Wolds waters dec 2015

East Yorkshire Branch

WOLDS WATERS The newsletter of the East Yorkshire Branch

DECEMBER 2015

Summer visit to the Barmby Barrage

From the Editor Greetings We had hoped that you would receive this edition of Wolds Water before Christmas but time has worked against. On behalf of your committee I express the hope that you had a pleasant Christmas and that 2016 will be a year in which you enjoy life on and off the waterways.

Fund-raising As a branch we no longer receive a capitation to help fund branch activities (though this newsletter is printed and posted at no cost to the branch funds). To raise funds to enable us to support our local waterways (and respond to appeals from other areas) Chris and Dave Stones, helped on a regular basis by other members, have taken the gazebo and display around many events this year raising funds. We are grateful to them and all who have worked with them and ask for more offers of help and information about suitable events.

January meeting As mentioned in the September we are planning an outreach meeting in January. This is a repeat of an event we held some ten years ago. We want to interest more people to take an interest in our canals and consider cruising. What we need is publicity. Roger, our Chairman, will be on Radio Humberside, we will be approaching the local press but we need your help. At the end of this newsletter there is a copy of the publicity poster we are using. Please use your copy by displaying it in a local shop, supermarket or library.

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From your Branch Chairman As the year draws to a close it is good to look back on the year and see that it was another busy one for your branch.

We are lucky to have committee members representing all the major waterways in our area thus keeping us up to date with developments and more importantly any possible threats.

Both the Driffield and the Pocklington Canals have ongoing restoration aims. Both, it seems are ‘just’ down to money. The Pocklington Canal Amenity Society launched a £250,000 appeal during the year to restore navigation to Bielby. They hope to achieve this by 2018 which is the bicentenary of the opening of the canal. The Driffield Navigation has the problem of two bridges. One over Whinhill Lock which is an access bridge to the nearby fish farm and the more difficult one (and more expensive) at Wansford. The IWA is represented on committees in both organisations and fully supports their aims.

The Branch Stall has been at various events throughout the year raising money for our local waterways. The branch has a cup which is on occasions awarded to volunteers who have been most active in fundraising. I was pleased to award it to Chris and Dave Stones for their tireless work this year on the stall as well as their committee duties.

By raising money, we were able to make grants to PCAS, Beverley Barge Preservation Society and to the Driffield Canal Partnership. Thus proving that by supporting your branch you are also supporting the local waterways.

Attendance at our monthly social meetings has remained steady but we would always welcome more. Perhaps those who attend can persuade a friend or two to come as well? We do need to keep numbers up to enable us to invite speakers from further afield. We would especially love to see more people at our January meeting where we will be talking about hire boating and canal holidays. Lots of information will be available including routes, hire bases, costs etc.

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Membership is slightly down compared with the start of the year. Please note that the IWA is currently offering discounted membership if bought as a gift.

Finally may I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2016 and hope you continue to enjoy the waterways.

Roger Bromley -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

D-I-Y by members of Beverley Beck Boating Association During November enterprizing members of BBBA mounted a mobile digger on a dumb barge belonging to Ruarid Macaulay and took it up to Snakeholme Lock to clear the gravel bar near the fish farm. The aim was to make a channel 3 ft deep to make passage easier and enable boats to reach the pontoon outside the Trout Inn at Wansford. The work was completed within two days and those who worked on the project are to be praised.

It was a case of Dredge It Yourself.

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Summer Visit to Barmby Barrage, Friday 19th June 2015 In recent years the branch summer visits have not been well supported, so it was very gratifying to see 12 members gather at the Kings Head Gastro Pub in Barmby-on-the-Marsh, prior to a very enjoyable and informative visit to the nearby Barrage and Lock. The pub is a short distance from the barrage so it was an ideal location to meet up and enjoy a meal and a natter before making our way to the Barrage where we were to be given a guided tour of the installation.

