Waterwitch #146 Summer 2011 by Lancaster CanalTrust

Number 146

Summer 2011 Edition

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/

JOHN RENNIE 7th June1761– 4th October 1821 This year marks the birth 250 years ago of John Rennie who designed the Bridges and the Lune Aqueduct for the Lancaster Canal. It is perhaps fitting that this year also sees work commence to restore the Aqueduct and as a tribute to the magnificence of his work it has also been seen fit to carry out access improvements so that more people than ever can stop and admire his work. It should also be remembered that almost all his bridges survive and are able to carry the current EU regulated juggernauts. It is a pity that we allow these monsters to cross his bridges for whilst they may be able take the weight, the drivers of such vehicles seem hell bent on destroying the parapets faster than BW can afford to repair them. Maybe with the new charity based set up for BW will we yet see sponsored Bridges; the „Morrison‟s Bridge‟ or the „ASDA bridge‟ so that money is instantly available to keep up with the repairs! Not much hope of that I fear. What of John Rennie? Rennie was born on 7 June 1761, the fourth son of a prosperous farmer on the Phantassie estate near the village of East Linton, 20 miles east of Edinburgh. He played truant from school to watch what went on at the local millwright's workshop - run by the celebrated mechanic, Andrew Meikle, the inventor of the threshing machine - and began to work there when he was 12 years old, while continuing his education. He studied at Edinburgh University and then worked for Boulton and Watt, a firm based near Birmingham which manufactured steam engines In 1791, Rennie moved to London and set up his own engineering business. His first works were canals, notably the Lancaster Canal, the Kennet & Avon Canal, and the Royal Military Canal, and also improving the drainage of the Norfolk fens. His Lune Aqueduct is classical in style, with rusticated masonry and curved wingwalls, and is over 600ft long. For the piers, volcanic pozzolana powder was imported from Italy and mixed with lime concrete, which enabled the concrete to set under water. The men worked double shifts and night shifts to complete the piers before the 1794/5 winter could bring its floodwaters. The final contract sum for the aqueduct was £48,000, which nearly bankrupted the canal company and forced them to abandon plans for an even bigger structure over the Ribble at Preston. The stonemasons were paid 12 shillings (60p) per week and the Resident Engineer £600 plus expenses per year. The aqueduct bears two inscriptions. On the north side, the inscription reads "To Public Prosperity". On the south is an inscription in Latin: "Things that are wanting are brought together / Things remote are connected / Rivers themselves meet by the assistance of art / To afford new objects of commerce".

Contents

John Rennie Letter from the Editor Chairman's Report Membership News Hello to New members/ Events AGM Notice British Waterways-The Future? Boat Operation Manger’s Report Historic Bridge Awards Helen’s Crossword Working Party Report Letter to the Editor Skipton Waterways Festival A Lancaster Canal Perambulation Carnforth Exhibition From Stainton to London Bridge by Kayak British Waterways Update Trial Pits for ‘6 Furlongs’ Another ‘Plug’ for our restoration! Fuelling stops on the Lanky ‘Owd Nell’s Thank you CENTA 100 club Results

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 13 14 17 18 20 22 23 25 28 29 30 31 32

Welcome to another edition of our thrice yearly Trust magazine. We have had a very good start weather-wise to spring and hopefully this bodes well for summer. We have a full magazine once more and a big thank you for all the contributors for their articles. Mine is the relatively easy task once you get to know the software but it would all be meaningless without your help. Do remember that we will always try to include, if possible & relevant, items from all, members & non-members alike. This year‟s AGM is to take place on the 7th July at the Village Hall, Over Kellet, and we hope that as many members as possible will attend, This year we are starting earlier at 7.30pm and we have an interesting speaker in Prof. Stephen Broomhead who can give us pertinent information of the way forward for British Waterways in his new role as chairman of the trial Local Waterways Partnership for the North West. Regards, David Currington, Editor.

Front Cover: A busy scene at the western end of the Lune Aqueduct during the recent phase of work to restore the whole area. . 3

Chairman’s Report will be marked by a special event here or on another of Rennie’s canals The Trust is continuing to chip away at various aspects of the Northern Reaches restoration, facilitating the forthcoming planning application for Phase 1 in Kendal where we have undertaken to staff some public consultation events, and in our hands -on work in the Stainton area. We have many dedicated and industrious volunteers working on these tasks, but I believe that the restoration of this canal needs a significant growth both in the membership of the Trust and in the proportion of members taking an active role. I’ve said this before and I make no apology for saying it again. Please think in what ways you can help further the aims of the Trust. It doesn’t have to involve heavy digging and lifting, getting hands dirty or boots muddy. There are plenty of other ways in which you can help. You know what your own expertise and skills are; please come forward and tell us what you can offer. And spread the message that the Lancaster Canal is worth preserving and restoring. Persuade friends and neighbours to join up, because there is a clear value in membership numbers when we deal with official bodies for example. If some of those new recruits also become actively involved there’s a double benefit and between us we will get more water in the canal.

