Number 145
Winter/Spring 2011
WATERWITCH MAGAZINE OF THE LANCASTER CANAL TRUST
The Lancaster Canal Trust (Registered Charity No.240957 Affiliated to the Inland Waterways Association Ltd.) http://www.lancastercanaltrust.org.uk/
DĂŠjĂ vu Hincaster Horse Path West Accommodation Bridge just before clean up in 1980.
Above: West Accommodation Bridge, Hincaster Horse Path circa1980 West Accommodation Bridge Below: Same view in 2008 just before clean up in 2008
2
Contents Letter from the Editor Chairman's Report Membership News Fuelling Stops on the Lanky Hello to New members/ Events Old Canal thoughts- Ian Dunn Coffee Morning Report Boat Operation mangers Report Working Party Report Helen’s Puzzle A Canal Too Far Crooklands Stables Trust Outing Why Did The Chicken Cross The Canal? British Waterways Update 40 years ago 100 club membership & Results
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 14 14 17 21 22 25 27 28
S
o, another Christmas has come and gone and what a month December was. It upset Trust Committee meetings and made the Waterways Recovery Group weekend a touch and go affair, as can be seen by the photos inside and on the cover. Still, much good work was done by those stalwarts who could get out and a big thank you to all concerned. The Trip Boat has had another good year both financially and passenger wise, after its major lift out and overhaul, and Beryl and her committee are busy lining up another full round of events for the Trust to attend and spread the message. The news from the restoration front is still far from clear, especially with the current round of Government cuts, but all concerned are, including British Waterways and the SLDC, remaining positive and we just need to work through this difficult period as best we can. The Planning Application for the restoration of the Canal bed in phase one is due to be submitted by BW in early in 2011 and the Executive Committee are having consultations with the Restoration Group to try to formally establish a separate company in whose name the application will be submitted. So we may have more good news to report in the next edition. There are still some places left on our Trust outing to the Falkirk Wheel in May next so if you fancy a good day out contact Ken Broadhurst (see page 21). Hopefully, by the time the next edition is published we shall be well into late spring/ early summer and after the coldest December since records began lets hope it is a good one. Regards David Currington Editor Front cover: Sorry to be so gloomy but typical of most of last December was this foggy view of Stainton End in a very much ice bound condition. With thanks to Mike Chase of WRG whose members, believe or not, worked a whole weekend in these atrocious conditions
3
Chairman’s Report Happy New Year! At the turn of the year as I write this, the canal has been frozen up for weeks. Nothing much has moved on the water except for the groups of ducks and swans eagerly swimming around to keep their small patches of water open. However, the towpath has given the opportunity for some delightful walks and cycle rides in the wintry landscape. Just as the thaw sets in three major stoppages present a new limitation on movement for the next month or two: the railway bridge at Capernwray, the Glasson Branch and the Lune Aqueduct. While they are inconvenient for winter cruisers, in the bigger picture they are excellent news for the Lancaster Canal. In these times of huge spending cuts affecting every aspect of our lives it is reassuring for the future of this canal to see that British Waterways are making some significant investments in new gates on the Glasson locks and in major maintenance work on the Grade 1 listed aqueduct. The £2 million from BW’s maintenance budget will pay for relining the channel over the aqueduct and the adjacent embankment, other structural repairs, pointing, cleaning etc. In addition, the recently announced £1 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund will cover other enhancements such as a new ramp access linking the towpath and the River Lune Millennium Park below, other paths and steps, management of vegetation on and around the aqueduct and generally improving its public visibility. Further north, our work on the restoration project is proceeding steadily. The Working Party report in this edition has
the details. The project has had useful media coverage recently in an article in Cumbria Magazine, an interview on BBC Radio Cumbria and a short feature on BBC North west Tonight. On the wider front, I was pleased to be invited to present a joint paper with BW at the October annual conference of the Environment Agency and English Heritage on the theme of Waterways Heritage. BW were a major contributor and one session concentrated on the value of volunteer involvement. Andrew Tegg (BW) and I described the work LCT has done on the Hincaster Horse Path under our formal Maintenance Agreement with English Heritage, the joint BW/LCT repair work to Braithwaite’s Bridge and our own restoration of Sellet Hall Bridge. Other volunteer group speakers covered the ongoing work on Foxton Inclined Plane and the restoration and maintenance work at Bugsworth Basin. I was also able to attend The Waterways Trust annual meeting in November, with the opportunity to do a bit of ‘networking’ as well as learn more about the varied work of TWT. Looking ahead, our publicity team are busy planning our schedule of roadshow appearances at various local and national events. New this year is the Liverpool Boat Show, running from 29th April to 8th May and we hope to be there. It should be a comprehensive event and much nearer for most of us to get to than similar shows in Birmingham and London. The present website set up on behalf of the Lancaster Canal Restoration Project to keep the public informed of restoration progress has, for some time, had problems (Continued on page 5)
4
Guide Book reprint appeal. The fourth edition of our ever popular guide book was published nearly 3 years ago and has been selling well in all sorts of local and national outlets, on the website and at all our roadshow locations. Stocks are now getting down to the point where we have to plan the next edition. This will be a reprint with limited amendments rather than a full revision. We need your feedback! If you have spotted any errors or misprints in the current book, or any information that may have been correct at the time of publication but has since changed, please let us know. Likewise, if you have suggestions for further improvement, now’s the time to speak up. In particular any offers to edit and enhance any of the introductory sections on pages 6 to 20 will be gratefully received. Don’t worry about duplication, or think that someone else is bound to have covered your comments. I’d rather deal with repetition than miss things that ought to be changed. Please be as specific as possible, with reference to page number, paragraph, map etc.You can email your comments to trevittr@hotmail.com with the subject heading ‘Guide Book Reprint’ or post them to me (address at the back of this magazine).
