175 Butty Summer 2006 by Harris Naylor Associates

The Kennet & Avon Canal’s own magazine

the

No. 175 Summer 2006 £2.50

Butty The IWA story continues

A canalside walk at Hungerford Honeystreet Wharf, one of the K&A’s lost wharves

Working to protect, to enhance and to promote The Kennet & Avon Canal

Newbury Boat Company Moorings Permanent non-residential and temporary cruising moorings with good security at three sites in Newbury all within walking distance of the town. Resident staff at all sites. Tel: 01635 42884 email: newburyboatco@dial.pipex.com The river at Lock Cottage moorings

All-Aboard Marine Services Dry Dock/Repairs and Maintenance for hull blacking, welding, anode replacement, surveys and hull maintenance. Also available for DIY

All types of boat repairs and maintenance including Boat Safety Examinations

Tel: Paul Hutley â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 01635 37606 email: paul@aamarine.co.uk Ham Manor Basin from the river

Greenham Canal Services At Greenham Island Between Greenham Lock and Newbury Lock

Boat Services/Chandlery, Diesel, Pumpout, Calor Gas, Coal etc. Souvenirs and ice cream

Tel: Val or Peter Taylor â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 01635 31672 email: enquiries@canal-services.com Greenham Island

Newbury Boat Company Greenham Lock Cottage, Ampere Road, Newbury, RG14 5SN 2

the

Butty The magazine for the Kennet & Avon Canal

Cover photograph: Walking near Milkhouse Water in the Pewsey Vale

contents 5

6 pages of news from the K&A

The lost wharves of the K&A — Honeystreeet

Ginny Barlow — Signwriter

Claverton Dam — repairing the water-wheel

Integrated transport along the K&A

A walk at Hungerford and Kintbury

The IWA — the story continues

Bath Branch open day

Ruth Dawkins — her work for the Trust

No. 175 Summer 2006 Picture by Bob Naylor

The Trust and its aims The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust has three separate but complementary objectives: • To protect the newly restored Canal from neglect, abuse and inappropriate developments. • To enhance the Canal, either by the direct application of Trust funds or, more likely, to unlock larger amounts through matched funding. • To promote the Canal as a magnificent national amenity that is freely available for the enjoyment of all. It was The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust (through its predecessor organisations) that fought successfully to save the Canal from formal abandonment in the mid1950s. Through physical effort, innovative fund-raising and persistent political pressure, the Trust led the campaign that resulted in the Canal’s re-opening for through navigation in 1990 and the subsequent £30 million restoration project from 1996 to 2003. The Canal’s infrastructure is now in a condition that will support sustained operations for many decades ahead. The Trust’s membership reflects the wide range of leisure activities – boating, walking, cycling, fishing, pursuit of wildlife and heritage interests – that the public can enjoy along the length of the 87 miles of Canal. Together, we are “The Friends of the Kennet and Avon”. The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust Devizes Wharf Couch Lane Devizes Wiltshire SN10 1EB. 01380 721279 01380 727870 (fax) www.katrust.org President Sir Anthony Durant Vice Presidents Sir William Benyon Peter Collins Donald Collinson Michael Corfield The Rt Hon The Earl Jellicoe Michael Goodenough David Lamb Admiral Sir William O'Brien Philip Ogden Brian Oram Sir Frank Price Prunella Scales Sir John Smith Timothy West Chairman Brian Poulton Company Secretary Fleur de Rhé-Philipe Administrator Mo Crossley e-mail: asstadmin@btconnect.com Hon Treasurer John Heffer Hon Civil Engineer Michael Lee Museum Curator Warren Berry

Trust Council David Copley Michael Davis Fleur de Rhé-Philipe Graeme Dewhirst Peter Dunn Bill Fisher John Forbes John Heffer Roger Hollands John Kirby Ray Knowles Michael Lee John Maciver Brian Poulton Editor Di Harris Pear Tree Studio High Street Urchfont Devizes SN10 4QH 01380 840584 01380 840954 (fax) 07711 367124 di@thebutty.co.uk Editorial, Design & layout Bob Naylor 07788 134901 bob@thebutty.co.uk For Advertising Contact Di Harris or Bob Naylor Printers BAS Printers Premier Way Abbey Park Industrial Estate Romsey Hampshire SO51 9AQ 01794 834605

Contributions Articles and photographs are welcome. Please contact the Editor to discuss your ideas before submitting them. Whilst every care is taken with all material submitted, neither the Editor nor the publisher can take responsibility for loss or damage. Disclaimer Views expressed in The Butty are not necessarily those of the Editor nor of the Trust. Registered Charity The Trust is a registered charity (No CC209206) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England (No 726331) at the above address. The Butty is published by The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust of the same address. Data Protection Act The Trust is registered under the Data Protection Act 1984, reference SO46307X. Subject access requests should be directed to the Trust office in Devizes. Copy deadline for The Butty No 176, Autumn 2006 Tuesday 16th July 2006

Plus regular features and branch news 4 Chairman’s report, 11 BW update, 12 Marketing report, 13 Safety report and Museum news, 17 Wilts & Berks news, 18 Obituary, 26 Cotswold Canals, 27 Wildlife, 29 Branch reports, 35 Reviews, 36 Letters to the Editor, 37 Page for younger readers, 38 What’s on and Unclassified ads, 39 Crossword

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Butty

No. 175 Summer 2006

Chairman’s Report

New Trust staff

Brian Poulton

BW have plans …

Summer is here!

– desperately

The Canal is looking lovely as I write this, and already the boats are on the move and the towpath is becoming busy with walkers, cyclists and anglers. Whatever your interest, the Canal is there for all of us to enjoy. Have a great Summer!

Despite my generally up-beat report at the AGM, there is one major problem that faces us. We have two vacancies on the

Brian Poulton, Chairman

We need your help

Mo Bennie, the new manager of Bradford on Avon Tea Room

o Bennie moved to Wiltshire from Cornwall last April and as soon as she saw Bradford on Avon she fell in love with the town and when she saw the Trust tea room, and saw what potential there was, she knew that the job was meant for her. She has a licensed trade background, though she’s been working as a professional face painter and children’s entertainer for the last 3 years.

Since Mo arrived, the tea room has been upgraded — with new curtains and furniture. Mo and her volunteers now serve tea, coffee and homemade cakes as well as sandwiches, baguettes, ploughman’s lunches, salads, jacket potatoes and – of course – cream teas and lunch-time specials. They also provide a takeaway service for walkers and cyclists.

Picture by Harry Willis

We concluded the AGM with a short briefing on BW’s plans for a pub and restaurant complex at the top of Caen Hill in the area where BW formerly had their maintenance yard. These are early days and no decisions have been taken, but the consultants have been discussing with us the possibilities of having a Trust shop and the Devizes Canal Museum included in the scheme. BW are under enormous pressure from Government to develop commercial activities such as marinas and canal-side pubs, thereby reducing their reliance on an annual grant from DEFRA. One only has to visit the Foxton Flight in summer to see the viability of such enterprises. However, we are very conscious of the massive investment that we might be called upon to make if we partner BW in such a venture at Caen Hill. We will report further developments as they firm up.

Board of Enterprise (Ltd), the limited company that runs our trip boats and retail outlets. As I wrote in the last Butty, the departure of Malcolm Grubb leaves us with a vacancy in the voluntary position of Managing Director. Sadly, our Finance Director, Paddy Delany, has also stepped down from the Enterprise Board, so we are looking for a volunteer there, too. Are there not two people out there who have had experience of running a small company (Enterprise turnover is around £250K pa) or overseeing its accounts? If so, please get in touch. Call our Administrator, Mo Crossley; you’ll be made very welcome! The other area of concern is the volunteer pools from which we draw the staff for our retail outlets. We had a particular problem at Newbury. The stark truth was that, unless we swelled the numbers of volunteers there, we might have had to close the Stone Building for one or more days a week this summer. As a result of a strong media campaign (see report on page 30) the crisis at Newbury has been resolved. However, there are similar concerns over Devizes, Claverton and Aldermaston. As I said last time, the current teams in our retail outlets have a lot of fun and are producing fantastic results but, unless we can replace those who leave, the burden on the rest gets higher. Interested? Please call Mo Crossley or Jane Clements, our Retail Manager, on Devizes (01380) 721279.

Picture by Bob Naylor

hank you to the members who turned out in good numbers for the Trust Annual General Meeting on 22nd April. I was able to report on a satisfactory year for the Trust, a year in which membership rose by some 10%, a year in which we carried out a number of projects that support our aims of protecting and enhancing the Canal, and a year in which the Enterprise company thrived despite having to carry out major repairs to two of the boats. I valued the open forum session during which members were able to discuss a range of issues, ask questions and make welcome suggestions.

Crofton Wardens, Catriona and Alan Flaherty

ur first encounter with Crofton was on a bitterly cold January day when we were warmly greeted by the muffled figures of Ray and Harry, along with a similarly clad group of stalwart volunteers and some very imposing history. Two weeks later we were delighted to be offered the posts and merrily set about what should have been the easy task of moving from narrowboat to house but it’s amazing just how much you can fit into 62 feet…! Our arrival was in fact just two weeks before Good Friday and the first day of the season. We had a great time finding our feet in the shop and have since of course had the luxury of having time to chat with the array of people with all kinds of knowledge and interest who have visited us. Everyone who visits expresses their admiration for the work the volunteers do, not just on steaming days but throughout the year. We have already found

everyone involved to be enthusiastic and helpful way beyond the extent we might have expected. Being at Crofton is not so much a job; more what we are very much used to, being part of a team. We would like to extend our thanks to all who have made our arrival and take over as enjoyable as it has been. We have as yet, of course, had little time to do much other than take over the reins, but we feel that Crofton has a lot more potential and, whilst we are proud to be associated with a project which already draws large numbers of admiring visitors, we very much hope our ideas, experience and enthusiasm will help the further development of a very deserving part of our heritage.

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Butty NEWS

No. 175 Summer 2006

Senseless slaughter of K&A swans

anal users were shocked by the news that two of the canal’s swans had been shot and killed on the K&A near Devizes in May. The two male swans had both gained a reputation for aggression as they protected their nesting pens. Local people were appalled to learn that the two had been shot and believe that though they could be frightening they did not deserve to die. The first death was reported on May Bank Holiday weekend near Devizes Marina. The swan known as ‘Atilla’ or ‘Saddam’, was well-known for attacking canoeists and other canal users. The second death was

reported two weeks later at Allington. Mystery surrounds the deaths. Although canal users believe that they were reported and that DEFRA vets examined the bodies, the State Veterinary Service, an agency of DEFRA, denies any knowledge of the two swans. Swan Rescue and the RSPCA also claim to know nothing about them and the police are not investigating what would appear to be a criminal offence.

