies. But then I noticed that there had He is often called out in the middle of the night to been a change of plan in late prevent flooding, spends 1970 and the team had hours telling tourists about squeezed in another issue just the canals, in his own time. before the year end. And it In few other industries was an interesting one too. today can we find men Not least as a result of giving so much and receiving Woolwich Small’s thoughs on so little”. waterway management, as For the future “proGraham Palmer mentioned viding BW staff are still in his leader... speaking to us” he proposed Woolwich Small’s column that volunteers should seems to have caused no little stir concentrate on “cementing - unfortunately in the wrong improved relations with their places... Reading through it again, local BWB depot”, that they I must say that I feel that it has should “appreciate our been somewhat misunderstood. limitations”, and perhaps I read it to mean that the offer to take on routine great majority of BWB ‘canal’ maintenance work and leave workers are all that one might BWB staff free to do the expect, but owing to the lack of adequate wages it is more sepecialist restoration work. becoming more and more difficult to recruit staff of the ‘Woolwich Small’, meanwhile, said that he right calibre. seemed “already in brief article to have created Anyway I have asked ‘WS’ to write something for more misunderstandings than I thought possible”, this issue to clear any misunderstandings, and sincerely hope when he was “not going to be just another knocker that anyone who works on the waterways will accept my of BWB” and especially didn’t want to “impute (as apologies for any insult they feel to have been committed. some waterway enthusiasts have been too ready to do) sinister motives and underhand behaviour of Flicking forward a few pages brings us to an exam- people trying to sort out some pretty massive ple of the ‘stir’ that the article had caused, in the inherited problems”. He felt strongly about ineffiform of a letter to the editor form Laurence D ciency, but he “started writing because I felt I had Gibney. He was “dismayed” at the “lack of diplosomething constructive to say - what is Navvies macy” shown, but also felt that laying the charge Notebook and WRG if not constructive?” of inefficiency at the door of BWB was singling it Lightening the mood somewhat, if still not out unreasonably, and unfair: entirely getting away from the BWB-knocking theme (not to mention the usual dig at ‘inferior’ What ‘Woolwich Small’ does not appear to appreciate is forms of boater), the following appeared:
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Canalside Pulpit by Rev. B. W. Bloke
And on the inside back page was Graham’s ‘Reflections’ piece where he finally went public about what the intended function / purpose / role of WRG might be:
(to be read with great solemnity) There has been much discussion and ‘jumping to conclusions’ Dearly beloved, as we are gathered here today, concerning just what the WRG is all about, primarily I I would like to take as the theme of my adsuppose because it just ‘appeared’ at the [IWA Guildford dress the subject of place, ideals, good intenNational] Rally instead of having a formal launching. It is, tions and probably several others that might and it is intended to be, a National Co-ordinating Body, occur to me as I go on. with an emphasis on ‘Do-it-yourself enthusiasm’. The title I expect that you, like me, have discovmeans just what you want it to mean, be it working parties ered at sometime or other that life is not all or, say, recovering traffic (commercial) for waterways. We about beer and fireworks and a weed-free hope to be able to gently push the main effort to where it is channel. Often the locks all seem set against most needed and to avoid undue waste of labour potential. us. Frequently, in fact, the locks, like the arIt will be, and it is becoming, a pool of expertise in the use mies of the Grand Old Duke of York, are of plant and other techniques, so necessary if we are to stop neither up nor down but just leaking away. fiddling around in the mud and concentrate upon the main The best laid plans, like the portions of a task of quick, quality restoration at minimum cost. woman, may be fashioned with considerable We are also trying to raise much-needed funds to care, but as we know those of mice and men achieve this state of affairs, and several methods are being can go astray. How employed at this moment that often have we put our may result in a considerable trust in a rotten bollard amount of ready cash being and finished up in the available for our work. silt? But, as we suffer So far so good. He then the slings and arrows went off into what might and broken paddle gear come across to some of on the climb to the us today as being just a summit, perhaps we little on verge of concan hope, at least, for spiracy theory (especially ouone thing: that when to a confirmed cockup we come to that final theorist like myself)... Typical Navvies 1970-era sentiments... A.G.M and meet the great Chairman, he will The situation on the watersay “Well tried old lad”; and not “BW Bloke, ways is now starting to clarify itself: we are still ‘lumbered’ my boy, as a campaigner for the development wtih the usual sort of bureaucratic, bumbling main waterof the inland waterways of the British Isles, way administration that we have come to expect, but there you made a damn good noddyboater”. are signs that the evil intent of old has been replaced by a milder more cunning organisation happy to maintain an WRG at last! Finally, scraping in right at the end approximate status quo maintenance-wise trying to placate of WRG’s founding year, Graham Palmer got in the ‘dissidents’ by appearing to be far more understanding some serious stuff about what this new organisaand concerned. tion was all about. Firstly and fairly briefly, he mentioned in his leader column something that will But whatever one’s views, and for all that 1970 was strike a chord with many folks who have been (or a very different time from 2020 on the waterways still are) involved in WRG publicity: and everywhere else, he nailed it with his final line: We are busy building a WRG exhibition stand for use at the many canal rallies to be held next year over the country. An exhibit we can provide, transport we can provide, but what we lack if we are not careful will be adequate volunteers to man the exhibit when it is used at some of the more far-flung sites. If any of you feel you would like to help with this task next year, I would be more than pleased to hear from you.