Richard Trevitt
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL & NEW RATES Members are reminded that Membership Renewals were due as from the 1st January 2011. You should also be aware of the new rates which were agreed by your Executive Committee and published in the last edition of Waterwitch. They are: Adult £14; Family £20; Concession £10; Life £150; Affiliate £14 Members who pay by standing order are asked if they could update these as soon as possible to avoid the costs involved by the Trust in having to send out reminders for the balance., Members paying by cheque should sent them to the Membership Secretary, Alan Mather 15, Claughton Ave, BOLTON, BL2 6US (Continued from page 4)
regarding the continuous updating of the information. It has been agreed by all parties that this site will now become a part of the Trust’s own well used, & thanks to Mike Valiant, well updated website. And appropriate Trust members can then keep it up to date. This scheme has now been accepted by all parties and is almost ready to go live. The existing Northern Reaches website address will then be ‘pointed’ to our website so that people looking for Northern Reaches will still automatically find the old site. The NR content will appear under a new tab "Restoration". Reason for this is that anything else we could think of such as "LCRP" or "Partnership" would be meaningless to most visitors - and it has to be short. We'll be able to add information about LCT restoration plans either under this tab, or under the "Trust" tab . Richard Trevitt 5
Fuelling Stops on the Lanky
Longlands Hotel Tewitfield good variety of lagers and plenty of room
I decided, for this edition, to feature a pub and hotel which for some years has been the most northerly n a v i g a b l e canalside pub, ( well if you allow a few hundred yards as being canalside), as it is situated a stones throw from the end of the navigable part of the Lancaster Canal. It is very handy for those mooring up at Tewitfield and for walkers to the flight od disused locks. It is a large hotel with equally large bars and eating areas, but it can get extremely busy at peak periods. There is ample outside seating for the sunny days. On entering the pub dives mainly into two with the bar and pub seating to the left and an eating area with a restaurant feel to the right. The pub is a Free House, and has four real ales; Kirkby Lonsdale Ruskin's Bitter (3.9%) & Black Sheep Best Bitter (3.8%) tend to be regulars plus two more ever changing guests ales. There are a
to get served. Dogs are very welcome in the bar area. A good full menu is available for both those who just need to snack or to those needing more substantial meals. Serving times are noon till 2.30pm and 5.30 till 9.30pm Visitors who may be moored close by or walking early in the area can purchase a full breakfast as a non-resident. The hotel section is indeed a 4star Inn and there are also stone built adjacent cottages available .All in all a fuelling stop to be recommended. DC Left: Sammy & Victoria, (never Vicky I was told), serving up the real ale in fine style.
6
Hello! The Lancaster Canal Trust extends a very warm welcome to the following new members and we hope to see you at some of our events: S.J. Sproat Holme. T Carter Accrington A. Firth Kendal J Almond Kendal R. Porter Lancaster G Kitchen Kendal E Ward Kendal A & L Willows Saddleworth G Augniers Preston J Watson Dumfries L Augniers Preston G Dobbie Dumfries J Mitchell Barrow in Furness S Bamber Darwen J & P Caton Scarborough. D Whiteside Fleetwood B Winter Levens A.Washington Bilsborrow G Greenwood Morecambe T Wheeler Manchester N Catlow Goosnargh C Wilson Garstang. C & L Lowe Chorley S Harvey Grange over Sands G Harker Carnforth
By the way ‌. 20 years ago In the list of new members for the Waterwitch Winter edition of 1990 we find one CH Bagot of Levens Hall, now our esteemed President, and Ian Donald Dunn, who lately has regaled us with drawings and stories of the old days on our Canal.
EVENTS 2011 13th February 13th March 9th April
Working Party tba (check website) Working Party tba (check website) Open Day/Members' Day/Spring Fair at Bilsborrow Village Hall 10th April Working Party tba (check website) 29th April/8th May Liverpool Boat Show. We may have a stand see details at www.liverpoolboatshow .com/ 2nd May Skipton Canal Festival 28th/29th May Country Fest, Westmorland Showground, Crooklands 16th July Preston Riversway Festival 29th/31st July IWA National Festival, Burton on Trent 30th/31st Jully Flookborough 8th September Westmorland County Show 9th September Kendal Torchlight A warm welcome awaits all members who visit the stand - so do come and say hello if you are attending or wish to assist at these events. Please put the dates in your diaries now and if you feel you could help for an hour or two (or a full day) at any of the events please contact Beryl Bowcott on 01772 863418 or bbbowcott@aol.com 7
"walk on” they were off!! But the driver ,who now was now completely legless, forgot to stop ‘whipping-up’ and the coach flew through Kirkby Lonsdale scattering all asunder, The postilion, who should have cleared the way with his horn failed to do so and sprayed the unfortunate public with a fine mist of warm ale. The road south past Kirkby Lonsdale and over Before the luxury of smooth and safe canal travel, the River Lune was by the famous Devils Bridge, horse drawn coach passengers were at the mercy of indifferent drivers, and the maintenance of the coaches intermittent. The Westmorland Gazette in the 19th century reported a" nasty accident at Devils Bridge." It went like this more or less. The south bound fully loaded coach drew onto the Square at Kirkby Lonsdale and stopped outside the Royal Oak Hotel (I think the coach was called ‘The South
ANOTHER IN THE SERIES CANAL MEMORIES by IAN DUNN B.A A.T.D
CANAL NOTES
which was about to see a fast swaying carriage with the unfortunate outsiders, as pale as a snow covered field, Clinging desperately to the rotting wood of the coach, on the south side of the bridge is a sharp lefthand turn, and here the contents of the doomed carriage met their demise. Over it all went, passengers, boxes, dogs and horses all over the place; arms, legs & heads all damaged, the only one who was not hurt seriously was the driver but it was reported in the paper that one stout hearted lady gave him a good thrashing. In due course the driver was hauled before the magistrates of the time and sent to gaol for one year so there that's a lesson. Back to the canal, along its course you would get the odd fisherman. I do not know in the early years of its existence if fishing was
Flyer’), anyway the "four in hand" dis-gorged its jostled and vomit feeling, moaning, cold passengers into the warmth of the hotel where refreshments were taken. The driver, it transpired later had then downed about five tankards filled with strong ale, along with the postilion who blew the horn. The unfortunate passengers regained them positions on the coach, some on top others inside, horses were whipped –up. After a shout of