The hard winter is now behind us and we seem to have been catapulted straight into summer. Probably by the time you read this we might have gone back to more seasonal spring weather. Maybe we should hope so, because the lack of rain in March & April doesn’t bode too well for maintaining canal water levels over the next months. Water levels were definitely low in the Lune Aqueduct in January & February; the structure was drained for major maintenance work. An open day run by BW in February gave members of the public, including several members of the LCT, the opportunity to walk in the bed of the channel and see close up the splendid masonry of John Rennie’s masterpiece. The whole length of the channel has been pointed and grouted and a new concrete lining constructed at the Halton Road end, all aimed at stopping the leakage which has plagued the structure since it was opened 214 years ago. Later in the year work gets under way on the package of enhancements funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund £1M grant announced in the last Waterwitch. The HLF package includes a new 3year post of Project Officer and this appointment has now been made by BW. We can expect to see more publicity for the canal and the aqueduct and more involvement with community groups. 7th June 2011 is the 250th anniversary of John Rennie’s birth and at the time of writing it is unclear whether this

Richard Trevitt 4

Guide Book Reprint Appeal. The fourth edition of our ever popular guide book was published 3 years ago and has been selling well in all sorts of local and national outlets, on the website, at the trip boat and at all our roadshow locations. We are now planning the next edition which 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

UNPAID MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL & NEW RATES Members are reminded that Membership Renewals were due as from the 1st January 2011. There are still some outstanding. 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 in the Trust to 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

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: M Clark Grange over Sands M Allsop Kidderminster A Lind Preston P Molyneux Carnforth David MG Andrew Lancaster Suzanne and Peter Barnes Kendal Nigel and Wendy Tansley Ambleside

PRESTON GUILD 2012 Plans are underway for a water based event at Haslam Park in conjunction with the Preston Guild celebrations next year (2012). A joint committee has been formed to include representatives of the Trust, IWA, the L C B C, ACE, Friends of Haslam Park and Preston City Council. It is likely the event will be held during the August Bank holiday to include an IWA Campaign Rally in the park area. Further details will become available during the next few months

EVENTS 2011 28th/29th May 18th/19th June 16th July 29th/31st July 30th/31st July 3rd August 8th September 9th September 21st October .

Country Fest, Westmorland Showground, Crooklands Scorton Steam, & Vintage Fair Preston Riversway Festival IWA National Festival, Burton on Trent Flookborough Cartmel Show Westmorland County Show Kendal Torchlight The Boaters Dinner, Crooklands Hotel

A warm welcome awaits all members who visit the stand/coffee mornings - 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

A notice to all members of the Trust of the

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

to be held Thursday 7th July 2011 at Village Hall, Over Kellet, Commencing at 7.30 pm SITUATIONS VACANT Guest Speaker Professor Steven Broomhead Funding Officer - We need someone who will identify and contact the many funding organisations to whom we can apply for grants for a variety of projects and restoration works. Accounting/book-keeping skills would be useful but not essential. FormBroomhead, filling will occupy a major of We are pleased to welcome Professor Steven (Professor part of the task. Time commitEntrepreneurial Education at Liverpool Hope University), who is to be the ments likely to be one or two new chairman of the trial Local Waterways Partnership forseveral the North evenings and daytimeWest. (See Page 8) hours per month. details are available. Steven spent eight years as chief executiveFurther at the Northwest Regional Please contact us our Development Agency, prior to which he was chief executivethrough at Warrington website. or the Magazine Editor Borough Council. He has held the position of chairman at a number of

private and public organisations, and on his recent appointment remarked:

"Our canals and rivers are an important part of our heritage and I am looking forward to working with the local waterway manager and the community to rejuvenate the North West waterways and to safeguard their future." Apologies to: D Currington Hon. Sec 12 Sedbergh Road Kendal Cumbria LA96AD Tel: (01539) 732599, or to dadcurrington@hotmail.com Whilst members may bring guests, only LCT members will be allowed to vote

British Waterways -The future? The Government announced last year that British Waterways (BW) will transfer to a New Waterway Charity (NWC) and currently aims to have the new body up and running by April 2012. Within the governance framework for NWC, it is proposed to have 11 Local Partnerships to help bring local people and local views together with local management. BW currently has a trial partnership running on the Kennet & Avon Canal and is now creating 2 further trials, one in the North West.. This will run up to the time when NWC is established and work with Debbie Lumb, Waterway Manager North West, Professor Steven Broomhead has been appointed Chair in the North West. Below is are extracts from the Terms of Reference

Trial Local Waterway Partnership Terms of Reference Purpose The Local Partnership is an integral part of the team that supports the Waterway Manager in managing the local waterway unit within a defined geographical area. The role of the Partnership is advisory and action-orientated. The local Waterway Manager and Chair of the Partnership will work closely together to harness the knowledge, skills, expertise and wider connections of the Partnership to support and develop waterway planning, management and operations for the benefit of everyone interested in the waterway - users, the community, local business, environment and heritage interests. The Partnership will work with the management team on every aspect of waterway management including: the allocation of available resources for the management and improvement of the waterway the development of the funding, volunteer and other resources for management and improvement of the waterway the balancing of the interests of waterway users, the local community and others with an interest in the waterway championing the interests of the waterway to local political, business and voluntary sector leaders and organisations, funders and others in a position of influence