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Finally I would mention that it is you, the volunteer, who has the capacity to make our plans materialise, to fulfil our ambitions of restoration and reconstruction. Please maintain the fantastic support you have shown for the past two or three years and be assured that your efforts and sacrifices are worthwhile and more than appreciated. ...and so say all of us.
Erewash work party report They don’t have a canal to restore, but ECPDA’s work party have been helping maintain the Erewash - and are looking forward to supporting the Cromford bracket and spear rod lower end were also fitted and the lock was back in operation. Despite not having a canal to restore the We have yet to return to see if we can clear Erewash Canal Preservation & Development the blocked chamber as we were then reAssociation work party has never been idle. quested to investigate excessive leakage at Previously concentrating mainly on the Lang- Long Eaton Lock offside ground paddle. This ley Mill end of the canal we have since the required a trip to the CRT depot at Pringle first lockdown extended our scope to encom- Lane, Swarkestone to pick up a couple of old pass the whole of the Erewash Canal. This coplastic paddles one of which we were able has come about firstly because Oli Lockett, to reduce in size in our own workshop to suit our contact at the Canal & River Trust, has the Erewash requirements to replace the been trying to arrange for us to assist with existing worn out wooden one. some basic maintenance and improvement Getting Pentland to the various work works and perhaps more importantly besites has been made possible by some of our cause we have our own maintenance boat. group turning out to move it before or after Our boat, Pentland, was acquired from the work party. We have picked up heaps of CRT about three years ago with the objective magnet fishing debris along with a couple of of assisting with off-side vegetation control. shopping trolleys and several small trees However following regional reorganisation we which had been blown down in the recent were informed that this work would remain gales that partly blocked the towing path or in the hands of CRT contractors so Oli sent canal have been sawn up and removed. Norman Cornwell, our Chairman, a list of 83 Given that the majority of work party outstanding maintenance issues on the members are well into their 70’s work parties Erewash for us to help reduce on our regular have been suspended for the duration of the Friday work parties. This came to the atten- second lockdown but we will be back keeption of Paul Webster, Customer Operations ing the Erewash Canal open when it is Team Leader at Swarkestone. Paul had an deemed safe. In the New Year we also additional problem at Shipley Lock where the expect to become involved in assisting our offside ground paddle chamber was blocked neighbours, the Friends of the Cromford and a boat was required, which he did not Canal, in extending the navigation northhave in the area, to assist with its clearance. wards from Langley Mill [See restoration Meanwhile the towing path side ground feature in Navvies 303] so there is plenty to paddle had come adrift from the spear rod. keep us going for some time yet. Shipley has top gate paddles but these Dave Turner are small and easily blocked even with the ECP&DA work party small amounts of the Canadian pond weed in the canal. We unblocked the gate paddles but instead of attacking the blocked ground paddle chamber as suggested set about recovering the detached paddle on the towing path side. This turned out to be an old wooden one that had seen better days and so we replaced it with a coplastic one that we just happened to have Arrival of ECPDA’s workboat Pentland two years ago in stock (don’t ask!) A new ECPDA
Erewash Canal
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Progress
Wendover
Our roundup of progress around the waterways begins onthe Wendover Arm with news of the Whitehouses Pumping Station site and more... Wendover Arm
Pictures by WAT
Overview: The Wendover Arm Trust’s Covid 19 arrangements have worked well this month with separated work areas and a vigilant Volunteer team. We had the wettest October Tuesday (3rd) since 1891 and this affected some of the work that was programmed. The effect of the rain was to create a large amount of mud and slurry. Although this did not stop the machines from getting through it did make working at Bridge 4 difficult and more hazardous for some operations such as concreting Whitehouses: The wing walls and concrete coping blocks at the old pumping station site have been completed. The sluice ‘benching’ has been completed. The paving on top of the wing walls and some pointing of the old brickwork remains to be done