(Continued on page 9)
8
boats were carried out on the night shift. allowed, (apparently not see poster overleaf Ed) IAN DUNN no doubt you would get the odd one and they may have looked like the drawing in pen and If anyone would like a copy of any of Ian ink. If you moved towards Lancaster, before the Dunn’s pictures that have appeared in editions canal closed down, you would arrive at a hive of of this magazine then he has told me he is industry where maintenance & repair of the happy to let me have them by request a nominal charge to cover costs of printing (Please let me know by letter/email and I will endeavour to arrange them Ed. ) (Continued from page 8)
Coffee morning Report. 23rd October 2010 Silverdale may seem an odd choice as a venue to hold the coffee morning, being remote from the canal compared with other locations we have used in the past, but aren’t we glad we did as it proved to be the most successful venue ever from a fund raising point of view. The hall had needed to be booked almost two years previously, such is the demand and we were warned it would be busy. But we could not have imagined just how busy it would be. By the end of the morning nearly two hundred people had paid to come in. David’s tombola was overwhelmed and had run out of prizes within the first hour, whilst the cake stall, bric a brac and other stalls were doing a roaring trade. It would be nice to 9
think that all t h i s support w a s because of who we are, but we would only be deluding ourselves. Coffee mornings are a tradition in Silverdale – there is one every Saturday of the year and all are well attended, but it is pleasing that so many decided to support our event, raising over £500.We will certainly consider holding another event in Silverdale but have learnt that we will need far more helpers than we had on the day. Our thanks to due to all those members who made items for sale or who worked hard on the day. Sheila Slater
Boat Operation Manager’s Report An enjoyable evening was had by the skippers and their partners (26 in all) at the annual Boatman's Dinner held at Crooklands Hotel on 22 October. As usual, some travelled a great distance to join us, with a special mention to David Brown (on left with glasses right pic) who lives in Northwich, Alan Mather from Bolton, Neil McGarry from Lytham and Ian Treanor from Darwen. Thanks to everyone for their
TRIPBOAT OPERATIONS – A FINANCIAL OVERVIEW During the two years I have been involved with the tripboat operations, a few people have questioned the cost of running Waterwitch, particularly in view of the increase in training required by the change of regulations in autumn 2008. I have therefore reviewed the financial data for the last 6 years (unaudited for 2010) and hope that this information shows that Waterwitch does not drain resources from our main objective, i.e. to restore the canal. Passengers Income Expenditure 2005/06 ? £ 1750? £ 732 2006/07 1191 £ 1931 £ 888 2007/08 1343 £ 1949 £ 933 2008/09 1379 £ 2091 £2425* 2009/10 1334 £ 2002 £5858** 2010/11 1701 £ 3073 £2647** (projected) *2008/09 includes an initial training fee for all existing skippers (£ 1124); **includes £ 4670 for boat refurbishment. If we include a probable similar surplus for 2004/05 (since the last refurbishment in 2003/04) the result is an approximate break-even figure. As you can see, the figures for last summer were very pleasing, and, with the continued hard work of our volunteers, we look forward to further improvements in the coming years. Chris Jones Chairman Boat Operational Sub-Committee
10
Working Party Report
Horse Path for some repair work to the side walls of the path which are suffering from tree-root-assisted dilapidation. This is part of the Trust’s commitment under our 5-year Maintenance Agreement with British Waterways (who own the path) and English Heritage (who administer the Scheduled Ancient Monuments, such as this path). A change to the organisation and management means that we now have a small team of experienced volunteers
Following on from the success of our summer restoration work on Sellet Hall Bridge, we started off the autumn/winter season in September with a further visit to place the large coping stones on the rebuilt parapet walls. Once again we are grateful for the generous mechanical assistance from Groundworks Kendal and James Richardson of Ingleton. October saw a good turnout to do some important housekeeping tasks. At Millness Depot a liner was installed under the roof to keep our important display and publicity material clean, while at Crooklands Stables a new ramp and handrails has improved the Chris Jones working on the ramp improvements at the Stables access from the road to the towpath for people visiting for trips on who will share the tasks of supervising nb Waterwitch. Two of the new benches which have individual working parties. This takes the been obtained with grant funding from pressure off any one individual and the Aggregates Levy scheme were enables us to draw on the wide range of installed on the towpath in November. experience that this team brings in from The six benches in this project all have all sorts of other volunteering activities. to be in the general vicinity of Burton, Thanks to everyone who has taken part Holme and Millness to comply with the or intends to take part in our working terms of the grant. The other four are party activity. If you are not already on due to be installed in February and the working party email circulation list and would like to be, simply send an March. In the first weekend in December our email to trevittr@hotmail.com with the numbers were greatly enhanced by our subject heading ‘w/p friends from Waterway Recovery Group email list’. Similarly if NW for a major onslaught on the you are on the list but vegetation choking the canal bed in the would rather not be, let me know. area of Stainton and Sellet Hall. January saw a revisit to the Hincaster Richard Trevitt 11
Left: Even snow doesn’t stop WRG Below: The new WRG/NW Hi- Viz are modelled
Below: Viv cuts her birthday cake at Lunchtime
Right: Worksite is somewhere ahead in the fog! Below: Lots to be felled
JOINT LCT & WATERWAYS RECOVERY GROUP WEEKEND Dec 4th & 5th 2010
12
Left: There’s no mud but Ju still gets dirty1
Right: Working steadily away from Sellet Hall Bridge
Left: No Working Party is complete without a roaring bonfire and didn’t this one roar.
Above: Felling still, Hincaster bound. Look how far we’ve come! Left: Ju give Tricia some encouragement, It’s all girl power!
13
HELEN’s WORD PUZZLE
See answers page 16
A Canal Too Far? area and his old stomping ground of rural Derbyshire and the Peak District. Needless to say, we spent rather a lot of time in the latter. He was nearing retirement and as we ambled around the Peaks, searching out two buses based in Castleton or pondering the delights of Buxton, he regaled me with his retirement plans. He was an avid canal enthusiast, he was having a narrow boat built and he and his wife would move onto it and “ travel the waterways of Britain.” He made it sound lovely, I was smitten.