Saddam defends his nest near Devizes Marina during the Devizes to Westminster canoe race at Easter

. . . and so does a younger male swan at Allington

Pictures by Bob Naylor

Permanent ban for Boat Safety Scheme examiner by Bob Naylor

he Boat Safety Scheme is assessing possible risks to boats and boaters after one of its most industrious examiners was permanently removed from its list of authorised examiners.

Dave Gregory of Churchstoke, Powys, issued certificates on boats throughout the waterways network and there are many boats on the Kennet & Avon Canal with a certificate issued by him.

Breach of duty to Scheme He was found to be in serious breach of his duty to the Boat Safety Scheme after a disciplinary panel heard that he had made incorrect compliance decisions or errors of judgement regarding the BSS

standards and checking procedures on a boat he examined at Middlewich, Cheshire, that was the subject of a complaint by a subsequent owner. He was also found to have used his BSS PIN embosser on documents referring to the inspection of a vessel’s hull — something outside the scope of the BSS.

Ban ‘wholly appropriate’ Gregory appealed against the ban but the independent

arbitrator said “I am wholly satisfied that the sanction imposed was wholly appropriate”.

Check of 1100 certificates The BSS is currently reviewing 1100 current certificates issued by Gregory and reexamining vessels thought to be most at risk. Graham Watts, Manager of the Boat Safety Scheme, said, “The actions of the BSS Management Committee in removing Gregory from the Scheme demonstrates the robustness of the Scheme’s process that lead to actions being taken against examiners who act inappropriately”.

Boat owners with a certificate issued by Dave Gregory should satisfy themselves that their vessel meets the standards and the BSS Essential Guide is available as a free download from www.boatsafetyscheme.com and concerned boat owners can contact the Boat Safety Office on 01923 201278 or by email to bss.enquiries@boatsafetyscheme.com

Bedwyn and Kintbury train services saved

campaign to stop First Great Western’s plans to cut services to Bedwyn and Kintbury has succeeded after protesters sent more than 3000 letters and over 5000 signatures on petitions. Alison Forster, Managing Director of First Great Western, says: “We realise many people have concerns about the draft timetable and that’s why we’ve been open and honest from the start. “We gave people a chance to air their views and we’re pleased so many of them decided to respond.” First Great Western will keep the hourly service stopping at Great Bedwyn and Kintbury and the weekend service will be maintained at current levels of service. Only one train between 12.30 and 2.30 will be lost. Local passenger Judy Haynes said, “There will be changes to the times of the trains. We don’t have all the details. But it’s fantastic to get this news.”

Pewsey parking

here will no longer be free parking at Pewsey Wharf. The car park will become pay and display from July.

Wider horizons for hotel boat duo

ewbury based hotel boat operators, Derek and Emma Fearnely of Inland Waterways Holiday Cruises, are widening their horizons. They are now operating a widebeam hotel boat, ‘Gallinago’ that they say will give more space, comfort and facilities than the narrowboats they ran until the end of last season. Derek and Emma were well known with their pair of narrowboats ‘Snipe’ and ‘Taurus’ that featured on the cover of the Autumn 2005 Butty. They were The English Tourist Council’s Hotel Boat Operators of the year in 2000 as well as receiving a Green award for environmental friendliness. Keep an eye out for them this August when they will be visiting the K&A.

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Butty NEWS

No. 175 Summer 2006

Newly weds

Kennet recovery gets funding

ongratulations to the newly weds! Kennet & Avon Canal Trust Chairman, Brian Poulton married Juanita Davy on Saturday 20th May.

Combe opera

his year’s fund-raising ‘Musical Evening at Combe’ will be held on Friday 22nd September at 7.30pm. Bizet’s one-act comic opera ‘Maison du Docteur’ will be followed by dinner and a cabaret performed by a West End cast. Tickets are £45.00 each. For more information, contact the Trust Administrator, 01380 721279

Picture by Bob Naylor

Birthday bash Marine Surveyor George Gibson celebrated his 75th Birthday with more than a hundred friends, colleagues and customers at Builders Wharf, Honeystreet in May.

Theft from car park machine... again

he Pay and Display machine at the Caen Hill car park in Devizes has been vandalised yet again and visitors are being asked to pay in the tea room when using the car park. And, as always, the advice from the Police is “Do not leave valuables in your car”.

Picture by John Hallett

Picture by Sam Weller

he Kennet is one of England’s classic chalkstream rivers but, in recent years, increased turbidity and chemical content have risen, threatening not only the river’s fish and aquatic plant life but also the river’s status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. One of the projects funded by the newly-formed Thames Rivers Restoration Trust is a study into how money and effort might be best used to improve the quality of the water in the River Kennet. One of the factors is the turbidity of the water in the canal, as can be seen in the

picture (above) of the river below Copse Lock east of Kintbury where the lock empties into the clearer river water. The study, funded through a £43,500 grant from the TRRT, will define the nature and source of the problem, define

targets for improvement, identify potential engineering and management solutions, undertake a preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment and outline cost estimates for solutions.

Boat registration number can help keep possessions safe

new crime reduction initiative has been launched in West Wiltshire that will give boaters some peace of mind when they leave belongings on their boat. Mark Abott, Crime Reduction Officer for West Wiltshire has been working with The Canal Taverners in Bradford on Avon and BW to find a safe way to identify property so that it can be traced and returned if stolen.

Boaters had explained that they were not happy to leave items marked with their post code on their boats because if it was stolen thieves might be able to trace their home address, which might be empty. The new scheme uses the boat’s individual BW registration number in the same way as a postcode. Kits have been produced which boaters or clubs can borrow to mark their

belongings – either by engraving or with a UV pen. Although the scheme has been launched in West Wiltshire, Mark is hoping that it will quickly spread throughout neighbouring police divisions — and further afield as more police forces take up the initiative. The property marking kits are available from the local enquiry office, Neighbourhood Policing Team or sector station.

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Butty NEWS

No. 175 Summer 2006

Narrowboat blaze

Lock gear trial extended

Further confusion

he survey has been further complicated and confused by an entirely different modification being made to the gate paddles on Lock 43 which now needs 25 turns to raise or lower the gate paddles — instead of 20 on the original ‘Gloucester’ gearing and 60 on the gearing with the 3:1 box added. Boater, Edward Moore, taking his boat through lock 43, said, “I have tried this lock gear and it seems that the the lock mechanism increases the number of turns to raise and

lower the paddles from 20 to 25 by adding more gearing. “I would have to question the long term benefit of this modification given the inevitable maintenance problems of including extra gearing in a mechanism exposed to the elements as lock gear always is — any short term benefit in ease of use of this lower gearing, if there is any, will be lost as the mechanism ages and wears. “I am sure that if this particular mechanism is adopted — at some time in the future the gear boxes will be taken off because of

Locks in the trial

ritish Waterways are looking for specific feedback on the operation of locks — number of turns (gate paddles), ease of operation and the pawl modification along with other observations on: Aldermaston Lock Bulls Lock Hungerford Lock Wootton Rivers bottom lock

Picture by Bob Naylor

Bulls Lock was the first lock to be trialled with the 3:1 ratio box removed from gate paddles and the gear brought back to ‘original’ specification — but with the reduction boxes retained on the ground paddles. It was met with universal approval and it is being used by canal users as the yardstick against which all other locks on the K&A should be judged. Unfortunately, new lock gates delivered for the Lock 44 were not the right size which led to an extension of the planned stoppage and because of the need to re-open the canal quickly it was not possible to complete the refurbishment of the lock gear ready for the trial at that time. Unfortunately the deadline for the consultation, partially funded by the K&A Trust at a cost of £2,500, had passed by the time the lock was finished and BW has extended the consultation period to 30th September 2006.

Picture by Bob Naylor

he saga of the new lock gear fitted on the K&A in 2005 at a cost of £260,000 continues with confusion surrounding the trial of one alternative — a return to original equipment at lock 44 (by the tea rooms on Caen Hill) — but refurbished and re-aligned to what is now being called the ‘Bulls Lock’ standard.

A bent paddle rod on a Caen Hill lock.

maintenance problems. “I am also very concerned about the damage being done to the paddle rods because of the force it is possible to exert on the paddle rods by the lower gearing.” Caen Hill Lock 44 and now Caen Hill lock 43 has been added to the trial. BW would also welcome comment on the hydraulic boxes on Kintbury Lock at the eastern end of the canal. The lock name was omitted from the early version of the form (top lock second side of the sheet). And BW will welcome any feedback on locks not part of the trial.

CATLEYS CALOR GAS CENTRE Appliance sales & Installations

Bring your boat up to Boat Safety Scheme standards

Repairs, Servicing and installation Telephone 01380 727266 The Green, Southbroom Road, Devizes, SN10 1LY

iltshire Fire Brigade were called to a fire on 65ft exAlvechurch hireboat, ‘Kingfisher’, near the entrance to Hilperton Marina at 5.12am on Saturday, 29th April. The fire was brought under control and firemen wearing breathing apparatus searched the vessel because it was feared that there might be someone on board. The boat was found to be empty. The cause of the fire was investigated, but a spokesman for Wiltshire Fire Brigade said “It is virtually impossible to ever discover the cause of a fire on board a boat. Once a fire breaks out and the gas bottles ignite, there is generally nothing left to investigate”.