For those who are unfamiliar with the area it is well worth making the journey, which is an ideal location to enjoy a pleasant stroll along the River Derwent where it meets up with the Yorkshire Ouse, and casual visitors are welcome to stroll along the footpaths and enjoy the attractive setting.

Attractive, that is, as long as you can pretend that Drax power station has been whisked away – it does tend to dominate the skyline in one direction!

There is a car park, toilets, and the footpaths are well signposted. Who knows, you may work up a thirst which can be quenched at the two nearby pubs at Barmby and nearby Asselby.

On arrival at the Control room we were warmly greeted by the resident Lock & Barrage Keeper, Martin Taylor. Martin works for the Environment Agency, together with Rob who also shares the workload, and both live in bungalows adjacent to the structure so that one of them is available at all times, day and night. Martin gave us an interesting insight into the day-today operations at the Barrage and patiently answered our many questions.

Prior to the mid 1970s the River Derwent was tidal up to Sutton Lock, and the water from the River Ouse flowed freely up the river. Once the barrage was constructed in the mid 1970s the main purpose of the barrage has been to control water levels in the River Derwent on behalf of Yorkshire water so that they are able to extract water to feed a reservoir situated 2 miles upstream at Loftsome Bridge. There is a second extraction point further up the river near Elvington. By careful regulation, it also prevents 5

the brackish water from the Ouse from mixing with the cleaner fresh water in the River Derwent The water extracted from the Derwent plays an important part in the total water supply for many parts of East, South and West Yorkshire with the river supplying up to one sixth of the total water needs for Yorkshire, and in addition the Derwent facilitates drainage for about one tenth of the surrounding area.

The water levels in the River are controlled by 2 sluice gates enclosed side by side within the barrage structure, each gate being lifted and lowered by substantial lifting machinery and controlled by sophisticated electronic monitoring and regulation systems. To get an idea of the scale of the gates, each one is 7 metres long by 5 metres high and each one weighs between 7 and 8 tonnes so the mechanism has to be substantial and robust. The gates are lifted and lowered by two winches – one for each sluice – and the control system frequently adjusts the gate to control the water flow through the barrage so while visiting the winch room we were able to see the winches operate a number of times, each time adjusting the gate position by a few inches up or down. The winches are operated by electric motors using wire ropes but Martin explained that it was possible in an emergency to raise and lower the gates by hand but this requires many thousand turns of a winch handle so you can imagine that it is not an operation which is done very often, much to his relief!

The operation of the sluices is vital to maintain the correct levels in the river so it is essential for someone to be on site, day and night, in case of a malfunction, hence the presence of the two bungalows occupied by Martin and his colleague. Martin and Rob work a rota of 7 days on, 7 days off.

While on duty they are not allowed to leave the site and can be called out at any time day or night.

In addition to the Barrage sluice gates, there is also a navigation lock which allows access for boats to and from the River Derwent and the Pocklington Canal. This lock is accessible at most states of the tide and passages through the lock are normally booked in advance by boats so that suitable 6

times can be arranged. The gates which control entry to the lock are Sector gates; so called because they are curved rather that the more conventional mitre gates we are all familiar with and they can be opened against a head of water, so doing away with the need for separate paddle or sluice gear.

Anyone wishing to use the lock would be strongly advised to contact the lockkeeper at least 24 hours in advance to get advice about the state of the tide and water levels when approaching the entrance. The strong currents which can be found in the River Ouse, especially during Spring tides, can make for a tricky approach when entering and the advice of the lockkeeper should be sought if in any doubt.

Although the barrage plays a vital part in helping to supply water to many parts of Yorkshire, it is a pleasant and tranquil place to visit and I would encourage a visit to see for yourself. We certainly enjoyed our visit, and the setting with its landscaped lawns and footpaths make a pleasant surprise to the casual visitor.

Many thanks to Alistair for organising our visit, to Roger and Andrew for arranging our meal beforehand, but most of all to Martin for making us very welcome and explaining the workings of the Barrage so well.