It would be 1974. I was working as a management trainee for the Trent bus company based in Derby and the point had come to spend some time with the Area Managers. These guys had wonderful jobs being responsible for areas of the company and being obliged to drive around them and keep in touch. Yes drive, you don’t get to find out all you need to know about a bus if you are on it. Anyway, I was with one of these gentlemen who had the western area. Now the 1970s were a truly dire time for the bus industry, and economies had to be made and his patch was an amalgamation of an urban
(Continued on page 15)
14
(Continued from page 14)
Time for holidays arrived and it was the canals for me. I had a chat with the area manager and he plotted out a two week journey which, it alarms me to confess, was drawn in pencil on a piece of foolscap with no scale. No matter, I was off. A boat was hired from, likely, Shardlow. Now I wasn’t up for a proper job, subsequently a canal enthusiast friend in the bus industry remarked that driving a narrow boat was like steering two single decker buses linked together from the back. So I had, what I suppose the technical term would be, a cabin cruiser with an outboard motor. Frighteningly little instruction was given but to be fair, most clients probably pootled about locally, the incidence of madmen clutching a piece of foolscap covering most of middle England must have been rare. So I set off for Birmingham. I recall the first few days being pleasant enough, most of the lock work was self taught, watching others and it is no doubt a very historic way to enter the UKs second city. Bobbing peacefully amongst the towers of spaghetti junction was an interesting experience. But soon, dodging supermarket trollies partly submerged in the rusty water and constantly having to remove plastic bags from the propeller began to wear a bit thin. It came to a head at a flight in Sparkbrook, an area of Brum I had hitherto avoided. This was said to be locked at sunset, but despite it being about then, it wasn’t. Get it out of the way I thought, so off I went. It was the last one that was locked. So I bedded down for the night in the full lock. The next morning the lock keeper was less than impressed. OK, looking back, it was silly, but it wouldn’t have happened if the first one had been locked. Somewhere near Damsonwood the battery went flat. I set off carrying it to be repaired. Over the next few 15
days, the trousers I had been wearing gradually disintegrated, I’d spilt battery fluid all over them. I was glad to leave Birmingham. Now I know it is, rightly, regarded as a magnificent canal achievement, in many ways the jewel in the crown and I suspect much better now. But, in beer terms, it was like a smokey street corner boozer compared with a rural pub. The Stratford canal beckoned. This was more like it, quaintly named places such as Wootton Wawen and Preston Bagot. At first all went well, it was delightful. Moored up one night it sounded windy. Indeed it was and next morning I awoke to find the boat drifting about in the canal. The wind continued, and I had to cross the Bearley aqueduct bridging a remote valley. The rim of the cast iron trough was only about six inches above water level, and as the towpath is level with the canal bottom, it seems very narrow. Unlike a sturdy canal boat, my cabin cruiser was very exposed. Added to which, the water was choppy making the boat bob around. I was mighty glad to get
that out of the way. It was a relief to moor in the pound opposite the Royal Shakespeare theatre, and a night of the Bard followed by dinner was a welcome recharge. Didn’t have (Continued on page 16)
very ill prepared, had equipment not suited to the job and took on a major task. Nevertheless, the information was there to help me do it. Did I enjoy it ? Well, I began to learn that I am someone to whom the words “adventure” and “holiday” should never appear in the same sentence. A holiday has to start with an aeroplane and involve copious amounts of doing nothing in guaranteed sunshine. I also don’t believe brochures, bikini clad lovelies on the roofs of narrow boats basking in sunshine don’t fool me for one minute. But yes, I’m glad I did it, I learned a new aspect of my country, and more importantly, learned about our industrial heritage, something we are far too casual and dismissive of. Today, boat travel is a streamer on Windermere or Ullswater sipping something dry and white hailing from Chile. And those boats are part of our industrial heritage too.
(Continued from page 15)
far to go home either. I was ready for the River Avon. Or was I ? About to moor up for lunch, I did the classic arms rotating in the air, “Whoa ah ah ah “ splash, in backwards. I’m sure you’ve all done it, but it was my first. The river was running high and fast and after drying and being suitably restored, I discovered that the level had dropped and my steed was stuck on the bank. No more wet clothes, so swimming trunks on and over the side to push her off. It worked but as I followed her in, I realised I was walking over areas usually above water and covered in stinging nettles. Don’t do this at home. And so Tewkesbury and the mighty Severn. And mighty it was, running so high and fast that it was closed to traffic. At this stage, let me say how impressed I was with the licencing, route details and safe channel information that was always available. A whole new world for me. Anyway, it was shortly announced that the river was open and off I set. My, was it running fast. Then the engine ran out of fuel. I grabbed a can, filled up, as the boat twirled around in circles midstream. I was very grateful when she fired up. Arriving at Worcester for the night, I could see moorings clearly marked on the map, but where were they ? Up and down I went, no sign. So I inched to the bank to find them under six inches of water. Jumping over, I secured the boat and waited whilst the level dropped so I didn’t come back to find her hanging sideways over the dock. It didn’t take that long, it is remarkable to be able to see nature in action so close up. Several welcome pints followed. Suffice it to say that returning to the canal network, the boat suffered a breakdown, I felt time was running out to get back when I should have, so I called for rescue. What do we make of all this? Well, I was
Roger Davies 10/2010.
Answer to Helen’s Puzzle (p 14)
16
The Stables, Crooklands The Trust’s now well known centre for Trip boat operations comes of age this later this year. It was not always the w e l l maintained building we have all come to accept. Far from What a mess? it…. Over 17 years ago, in 1993, it was a derelict shell of a building, fast disappearing under a mass of ivy and fallen timber. Drastic action was needed if it was not to go the same way as other stable blocks along the Canal, such as that at Farleton. The Trust was granted permission from British Waterways to commence restoration in late 1993 and after work was completed a full lease was acquired in 1996. With the aid of some grants and a lot of volunteer labour it was saved being a total loss and turned into an important base for the operation of what was then a proposed trip boat and public area for local visitors. Work on Crooklands Stables began in the Autumn of 1993. The aim was to restore a derelict stable block and replant the paddock to create a display area and picnic site. The task to began with the removal of 17
all ivy and undergrowth from the structure and to clear the paddock of rubbish and weeds. The building was stripped of all rotten timber and was completely repointed and re-roofed using some of the original slates. Once the paddock had been cleared of weeds, grass was planted to create a meadow with field poppies and other wild flowers. Picnic tables and seats were t h en provided for public use. Copies of photographs taken at the time have revealed to those of us not around at the time, the terrific amount of work undertaken and the splendid long lasting results that were attained. Plans for possible new work in the paddock have recently been discussed with BW and there has been much said about the removal/ preservation of the mature tree now standing in the centre of the paddock. Clearly, this tree was not around in 1993 . Was it self set or was it planted? What was the building really for? At the time restoration about to commence the following Article was written about the structure. ‘The building was of single storey construction, in limestone, with a pent, slate roof. Entrance is by a single door facing the (Continued on page 18)
(Continued from page 17)
canal of a width sufficient to allow access and egress of one horse at a time, Originally, the building does not appear to have had any windows in its construction, suggesting that the door may originally have been of a barn door type. Research has revealed little of its history, but it appears almost certainly to have had connections with the canal. Its rear wall forms part of the boundary wall between the canal and Clearing the debris, who needed hard hats towpath and the Milnthorpe road, yet & hi-viz jackets and isn’t that a ladder why it was built at this location instead of an expensive scaffold? remains a mystery - there are no other examples of a stable of this size and the north of Crooklands Bridge on the construction detail anywhere else on the North West (towpath) side of the canal. entire length ot the canal, though this is not Some 300 yards further north there are to say that others may not have existed at the remains of a wharf which was some time. In this respect therefore the previously unknown to the Trust until a working party revealed the wharf wall. This stable appears to be unique. Another mysterious feature is its position in together with a large gateway in the respect of sites it may have been built to boundary wall, giving access to the serve. It lies approximately 100 yards to Milnthorpe Road suggests this wharf was built to serve Milnthorpe - but why was the stable not located on the wharf itself? A much better clue lies to the south of Crooklands Bridge where there is another extensive wharf, now used by a local coal merchant. This was originally constructed to serve the gunpowder mills at Gatebeck, a short distance to the east of Crooklands. A tramway was built to transport the gunpowder to be taken away by canal. With the building of the railway through Milnthorpe the tramway was Who is this mighty man? extended, crossing the canal by bridge immediately south of Crooklands (Continued on page 19)
18
(Continued from page 18)
Bridge, the abutments of this being extant from where it followed the Milnthorpe Road to the railway station on the south westerly side of the road. The tramway was operated by horses shod with copper shoes, to prevent sparking and reducing the risk of explosion. However copper would have been too soft for the boat horses on a rough towpath. Another Interesting fact is that the boats which carried the gunpowder from Gatebeck were not used for any other cargo and would have returned empty to this wharf.