Bridge 4 walls: The new walls containing the stop plank channels have been very nearly completed with a row of ‘soldier’ (on end) bricks on the top face remaining to be done. We have measured the stop plank channel positions and designed the stop planks to fit. We are currently raising a purchase order for the planks One of the main tasks over this work party was to cast 16 cubic metres of reinforced concrete between the old swingbridge walls to stabilise the foundations. This was done over several days and was hampered by the quantitiy of mud and water that proved to be difficult to control. As can be seen in the picture below we did create a clean/dry area for the concrete but the dumpers ‘cut through’ the temporary bunds and water/mud/poured through. Unfortunately when you have a concrete delivery you can’t stop half way through and send
The old pumping station site at Whitehouses showing completed wing wall brickwork
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the remainder back! Whilst excvating for the concrete work a new length of wall was discovered on each side of the canal. These are continuations of the previously exposed walls. As can be seen in the picture these walls curve back into the banks. On the offside they curve back under our No.1 hut and Portaloo so those will need to be moved soon. These walls also contain the remains of another set of stop plank channels. We expect to be rebuilding these walls back to the same View from new Bridge 4 of the old swingbridge site height as the previously exposed walls. Historical refuse Tip Excavation: Together with a Sub-Contractor we have developed a process and method to potentially remove the tip material placed in the canal length close to the winding hole at the current limit of navigation at Little Tring, which has been an obstacle to reexcavation of this infilled length. A test/trial excavation and removal of part of the tip is being planned. New volunteers and public comments: During First concrete pour on a clean dry area... little did they know... this work party we have attracted yet more volunteers, this was mainly a result of asking for skilled brick workers to work on Whitehouses and Bridge 4 walls. During the brick laying activity on site we had many positive comments from members of the public who were walking past. The fact that we are rebuilding the walls and structures seems to impress everybody who sees it! Tony Bardwell Operations Director Uncovering a newly-discovered length of wall by the old swingbridge site
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Progress Wey & Arun Next we head down south to the Wey & Arun with news of work continuing at Birtley Liftbridge while preparations get under way at two other sites minimum water depth of 41" across the bottom mitre of the lock .The Ideal depth is Volunteers investigate Lordings 43" so a slight modification would give us the Lock: The Wey & Arun Canal Trust’s canal extra 2". So we started investigating the maintenance manager Kevin Baker writes: condition of the lock chamber and approach. Volunteers and I have been working on We hired a 1.6 tonne excavator for the job a particularly interesting section of the Wey and the team cleared the lower entrance and & Arun Canal in September/October, an area gate recess areas of the lock. In doing so it that was the focus for restoration under early became clear that extensive damage had member Winston Harwood some 35 years ago. been done to the end of the entrance walls. Lording’s Lock and Orfold Aqueduct The north wall was exposed first and reform a combined structure on the Arun vealed a hole in the curved brickwork which Navigation (which forms the southern section at first we feared would continue, but luckily of the Wey & Arun route), with two weirs, a we found intact brickwork again. We pushed waterwheel (which fed the canal above the on to find the end of the wall and although lock from the river) and a canal and river the upper brickwork was damaged, the bulk flood channel crossing each other, plus a of it was intact. turf-sided flood lock to the south of the main At the south wall it soon became clear site. The second weir and the flood channel were installed by the Southern Water Board (predecessor of the Environment Agency) in an attempt to reSouthern duce flooding of the Arun Valley, (Arun Navigation) and this crosses section the canal on the level below the lock. With the help of a WACT Volunteer I was able to determine that a level, four-way junction is possible with a little bit of work on the weirs, which if maintained and made watertight again would provide a
Wey & Arun Canal
Map by WACT
Wey & Arun Canal
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Pictures by WACT