Green Blue campaign A new guide explaining how boaters can help the environment was launched at Crick Boat Show. The Green Blue ‘How to Guide’ is packed with really simple tips to follow to be more environmentally-friendly when you are on your boat. It might appear difficult to recycle and to always maintain the calming surroundings along the rivers and canals, but the guide breaks its advice down so that being ‘green’ doesn’t seem so difficult. Tips include trying to avoid oil spills, using detergents that don’t ruin the planet and reducing wash so you don’t ruin the waterside wildlife habitat. It also shows how to cut noise and exhaust fumes, and to use resources in a more sustainable way. Once you get into the habit of following the tips, you won’t even notice! There is also a section on spotting wildlife and learning about the different animals you’re likely to see along the water with interesting facts about wildlife and alien species. To find out more about the project or request a copy of the guide, visit the Green Blue

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Butty NEWS

No. 175 Summer 2006

Cruising in a camper van

Lock gear complaint upheld by Waterways Ombudsman

T K

&A boatbuilders M&P Steelcraft from Hilperton made their TV debut in May when they took part in a challenge set by motoring programme Top Gear. Their challenge was to create an amphibious vehicle — turning a VW camper van into a narrowboat. This might have been the dream machine for anyone who finds it a chore to transport their belongings to boat by car — carrying them from car park to boat along the towpath — and certainly the Wiltshire-produced floating camper did score over its rivals when the need arose and cups of tea could be served en route. But, sadly, it sank at the final challenge. Paul and Michelle Wells wouldn’t have missed the experience though. The timescale was frenetic, the VW camper was well past its best and they were sworn to secrecy. But it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience — especially when presenter Richard Hammond arrived for filming.

he Waterways Ombudsman Hilary Bainbridge has found that BW did not conduct extensive testing of new lock paddle gearing when it was installed along the K&A Canal and its performance, on many gate paddles in particular, did not meet the reasonable expectations of many users or BW themselves. She was, however, in no doubt that BW had wished to improve matters for boaters when they planned the changes.

Dissatisfied K&A Trust member Dave Cleaver was so aggrieved by the new paddle gearing fitted to locks last year that he made a formal complaint to BW. Dissatisfied by the local and corporate responses, he contacted the Waterways Ombudsman, Hilary Bainbridge who considered each of his complaints and took evidence from BW in response.

She did not consider that she was in a position to judge his complaints about past maintenance as no evidence was available and she didn’t consider it her role to determine the appropriate level of maintenance required.

Maladministration She was concerned that BW blamed many of the problems on poor standards of work, without that being picked up and remedied earlier by BW’s supervisory staff before the public were expected to use the paddles. She felt these concerns were indicative of maladministration.

Complaint upheld Some, but not all, of the concerns had already been acknowledged by BW before Dave Cleaver made his complaint to the Ombudsman, but she upheld the complaint as regards the failings which had not previously been recognised.

Future plans Hilary Bainbridge recommends that BW assess the initial user feedback on the further trials of alternative options promptly. If the consultation concludes that widespread changes are appropriate, more extensive trials and consultation should be carried out on the preferred option. Plans for any further substantive work should include arrangements for ensuring work done is of an appropriate standard and carefully checked on completion. She said that BW should resolve all lock gear problems quickly and asked them to let her and Dave Cleaver know about their plans.

Step forward for King Alfred’s trail The proposed Pewsey Vale King Alfred’s Easy Access Trail has taken a step forward with a £120,000 grant from the South West of England Regional

Development Agency (RDA). The first phase of the project will upgrade the walkways between Pewsey and canal wharf.

Once complete, it is thought that this 8-mile walk will be the only circular trail in the country easily accessed throughout by people with mobility problems.

Capital success for K&A Boaters Di and Martin Wheeler with their boat ‘Uiusce Beatha’ and the Roger Squires Trophy they won in the Novice Boat handling event at the IWA Canal Cavalcade at Little Venice over the Spring Bank Holiday. Picture by Bob Naylor

She was please to note that BW had already made changes to the spindles and are carrying out further tests of alternative options on the gate paddles.

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Butty NEWS

No. 175 Summer 2006

Tourist Information staff get to know the K&A

Picture by Bob Naylor

Three boat trips were arranged in May by the K&A Marketing Group, which has representatives from the K&A Canal Trust, The Kennet & Avon Trade Association and BW. The first trip was on the ‘Barbara McLellan’ from Bradford on Avon to Dundas and back, the second on ‘Kenavon Venture’ started from Devizes Wharf, passing through five locks before stopping for

TIC staff set off for a boat trip from Bradford on Avon.

Watch out for wooden boats

They are setting up a heritage boatyard at Stalybridge where wooden boats will be able to be restored and the skills of wooden canal boat building and maintenance can be retained and taught. In order to obtain funding for this project they need to prove the need for it, but no-one knows how many examples survive, who owns them or what condition they are in. At the moment, they know of only two wooden boats on the K&A — the ‘Almighty’ at the western end of the waterway and ‘Gertrude’, sunk at Newbury and in need of rescue. WCBS are asking boaters, walkers, cyclists, canal

enthusiasts and, of course, wooden-boat owners themselves to adopt their local stretch of canal and identify any wooden former working boats. Track down and contact the owners and ask them to fill in a questionnaire available from WCBS. Email photos of the boats too if possible. At the same time, the WCBS is looking for more people to take on ownership of wooden boats. Each year several are abandoned to their fate when people give up on them. The society is no longer in a position to adopt further boats itself. Over the last few years several boats have been saved by informally networking

Picture by Bob Naylor

he Wooden Canal Boat Society (WCBS) needs help identifying all the surviving former wooden working boats.

‘Almighty’ before she was refloated after sinking near Bathampton last Autumn.

information. Unfortunately, some have been lost because no new owner could be found. For more information, contact Colin Scrivener, 17 Upland Grove, Norton, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B61 0EL, 01527 577 994, colin@uplandgrove.freewire.co.uk

Boat Trips

NW & J

Briggs

From the Cunning Man, Burghfield Bridge Public trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .May to September Private party hire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A range of cruises Day boat hire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Self-drive for up to 12 people Holiday hire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Berth Narrowboat Flexible weekly or short break periods Moorings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanent or temporary Enquiries: 14 Beech Lane, Earley, Reading, RG6 5PT Tel: 0118 987 1115 Fax: 0118 921 0604

www.kennetcruises.co.uk

Picture by Bob Naylor

lunch at the Caen Hill Cafe, and the third on ‘Avon’ started at Newbury Wharf. All trips lasted for three hours or so and included refreshments and lunch provided by BW, and a comprehensive information pack. There is no alternative to personal experience and our guests marvelled at aqueducts and other sights, while enjoying how close to nature they were, passing herons at arms length and watching rabbits playing in fields. We hope they’ll pass on their enthusiasm to TIC visitors.

taff from local Tourist Information Centres can now draw on first-hand experience of boat trips along the K&A when talking to visitors to the areas.

Twinning trip to the Nivernais

here are still two places left for the Trust trip to our twinned French canal, the Canal du Nivernais. The trip starts on Friday 8th September from Vermenton and finishes on Friday 15th. During the trip we will be entertained by the Nivernais Canal Society, ‘Les Amis’, who are arranging a welcoming party, visits, a barbecue and a special trip to see the Sardy Flight and to travel through the summit tunnel. The trip will cost £243 each plus travel to Vermenton, about 120 miles South East of Paris in Burgundy. For more information contact Di Harris on 01380 840584 or email: mail@diharris.co.uk or Mike Lee on 01225 873915

Beer Festival cancelled

evizes Beer Festival, usually staged every July on Devizes Wharf, has been cancelled this year. The organisers simply didn’t have the time to sort out problems with licensing and security. Added to that, Kennet District Council’s decision to close the Wharf toilets finally pulled the plug on this popular annual event. Ironically, shortly after the decision to cancel the event was made, Kennet announced that the toilets would not close as planned on 1st April. No details have been given for how long they will remain open, but users of the Wharf hope they will stay for the summer at least. As for the Beer Festival, planning is already under way for the festival to have a triumphant return in 2007.

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Butty NEWS

No. 175 Summer 2006

Scrap-heap challenge

Picture by Robert Coles

Spring clean up on the K&A

From left to right, John Ward and Ian Jarvis of BW, John Kirby, Brian Poulton and Michael Davis of the K&A Canal Trust and John Webb, chairman of the Avon and Wilts IWA working together to help give a spring clean to the Bath Flight.

Legacy Trust stalwart, Ruth Dawkins who died in early March 2006 left £1000 to the K&A Canal Trust. See an appreciation of her work for the Trust on page 34.

Alex Booth, 12 was the official starter for the scrap-heap challenge.

Picture by Elaine Kirby

evizes Boat Club’s inaugural annual scrapheap challenge was won by John Arthurs of ‘September Pearl’ with Sue Powis of ‘Just Like That’ a very worthy second. There was strong competition, with a challenge by members of Pewsey Boat Club who were visiting Devizes Wharf for the bank holiday weekend. Thought up by club member Robert Francis, the challenge raised £70 for his chosen charity, the RNLI. Next year’s race will raise funds for winner John Arthur’s chosen charity.

Devizes Canal Centre lease still awaited

he Trust is now very close to agreeing a new lease — at a much higher rent than hitherto — with the landlords, Kennet District Council. A Service Level Agreement has been drawn up between the Trust and the Council, under

which the Trust will provide an information service for visitors to the area and to promote the K&A Canal as an amenity that is freely available for all. Since these requirements accord with the Trust’s principal objectives, we will gladly accept

these conditions. The Council will make an annual discretionary grant which will result in the Trust paying a net rent that is more realistic and more affordable. The new lease should be signed within a few weeks.

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No. 175 Summer 2006

BW update by Eliza Botham, BW South West Service Manager Innovation Award for the K&A I am extremely pleased to announce that the management plan that was developed by British Waterways for the Kennet & Avon Canal received the ‘Innovation Award’ as part of the Waterways Renaissance Awards 2006. The project ‘Maintaining, Monitoring and Managing Sustainability’ is a management approach considered ahead of its time. It provides a complete joined up process for the sustainable management of waterways and everyone who was involved in the project deserves a huge “well done”.

Water shortages Like many of you, I have been concerned about the recent drought warnings issued by the Environment Agency and have recently met with our water engineers to discuss the implications for the Kennet & Avon Canal specifically. At this stage, we believe that the situation is manageable. We hope to be bringing together a volunteer group to speak to visiting boats at key locations between Hungerford and Crofton. We will be using the Thrift Code as the basis of any information programme and will run a training day for volunteers. Anyone wishing to volunteer will be warmly

welcomed! The Thrift Code includes points such as two boats sharing a lock, ensuring paddles and gates have been shut, reporting any leaks and — if the lock is against you and there is a boat in sight — allow them to pass through first. We have the potential for a large number of visiting boats from the IWA Festival at Pangbourne this year, and have sent information for inclusion in the Boaters’ Packs in the hope that visitors will give us some feedback on how long they are likely to be on the waterway. We will also be writing to businesses to gather information about their needs during the summer. Thrift Volunteers – please ring Gloucester Office (01452 318000) and leave your name, address and telephone/email contact details.