New roof going on
Canal -but more importantly the stable furniture has remained in situ and largely intact over the passing of time. However the building is decaying rapidly and is at such an advance state that it is not considered to be worthy of protecting a building of special scientific interest. The Trust, wishes to arrest the decay by repairing the walls and
Lastly the slates
Therefore it seems likely that the stable was built specifically for the horses working the gunpowder boats. The stable was constructed a distance away from the wharf so as not be at risk of causing a spark And finally a nicely dug and levelled paddock from their shoes whilst boats were being loaded, and since the boats would not be travelling further providing a new slate roof which will north, stabling would be required at this protect this unique structure and its fittings for the benefit of generations to come.’ location. DC Whatever the reason the building appears to be a unique feature of the Lancaster (Continued on page 20)
19
to the A6070 road at Farleton Turnpike Bridge, whence a lane leads direct to the kilns. Bagged lime from the kilns could have been taken to the canal, stored in the building and hoisted up to the wharf for loading into boats. The building appears to have incorporated living
(Continued from page 19)
Ed Next edition we may take a visual look at the early boat operations. But then…… A few months ago I received a letter from Gordon Biddle, to whom I thank, & which was held over due to space considerations but now seem relevant to air as another view of the original use of the Crooklands stables. I quote. ‘Recently I attended a lecture entitled Packet Boats to Kendal by Dr Andrew White, when the speaker speculated that the building, (Farleton Stable Buildings), might have served as stables for the packet horses. It is two storeys high, built against canal embankment with ground floor doors on one side and first floor doors leading on to the towing path on the other. We know that stables were built at five miles intervals for changing horses, and because the Farleton building is only about two miles from the old stable restored by the trust at Crooklands it has always seemed to
Towpath side, Farleton Stables
accommodation, doubtless for the ‘wharfinger’. Someone, I cannot remember who, once suggested to me that the building was in fact a packet stable and that the one at Crooklands was not for canal horses at all but for Gatebeck tramway horses, the line having passed alongside it with a siding on to the wharf, but if that were the case why would there be a need to change horses? The tramway was only three to four miles long, with no steep gradients and well within the capacity of a horse hauling a single wagon. So I am back to the theory that the Crooklands stables were for packet boat horses and the Farleton building was for the lime trade. Large scale Ordnance Survey maps show the Farleton building, but with no clue as to its purpose. However, many years ago when I was researching the history of the canal I was able to see a set of 2chains to the inch plans of the canal dated about 1880 which showed everything in great detail. They were
The rear undercroft entrance
me that the Farleton building was more likely to have been used in connection with the extensive lime traffic from the various limekilns nearby. A broad track, wide enough for a horse and cart, runs from it alongside the canal
(Continued on page 21)
20
(Continued from page 20)
kept by British Waterways at its Leeds office, in the days when the Lancaster was controlled from there, and in spare time I steadily worked my way through them northwards, making notes about features of interest. Unfortunately my job took me away from the north of England before I reached Farleton. I can't remember the details and all my notes have long since gone to the Lancashire Record Office at Preston, but if the plans
still exist somewhere in British Waterways archives they would probably give the answer. Is there someone in the trust or at BW who could find out? Yours sincerely Gordon Biddle Ed. I think we have a large scale plan within the Trust. We will try to ascertain the position. No doubt there are other members out there who have their own
Lancaster Canal Trust Outing to The Falkirk Wheel. Saturday May 14th 2011. There are still few places left on this LCT trip to Falkirk, including: a 50 minute trip through the Wheel and along the new canal spur. The coach (Messrs Bibby,s) will leave Lancaster at 7.30am (Subject to change !)picking up at Carnforth, Burton, Holme and Milnthorpe. A stop will be made at Moffat and on to Falkirk to arrive 12.00 to 12.30. £30.00 each person.
J.K.Broadhurst 01524 781604. ‘Seatoller’, Vicarage Lane, Burton in Kendal, Carnforth . LA6 1 NW. Please keep the above for your information. Thank you for your interest we look forward to your support. Bookings for Lancaster Canal Trust Outing to The Falkirk Wheel. Saturday May 14th 2011. Please book ________________ tickets (Member of L.C.T.) Yes/No. Mr/Mrs/Ms ______________________________________ Address_________________________________________ Post Code _______________________
Phone No
Payment Deposit (£10.00 each) £______ (Payable to Lancaster Canal Trust Fall Amount (£30.00 each> £ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Signature _____________________________________ Date. S.A.E. Appreciated. Use of Coach -1 /We would like to be picked up at ___________________
21
including Dutch barges and working boats, had formed a temporary waterborne village. As this was our first visit to the show by water, it felt quite different to be residents of an instant community. Arriving on site in the early evening, we made a splash as we moored up on our trot of six boats abreast when the Captain fell in! Fortunately we were in the bankside shallows so he heaved himself out with no ill effects beyond wet clothing but the crew was in shock for 24 hours. LCT’s presence at the show has been documented in Pat Clapham’s lively report (WW Autumn 2010 edition). We stayed on as the festival ended and spent a quiet day exploring Pangbourne and the zoo, gardens and model boat collection at Beale Park itself. The journey home began through familiar territory as we had done this section of the Thames before, though this time we continued on the river instead of going via Isis Lock onto the Oxford Can a l. T he re were superb meadow vistas as we passed Godstow Priory and we were fascinated by the operation of King’s Lock which still retains its slightly unusual manual paddle gear.