that it was substantially more damaged, but again as we revealed more we found the bottom 1 metre to be in good shape. Most of the broken wall was found in the bottom and we’ve recovered a sizeable amount of bricks that can be reclaimed to rebuild the damaged sections. The bottom rails of both bottom gates are still in place: an unusual thing is that the bottom pin (which locates the bottom of the gate) is set in the floor of the lock pointing upwards, and a recess in the gate locates onto it – the opposite of the usual arrangement of a pin pointing downwards from the gate into a cup set in the lock floor. We also found some of the gate’s ironwork. The other interesting find was that the bottom gates had no paddles, but instead a ground paddle culvert has been found in the Areas of damaged and sound brickwork on the Lordlings Lock tail south wall and apart from being bricked-up at the top appears to Northern Working Party Group be intact. heads back to Birtley: It couldn’t quite The next step is to install some stopbe called a camp (the luxury of separate plank channels below the lock and above the rooms in a local pub instead of a village hall aqueduct. Further investigation of the aquefloor), but a small group headed back to duct has revealed a sizeable hole in the bed Birtley in Surrey at the end of October for on approach to the aqueduct, but this is not four days. a major problem as a new floor can be inTheir mission was to construct the stalled (the walls are already in place). decking parts for the first Birtley liftbridge, We will now leave the site for the winwhose abutments were built last year. Visitter and return in the spring to continue with ing groups played a big part in its creation the excavation of the main lock chamber and so it was fitting the Northern Working (approx 65ft x 12ft x 4ft to 5ft of soil and silt Party Group and Wey & Arun Canal Trust to remove!). The lock itself is 75ft long x regulars could come together to finish the 12ft wide and 10ft 5in deep with a 6ft 4in job – even if the conditions weren’t quite rise so there’s lots more to do. what we were all used to. It’s also hoped to revisit the waterwheel But the weather played ball for once in the future, to find a way of ensuring its and the Thriscutt Slipway site on Dunsfold reliability (any mechanical engineers out Park became a hive of activity, acting as the there please get in touch!). workshop to make all the deck elements.
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The benefit of this site was a lot less mud than we were used to at Birtley. The bridge deck is being made from wooden timbers previously used as props at Drungewick Lock, sandwiched together with bespoke metal plates to make the four metre span. Needless to say there was an awful lot of drilling and cutting of metal. Some 400 holes had to be drilled and 400kg of steel used. On top of the deck planks will go lengths of Douglas Fir, bought from a local mill. All these planks needed to be routed to make them Assembling the deck for the first new liftbridge at Birtley smooth. In a socially-distanced production line the parts came together. The prefabricated elements needed to be bolted together – that’s when we hope all the holes line up – and will be taken to the bridge site and put into place on a future working party. The deck will eventually be replaced with a lift bridge, but with another bridge yet to be built on this canal stretch the temporary solution at least allows a circular canalside walk to open.
Work begins on major restoration project: With tree work completed, things are moving on at Tickner’s Heath, the site of the latest major restoration project for the Trust where a new road bridge is to be built to replace a causeway blocking the canal. Volunteers have so far built the compound area on an adjacent agricultural field, created culverts and ditching, erected fencing and constructed a base for power connections. Tree protection has gone up, along with screening around the compound, and the next step will be for work to begin on a temporary road and piling contractors to come in. Here’s hoping for a mild winter with not too much rain.
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Setting up the compound at Tickners Heath
Roundup
Progress
The H&G plans a new work site, there’s progress on the Stafford Arm, but the Wooden Canal Boat Society is facing an uncertain future thanks to Covid
Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal The Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal Trust has just put in for planning permission for the development of 600 yards of canal near Newent. The team hope to start the digging in the spring 2021. The picture shows the route and the aim is to dig from the hedge line going across the picture above the football ground and off the page at the top covering 600 yds in total.