‘End of Garden’ moorings Concern was expressed at the Trust’s AGM about BW’s unwillingness to grant ‘End of Garden’ moorings. An ‘End of Garden’ mooring is a permanent berth for a boat that abuts land not owned by British Waterways or abuts a strip of land that is owned by British Waterways, but has no public access to it other than via the water and where the canal or river bed is in the ownership of British Waterways. In assessing requests for

new EOG moorings, British Waterways considers navigational safety, engineering suitability and landscape and environmental impact. The South West Business Unit of British Waterways is currently developing a Moorings Development Strategy to guide the development of new moorings across the waterways it manages. This is to ensure that new developments achieve a sustainable balance between customer demand, income generation and the long-term protection of the canal environment. The issue of the protection of the offside bank of the Kennet & Avon Canal has been identified as a priority and we have therefore stopped creating any new offside linear permanent moorings on this canal. This also impacts on offside EOG moorings. We are now reviewing all applications for new ‘End of Garden’ moorings, and existing ones, particularly where a change of property owner takes place. A general assessment of the area is undertaken, considering all the aspects and then an engineering assessment of the mooring will also be undertaken to determine whether it is appropriate to begin/continue a mooring at this location. ‘End of Garden’ moorings are normally granted for a period of one year only and there is no guarantee that they

will be renewed at the end of this time.

Caen Hill development We very much hope to work in partnership with the Trust to develop a pub, café, small office accommodation and new site for the museum/shop at Caen Hill. We have recently received an updated traffic report and other specialist studies, but the feasibility report is challenging. We intend to engage a firm of architects to draw up plans very soon and will continue to liaise with Brian Poulton on this exciting project.

Terry Kemp retiring As some of you may be aware, Terry Kemp, economic and social development manager, is retiring at the end of July this year. Terry has worked for British Waterways for over 35 years and has been a constant source of help and advice for both his colleagues and customers. I am sure that it’s not the last that we will see of Terry as the K&A is very close to his heart. We will be having a get together for Terry at the end of July. invitations for this will be sent out over the next month or so.

Bespoke narrowboats. . .Your inspiration + Our Craftsmen = Complete satisfaction

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No. 175 Summer 2006

Marketing by John Kirby Marketing & Membership Director

embership this year is as important as ever and I ask you all to go out and sign up ‘Just one more’ new member.

If you don’t know what to buy for that special present there really is no excuse. Never again will you be left wondering what to get. With a K&A Canal Trust membership voucher, the problem is solved. Our new Membership Gift Vouchers can be bought from all our shops and cafes as well as from our office in Devizes so just tell us what class of membership you want to buy. Give one for birthdays, an anniversary or Christmas to family or friend. And what easier way to contribute to our ‘Just one more’ recruitment campaign.

Survey results I would like to say a big thanks to all the members of the Trust who replied to the survey in the

Butty. Well over 100 replies were received. The main conclusions were that volunteers need more recognition and we need more dedicated mooring facilities. Various ideas for future projects were suggested, some of which may be feasible in the future and some not, but all will

be discussed. Various local branch issues were raised, which will be passed on to the branches concerned. Although many people said they were too old to volunteer or lived too far away, many farflung members expressed their gratitude to all the local volunteers along the canal who

Are your membership details up to date? Are you planning to move? Make sure you will still get your Butty by giving the office your new address. Are you paying the correct subscription? If you pay by standing order, have a look at the application form on page 23 to make sure your bank is paying the right amount

help to keep the Trust going.

Spreading the word Don’t forget to look out for the Trust Recruitment Gazebo at the Water Festivals in Reading, Newbury and the IWA Festival at Beale Park. Come over and say “hello”, meet the team who work hard all year round promoting your Trust, growing your membership and above all working to Protect, Enhance and Promote The Kennet & Avon Canal.

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No. 175 Summer 2006

Safety matters by Ben Woodman

by Warren Berry

The Trust Safety Adviser

Museum Curator

‘What you don’t know can’t hurt you!’

Museum news

t least, that’s what my wife said when I asked how much her new handbag cost! Point taken! We’re good at using little sayings like that; they’re part of our language and we use them all the time. Here’s another one: “That was an accident waiting to happen”. How many times have you heard that? Unlike the cost of a handbag, an accident is something that really can hurt you or someone else. So if the person who said it could see that something was amiss, shouldn’t they do something about it? Here’s a couple more sayings. “It’s nothing to do with me”, or maybe, “It’s none of my business!” That makes doing nothing OK, doesn’t it? Well, no, actually. If we see

something we think might be potentially dangerous, especially at work, it is our business to do something about it. Why? Well, aside from any moral issue, the law tells us to! The Health and Safety at Work Act is the number one law on safety in this country. Amongst the things it tells us we must do is to take care of our own safety and that of others who may be affected by our ‘acts and omissions’. So doing nothing when we see something wrong isn’t an option; that would be an ‘omission’, and we’d be breaking the law of the land! So, if you see something you believe might lead to an accident, do something! If you think that you shouldn’t or can’t remedy it yourself, report it to someone who can… Then you could say… ‘Job done!’

e are now starting work on the next stage of museum accreditation. This involves the auditing, recording, and where appropriate, re-labelling, to a nationally-accepted standard, of each item in the museum collection.

Encompassing all our artefacts, this work will include examining and labelling every page of information and photographic record in the archive, a truly mammoth undertaking. Even though Wiltshire County Council advisors are currently assisting us, the volume of work arising from

this undertaking will absorb large proportions of the museum volunteers’ time. As a consequence, while this work is progressing, it may not be possible for us to adequately respond to short notice requests for archival information, at least not in the immediate future.

Holburne Museum project

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Picture by Bob Naylor

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ommunication and joint working between museums can often prove advantageous, but although we often talk to other museums, we seldom have opportunities to work with them on joint projects. We were therefore pleased to receive a recent request from the Bath-based Holburne Museum of Art. For those who may not know, the Holburne Museum is nationally recognised and houses a fine collection of silver, sculpture, porcelain and paintings, including works by Gainsborough and Turner. Given such a collection, it may initially be difficult to understand what common factors and opportunities for joint working might exist between the Holburne and an industrial history-based museum such as ours?

The answer lies in the fact that the Holburne has applied for Lottery funding to significantly extend both the building and its displays, as well as importantly incorporating direct access to Sydney Gardens and to the canal beyond. With these developments in view, Holburne Museum representatives have asked Trust museum staff to act in a consultancy role and to assist them in the future by providing advice and information that will be incorporated into a display of canal heritage. Once completed, it is intended that this display will help Holburne Museum visitors to appreciate the local — and perhaps even the wider — history of the canal. All of which can only be of advantage where the Trust is concerned.

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No. 175 Summer 2006

Honeystreet Wharf In the first of our series on the lost wharves of the K&A, Di Harris looks back at the rise and fall of this once bustling commercial centre. assing Honeystreet Wharf these days there is little evidence of the noise and smells of the vibrant and busy wharf of the 1800s. But Honeystreet was once an important trading point on the K&A with virtually the whole village owned by one company — Robbins, Lane and Pinniger.

forests, dragged by horses to a collection point and then taken to nearby wharves, such as Burbage, or transported on two-wheeled carriages to Honeystreet.

In 1810 the K&A arrived at Honeystreet, opening up new opportunities to a farming community. In the following year, timber merchant Samuel Robbins began to build a wharf alongside the canal and in 1812 he moved his business from Pewsey to Honeystreet, buying additional canal-side land from the canal company in 1813. Over the next four decades the business expanded and Robbins developed numerous other businesses. By the middle of the 19th century, however, the railway had arrived and competition was getting keener. Cash flow problems meant that Robbins needed to raise capital and improve his business skills.

But RLP is particularly well known for boat building. Their main production would have been horse-drawn barges of various types, narrowboats, wide boats (or mules as they were called), spoon dredgers for K&A use, Kennet Barges, large barges for use on the river Wey, the Basingstoke Canal and the River Avon and a particular type of sailing barge known as a Trow that was used on the River Severn. At its height, over thirty men were employed at Honeystreet on boatbuilding and a barge took around three months to build. In latter years when trade was declining and only two men worked in the boatyard, a barge would take up to 12 months to complete.

RLP formed In March 1860 the working partnership of Robbins, Lane and Pinniger was formed. Robbins’ son-in-law, Ebenezer Lane, brought £1202 into the business and former employee Henry Pinniger contributed £700. All the assets in Samuel Robbins’ former business were transferred to the partnership and were listed in the Partnership Agreement along with all the trades

and operations that took place in those buildings. At this time the business was valued at £11,268 — including all capital and liquid assets — but the value of bad

debts and monies owed and which were long overdue was £14,311. The company founded a huge and thriving business at Honeystreet Wharf, bringing in supplies of timber, slate, coal, building materials and fertilisers by barge from Bristol, Reading and London. The mainstay of the business was clearly timber, importing softwoods and hardwoods as well as trading in ‘home-grown’ hardwoods such as oak, elm and ash obtained from Wiltshire

Boat building

The beginning of the end In its heyday, the canal was always cheaper than road transport, but the coming of the Great Western Railway in 1841 began the slow decline in the canal’s fortunes. To survive, the company had to diversify and concentrate on high weight-to-value ratio cargo

and cargoes such as manure and fertiliser that were toll-free — a concession granted to appease farmers and landowners whose land had been divided by the canal. One important cargo at this time was sulphuric acid. GWR thought it too dangerous a cargo to carry by rail, so this essential ingredient of fertiliser production was brought from Bristol by barge in glass carboys. By 1919, cheap imports and intensified production of fertilisers elsewhere — along with lower alternative transport costs — affected the viability of the business. By the late 1920s a lack of use and proper maintenance of the canal prompted RLP to sue GWR for loss of navigation rights. Although the company won this case, decline still generally continued and in 1933 the company’s one remaining barge ‘Unity’ delivered her last cargo of timber before being left on her moorings to rot. In 1949 the business was sold to John Read who continued to operate the sawmills for some time and in 1955 the inevitable end came and the business of RLP was finally wound up. By this time the company owned most of the village of Honeystreet, but on the side of the wharf and its buildings, most of the tenants were allowed to take over the freehold of their properties and to continue living at Honeystreet.