Membership The Partnership will have a minimum of 8 members with an option to increase this to 12 at the discretion of the Chair of the Partnership. The Waterway Manager will be an ex officio member of the Partnership. The duty of all members of the Partnership will be to act in the best interests of the waterway rather than to represent any particular interests or causes. All members (Continued on page 9)

will be based in the locality, credible and knowledgeable in their area of expertise. All positions will be un-remunerated, but agreed expenses may be reimbursed from the resources of the local waterway. Activities The scope of work undertaken by the Partnership is limited only by their overarching purpose of supporting the most effective and efficient management of the waterway by the management team and the energy and commitment of the membership. However, it is important that the non-executive status of the Partnership is understood and that the management reporting line from the local team to senior management and the main Board, is respected. Programme of Business The Partnership will determine its programme of activity, working with the Waterway Manager to meet local needs and to exploit local opportunities. The following is a short list of actions that a Partnership might wish to consider working closely with the management team. This is for illustration purposes only. Agree a 10-year vision for the waterway Understand and endorse the budget and 3-year business plan for the waterway before this is submitted for incorporation into BWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wider business plan Understand in-year performance against budget and act to support on any emerging issues Endorse and act to support local management decisions in areas such as maintenance spend Endorse and monitor customer service standards Work with the management team to develop an outreach programme to encourage volunteering and waterway-based activity Agree with the Waterway Manager a programme to develop local business sponsorship and act to implement Champion the waterway in political briefings with local politicians Champion volunteering on the waterway and act to extend the reach of volunteer recruitment This is not an exhaustive list. The Partnershipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capacity to forge productive relationships and approaches will be key to their success in, for example, encouraging innovation and fresh insights into how the waterway is managed and relates to local priorities opening-up new funding and sponsorship promoting a broad spectrum of volunteering in all areas of waterway management engaging with waterway users, young people and new audiences In all its activities, the Partnership will need to work closely with the local management team, nurturing and valuing the skills they bring whilst also, where appropriate, encouraging a culture that is welcoming of change, participation and new ways of working. British Waterways April 2011

Boat Operation Manager’s Report history project. TRAINEES: There are four trainees and I am expecting them to be 4 new skippers in June, Susan Harvey, Tony Wheeler, John Lawson and Ian Hill. I offer sincere thanks to Peter Simmonds, Trainer. ECONOMY; At the end of last season we filled up the fuel tank with diesel from Canal Garage at Millness. Looking at todays fuel prices we have saved over £15 and the fuel will last most of the year. BOAT CREW Congratulations to new Skippers John Acres, Steven Lefevre and David Hannigan who have taken up their role with relish and a good contribution to the start of season. It has been a pleasure to see our volunteers old and new working happily and safely together to give our visitors a pleas ant and informative experience and continuing to promote the Trust and its work. Alan Mather, Boat Operations Manager

The Season has had a good start with fine weather, happy trippers and many full boats over the two bank holiday weekends. Waterwitch is running well and after additional ballast and re trimming is a little deeper in the water but with improved handling characteristics especially in reverse or with cross winds. FREIGHT CARRIER; Today Waterwitch made her debut as a freight carrier, read all about it elsewhere in this magazine but I hope someone took some photographs. (sure did, see working party report Ed) It is pleasing to know that Waterwitch has a new role and has become a greater asset to the trust.

MOTHER NATURE;

Spring is ‘bustin’ out all over, lots of new growth, blossom, new ducklings and other water fowl and one cygnet on the new swans nest near the Peasey Beck feeder. By the time you read this there will probably be several more. I have looked for a swans nest at Stainton but not seen one, I am wondering if the pair of swans in the vicinity will equal their feat of last year in succe ssfully raising nine

21st October The Boaters Dinner, Crooklands Hotel

cygnets. CHARTERS; On April 29th we did a picnic party to Stainton and return for a group of ladies from Kendal. A Hen Party! A good time was had by all including the boat crew! For June we have a provisional booking for 58 schoolchildren and a few school staff who want a canal trip as part of their

The Trust’s dedicated number for booking charters is 07961929102 (Continued on page 31)

Historic Bridge and Infrastructure Awards 2010

County Council for their financial support for stone wall training and of course to the many volunteers from LCT and the Waterway Recovery Group who did the work. To put the award in context, nominations were invited for projects involving bridges, aqueducts, tunnels, and other transport-related structures such as retaining walls, locks & wharves. The project must involve the structural maintenance, strengthening, and restoration or conservation of a structure more than 30 years old. It must be within England, Wales or Scotland and must have been completed within two years of the closing date for nominations. The annual award scheme was established in 1998. The 2010 Awards went to: Bideford Long Bridge, Devon Spa Footbridge, Scarborough Stanley Dock Bascule Bridge, Liverpool

Lancaster Canal Trust‟s restoration work at Hincaster Horse Path has been recognised by the Institution of Civil Engineers on 31st March 2011. Although not an outright winner, the project has received a Special Mention along with six other projects sponsored by British Waterways. The Hincaster Horse Path is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and the project includes restoration work on the path‟s bridges and walls. The work is covered by a 5 year maintenance agreement between LCT, BW and English Heritage. Thanks are due to David Currington for his work in negotiating the agreement in 2008, to Paul Shaw for organising the work on site, to Cumbria

Commendations went to: Vale Royal Locks, Weaver Navigation, Northwich Wilford Suspension Bridge, Nottingham The Special Mention to British Waterways was in relation to seven projects which, “although relatively minor in size, have demonstrated as a group an exceptional commitment to maintaining and enhancing engineering heritage”: Willow Cottage Bridge, Caldon Canal Bridge 29, Grand Union Canal Droitwich Barge Canal Sandhill Lock, Pocklington Canal (Continued on page 12)

volunteers, and continue to promote and operate the inland waterways on behalf of the nation. E f f e c t i v e conservation and management of the heritage will be one of its principal aims.” He goes on to say “In the years since British Waterways launched its vision statement, the number of people involved in supporting and volunteering their time and knowledge Above Skilled volunteers from the LCT working at the scheduled to the waterways Hincaster Tunnel has grown. British Below: Skilled volunteers from the L C T repairing a listed Waterways has only bridge. recently started to measure volunteer involvement, but the signs are positive. Lock Ladder Project, Leeds & Volunteer days doubled from 8,000 in Liverpool and Rochdale Canals 2007 to 16,000 in 2008. Bridge 49, South Stratford Canal The Trust was singled out by the Hincaster Horse Path, Lancaster inclusion of two photographs on work Canal on the Lancaster Canal at Hincaster & Braithwaite's Bridge. Richard Trevitt Well done to all involved.