Why Did The Chicken Cross The Canal? Fran and Mike’s Cruise Part 2 You left us sitting out a rainstorm in Henley en route to the IWA National, after an eventful journey southward. Boaters were not the only folk aiming for the Reading area as next day we saw thousands upon thousands of music fans heading for the annual rock festival. Locals displayed entrepreneurial spirit; it seemed anyone who owned a small dinghy was plying for hire as a watertaxi or ferry to beat the queues! We hit a queue of our own at Caversham Lock. as boats were now massing for the final approach to Beale Park, and had to hover in mid-stream for about an hour and half to wait our turn.. At the festival venue over 500 boats,
Moored under the trees near Days lock on the Thames
(Continued on page 23)
22
(Continued from page 22)
We hit a bottleneck on the narrow Duke’s Cut and had to merge into the queue going north on the Southern Oxford as, despite the staggered withdrawal from Beale Park, there was still an unusually large number of boats using the navigation. It was slow going through the locks, though at Somerton Deep Lock the delay was due more to animal antics than congestion. Having just assisted a boat crew going in the opposite direction and found the gear very stiff, we were glad to spot another boat approaching who might help us through. While the boat was in the lock, a chicken emerged from the hedge and scuttled to the canal edge by the lock gate. Teetering on the brink, it was panicked into trying to fly to the other side but, being a chicken, it missed. The lady from the other boat knelt to scoop it out, whereupon it scuttled into the hedge on the other side and remained there with its head stuck int o t he bushes, presumab ly embarrassed by the whole incident. All this mayhem had excited the dogs from the other boat, one of which attempted to run back across the across the narrow lock gate ledge and it, too, promptly fell in. More scooping and scuttling and by this time we were
Newark lock and castle on the Trent
all in stitches, falling about with mirth. Back at Braunston we had to post off our generator for repair again, it having failed once more, so the Crick Tunnel passed by in a flurry of hand washing as we could not use the machine. We were the star turn for a coach party of gongoozlers at the Foxton flight who quizzed us about the serenity of ‘barge’ life. Next day at Kibworth was a very different story as we had problems with drained pounds and leaks and had to do a lot of juggling with paddles and gates to make forward progress. All this in the rain, so not very serene! The news from the Leeds-Liverpool regarding water shortages and closures was still not good, so we had decided to return via a quicker and shorter route by way of the Rivers Trent and Aire, approaching Skipton from the east. At this point the crew mutinied, daunted by the prospect of (Continued on page 24)
23
was deemed the best. From Leeds it was a short three day hop back to Skipton. Although we had done this stretch several times before, we had a new experience at Field Triple Lock where we crossed over in the middle chamber with a boat going the other way. The Bingley Three and Five Rises are always different; this time we had some Aussie tourists watching our ascent who were full of questions and amazed at these engineering wonders of the waterways. Journey’s end was on September 28, three months to the day since we had set out on our epic voyage. Doing the National by boat was an experience we would definitely repeat, so next July will see us mooring up in Burton-on-Trent. M&F V
(Continued from page 23)
tideways, huge locks and seagoing vessels dominating the waterway. Fortunately, a post on the Canal World website resulted in the arrival of Hairy Neil who crewed the boat from Loughborough to Leeds while Fran went home. The Trent is far more rural than the Thames with very limited mooring and so tends to be a through route rather than a destination in itself. The tidal section requires a degree of planning to ensure that you time your passage to be with the tide and not against it, and have the necessary charts to make sure you are in the main channel and avoid the shallows and sunken islands. From the last Trent lock down to Keadby, where you leave the Trent and join the Stainforth and Keadby canal, takes about 9 hours cruising time with an overnight stop at Gainsborough. Here, the rise and fall of the river with the tide can be up to 9 feet and so the use of the floating pontoon is mandatory. The captain and relief crew arrived in Leeds after 6 days having followed an itinerary which included a good number of real ale pubs, of which the Eight Jolly Brewers at Gainsborough
Some of the 500 boats at the IWA National
24
B
ritish Waterways
canal lining to seal leakage at the interface between the aqueduct and the North embankment. Phase 2 Engineering Works (November – March 2012) - Repairs to the aqueduct’s masonry canal trough to seal leakage, structural repairs and replacement of canal bank protection on adjacent embankments. The above engineering works will be completed during the traditional winter stoppage season. Additional Works to the structure will either be done during this stoppage season or if the possible, during the regular boating season. The additional enhancements will include; - The restoration of historic masonry and stonework, inc. balustrade repairs, vegetation removal, repointing and graffiti removal. - Access improvements between the canal aqueduct and the River Lune as well as resurfacing canal towpaths, replacing fencing and providing interpretation signage. - Landscaping a 2km area of the river corridor, which will increase the prominence of the aqueduct against the landscape. - Educational, training and volunteering activities
Update...
Lune Aqueduct Update British Waterways submitted detailed plans to the Hertigage Lottery Fund in September following two years of studies and surveys to develop a plan to restore the iconic Aqueduct into its former glory. In December their proposals were given the green light with the awarding of a £1m HLF grant Nearly 250 years since the birth of famous canal engineer John Rennie who revolutionised canal engineering and created arguably his finest structure, the Lune Aqueduct is set for a 21st Century makeover. The Lune Aqueduct has been awarded a grant to transform the 200 year old Grade I listed structure which carries the picturesque Lancaster Canal over the River Lune. British Waterways will match fund the project with £1.25million funding with contributions from Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster Canal Trust. The proposed programme of works will be split over two phases commencing immediately and will include; Phase 1 Engineering Works (January – March 2011) - Installation of a reinforced concrete
(Continued on page 27)
25
26
(Continued from page 25)
- Create a visitor car park - We will also employ a full-time project officer on the site to oversee a range of activities on site over a three year period and to contribute to volunteer development on the canal. The scheme will be completed with an interpretation plan tied to the ca-
nal heritage and environment which will include a teaching resource aimed at the local schools. The plans will add value to the hertiage rich city of Lancaster and make the Grade I listed aqueduct more accessible and visually appealing to visitors, in addition to underpinning the structural integrity of the historic aqueduct for decades to come.