Timeline

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No. 175 Summer 2006

1810 1812

1813

1841

1852

Living and working at Honeystreet

1860

o an area of chronically depressed agricultural wages, this 19th century industrial estate was an important source of revenue: a labourer in 1930 who could earn eight shillings for a week in the fields might earn 20 at the wharf. The number of workers employed at the wharf increased over the years as the business prospered, reaching a peak towards the end of the 19th century. In 1896 there were 136 workers on the partnership’s payroll. This was more than a small village could provide and it is likely that a number of these workers came from other villages in the area, though many lived in Honeystreet itself in cottages

1869

rented from RLP. During the 19th century the conditions under which both skilled and unskilled work was carried out was generally quite poor, irrespective of industry. RLP, however, appear to have been relatively progressive employers and they provided a number of important benefits for

their employees. These included cottages which many of the workers rented from the company, a hall that workers could use for meetings and social functions, and a contributory benefits and savings scheme that paid money to workers when they were incapacitated due to sickness or as a result of accidents.

The map shows the site in 1860. Blacksmiths shop

Drying room

Wheelwrights shop

Sawmill sheds (with storage loft over them)

Sawing sheds (with lath and cloth shops over them) Two Engine houses

Fitting shop and carpenters shop forming one range of buildings

Henry Pinniger died

1906

Toll charges on the K&A had risen so they were higher than on similar waterways The partnership became a Limited Company

1908 1919

1929

1933

1955

Sawing shed and carpenters shop Granary (with clock tower)

Ebenezer Lane died; it is believed that his son Frederick took overall management of RLP Ltd RLP successfully sued GWR for loss of navigation due to poor maintenance RLP’s final remaining barge, ‘Unity’, made her last delivery The business was sold to John Read, who continued to work the sawmills RLP was wound up and tenants were able to take over the freehold of their properties and continue living at Honeystreet

Carriage house and storeroom Deal timber shed Two stables (with a loft over them) Carriage house, (harness rooms and nag stable with a loft over) Counting house and other offices Workman’s Hall

The trades of Robbins, Lane & Pinniger in 1860 • • • • • • • •

Honeystreet Wharf, left, c1860 by JB Davis Published by permission of the Wiltshire Heritage Museum

The Great Western Railway completed the rail link from London to Bristol GWR obtained Parliamentary approval to take over the whole canal Ebenezer Lane and Henry Pinniger joined Samuel Robbins and the Robbins, Lane and Pinniger partnership was formed to raise capital and acquire business management skills Samuel Robbins died

1892

1949

At that time the north side of the canal had numerous workshops, stables, storage buildings and offices

The K&A Canal was cut through Honeystreet Timber merchant Samuel Robbins relocated from Pewsey to Honeystreet Samuel Robbins bought additional canal-side land from the canal company to extend the wharf area

This feature draws extensively on previous articles written by Warren Berry that appeared in past issues of The Butty and research by Clive and Helen Hackford.

•

• •

General timber merchant Mahogany timber merchant Steam sawyer Boat and barge builder Manufacturer of white hoops, laths, withies and hurdles Slate merchant, Coal merchant Manufacturer of various artificial manures Manufacturer of super phosphate of lime Manufacturer of tarpaulins, side cloths, wagon cloths and hayrick cloths Manufacturer of tar oil and colours Manufacturer of roman cement

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No. 175 Summer 2006

Ginny Barlow Sign-writer In these days of cut vinyl and computer-generated images, it would be easy to think that sign writing would become a dying craft. But courses are still being run in art colleges and new signwriters are keeping the tradition alive.

The Tutti Pole

by the South side of Hungerford Bridge

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Morning Coffee • Luncheon • Afternoon Tea Roast Sunday Lunch • Home made fare a speciality Monday – Friday 9am – 5.30pm • Saturday & Sunday 9am – 6pm The Tutti Pole, 3 High Street, Hungerford RG17 0DN Telephone: 01488 682515

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Tel: 01380 828795 www.foxhangers.co.uk

Picture by Robert Francis

fter buying a boat and dabbling with a few paints, Ginny Barlow decided to enroll on a week-long course, which had her hooked. She enrolled on the City & Guilds course at Shepherd’s Bush and followed that up with a 1-year advanced course, which gave her an NVQ. Accuracy is all important, and this is what the course started off with – moving gradually on to adding shadows. Further into the course, she learnt techniques for painting on glass, gold leaf work and marbling. And to prove that art really is a science, she also had sessions on paint technology. Not all signwriting is for boats of course. Pub signs and shop fascias are often sign-written, but Ginny was encouraged in her work for boats by one of her tutors who lived on a boat and had a real feel for what she wanted to do.

The Stores High Street Great Bedwyn

All that was eight years ago and, although Ginny initially did her sign-writing alongside a job driving a trip boat, she’s now been fully selfemployed for nearly three years. Ginny moved down to the K&A late last summer from the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, where she still has most of her commissions. “The paint traditions on the Leeds & Liverpool are very different from those on the K&A and I enjoy working in that tradition”. Ginny has just sign-written her first boat on the K&A, nb ‘Poshratz’. So keep an eye out. Her work will soon become well known along the canal.

general provisions newsagent off-licence specialist cheeses home-cooked ham fresh vegetables photocopying and fax facilities

canal pump-out cards Tel: 01672 870211 Open Mon–Fri: 7am–8pm Sat: 7am–7pm Sun: 7am–2pm

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No. 175 Summer 2006

Wilts & Berks Canal

Chippenham Folk Festival

Dreams can come true by Ken Oliver Chief Executive of the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust

ince it was formed in 1978, the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust has campaigned to restore the canal from its junction with the Kennet & Avon Canal to the River Thames and to link to the Thames and Severn Canal at Cricklade.

In 2004 we obtained funding to set up our office in Wootton Bassett and to employ an Administrator. The same external Trust has now decided that the project can be advanced by providing funds for a Chief Executive. I resigned as Trust Chairman from March 1st to take up the appointment for an initial period of twelve months. Our Council of Management took up this generous offer to allow us to move forward on key issues, particularly relating to acquiring the canal line, and to progress some of the projects that are waiting for permissions, leases and so on. The Canal Partnership has employed a Project Officer for a number of years and our Trust team work closely with the Partnership to produce effective results.

the many current owners to restore the towpath first, followed by the canal and then its structures. • Cricklade Country Way Lottery Bid This is a multi-organisation bid to create links between Swindon, Cricklade and the Cotswold Water Park. If successful, the bid would restore the North Wilts Canal from Mouldon Hill to Cricklade (approximately 5 miles). Our partners are Swindon & Cricklade Railway, Great Western Community Forest, Swindon Borough Council, North Wilts District Council, Cricklade Town Council, Cotswold Canal Trust, and Sustrans. The project was assessed on a 2-day visit in early June. A new web site highlights the project and encourages comment.

Current Projects

www.crickladecountryway.org.uk

I am thrilled to have been appointed at this very exciting time. Here are a few of the current projects: • Wilts & Berks Canal Towpath Walk. The Trust is keen to get public access to the project as soon as possible. To achieve this we intend to acquire the track from

• Swindon Central Route Discussions continue to look at the feasibility of a route through the town for the North Wilts Canal. We have aired the subject again via a special web site www.swindoncanals.co.uk.

The Trust trip boat has been at Chippenham Folk Festival for 12 years along with the display tent — promoting the W&B Canal. On duty this year, from left to right are, Bob and Linda Howlett, Doug Harrison and Colin Fletcher.

narrowboat ‘Jubilee’ in Canal Walk (Wharf Green) on July 4th. Although on a lorry trailer this time, maybe the next visit will be by water. • Abingdon Junction We have agreement in principle for the lease of the land we require and are waiting for Planning Permission. If all goes to plan we hope to start work in early July. IWA have agreed that the project will be named the Jubilee Cut. The Trust is minded to name the junction the White Horse Junction. • Studies During 2006 we will be commissioning three new major studies: Melksham — with our partners we have engaged Black and Veatch to complete the engineering study on the River Avon Route in Melksham. When complete the plan will be part of further public consultation. Cricklade — we are commissioning a full engineering assessment of the River Thames crossing with flood risk assessment and

when completed it will follow a similar consultation process at Melksham. Water Resources — to ensure water supply for all the canal, a full engineering study brief is currently being prepared. • Engineering and Projects We have placed the contract for the Bincknoll Lane Wootton Bassett to Hay Lane engineering study with White Young and Green. In conjunction with the local team we have drawn up a plan for the restoration of the canal from Marlborough Road, Wootton Bassett, to Hay Lane, Swindon. We have contracted Owen Wilson to design Hayes Knoll Lock (North Wilts Canal). Mouldon Hill, Swindon. Design work is now complete and we expect to put the project out for tender in the next few weeks. Our current volunteer work sites are at Seven Locks (Lock 4), Naish Hill (Double Bridge) and Steppingstones Lane, Shrivenham.

For information about the Wilts & Berks Canal

Your comments would be welcome. We hope to have the

phone: 0845 2268567 or visit www.wbct.org.uk

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No. 175 Summer 2006

Obituary Clare Lake 1915–2006

lare Lake’s long association with the Trust started in 1969 when she and her husband Robert brought their Dawncraft Dandy named ‘Jubilate’ onto the canal at Pewsey.

That summer, they joined the Pewsey Wharf Boat Club, secured a mooring for ‘Jubilate’ and joined the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust, later to become Life Members at Clare’s insistence. They also discovered Crofton Pumping Station and soon were roped into helping out, with Clare helping with the running of the bookstall and souvenir shop on steaming days. Later, she and Robert took over the admissions desk, and the Crofton gang have fond memories of them sitting in the draughty entrance door come rain or shine, a duty they gave up only a few years ago. Clare also took an interest in the mechanics of the beam engines and was able to

operate the ‘snifter valve’ on the Number 2 engine during the start-up sequence. When, in the early 80s the Crofton Branch was running the trip-boat ‘Jubilee’, Clare was in her element behind the bar, looking after all the passengers, answering their queries, and generally enthusing about the Canal and the prospects of a full restoration one day. From 1980, the Lakes enjoyed their time on ‘Green Dragon’, a 23-foot Wilderness boat, and they were much loved members of the Pewsey Wharf Boat Club (Clare was rightly famous for her fabulous meringues). They gave enormous support to such events as the Canalfests at

OA DAY B TING on the beautiful

Kennet & Avon Canal

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Bishops Cannings in 1991 and 1992, proudly taking the prize each year for the oldest boat crew present! Robert and Clare were regular ‘Butty-stuffers’ (putting the magazine into envelopes for posting) and even last December, when her frailty was

becoming evident, she was clearly enjoying the day and doing a super job. Trust members will have many memories of Clare, memories of a gentle soul, a warm and happy personality, a lovely lady, and a true friend of the Kennet & Avon Canal.