(Continued from page 11)

Also the Trust‟s work has been recognised in yet another national article, this time by Nigel Crowe in BW‟s Heritage-Context Magazine. He writes that “British Waterways, created by the Transport Act 1962, is on the cusp of great change. If all goes according to plan, in 2012 it will cease to be a public corporation and become a charity. It will raise funds like other charities, engage with 12

HELEN’s CROSSWORD Pubs on the Lancaster Canal mentioned in the Guide Across 1 bringing the babies 2 we …… the fields 5 yellow Iris 6 rusty equus 8 male deer 10 under roof furrows 12 chase (or get) water here 13 mythical monster 14 king of the beasts 15 not pigs trotters Down 1 dig with this 3 top of large bird 4 snowy bovine (or rubbish) 7 sit on your horse 9 an easy target 11 uses an anvil

1 2

3 5

4 6

8 9

11 12

Answers page 24

SITUATIONS VACANT Funding Officer - We need someone who will identify and contact the many funding organisations to whom we can apply for grants for a variety of projects and restoration works. Accounting/book-keeping skills would be useful but not essential. Form filling will occupy a major part of the task. Time commitments likely to be one or two evenings and several daytime hours per month. Further details are available. Please contact us through our website. http://www.lancastercanaltrust.org.uk/ 13

Working Party Report Working party volunteers were busy on two Sundays in February and March installing new benches on the canalside. All six new benches between Burton and Millness are now in use. These have been paid for with a grant from the Cumbria Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund with our volunteer time to install them being counted in as match funding. We have already had positive „user feedback‟ from some regular canal walkers. April saw a return to Sellet Hall Bridge and the adjacent canal bed. Several volunteers worked on the pointing of the bridge repairs we did last year. This job had been deferred as it was too cold over the winter to use lime mortar. Meanwhile another group tackled further removal of vegetation encroaching in the canal bed nearby. This is all part of the plan to restore water to this section of the canal. To this end we have also carried out a topographical survey of the dry canal bed between Stainton and Wellheads Lane to determine bank levels and to quantify the removal of infill which has been tipped in this section over the years since it was drained. A mid week working party in May carried out some maintenance work on the steps at the Westmorland 14

Show Ground. These steps were built by LCT several years ago to provide access to the towpath at Old Hall Bridge and are used when we run the trip boat for events at the showground. We restored the steps as good as new in time for the Country Fest on 28 & 29 May. Elsewhere in this edition you will read details of the Historic Bridge and Infrastructure Awards 2010 and the recognition of our work at Hincaster Horse Path. Looking ahead, we are planning another major onslaught on trees which have self-seeded in the masonry of some of the bridges. This will be a long-weekend project on 9-12 September in conjunction with our friends from Waterway Recovery Group. Please put these dates in your diary now and be ready to make a commitment for some or all of this time so that we can plan the work in detail. Watch the website for details. Thanks to everyone who has taken part or intends to take part in our working party activity. If you are not already on the working party email circulation list and would like to be, simply send an email to trevittr@hotmail.com with the subject heading „w/p email list‟. Similarly if you are on the list but would rather not be, let me know. Richard Trevitt (Continued on page 15)

(Continued from page 14)

Top: Installing the last batch of seats near Holme and then testing them for, safety’.

Above: At Sellet Hall Beryl does her girl guides bit to get a fire going,; then ‘hey presto’ it soon becomes a pile of ashes.

Above: Waterwitch is converted to carry aggregate down to Old Hall Bridge. Right: The Steps to the showground are now repaired to a safe condition. (Continued on page 16)

(Continued from page 15)

Working Party, Sellet Hall Top Left & Right: Finishing off the pointing on the renewed parapet. Left: The chain saw makes a great impact on the saplings in the bed of the Canal. Bottom Left: Looking back to Sellet Hall bridge shows steady progress in clearing the saplings, The stumps will be dragged out at a later stage.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR From Ken Broadhurst. The Autumn edition of "Waterwitch" was notable by the paintings by Ian Dunn plus his observations. He mentions the possibility of a Lock Keepers cottage at Tewitfield to the north of the locks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; by an odd coincidence the previous Spring "Waterwitch" carried on the back page a photo of the actual cottage in the "Down memory lane" section. Our new members may not know but the cottage by the bridge at Crooklands is owned by Mr & Mrs Walker and was originally the Lengthmanâ&#x20AC;&#x;s cottage Mrs Walker is the daughter of the last Lock Keeper at Tewitfield and was born and lived there for many years. Her father was Edmund Shuttleworth and his father John was also the lock keeper there. Mrs Walker will tell you that the

cottage was originally part of a farm with shippons and stables as part of the complex. The locks were built on land owned by the Catholic Church and were known as "Priestlands". When the motorway was built the canal closed and Edmund was moved up to Crooklands with his family. He was quite a keen gardener and whenever you go on the south bound trip you will see a large patch of Waterlilies near the end of his garden which were planted by him. When I used to lead walks along the old tramway to the Gunpowder Works I often took people through their garden as the rail line from the bridge curved out onto the roadway by the Coal Yard. If you look closely at the entrance to the coal yard you will still see a piece of the old rail by the roadside as the road tarmac covers the old rail line across the road. Ken Broadhurst