40 Years ago In edition 13 of Waterwitch for Autumn 1970 the following article appeared. We have also found a photo of this event which is also reproduced. MILESTONE RESTORATION The wooden replica plaques are now ready for fixing on the milestone at Ingol, but first the stone itself has to be treated and then coated with white Snowcem or similar material, which means that fine weather, free from frost, is needed. As soon as this has been done, the plaques can be fixed and the restored stone displayed for inspection by British Waterways who, if they are satisfied with the work, have indicated that they will give us permission to carry on with the rest. The whole job, will, of
27
course, take several years to complete, but meanwhile most of the stones have been located thanks to the efforts of Messrs Gavan and Slater and the kind cooperation of the County Archivist and his staff at the Record Office, Preston, who have placed their set of early Ordnance maps at our disposal for this purpose. The plaques are intended to replace the old iron ones which were removed during the war and later scrapped. North of Lancaster the task will be easier, where the distances are cut in the stone and so need only painting in. Arrangements are in : hand with our member John Todds, of Bolton-le-Sands, to form a small working party to commence restoration north of Lancaster.
THAMES ROWERS CRUISE THE CANAL by Cliff Colborne; photos by Sue Milton In July, a small flotilla of Thames Traditional Boat Society craft visited the Lancaster Canal as part of their annual summer cruise. The TTBS exists to promote the preservation, building and use of traditional wooden unpowered craft. Those visiting included seven clinker skiffs, a gig (which is similar but of different construction), a clinker dinghy, a genuine Canadian canoe, and another canoe built by a boatbuilder member which can be paddled, rowed or sailed. They were owned and crewed by a total of twenty-one Members, of whom five couples camped in their boats. Others had tents, some were in campervans, and a few stayed first at Olde Duncombe Guest House, and later at Longlands Hotel, Tewitfield.. Sue and I had recce'd by road the previous year, and again by narrowboat via the Ribble Link in May, to identify launching sites and find the very few places to camp where the towpath was wide enough without obstructing it for walkers and cyclists, plus pub stops for lunches, tea and coffee breaks, and evening meals when not cooking on board. We also sought interesting places to 28
visit on free days. The Lancaster Canal Guide was invaluable, with much information not found in Nicholson's which we also used. We trailed the boats by road on Saturday 24th or Sunday and launched at the very helpful Moons Bridge Marina, before rowing back to The Hand and Dagger for the first night's camp, because new Landlords Michael and Karen had been so helpful on our recce by agreeing to let us store the cars trailers for a week. We had booked the rear restaurant area for a group meal there, which was excellent value and quality. After a rainy night, several campers chose to return for breakfast as well. On Monday, we rowed the 7 miles to Owd Nell's Tavern, mainly in rain, where as well as sampling the wide range of brews, several crews bought lunch. Garstang was scheduled for a tea or beer break and exploration, but due to the lack of moorings which we could watch from the pub (whoever thought of blocking the entire frontage of Th'Owd Tithe Barn with long-term moorings?), we continued to Grieve's Farm by Bridge 73 for the second night. Here, we were able to moor all the boats on a good, mown towpath with the tents and campervans together on the small caravan site. We had been very lucky to find this during the recce, as there's no (Continued on page 29)
(Continued from page 28)
mention of it in the Guide, and the other sites mentioned in our older edition have now become permanent holiday parks. The Proprietors couldn't have been more helpful, and had agreed the use of some hard standing for barbecues, the adjacent function room to eat and shelter from the wind and rain, and use of facilities by the whole party, as well as letting us temporarily store our campervan and trailer On Tuesday, we rowed on to the Canalside Craft Centre at Galgate,
where some bought lunch or hot soup while others visited the pub or ate aboard. In the afternoon, we sculled down the Glasson Branch, where another Member's skiff joined us, having launched at Thurnham Mill where its crew were staying. Several of the locks had paddles not working, just as they had been back in May. Do BW do no repairs? (And why is their local office at Galgate Marina disguised as a cottage, without signage?)
After crossing the choppy Glasson Basin, the boat campers used the grassy overnight moorings on the far side, and the tents and campervans pitched discreetly where the long term moorers park. Most people wandered around the dock, studied
the interpretive signs, visited the herring smokehouse, and walked up to the viewpoint. Again some patronised the pubs. It rained again overnight. After drying the tents and covers, we returned up the branch on Wednesday. On reaching Galgate, boats were moored and tents set up on a wide bit of towpath near the Craft Centre. Lunch and beer arrangements were repeated, and the afternoon was free for those who wished to take the bus to Garstang for the exploration and shopping previously missed. Others used the (Continued on page 30)
29
(Continued from page 29)
Spar store in Galgate. Thursday 29th remained dry but chilly, and we rowed the four miles to Lancaster for lunch at the Water Witch. With the Ribble Link closed due to water shortage on the Leeds & Liverpool, the moorings, as elsewhere, were almost deserted. We sat outside in the sun! After a couple of hours, during which some made a preliminary foray into the town, we rowed on
between the fine historic buildings to the Lune Aqueduct, where we moored awhile to view it from below. U nf or t un at el y som e o f t h e balustrade had been vandalised since May, and replaced by ugly red plastic fencing. A skiff's sculls are slightly too long to row across comfortably, so one Member decided to hand-tow, ending up with about six of them in long string, while their crews relaxed!. The crews camped by the picnic 30
tables before Hest Bank, but were dismayed to find the loos closed due, apparently, to a dispute between the local authority and BWB as to who should fund repairs. What should
have been the landing stage for the Hotel (where many of us ate) was reserved for the Packet Boat, as indeed were several other good spots. We wouldn't have minded if the boat were actually running, but when we saw it neglected on its mooring we were sad and annoyed in equal measure. We campervanners crossed the railway and hid beyond the houses virtually on the beach. In fact, we stayed there for two nights, as Friday was planned as a free day to either laze on the beach or visit nearby attractions. As it rained all day, there were no takers for the beach option, though several people walked to Morecambe. Others took buses (Continued on page 31)
(Continued from page 30)
there, or to Lancaster for the Maritime Museum, or Carnforth for the Brief Encounter experience and the fascinating exhibition in the old station. A couple even took a return train ride to Barrow in Furness just to be in the dry! Our final day was dry, and we enjoyed the occasional views across the vast sands of Morecambe Bay and towards the crags of the Lake District. Mid morning found us in The Canal Turn at Carnforth for coffee (or beer) before rowing the final four and a half miles to Tewitfield, where we were booked in for an end-of- cruise lunch at Longlands Hotel. The afternoon was spent walking up the locks, pulling out the boats which
were not being slept upon, fetching cars and trailers from the Hand and Dagger and preparing for the morrow's departure for Lake Windermere and the second week of our cruise. Unusual though the sight of our 31
boats was, this was not the first visit by alien craft. One Member rowed the Canal by skiff in the heat and drought of 1984 from Carnforth to Preston, eating and overnighting in mainly expensive hotels. He described its beauty and the friendliness of everyone, but also its shortcomings: reeds and yellow lilies from bank to bank in places, and constant fouling on stones and gravel. The intended slipway at Catforth was unusable as the boatyard had closed and a large residential narrow boat was moored across it. About fifteen years ago, a party including some of this year's participants had sculled and camped from Tewitfield to Moons Bridge, mainly in the rain. Then as now they expressed sadness at the loss of line beyond Tewitfield, but we all hope that after another fifteen we shall be able to continue up the locks to Kendal. Mind you, some of us will be over 80 by then. Hope the locks won't be too heavy!