Wooden Canal Boat Society The WCBS charity shop re-opened as planned at the beginning of September. Most of the former volunteers have returned, eagerly, to run it. Unfortunately, with the ongoing pandemic and near collapse of Ashton town centre, takings so far have not been enough to cover costs. This situation has led to discussions about how the business can be adapted to current and future conditions Hazel has been busy, both in her wellbeing role and more commercial work, providing people with a unique ‘staycation’. It can be argued that all trips are wellbeing trips, it’s just that some people pay and others don’t. There’s no prospect of reviving recycling trips until the virus goes away. Nevertheless, the shop hasn’t been short of goods to sell as everybody seems to have used the lockdown period to de-clutter their homes.
Stafford Riverway Link The Stafford Riverway Link project to reinstate the former Stafford branch (mainly a canalisation of the River Sow) of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal , has got the go-ahead for its next stage of work involving building a new towpath bridge. The Trust’s work so far has concentrated on the short arm which left the S&W main line at Baswich and linked to the Sow via a lock (which will need replacing on a new site). Initially this arm is being rebuilt as a mooring basin which will provide an income, but in the future it will form the first stage of a reopened route to Stafford. The planning consent means the former connection to the main line and the demolished towpath bridge spanning it can be reinstated.
Donated goods, of course, have to be quarantined before they are unpacked and put out for sale. Work on the boats is almost nonexistent save for essential maintenance on Forget me Not and Hazel as well as a little work on Southam. Getting Southam back into service had been the big project for 2020 but the nasty little virus put paid to that. Similarly, not much has been going on at the Heritage Boatyard, save eBaying surplus equipment to bring in some much needed cash. Most of the regular boatyard volunteers are classed as vulnerable and so are staying at home. However, with help from a younger furloughed worker we were able to construct a new firewood shelter from scrap timber. As I write this, Greater Manchester is being put into Tier 3 restrictions. Half our Airbnb bookings for the rest of the year have already been cancelled. It’s all about survival for the time being.
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News
navvies Used stamps help the Waterways
tion, was (like many such things) switched to an online event this year - and instead of the breakout sessions taking place on the day, they were run as a series of online webinars organised at weekly intervals through the autumn. They are all available as videos to view via the IWA website waterways.org.uk, and cover these topics:
WRG folklore has it that in the distant past we bought a Smalley excavator with Green Shield stamps (remember them?) Over the years the number of things which could be exchanged for goods or money has drastically reduced – no more cigarette coupons or Tiger Tokens – but there is still value in used postage stamps. Writing a funding application led by We collect stamps of all types, from the Liz Shaw, a member of the Heritage Fund normal ones on everyday post to collections regional engagement team which are no longer wanted, and sell them in Biodiversity Net Gains covering the ‘wholesale’ quantities to stamp dealers. The principles, a mitigation hierarchy, and dealers sell them by the kilo to collectors, who construction based case studies. sort through to find the particular stamps they Restoration to operation: key conare looking for. The money we receive supsiderations when your restoration is proports canal restoration. Likewise we collect gressing well and you’re thinking of connectused inkjet & toner cartridges, mobile ing it up to the national waterway network. phones and aluminium cans and foil for sale. Creating connections engaging The stamps and other goods go to young people can be a challenge but doing it restoration projects who can turn them into well can make a real impact for your project money, depending on who has an outlet at Engaging your local council: Camthe time. Recent recipients have been the paigning and building relationships with your Montgomery, Wilts & Berks and Buckingham local MP and authorities restorations as well as our own WRG BITM. Dealing with utilities: Ascertaining Please cut the stamps from your Christthe location of utilities on your project mas cards and other post and send them to through service searches and CAT scans WRG Stamp Bank, 33 Hambleton Grove, Emerson Valley, Limited single cask WRG Whisky coming soon... Milton Keynes MK4 2JS. If you’re visiting the Buckingham In 2010 whilst visiting Bruichladdich Distillery on the Scottish restoration next year, assuming island of Islay, a WRG volunteer we are again able to have digs, struck upon an idea and bought please bring along your donaWRG a cask of whisky. Their main tion for me to collect. In the aim and inspiration (in true WRG famous words used before, all style) was to cause one big headache donations gratefully received, (for many different reasons) 10 years however large! later for WRG’s 50th anniversary. So Season’s greetings to here we are 10 years on, lots of locks all; with hopes for resumed and bridges have been restored, beer restoration activities in 2021. has been drunk and we are now onto Steve Morley dealing with the headache and that’s before the whisky even arrives! The whisky is about to be Restoration Webinars bottled and pre-sales will be opening in January… there are only The annual waterway restoragoing to be 240 bottles so once they are gone they are gone. It’s tion conference, held jointly also going to be a fantastic chance to raise funds for WRG. by the Canal & River Trust If you’d like to registered to receive notification of preand WRG’s parent body the sales please email jenny.morris@waterways.org.uk Inland Waterways Associa-
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infill Deirdre’s back! O Little Town of Brimscombe Port? ...well, no, that was one that we didn’t get. But we did get some very entertaining contribution to the final round of the WRG virtual Christmas party quiz and fun games held on 5 December via Zoom. The teams were asked to write and perform a WRG Christmas carol or song. Here are a few...