(Thanks Ken Ed)

Have you thought of making a Will to include a legacy to The Lancaster Canal Trust ???? Such a legacy would provide a long lasting memory of your association with this beautiful part of Cumbria and Lancashire linking their history through the present and into the future. For further details please contact: Richard Trevitt Chairman LCT 2 Fern Bank Lancaster LA1 4TT (01524)846303 17

Skipton Waterways Festival 2011 Having been part of the visiting boat fraternity at last year’s festival we had hoped to do the same again, but

provided the theme, with The Wizard of Oz the firm favourite amongst the participants in the Decorated Boat Competition, closely followed by several Paint Your Wagon displays. Sunday evening’s illuminated boat parade was, as ever, one of the highlights. The Raft Race attracted a small entry but a large crowd; worryingly, the Fire Service team recorded the slowest time, coming in well behind the rest of the field! We set up the LCT stand on Monday and interest picked up after a slow start. There were peaks and troughs in visitor

were thwarted by pr oblem s with our vessel’s plumbing! Nevertheless, we attended all three days, basking in brilliant sunshine and blown by strong winds. ‘Musicals’

This Page: Some of the many boats dressed overall for the Theme of ‘Musicals’

(Continued on page 19)

this will result in an increase in our members. Beryl Bowcott, David Slater, Mike and Fran Valiant and new recruit Phil Molyneux provided the staffing, so thanks to all for their efforts. Fran Valiant

(Continued from page 18)

Left: The Trustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stand attracting visitors

numbers throughout the day but we a c h i e v e d a respectable ÂŁ48 in sales and donations, and added more signatures to the petition. Lots of people t o o k a w a y membership leaflets to mull over, so hopefully

Above: The Raft Race approaches Left; The boats looking very resplendent in the night time attire

with the Leeds and Liverpool.

A Lancaster Canal Perambulation

The start of the canal at Preston can take some finding for a stranger but at least the shortening of the cut may serve to spare us some of the more usual trappings of urban canal life such as interesting dog ‘poo’ formations, supermarket trolleys and other bits of unidentifiable floating debris (and some I would prefer not to identify)

Sent in by Nigel Smith As an outsider from the Pennines I was asked if I might pen a few words about my experiences of walking the 56 miles of the Lancaster canal, which I recently undertook in three consecutive days from Preston to Kendal, making breaks at Garstang and Bolton-Le-Sands.

What a great shame our forefathers did not get around to providing us with a watery passage across the Ribble, thus undoubtedly denying posterity of some architectural gem of a magnificent arched aqueduct. But thankfully the link to the National system now prevails via the canalised Savick Brook and the Rufford arm of the Leeds and Liverpool, even if walkers cannot fully appreciate it.

It followed an 8-day hike along the Leeds and Liverpool towpath last year and which before very long and perhaps rather ungraciously I had renamed the "longest dog toilet in the North". I carried a book about the

Despite my first two days being somewhat damp (from above that is) it was a pleasure to enjoy some of the rural charm of this waterway; the nesting swans, the majestic heron and vocal ducks and moorhens keeping me company, whilst the swish of a passing Virgin express and the distant drone of the M6 are for the most part kept at arm's length

Above: The View at Johnson’s Hillock with the end of the Lancaster Canal almost in sight under the bridge to the left Right: The Deep Cutting which ‘can be a little oppressive’ canal with me and at Johnson's Hillock came to realise that the history of the two waterways were very much linked, particularly when the Lancaster chose to share its waters (if that is the right expression)

(Continued on page 21)

(Continued from page 20)

and are never too much of a distraction. The Glasson Dock branch is no less appealing, though I had walked this some years ago and gave it a miss this time. The Deep Cutting can be a little oppressive but serves to demonstrate the engineering skill of Rennie and is more than compensated for soon after by the airy Lune Aqueduct. Indeed the directness of the canal's north-south alignment is quite remarkable. I noticed that the distance by canal is not a great deal further than by road. The Northern Reaches provide some delightful walking in a magnificent landscape setting with enticing Lakeland hills spurring you on, but demonstrate a sad reflection on the state of affairs created by the lack of foresight in the somewhat brutal era of motorway planning and construction. I could not avoid speculating how for a fraction of today's restoration costs, solutions could have been found to accommodate the original canal. As

with so much of our transport system (canals and railways) short-sighted and rash decisions were made in that narrow time band before the full potential of recreation and heritage values to the local economy came to be realised. The forlorn and rather absurd sight of a graceful canal bridge in the middle of a pastoral field of wandering sheep where the canal has been airbrushed out of the picture only serves to reinforce this view. It is a wonderful walk, even in the rain, though it was a little muddy and slippery in places requiring extra skill for the leg muscles. Thanks for the many seats and benches, though as often as not there is never one quite when you need a rest. On the third day the sun fittingly came out, as if perhaps to say that there is hope for the future. I sincerely hope so. The Rochdale canal near my own home was blocked by road schemes and supermarket development in the post war era and through the actions of a Canal Trust and with the help of Local Authorities has now been restored. It shows that once the impetus and enthusiasm is in place results can be achieved. Finally my thanks go to my friends at Bolton-Le-Sands for accommodating and feeding me on my journey and for accompanying me on a long but memorable final day and to my bus pass, which helped me to and from destinations close to the canal each day. Nigel Smith

The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;forlorn and rather absurd sight of graceful canal bridges in the middle of a fieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Many thanks to Nigel for sharing his experiences. Ed

CARNFORTH VISITOR CENTRE EXHIBITION The 17th February 2011 saw the opening of a new Gallery at Carnforth Visitor Centre. The opening exhibition in the Bateman Gallery was a collaboration between Lancaster Canal Trust and Lancashire Museums â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both organisations providing some fascinating displays showing the past, present and future of the local canal network. The exhibition ran for 10 weeks and

From an anonymous photographer!