100 Club 2010/11 Membership If your name is not on the list you are not in! This is the list that came into being for the monthly draws from last July. If you think you should be in, but your name is not on the list, or if you want to join, please get in touch with me. I would also appreciate Nos 17, 21, 35 & 36 contacting me as I do not have your details but you have paid your subscriptions. There is also one anonymous mystery person who has made a payment but I do not know who you are. The 100 Club provides 11 monthly draws of £25, £15 & £10 and 1 draw, made at the AGM, of £100, £50 & £25 Cath Davenport (100 Club Organiser) Tel (015395) 67250
1Jack Skimming 2Gerry Stokes 3Bob Seed 4Blank 5Sheila Slater 6Cath Davenport 7Mike Wilkinson 8Nick Brown 9Martyn Clapham 10Gerry Stokes 11David Shepherd 12Richard Ogilvy 13Don Cook 14Fred Butterworth 15Pat Clapham 16Edna Sibbert 17D E Penny 18John Bailey 19Gerald Rigby 20Bill Wappett 21P J Best 22Joan Wilkinson 23Liz Phillips 24Howard Broomby 25Angela Broomby
26 David Currington 27 John Davenport 28 Nellie Geere 29 Mark Houghton 30 Frank Sanderson 31 E Ann Allwright 32 Frank Hodson 33 John Muncaster 34 John Muncaster 35 Dadson 36 Bates 37 Blank 38 Blank 39 Blank 40 Neil McGarry 41 Alec Hornby 42 Janet Hornby 43 Reg Phillips 44 Elizabeth Jackson 45 Gordon Clapham 46 Sandra Henstock 47 Joyce Woodhouse 48 Anthony Greer 49 G. Alan Wilson 50 G W Jones
51M E Fitzherbert Brockholes 52David Currington 53Keith Bye 54Angela Acott 55Nellie Fogg 56Peter Jones 57Keith Midgley 58Gillian Greer 59Beryl Bowcott 60Peter Thomas 61Helen Thomas 62Tony Fisher 63Kathleen Hughes 64Ken Broadhurst 65Ken Broadhurst 66Cath Davenport 67Elsie Gregg 68John Caley 69Hal Bagot 70Ian Hill 71Bill Dixon 72Sue Dixon 73Kathleen Hughes 74William Stock 75Doreen Stock
32
76William Stock 77Blank 78Blank 79W James Waring 80Eric Golden 81Dilys Golden 82Jeff Dunn 83Adrian Hughes 84Blank 85Blank 86Blank 87Blank 88Angela Seed 89Frank Sanderson 90Sue Sanderson 91Alistair Gregory 92Mark Houghton 93Richard Trevitt 94Blank 95John Taylor 96Blank 97Blank 98Blank 99Blank 100Blank
100 Club Prizes: 1st £25; 2nd £15; 3rd £10. Winning Numbers since last Issue Members of the 100 club may remember that there were delays by our Bank when transferring account details of our new Treasurer (nothing new there then!) Numbers were drawn but not published until this matter was resolved. All winners should now have been notifies but below are the winning number for all members to see.
1st
2nd
3rd
July
21
7
90
August
6
100
62
September
35
5
13
October
50
36
22
November
95
14
83
December
98
48
9
January
99
64
50
THE LANCASTER CANAL
33
LANCASTER CANAL TRUST Officers and Committee August 2010 President
C.H.Bagot J.P. F.R.I.C.S.,D.L Vice - Presidents
John Gavan David Slater Chairman
Richard Trevitt 2 Fern Bank, Lancaster. LAI 4TT (01524) 846303 Vice - Chairman
Helen Thomas 7 Bay View, Over Kellet, Carnforth, LA6 1DR (01524) 735504 Secretary
David Currington 12 Sedbergh Road Kendal LA9 6AD (01539) 732599 Treasurer
Peter Smith 14 Blencathra Gardens Kendal LA9 7HL (01539) Membership Secretary
Alan Mather 15, Claughton Ave Bolton BL2 6US Public Relations Officer
Trisha Buzzard 07802438412 Waterwitch Editor
David Currington 12 Sedbergh Road Kendal LA9 6AD (01539) 732599 Working Party Organiser
Richard Trevitt 2 Fern Bank, Lancaster. LAI 4TT (01524) 846303 Grants Officer
Chris Jones Apt 305, Liberty House, Yard 5, Highgate, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4BU 07816 874563
34
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS & OTHER TRUST OFFICERS BerylBowcott Chairman Recruitment & Promotions
Trisha Buzzard 07802438412 Publicity Officer & Trip Boat Committee
Sandra Henstock (L.C.B.C. Representative) (01253)764171
Alan Mather Acting Boat Operations Manager (01204) 521031
Affiliated Members Newton with Clifton Parish Council Preston Patrick Parish Council Ramblers Association (Preston Area) Water Farm Boat hire South Lakeland District Council Westmorland & North Lancashire
Beetham Parish Council Bury & District Anglers Association Catterall Parish Council C.A.R.P. Ltd Lancaster Canal Boat Club Natland Parish Council
Corporate Members Arlen Hire Boats
CARP
Waterwitch is copyright 2011, published by The Lancaster Canal Trust (Registered Charity No. 240957) c/o David Currington, 12 Sedbergh Road, Kendal, LA9 6AD The Lancaster Canal Trust may not agree with the 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 the Trust accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine. The editor retains the right to edit any article or letter submitted for publication.
Visit LCT website at:
http://www.lancastercanaltrust.org.uk/
The deadline for contributions to the next edition of Waterwitch will be 30th April 2011 Contributions may be e-mailed to dadcurrington@hotmail.com Or by post to David Currington 12 Sedbergh Road Kendal, Cumbria LA9 6AD Printed by Kent Valley Colour Printers, Kendal. (01539)741344
35
Déjà vu Hincaster Horse Path East Accommodation Bridge during clean up in 1980
East Accommodation Bridge just before clean up in 2008
T’was ever thus! See you again in 28 years! 36