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No. 175 Summer 2006

The Dam Thing The elements have taken their toll on the wooden weir at Claverton Pumping Station — and Trust volunteers have been getting stuck in to put things right. Nevill Levitt puts the job in context with pictures by Maurice Pullin.

laverton Pumping Station gets its power from a large waterwheel fed with water from the River Avon above Warleigh Weir, flowing along a leat “man made cut” under a bridge and into the mill pond next to the Pumping Station.

Water from the pond enters the wheel house through a grille of steel bars which prevents floating debris entering and damaging the waterwheel.

Adjustable weir Starting, stopping and control of the water wheel speed is carried out by an adjustable weir, which is as wide as the waterwheel “almost 25 feet” (metric is not the preferred system at Claverton). When the weir is raised to its full height, water cannot pass onto the wheel. Lowering the weir allows water to pass onto the wheel causing rotation. The weir is built in two sections each 12 feet long and is constructed from heavy wooden sections, curved to reflect the radius of the water wheel attached to a similarly curved copper sheet that limits the loss of water though leakage when the wheel is running. This is what we call the curved or depressing sluice because it is lowered not raised

to rotate the wheel. I hope you get the picture. I can now tell you why we need the Dam Thing.

Rotten timber discovered The copper sheet covering one half of the wheel came loose exposing a very rotten timber structure normally under water. One half of the weir or sluice must be completely rebuilt before the pump can be run again. The mill pond — as well as feeding the waterwheel — has to be kept full to provide water for the canal above and eventually the Devizes Caen Hill Flight through the back pumping scheme by use of electric submersible pumps.

Damming the pond To make a repair practical, we had to make a dam across the mill pond at its narrowest point.

Stop at the one-stop service

HONEYSTREET Visit our Wharf on the Long Pound by Honeystreet Bridge for diesel, Calor Gas & coal water & 240 volt electrics overnight moorings pump-out & ‘Porta Potti’ disposal

Gibson’s Boat Services Telephone 01672 851232

Picture by Bob Naylor

A design was produced by our engineer for a steel structure which was fabricated locally then installed by the Claverton team over three very cold days in March.

Worries for other half of the sluice The state of decay discovered in the half of the sluice currently being worked on gives concern for the state of the other half. It has been decided that it will also need replacing but we may be able to put it off until next year when the dam will be installed again. So the Dam Thing will continue to be a valuable asset for many years to come.

Branch volunteers We thank the volunteers who come to Claverton rain or shine throughout the year, who have worked up to their knees and sometimes beyond in mud, water and cups of tea! They have once again shown by their work on the Dam Thing what an ingenious and resourceful lot they are.

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No. 175 Summer 2006

Public transport offers a stressfree journey in comfort and it can be an adventure especially for young children

National Cycle Route 4 follows much of the K&A and the towpath offers a safe place for children and adults to ride 20

Integrated transport on the Kennet & Avon Canal by Oliver Giles Kennet and Avon Canal Rural Transport Partnership Officer

quick glance at the K&A public transport guide will reveal that the Canal is well served by both bus and train services, yet the question of integration remains. How easy is it to catch the train from London Paddington to Pewsey and then a Wigglybus to Devizes, have an afternoon on the Caen Hill Lock Flight then return home in time to put the kids to bed? Well, the answer is not difficult at all. Realistically itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still nowhere near as convenient as the car but public transport does offer a stress-free journey in comfort and it can be an adventure in itself especially for young children. Using several different modes of transport to reach a

destination requires some preparation and planning; the earlier you can make these enquiries the better as train fares generally reduce significantly the further in advance you book them. At the K&A Rural Transport Partnership weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing our bit. When planning the timetable for the

summer Sunday shuttle service, we look carefully at train times. Cardiff, Bristol and Bath are all within 90 minutes of Bradford on Avon station. With the shuttle bus fitting in with the trains, a day trip to Caen Hill or Pewsey from either of these three cities is a real possibility. Similarly, London Paddington to Bedwyn or Pewsey is only 90 minutes, making a day out in the Pewsey Vale an easy day trip for many in the capital. All it takes is a little planning and a sense of adventure!

Wiggle round wonders of the West Tim Reynolds The Wigglybus Manager

erving five of the seven man-made wonders of the West, the Wiltshire Wigglybus is just the ticket when it comes to exploring and accessing the countryside in the beautiful County of Wiltshire.

The Wigglybus is a flexible form of transport that serves a wide, 100 square-mile area of the Vale of Pewsey. Four buses operate a series of circular and cross-vale services that link local communities together and enable access to the main centres such as Pewsey and Devizes. Bookings from any point in the Vale of Pewsey can be made by calling 01249 460600. At the heart of the Vale of Pewsey operational area is the Kennet & Avon Canal. This inland waterway provides a vital source of customers for the Wigglybus, which is used by many boat owners to access essential services and facilities in the local area. The Wigglybus is able to pick up customers at a majority of the canal crossing points and essentially provides a ‘moor

and ride’ service for many people in the area. Tourism is also an important aspect to the Wigglybus service and through a range of specially developed ‘guided walk’ leaflets — Wigglywalks — the Wigglybus has been able to link local people and tourists in the area to a range of footpaths which can be explored at a leisurely pace and which link to or follow the canal towpath. The Vale of Pewsey services also serve the famous flight of locks at Caen Hill and one of the Wigglywalks is centred on this stunning local landmark. In addition to the Vale of Pewsey services, our Kennet Valley Wigglybus service links the World Heritage site at Avebury Stone Circle to both Calne and Marlborough and also links you to the West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill. We are developing a new Ancient Britain trail leaflet to show you how to access all these sites by bus and this will be available during the summer of 2006. The Kennet Valley and Calne Wigglybuses also serve the Ridgeway path, the Cherhill White Horse, and the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Bookings for any Kennet Valley or Calne Wigglybus service can be made by calling 01249 460600. Finally, the Wigglybus service in the Mere area provides links to Stourhead Gardens, a beautiful and tranquil estate that is open to the public all year round and has a stunning array of flowers, trees and

architecture. The Mere Wigglybus also connects at Gillingham Railway station with trains from London allowing visitors to access this estate by a dedicated, bookable rail link service. The Mere Wigglybus also provides access to the Longleat Estate and surrounding countryside for walks and cycle rides and there is a special, bookable, rail link service between Warminster Rail Station and the Estate each Saturday allowing a whole day’s visit to the area. Services to the historic town of Shaftesbury are also operated and here you can visit Gold Hill,

the site of the famous Hovis advert. Bookings for trips from Warminster Rail Station to Longleat, or for any Mere Wigglybus service can be made by calling 01747 861222. To obtain a copy of the Wigglywalks leaflets or any timetables for the flexible Wigglybus services operated around the County of Wiltshire, simply call the Wigglybus Information Line on 01380 860100. A new Hungerford Wigglywalks guide, Walks around Hungerford, will be published in June this year and contains details of three self-guided, broadly linear walks.

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Get Walking Around Hungerford and Kintbury — taking the common ground with Di Harris

his is a longer walk than most Butty walks, but it is fairly gentle and on a fine day in summer little could be nicer than a walk across Hungerford Common – sharing the open ground with a herd of cows.

1 Hungerford High Street

Start at Hungerford Wharf and walk under the road bridge towards Newbury. After about 1/4 mile you’ll pass Hungerford station on your right and after another 3/4 mile you’ll reach Dunmill Lock. Continue on the towpath for 2 miles with Kennet’s water meadows on your left for much of the way. You’ll pass three more locks before reaching Kintbury.

You will soon see a public footpath sign pointing to your right. Take this path across an open field. Carry on in the same direction for 1200 yards or so and you will enter Hungerford Common.

Leave the towpath at Kintbury Wharf and either stop for a break at The Dundas Arms, or turn right and walk up into the village where you’ll find a selection of interesting and useful shops and another pub, the Blue Ball Inn.

Continue in the direction of the footpath, which will cross over a road. On the other side of the road walk across the Common to arrive at the Down Gate pub.

Follow the High Street and at the edge of the village you will find a fork in the road. Take the left fork, signposted to Inglewood Health Hydro. Carry on walking along this road for 1

Take the road past the pub which leads back into Hungerford Town Centre and turn right at the T-junction. The

Length: 7 miles The walk has no strenuous climbs.

A3 38

The Rose of Hungerford on The Wharf

mile passing a farm, the Health Hydro and Templeton Stud.

A4 Hungerford Lock

Station

The Geoprojects map of the K&A covers the route.

Hungerford 6

Dun mill Loc k

The Downgate

A3 3 8

The Dundas Arms, Kintbury

Wire Lock

5 Hunger ford Com mon

Ke nn et

Brunsden’s Lock Dundas Arms &

Av o

nC an al

Kintbury Lock

4 Inglewood Health Hydro

Pictures by Bob Naylor

2 Kintbury

Templeton Stud

The Downgate

Dunmill Lock

Join The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust now to help Protect, Enhance and Promote the waterway and you will get:

Membership Fees – please tick one box Annual fees are for one year from the month of joining Pay by standing order and claim your FREE leather card wallet

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Butty posted to you free

q Senior Citizen Single/£100 q Adult Family/£250 q Senior Citizen Family/£125 q Life Membership Fees

Adult Single/£15

Adult Single/£200

Senior Citizen Single/£10 Adult Family/£17 Senior Citizen Family/£12 Junior (14–18)/£7

The K&A Canal Trust magazine

q q q q q

Annual Membership Fees

Corporate membership – please phone 01380 721279 for information Branch Membership – please tick one box

q q Newbury Devizes Bath & Bristol q I/we would be interested in helping with branch activities q Central

Reading

q q q

Hungerford Crofton

q q q

West Wilts Claverton

Your details – please complete all sections I/we wish to join the Trust and enclose: A completed Standing Order form A completed Gift Aid Declaration form A cheque (payable to The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust) I would like a FREE leather card wallet

q q q q

(standing order applicants only after receipt of first payment)

Name(s) of applicant(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FREE entry to: Claverton Pumping Station Devizes Canal Museum Crofton Beam Engines

............................................. ............................................. Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................. ............................................. Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Standing Order Name of Member’s Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Address of Member’s Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .............................................