[Based on: I Saw Three Ships] We saw 3 vans come squelching down on muddy tracks on muddy tracks We saw 3 vans come squelching down on the Christmas camp in the morning So what was in the those vans all three Our leader cook & WRGie crews All the tools for us to toil And the burcos come to the boil
[based on: Away in a Manger] [The 12 Days of [Based on: Merry Xmas Everybody: Slade] I’m away with the WRGies Christmas - one of four Are you pointing up the brickwork on the wall? All muddy and wet It’s the time that every leader has a fall different versions!] Up to my knees in mud 12 pointers pointing Does he ride a red-nosed Transit? We love it, you bet Makes the paperwork up on the way 11 cakes for eating Does the cook keep him sober for a day? 10 fires a-raging We’re ripping out Holly 9 cooks a-cooking But can’t sell it for lolly CHORUS: 8 mixers mixing ‘Cos if we did. So here it is, the canal camp 7 Burcos boiling We could put in a bid 6 bonkers bonking Everybody’s having fun For a new lorry! Let’s have a tea break now 5 mooring rings The mortar’s just begun 4 broken biscuits Away with the WRGies 3 red mugs No bricks to be had Are you waiting for the D of Ers to arrive? 2 toe-capped boots The bricksaw is broken And a lock at Inglesham Are you sure you’ve got the keys to get inside? And the brickies are mad Does the old hand always tell you That the old ways are the best? Silent Night, Sleeping Bag Fright So off down to Jewsons Then she’s all PPE’ed up with the rest All is calm, Snoring’s a blight To get more supplies Down yon hall all rural and dark And while we are waiting Hear a snore and a snuffle and a fart... The editor / quizmaster would like to thank Jen and Alex for all their We’ll scoff the mince pies Sleep in heavenly rest help, and everyone who took part Sleep in your heavenly WRG vest
Dear Deirdre I’m concerned about the order in which the coronavirus vaccine will be distributed. I’d argue that it’s most important to protect the people with heritage brick skills. Let’s inoculate them first. After that we should probably do anyone with a digger certificate. Then it’s van drivers, starting with those with the fewest points on their licence. After that we can do the brick cleaners, bonfire watchers and anyone else that’s left. Do you agree? - Derek, Stratford-upon-Avon Deidre writes What absolute drivelling nonsense. Everybody knows that the only important person on a dig is the cook. Give it to the cook first and everyone else we’ll just do alphabetically by their WRG nickname.
Answers to the crossword in issue 302: Across: 1 Towpath, 2 Keel, 6 Staunch, 8 Beck, 11 Josher, 12 Wings, 16 Crank, 19 Puddle, 21 Flat, 23 Narrowboat, 25 Staith, 28 Pound, 29 Gang, 30 Shafting, 32 Gauging, 33 Lengthman, 34 Pen, 35 Keb, 38 Tackle, 40 Rate, 41 Invert, 43 Chalico. Down: 2 Animal, 3 Freshet, 5 Quant, 6 Snubber, 7 Gongoozler, 9 Windlass, 10 Lock, 12 Wherry, 13 Screw, 14 Gates, 15 Butty, 17 Snatcher, 18 Wind, 20 Stank, 22 Legging, 24 Risers, 26 Trow, 27 Spillway, 31 Flash, 33 Lighter, 34 Packet, 36 Barge, 37 Reach, 39 Punt, 42 Toll
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A Grantham Lock 15 replica from Kirsty
Bob’s bridge and boat
e
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