Do you know this mystery man ? Espied in the frozen wastes of the Lancaster Canal at Bridge 75. There is no reward!

was viewed by in excess of 4000 visitors, many of whom were totally unaware of the good work being achieved by the Trust. Feedback was so good that plans are already being discussed to update and repeat the exhibition sometime in 2012. Further interest in the work of the Canal Trust was evident when, on the last day of the exhibition, David Slater was a guest on the Radio Lancashire afternoon programme when they did a canal feature from Carnforth.

From Stainton to London Bridge by Kayak Peter Woolsey In May this year Peter Woolsey celebrates his 70th birthday and plans to revisit a trip he first made as a 17 year old in 1950. The Inland Waterways Association and The British Canoe Union (BCU) are sponsoring the trip by giving publicity, support and advice. Peter has told us â&#x20AC;&#x153;I first did this trip in 1958 when I was 17 and overly ambitious. It nearly killed me to do the trip in 1958 in 10 days = 40 miles per day + locks and tunnels! This time I'm allowing 15 days or 16 including the initial day travelling from Stainton crossing to Tewitfield. The first trip was done in a Tyne 11 foot folding kayak again with a small trolley (homemade but it survived the trip). On that occasion I camped along the way and carried my tent, sleeping bag, clothes and food with me. I also cooked for myself,. Queens Scout + Duke of Edinburgh's

Award training probably helped me to keep going. I must have been stronger than I knew. I once had to drag myself up the front of a lock gate in the Birmingham area where there was no way I could climb the sheer brick walls to the tow path. I then dragged my kayak up after me. How I did it I do not know but I was so angry and frustrated that somehow I did it. I also found an empty butty barge that night in the middle

The Kayak lent to Peter by sponsors Pyranha in which the attempt will be made.

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of an industrial area and slept in there because there was nowhere to pitch a tent. This 2011 trip should be a little better organised and hopefully more fun. My main concerns are the river Ribble estuary and the weather = risks of wind and rain. Hopefully May/June should be more reasonable. My main message to everyone is that kayaking and canoeing can be very gentle activities, suitable for those over 50 who may have problems with walking. If you can get into and out of a canoe or kayak then the actual act of paddling is not hard and you will find that there are always canals and navigable rivers nearby, over 3000 miles of navigable waterway in England.” Peter is keen to use the trip to assist IWA and the British Canoe Union to promote the increased use of canals and navigable rivers”. Peter was to start from the canal end at Stainton on Friday 27th May. Peter is due to arrive at London Bridge on Sunday 12th June. The rest of the itinerary is: Saturday 28th May, From Tewitfield to Bilsborrow on the Lancaster Canal. (30.5 miles 0 locks) Sunday 29th May, To Rufford on the Leeds & Liverpool Rufford Branch. (25 miles 10 locks) Monday 30th May, (Spring Bank Holiday) To Leigh on the Leeds & Liverpool Leigh Branch. (26.9 miles 0 locks) Tuesday 31st May, To Stockton Heath or Walton area on the Bridgewater Canal. (30.5 miles 0 locks) Wednesday1st June, To Middlewich on the Trent & Mersey Canal. This stage includes the Preston Brook, Saltersford and Barnton Tunnels. (21.8 miles 2 locks) Thursday 2nd June, To Kidsgrove or Etruria on the Trent & Mersey Canal. This stage includes Harecastle Tunnel if the overnight stop is to be Etruria. (13.4 miles

34 locks to Kidsgrove + miles to Etruria 5.4) Friday 3rd June, To Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal. (19.0 miles 18 locks from Etruria) Saturday 4th June, To Tamworth on the Coventry Canal. (23.2 miles 5 locks) Sunday 5th June, To Hawkesbury or Ansty on the Oxford Canal. (21.5 miles 13 locks + 3.8 miles to Ansty) Monday 6th June, To Napton on the Oxford Canal. (24.0 miles 3 locks from Ansty) Tuesday 7th June, To Banbury on the Oxford Canal. (22.3 miles 22 locks) Wednesday 8th June, To Kidlington on the Oxford Canal. (22.3 miles 13 locks) Thursday 9th June, To Benson of Wallingford on the River Thames. (22.4 miles 12 locks to Wallingford) Friday 10th June, Wallingford to Henley on the River Thames. (24 miles – passing through Pangbourne, Reading, Sonning, Shiplake) (25.7 miles 12 locks) Saturday 1th June, To Staines on the River Thames. (29.1 miles 11 locks) Sunday 12th June, To London Bridge on the River Thames. (35.4 miles 7 locks)

(We hope to run another article in the next edition to let members know how he got on, especially on our stretch of Canal We wish him the best of good fortune. Ed)

Helen’s Crossword Answers (page 13) Across 1. Stork 2. Plough 5. Flag 8. Roebuck 10. Plough at Eaves 12. Running Pump 13. Green Dragon 14. Golden Lion 15. Boars Head

Down 1. Shovel 4. White Bull 7. Saddle 9. Sitting Goose 11. Smithy

ritish Waterways

Aqueduct. Phase 1 of the works involved relining the canal channel on the joint between the aqueduct trough and the embankment at the northern point. Large scale masonry repairs were also undertaken to the aqueduct trough, which consisted of specially qualified experts utilising their heritage training to meticulously rake out old mortar and repoint the aqueduct trough accordingly. This work was particularly slow, but due to the aqueductâ&#x20AC;&#x;s Grade I designation the works had to be carried out with complete care and detail. These works have been largely successful, with a positive impact in stemming the leakage that has been gradually getting worse over the last few months The next phase of the works are currently planned for August, and a works programme is currently being agreed upon between British Waterways and May Gurney. Phase 2 will consist of vegetation

Update...