A GEOprojects canal map of the Kennet & Avon Canal (and including the River Avon and Bristol Docks)

Please pay to Lloyds Bank plc, Devizes Wilts SN10 1JD (sort code 30-92-63) credit A/C No. 0441822 The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust the sum of £. . . . . . . On (date). . . . . . . . . .and the same sum on the same date each YEAR until further notice. Signed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Account No. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join at any of the Trust shops or the attractions listed — or phone: 01380 721279

............................................. To Bank: When making payments please quote: . . . . . . . . . . . Gift Aid Declaration Name of Charity: The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust Details of Donor Title: . . . . . . . . .Full Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Postcode: . . . . . . . . . . . I want the charity to treat all subscriptions/donations I make from the date of this declaration until I notify you otherwise as Gift Aid Donations.

If you pay by standing order you will also get a leather K&A wallet to keep your membership card in

Signature: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . You must pay an amount of Tax at least equal to the tax that the charity reclaims on Please post or fax this form to: The Membership Secretary, The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust, FREEPOST, Canal Centre, Couch Lane, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1BR. Fax: 01380 727870

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The Petition We, Your Gracious Majesty’s liege people, do offer unto Your Majesty our humble duty and loyalty, and humbly petition and beseech Your Majesty to exercise Your ancient and Royal Prerogative, as your Majesty’s ancestors have oft times done since time immemorial, of the Conservancy of Navigation and do grant a Commission, as in MAGNA CARTA provided, utterly to put down all dams and other obstructions whatsoever to the Navigation of the Kennet and Avon Canal in the Counties of Somersetshire, Wiltshire and Berkshire, which said Canal is now obstructed and blocked up to the great prejudice of Your Majesty’s rights of passage and of fishery and which your petitioners fear will become an offence and a danger to health if not cleansed and repaired as by Parliament provided. And we Your most loyal subjects and humble petitioners will ever pray for Your Majesty’s well being and for the Commonwealth.

The IWA and The Kennet & Avon Canal Peter Lindley-Jones continues the story of the Inland Waterways Association. His previous article ended with the K&A at risk of being lost for ever and the delivery of a 22,000 signature petition to the Queen.

elp with transporting the petition down the Thames had been given by Capt Lionel Munk, operator of Maid Line Cruisers, later to be a council member of the IWA.

Lionel became most interested in the K&A and within a year — no doubt with a ‘nudge’ from IWA chairman Robert Aickman — became Chairman of a new branch of the errant K&A Association at Reading, persuading Robert, as a gesture of conciliation, to accept the position as the breakaway Association’s VicePresident.

Bill to remove the navigational right rejected Things improved for the K&A when, in 1955, The British Transport Commission’s Bill to remove the navigational right to navigate the K&A, having passed its second reading, was rejected by the Select Committee — a motion that was then endorsed by the House of Commons. Later, the Minister of Transport announced that there was to be a further inquiry to look into the country’s waterway system under the chairmanship of Leslie Bowes. Whilst the K&A supporters awaited the outcome of the Bowes report, the IWA, although not overly impressed with the make up, realised that at least through it they could broadcast their views, so cooperated fully in providing the inquiry considerable quantities of requested information.

IWA ‘financially weak’ 24

Even though the Association

was now attracting many eminent and well-positioned people to its cause, it was still financially weak and without permanent staff until a donation allowed a new Administrator to be appointed. Robert Aickman was of the opinion that to have the Association incorporated as a company would be an advantage, but there was opposition until eventually in early 1958, helped by Sir Allan Herbert in the chair, a council meeting followed by a postal vote of members approved the measure. New offices were found in Emerald Street and the work of the Association continued countrywide.

Bowes Report published In July 1958, the Bowes report was published. It followed the classification much as the Board of Survey had outlined except in differing over the ‘worth keeping’ canals, which were to be put into working order and maintained to a reasonable standard for at least 25 years. Initially the IWA felt that this was a victory, but on reflection they realised it moved only marginally from the original position. Of the K&A, the report — whilst accepting its validity westwards of Bath — could find no justification for restoring the section from Bath to Reading or including it in the prescribed navigational system but, it continued, the waterway was a case for re-

development which should give weight for recreational use.

Judge’s ‘acid mockery and ridicule’ Acceptable as this appears today, in the 1950s the thinking was that, principally, canals should be returned to commercial trade with pleasure craft use being seen very much as a side line. Some idea can be gleaned from the remark made in the High Court by Sir Andrew Clark during John Gould’s case against the BTC in 1955: “Is it right”, he asked, “to spend thousands of pounds [on the canal] merely because one man wants to sail a couple of boats on it?” And this was somebody wanting to use the waterway commercially. What acid mockery and ridicule would he have used had John’s boats been pleasure craft can only be imagined!

1959 White Paper Early in 1959 the White Paper that followed the Bowes report was published, but failed to take on board the imaginative measures that Bowes had outlined. However, the White Paper did suggest an interim experimental solution which would last for some two years with a Waterways Redevelopment Advisory Committee set up to promote schemes for development. During 1959 the Committee was formed and contained, amongst others, Lionel Munk and John Smith — both K&A stalwarts — and, although the K&A did not immediately

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benefit, certain remedial works were carried out under the ‘no further deterioration’ agreement. The K&A Association started to prepare and cost some of the requirements to re-connect Reading with Newbury. On the system as a whole, the fight continued with the IWA conducting a lively campaign and gathering support in many quarters and rejoiced in the triumph of the Stratford canal restoration.

The British Waterways Board is formed Still the fate of many canals hung precariously in the balance and a new body, The British Waterways Board, took over from the BTC. Lionel Munk, keen to pursue at least some partial restoration of the K&A, discussed a deal with the new organisation. He was of the opinion that it would need more resources to accomplish than a voluntary body could muster so was looking towards BWB for some technical assistance.

Sulhamstead Lock appeal The goodwill of BWB was tested with Sulhamstead lock — the first west-going obstruction — being selected as an experimental trial and an appeal was launched for the necessary £20,000. This initiative was gleefully accepted by the K&A Association — now The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust — when prisoners from Winchester and Oxford prisons started work.

1968 Transport Act allows partnerships For the K&A east of Bath, eventual restoration became a possibility when within the 1968 Transport Act was a provision that allowed BWB to enter into agreements with local authorities or charitable bodies to maintain or improve ‘remainder’ waterways.

Act of Parliament needed for K&A Cruiseway status However, it would require an Act of Parliament to promote these waterways to

before the HLF grant applied the final touches.

IWA says farewell to founder chairman Robert Aickman retired officially in 1964, sadly stating that he could no longer afford, without adequate compensation, to give so much of his time. Lionel Munk who succeeded Robert paid him a high compliment and our late Past President, Lord Methuen, said “We owe the IWA an immense debt — it was the body that has borne the brunt of the fight to ensure the survival of our inland waterways”. Robert Aickman died on 26th February 1981 and, although remembered by a monument beside his beautiful lock on the River Avon, every mile of restored waterways is his memorial for every visitor to revere and, we trust, respect.

Read more about the IWA The history of the IWA is as important as it is complex and makes compelling reading. David Bolton’s intriguing account ‘Race against Time’ (ISBN0-413-63470-1), published by Methuen, is a wonderful account and is thoroughly recommended reading; we are indebted to him for allowing us to peep behind the curtains of waterway history.

‘cruiseway’ status; so whilst west of Bath the K&A is ‘cruiseway’ the section eastwards is still ‘remainder’ although there are now moves afoot to amend this provision. Whilst the 1968 Transport Act set the K&A redevelopment into gear, years of delicate and often heart-stopping tightropebalanced negotiations followed

Still keeping on the pressure Presently, for their Jubilee celebrations, the IWA have offered full support to the proposed Thames/Wilts & Berks junction — let us hope we see southern canal enthusiasts respond equally with increased IWA membership!

. . . in the 1950s the thinking was that, principally, canals should be returned to commercial trade with pleasure craft use being seen very much as a sideline

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Cotswold Canals news Big Lottery Fund (BLF) by Jack Telling

iving Landmark bids by British Waterways, on behalf of the Cotswold Canals Partnership, and North Wiltshire District Council on behalf of a Partnership promoting the Cricklade Country Way Project, have both been long-listed for Project Reviews.

A team from BLF visited the Stroudwater Navigation on 30th & 31st May to gain more knowledge of the proposal to restore the canal from Stonehouse to Saul Junction and to assess the level of local support for the project. The Cricklade Country Way Project, which involves restoring the North Wilts Canal and creating a ‘dry’ towpath along the line of the Thames & Severn Canal to the Water Park, was assessed early in June. Recommendations will be made to the BLF Programme Committee who will decide to award a development grant or reject the application. Successful applicants at this stage will then have to prepare a more detailed Stage 2 application by 31st January 2007. Finally, in August 2007 approximately 8 projects will be selected for major funding. If all goes well for the Cotswold Canals they would be restored fully from Brimscombe Port to Saul Junction by 2010.

Local Heritage Initiative (LHI) On behalf of the Canal Partnership, the Cotswold Canals Trust has bid for, and been granted, funds for a community-led £30,000 project designed to provide information about, and interest in, the canal and its environs. This was achieved in conjunction with British Waterways and several local organisations. The project is to be about history, memories and also about the present day. The funds have been granted by the Countryside Agency through their LHI which is providing £20,240. Additional contributions have

also been confirmed from Stroud District Council (£2000) and the Cotswold Canals Trust (£5000). Our intention is to seek involvement or contributions from local businesses, which will add to the final product. The outputs of the project, which may take up to 12 months, will be: A DVD containing many personal memories of the canal and its environs between Stroud and Stonehouse. An interactive leaflet i.e. one which challenges the reader to look outwards and seek further information and places of interest. Four interpretation and Information points. The project will act as a prototype for the whole of the canal length. The project started on May 24th with a media launch, and a discussion with all parties involved. Neville Nelder manages the project on behalf of the Trust, which will be delivered through a co-operative effort by all concerned — with professional support from BW.

Brimbcombe Port of Stonehouse The physical restoration of this 9.5 kilometre length of the Cotswold Canals will not start until September 2006. In the meantime there is frenzied activity behind the scenes.