(This article has been held over from the September Wolds Waters to give us a touch of summer in mid-winter Ed) .-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Pocklington Canal News The Canal & River Trust submitted the second stage of a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund in November. Hopefully it will be successful and the outcome will be known in March.

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The PCAS Bicentenary Appeal fund to support extension of navigation from Melbourne to Bielby now stands at ÂŁ100,000. In addition to donations by individuals, the Pocklington District Lions and the Pocklington Town Council have contributed to the appeal. Fundraising events during the year have generated income and publicity. Following a successful fete at Melbourne Village Hall earlier in the year, a frog race night at the same venue in October proved very popular.

PCAS launched a raffle earlier and among the more unusual prizes were a framed historic print of one of the bridges on the Pocklington Canal and tickets for trips on the Anderton Lift, both donated by the Canal & River Trust. The draw was held at the Annual Lunch in November.

On 21 October, Lord Halifax, a patron of PCAS, attended a ceremony to mark the start of the restoration work at Thornton Lock, where the original brick bywash has failed and will need to be dug out and repaired. Piling dams will be installed above and below the lock so that it can be dewatered and a Waterway Recovery Group work camp has been booked for the week starting 13 August. The photo shows the poor condition of the top gates at Thornton Lock.

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Lord Halifax with Jon Horsfall (CRT N. East Manager) and Paul Waddington The PCAS trip boat New Horizons had another successful season, carrying 2,200 passengers. Sadly, Ivor Nicholson, who had been a very active crew member passed away on 22 November after a short illness. His funeral was well attended by PCAS members. Ivor had been an IWA member and had enjoyed many holidays on hotel boats.

In November, the chief executives of the Canal & River Trust and Natural England signed agreement on management of English canals at the Pocklington Canal. Choosing this location may recognize the partnership work that has focused on the canal in recent years, or it might be because the headquarters of Natural England is now in York.

Contractors have dredged the canal above Top Lock to remove silt brought in by the feeder at Canal Head. This has to be done every few years.

More events on the Pocklington Canal are planned for the forthcoming year and the IWA East Yorkshire Branch stall is now a common site at PCAS events.

Alistair Anderson 9

PROGRAMME Jan to March 2016 Venue (unless stated otherwise) Cottingham Methodist Church Hall, Hallgate, Cottingham HU16 4BD 8.00-10.00 pm. Use entrance down side of church.

15th Jan

So you want to cruise England’s waterways?

See article on page 2 of the newsletter. Full details in December’s Wolds Waters

19th Feb

Paul Waddington on Canal Bridges Come and learn from one of our experts

18th Mar

The Branch AGM followed by entertainment by Peter and Elaine Scott. Peter is our Region Chairman and will bring us the latest news from Head Office.

15th Apr

To be confirmed

For more information about the Inland Waterways Association use the website www.waterways.org.uk or contact Barry Robins on 01482 658254 or 07885941983. For more information on the above meetings contact Roger Bromley on 01482 845099.

The Branch email address is roger.bromley@waterways.org.uk This newsletter is edited by Barry Robins, 90 Carr Lane, Willerby, Hull HU10 6JU. bandrrobins@gmail.com Note: The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Association and should not be construed as such unless so stated.

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If you live within travelling distance of Cottingham please try to get the poster overleaf displayed in a library, shop or other public place.

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Campaigning for the use, maintenance, and restoration of Britain’s inland waterways

FRIDAY 15th JANUARY 2016

CANAL BOATING HOLIDAY? ARE YOU CONSIDERING A HOLIDAY ON THE CANALS? WANT TO KNOW MORE. FIND OUT FROM THE EXPERTS

come to The Methodist Church Hall, Hallgate, Cottingham, East Yorkshire, HU16 4BD 8p.m. to 10.p.m.

Admission:

£2.00

For further details, please contact Roger Bromley on 01482 845099

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