Lune Aqueduct The last edition of Waterwitch informed members of the proposed works to be undertaken on the Lune Aqueduct. We can now update the situation. Following on from a grant of ÂŁ1million pounds by the Heritage Lottery Fund in December 2010, and also additional investment from British Waterways, Lancaster City Council and Lancashire County Council, the first phase of

Above & Right: The dire state of the Aqueduct after the ceaseless attention of the vandals. removal and masonry repairs to the facades of the aqueduct, and also the replacement of the stolen and damaged balustrades that the aqueduct has been blighted by of late. Graffiti removal will also be undertaken. The access improvements will also commence, focusing on the

construction works at the Lune Aqueduct were completed in time for the boating season recommencing in March. Works commenced at the aqueduct immediately after the Christmas holidays on January 5th 2011, with BW term contractors May Gurney setting up their site compound at the north of aqueduct and proceeding with the draining of the canal between bridge 108 and Bulk Road

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steps and the construction of the DDA compliant ramp along the south-western embankment which will allow pedestrians, cyclist and other users to move comfortably between the canal towpath and Millennium cycleway. The Waterwitch magazine will run a further update in the next issue with a more detailed programme of the next phase of works Members of the public in Lancaster were given the opportunity to experience a „behind the scenes‟ tour of

become part of a new „national trust‟ for the waterways will give the public a much greater role in looking after this important part of the nation‟s heritage. I

Above: The beautifully curved stonework in the Aqueduct. Left: Work progressing to ensure a watertight seal at the north end. Below: The painstaking but highly skilled work in repointing the canal lining

repairs to the Lune Aqueduct on the Lancaster Canal. The open day was part of a national £50 million vital makeover of dozens of historic locks, bridges and aqueducts which includes the replacement of over 100 handcrafted oak lock gates. Vince Moran, British Waterways‟ operations director, said: “The recent announcement that England and Wales‟ canals and rivers are to

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hope opening up some of our repairs such as the work on the Lune Aqueduct will give people a chance to see the scale of the work we do to ensure that the waterways are preserved for today‟s users and future generations, as well as gain an appreciation for the magnificent industrial heritage in our care.” British Waterways spends c. £100 million each year maintaining its 2,200mile inland waterway network, work that is funded through a combination of Government grants and income from commercial activities such as property and boat licenses. When British Waterways transfers to a charity, expected to take place in April 2012, funding will come through a long-term contract from Government, commercial revenue and growing charitable income. British Waterways are also pleased to announce that they have now appointed David Hennessey as Lune Aqueduct Community Projects Manager to deliver a series of community based projects in tandem with the rehabilitation of the 200 year old Lune Aqueduct .

Over a period of next three years David will engage with the local communities adjacent to the Lune Aqueduct and Lancaster Canal to create a greater understanding and awareness of the heritage, biodiversity and culture it offers, encouraging greater participation in its future. British Waterways are delighted to appoint David as Community Projects Manager as it will really enable them to drive forward the project to transform the Grade I listed Aqueduct. David‟s main priorities will be to involve the local community in the project through a range of education, conservation, and events which will give the local community more connection with the fantastic asset which is on their doorstep.” Other News BW are continuing to work with Arup on completing our feasibility works re Canal Head and we will be commencing new public consultation in June and July. People should keep their eyes and ears open for press releases detailing venues and times in and around Kendal SH

6 FURLONGS! To advance restoration progress of that part of the canal north of Stainton Crossing Bridge to Well Heads Lane the Trust will be starting an appeal which at present is nick-named the "The 6 Furlong Appeal". It is hoped to be launched during the summer months in time for the show season. The object of the appeal is to raise funds to dig out a preliminary channel, determine the integrity of the bed of the canal, repair as necessary, reline and hopefully put back into water - within an optimistic timescale of about 2 years. That is the plan anyway at this stage. Costings are not yet available so we are not quite able to finalise details of the Appeal ... but watch this space - and get your buckets and spades ready ......" We have already made a start with vegetation clearance and trial pits to ascertain just what is in there, nothing bad so far. Pictures of first trial pits overleaf. TB 27

Trial Pits for 6 Furlongs

5 4 2 3

Another ‘Plug’ for our restoration! Today, at the Sellet Hall Bridge, Angela was really flushed to rediscover the canal drain & its chain. The location had been lost in recent years although a picture of it did appear in this magazine in October 1994. Her endeavours finally paid off

after weeks of trying. There was some informed input as to the likely area but it was the detector „wot‟ did it. Location was assisted by the fact that the beck conduit under the canal was flowing strongly and its junction with the drain exit could

be identified. The plug itself has not been excavated but from what can been seen and felt it is probably a 'flap' type drain hinged on the towpath side. It seems to be firmly closed no cause for loss of water. Lots of areas of the bed had

retained water which rather hampered the survey - no-one had the foresight to bring wellies! Peter Jones 29

Fuelling Stops on the Lanky

‘Owd Nell’s’ Canalside Tavern purchased and extended to b ecome Owd Nel l‟s Canalside Tavern, then selling Tetley Ales, Castlemaine and Moosehead Lagers. In 1987 their involvement with Boddington‟s Bitter, The Left :The front of the ‘Owd Nell’s’ Tavern Cream of Manchester, started before its purchase by the Whitbread Beer Company The tavern is a maze of bars and seating areas for both drinking all day and food at lunch and in the evening and must be able to cater for a large number of customers. I was a little worried that it would be like many other such large establishments and either have no real ale or at best a few poorly kept national brews. But I was wrong. There are, I was told, always nine real ales available some regulars including the own named bitter (very coy about who brewed it) plus several ever changing ales from both well known breweries and some interesting local breweries. I sampled a couple of the local ones, Hart of Preston‟s „Lancashire Best Bitter‟ and „Jack & the Dragon‟ from the Cottage Brewing Co, and very nice they were too. There was a good range of both high & low alcohol levels. For an old grumpy pensioner such as I this is not one place I would necessarily

I decided that I had so far neglected the southern reaches of the Canal and to put this right made my way to Bilsborrow. Here the guide book informed me was „Owd Nell‟s Tavern. I was in for a surprise! Yes, „Owd Nell‟s is a canalside tavern but as their brochure says it is just a part of a complete hamlet. Owned by the same family over several generations it has been developed from the original farmhouse into a tavern place for ‟Eatin‟ Drinkin‟ Stayin‟ Playin & Dancin.‟ History has it that sometime before 1834, School House Farm, the predecessor of the Tavern, was the home to Reverend Thomas Duell, the local vicar at St Peters Church, Brock while his vicarage was being rebuilt after a devastating fire razed his home to the ground. While Reverend Duell was in residence at the farm, he built a Dutch barn to house crops and equipment with money from his parishioners In 1986 School House Farm was

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THANK YOU CENTA Last season on Waterwitch we had a problem with a stripped bolt on the Drive coupling from the gearbox to the prop shaft. This coupling is a flexible unit to allow for variations in alignment and reduce vibration, We installed a helicoil repair to the worn thread, but thought a new coupling would

be a good idea after 13 years or so of running, so a replacement was priced at around £300, I contacted Centa , of Shipley, the manufacturer of marine couplings and they have very kindly donated one to Waterwitch which we fitted during the winter service so I would like to say on behalf of the LCT, a big thank you to everyone at Centa who helped us, and to come along for a cruise if they can this season. The boat has made a great start to the cruising year and we hope to carry more passengers than ever this season. Now I’m trying to find a company that has a machine that tunnels under motorways

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choose for a quiet evening pint. But if I was in a large group and certainly if the grandchildren were involved then it is just the place for a good family outing with good beer to boot. In fine weather there is plenty of canalside seating and the inevitable ducks to feed. There are 65 en-suite Lodges, conference facilities and a Sports Society for a wide range of sporting activities Late night dancing takes place with a resident DJ on a Saturday night. This is a place you have to visit before you can make up your mind, you will either love it or maybe decide it is not for you but my feeling is that it does fill a fairly large niche in a very professional way. Visiting the website at www.guysthatchedhamlet.com will give you a chance to find out and also to see the many other 31

Above: Agnes at the well stocked bar Below: The rest of the real ale brews activities that are up for offer. Still the ales are great! Titus O’Newt

100 Club Prizes: 1st £25; 2nd £15; 3rd £10. Winning Numbers since last Issue 1st

2nd

3rd

February

March

April

May

THE LANCASTER CANAL

Advertising The Recruitment & Promotions Subcommittee have decided to accept appropriate advertising within the Waterwitch magazine. If there are any members who wish to advertise either personally or on behalf of appropriate businesses please contact the Editor by email or by phone. These are shown on page 31 of the Magazine. We would hope to sell whole, half and quarter pages. We can accept ready designed adverts by means of a pdf file or we can hopefully design one ourselves to meet advertisers requirements Rates would be: Quarter page £10 Half page £20 Whole page. £40 32

LANCASTER CANAL TRUST Officers and Committee 2010/11 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) 739105 Membership Secretary

Alan Mather 15, Claughton Ave Bolton BL2 6US (01204) 521031 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

Vacant

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS & OTHER TRUST OFFICERS Trisha Buzzard Publicity Officer & Trip Boat Committee 07802438412

Beryl Bowcott Chairman Recruitment & Promotions (01772) 863418

Alan Mather Boat Operations Manager (01204) 521031

Sandra Henstock (L.C.B.C. Representative) (01253)764171

Affiliated Members Preston Patrick Parish Council Ramblers Association (Preston Area) South Lakeland District Council Water Farm Boat Hire Yealand Conyers Parish council Westmorland & North Lancashire Long Distance Walkers Assoc.

Beetham Parish Council Burton-in-Kendal Parish Council Bury & District Anglers Association Catterall Parish Council Kendal Civic Society Lancaster Canal Boat Club Natland Parish Council Newton with Clifton Parish Council

Corporate Members Arlen Hire Boats

CARP Ltd

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 in September will be 14th August 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

Memory Lane

Fitting out and Launching the newly purchased â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Waterwitchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Below: The official naming ceremony 21st June 1996

Above & Below: Hard at work in 1996 fitting out the brand new Waterwitch

Right: David Slater and Hal Bagot assisting John Disley, (representing sponsors Reebok UK Ltd.), with the honours