Project ‘Atlas’ The Atlas describes the aims and outputs of the project in detail and incorporates concept engineering drawings. It can be viewed through

Management Plan and Studies and Surveys respectively. Hard copies can be seen at the Heritage Centre, Saul Junction; Stroud Library; The Museum in the Park (Stroud); and at the Local Plans desk of Stroud District Council. In addition, the Museum in the Park has a display showing outline plans for the first stage of the restoration from Ryeford to Dudbridge. There will be a bigger display in August. Feedback from the public is very important and this can done via the website or via Parish or Town Councils.

as Ecologist. Ben Dearlove is Project Accountant. Offers have also been made to six Engineers and to a Landscape Architect. Interviews are also taking place for a Community Links Involvement Coordinator and Volunteer Programme Coordinator. They will lead on working with local people to promote the Cotswold Canals, and their restoration, to a wide range of local groups. The BW Delivery Team is shared with the Droitwich Canals.

Briefings

The First Stage of Restoration

Saul and Thrupp Parishes have been briefed and the first consultation on a prospective planning application took place with Cainscross Parish on 30th May. Meetings have also taken place with the Stroud Valleys Heritage Landscape Project whose objectives are complementary to the canals project. A key element for the canals will be the Stroud Waterfront concept which extends from Capel Mill through to Wallbridge.

BW Delivery Team Much very detailed work has to be done before September and to achieve this the Delivery Team has been expanded. David Viner has been appointed Heritage Adviser and Clare Guy

By the end of this year it is intended to re-open a section of the canal which will link Ryeford Lock to Hilly Orchard via Ebley Mill. The main task in this section stems from the fact that the canal from Frome Gardens to Wallbridge carries flows from the Slad Brook, Painswick Stream and Ruscombe Brook. These streams were diverted into the former canal by the Severn River Board in 1956, shortly after the canal was closed, as a flood protection measure. To ensure the restored canal can accommodate both normal flows and extreme flood conditions, new weirs and discharge channels will be constructed and the canal widened to its original width.

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“A little green on lock gates is good”, says the Grey Wagtail By Viv Phillips The BW Southwest Region Ecologist

Picture by Darin Smith, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

outine maintenance of lock gates is an essential part of British Waterway’s work and includes clearing the opportunistic growth of plants in cracks or on ledges; this is mainly to prevent damaging woody species taking root. Conditions vary and lush growth can develop quite quickly in some damp niches and views differ as to whether this is attractive or not. For some wildlife, however, the lock gates provide essential habitat and BW is pursuing a balanced approach to accommodate these species. The bottom pair of gates at a lock provide the best habitat and the “Biodiversity Beam” will

be on the outside face of the bottom gates. Here at least a quarter of any vegetation present on one horizontal beam will be kept during routine clearance operations. The beam chosen will be the one with the best existing habitat. This action will safeguard mosses, ferns and flowering plants and associated animal life which live on structures.

The most significant benefit will be for the Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea, one of the most attractive birds of the canals. The grey wagtail is much more colourful than its name suggests with blue-grey upper parts contrasting with black wings, bright yellow breast and belly and yellow-green rump; its long tail is wagged continuously as it feeds on insects picked from the water or taken by eyecatching flights into the air. It nests in concealed cavities or crevices hidden by vegetation, and the corners formed by the horizontal beams meeting the frame of lock

gates are often chosen. There are few other suitable nest sites on canals. The Biodiversity Beam may make a big difference to the breeding success of this bird which is on the Amber List of Birds of Conservation Concern because its numbers are declining nationally. Along the K&A, gates are being cleaned in a rolling programme, though extensive vegetation may be left until after the bird breeding season. If anyone is lucky enough to see nesting wagtails or any other interesting wildlife, call the South West’s Environment Team on 01452 318000.

Otters face road threats By Susan Litherland

Between the 1950s and 1980s the otter population plummeted and there were serious concerns for their future survival. Polluted waterways, mink and human activity all took their toll on these handsome creatures. Numbers are on the rise again, but this means otters must spread out looking for new territories and unfortunately have to take on new threats like roads. Now Britain’s first Wildlife Veterinary Investigation Centre, based in Cornwall, is appealing to the public as well as all the South West Wildlife Trusts including Wiltshire, to report otter casualties on roads. Roads pose one of the biggest threats to otters nationally and have had a serious impact on the recovery of this rare species, according to the Centre, which is seeking to find out why this year there

has been a dramatic decline in the number of casualties. “Obviously the more otters there are around, the more likely people will come across them by the roadside. The less there are, the fewer will die on the roads,” says Vicki Brown of the Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre, based at the Trust in Devizes. Vicki stresses how important it is to report seeing any dead otters and, of course, any live ones you may be lucky enough to spot. “By contacting us with any reports, you are helping us to build up a picture of otter numbers in the county and what’s happening to their populations. Despite our existing records, we still have gaps in our knowledge, and the more we know about these wonderful animals, the more we can use our otter-friendly projects to protect them,” she

says.“All we need to know is what you saw, where you saw it, preferably with a grid reference, and when you saw it. Simple really! In fact, at the risk of sounding gruesome, we need records of any wildlife killed on the roads,” says Vicki. If you are worried you won’t be able to identify a species, make an accurate description of it and the W&SBRC will help you work it out. Have a look at the website www.wsbrc.org.uk - you will see there is an ‘on-line’ recording form for entering your

Picture by Darin Smith, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

he return of the otter to waterways in Wiltshire has been one of the conservation success stories of recent years, and the result of many years of effort by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust to improve their habitat.

sightings. Or contact Vicki on (01380) 725670. email: vickib@wiltshirewildlife.org

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Bath Branch open day at Dundas and Brassknocker Basin by Robert Coles

he long-awaited ‘Free Canal Day at Dundas Basin’, the idea of the Bath & Bristol Branch was held on Sunday 7th May.

Blessed with a fine Spring day and extensive pre-event media coverage, including local TV news, a large number of people attended the event. As expected, the free boat trips from Dundas to Claverton for visits to the pumping station proved to be the main attraction — with queues forming before the arrival of the boats — and by the end of the day close on 400 passengerjourneys had been made. These numbers fully justified the bringing of ‘Barbara McLellan’ to Dundas to join ‘Jubilee’.

Fishing tuition Fishing tuition for young people by Bathampton Angling Association, under the leadership of branch committee member Rod Bracey, also proved to be very popular. The anglers who gave up their day for the event did much to enhance the reputation of fishermen.

Hawk & Owl Trust Other attractions, including displays by the Wiltshire Hawk and Owl Trust, Environment Agency and the IWA, all had a steady stream of visitors. Conducted walks around

Dundas also proved popular. Looking up at Dundas from the river bank is a truly dramatic sight. At the other end of the boat trips, Claverton Chairman Peter Dunn and his many volunteers put on an excellent show with visitors routed through a welcoming gazebo. There were plenty of explanation handouts and staff on hand to explain the workings and history of the pump.

‘Barbara McLellan’ returns visitors from Claverton to Dundas

New recruits Several positive offers of help were made by visitors and names taken by Peter. Back at Brassknocker the Trust’s membership tent staffed by John and Elaine Kirby reported that they had sold more membership raffle tickets than at any other event.

Awareness Visitors to the Pumping Station

The object of the day — to maintain and increase awareness of the canal — was achieved; visitors came from a wide area, some visiting Dundas for the first time. A spin-off of the day was the business done by the commercial interests at Brassknocker — “better than a bank holiday” was the overall opinion. Elaine and John Kirby busy at the Trust gazebo at Brassknocker Basin

‘Barbara McLellan’, and ‘Jubilee’ pass as they shuttle visitors to Claverton

Fishing tips for a young angler

Michael Davis — after the show

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Butty BRANCH REPORTS Reading Mike Wyatt 0118 9427708

ooking back at previous reports, it may seem to some that all we do is have social meetings. So what do we really do?

Working parties In March we took part in Reading’s Rivers and Environmental Spaces Clean Up Event, ‘RESCUE’, where we concentrated on the Kennet. Nine of us on the Saturday and half a dozen on the Sunday helped the Environment Agency remove six barge-loads of rubbish from the river. The shopping trolleys are now breeding at a much slower rate, but bicycles seem to have taken their place. We also removed a large part of the problem willow tree in the middle of the Water Fest site and six bags of rubbish from its roots. In April, members also helped in the K&A cleanup week organised under BW’s banner, removing more rubbish from the lengths above Fobney lock.

Water Fest This starts with meetings with Reading Council Promotions staff in December, and several more follow, but the first physical task for K&A members is during RESCUE when we do the preliminary ‘trolley drag’ along the mooring length. In mid-June on the Sunday before the event, we have a second

No. 175 Summer 2006

drag and lay out the buoys to mark the mud banks. On the Thursday, the river site is closed to non-Water Fest traffic and we sign the one-way circuit and mark out the mooring positions as the early boats arrive. On the Friday the boats come flooding in and panic sets in as unexpected boats arrive and we try to find additional moorings. Early on Saturday we assist RBC staff in decorating the site, then the Trust Information stand is set up together with the cake stall, the branch sales stand and the duck race stall, all of which have to be staffed from 10am to 5pm, so we want plenty of help. During the day we organise two boat processions, a boat tug-of-war, and oversee canoe demonstrations — and we organise a boat trip round the whole site for the Mayor. This keeps two harbourmasters busy all day. Saturday 5 pm sees the stalls being packed up, then on Sunday the buoys, mooring markers and notices have to be recovered.

Other Events July sees a number of our branch members helping out at Newbury to repay help that they have given us at Water Fest. This year, of course, will see an additional event as we help to erect and man the Trust’s stands at the IWA National Rally at Beale Park on the Thames. The Branch Sales stand is taken to various charity events, not necessarily canal ones, and we are always in need of help. Then comes the last event in

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www.aamarine.co.uk

Visitor Centre Then of course from March onwards there is ‘The Shop’, as we call the Visitor Centre at Padworth. The hours allowed for paid staff do not permit seven-day opening, so we need volunteer help. There are also working parties at the Padworth shop for hedge and grass cutting and various maintenance tasks.

Behind the Scenes However, that is only the ‘Public’ part of the Branch activities. In addition there are meetings (about 6 Branch committee, 4 Trust Council and 2 K&A User Forum meetings in Devizes, 6 Water Fest and several RBC Woodlands & Waterways Committee). Most of the physical work is being carried out by members in their 60s & 70s. There must Reading Branch members We need your help! • Make cakes for Water Fest • Help with the pre Water Fest Trolley drag etc on Sunday 18th June. • Help at Water Fest on 24th June and help at IWA Beale Park Rally. • On August 25th–28th help at the Padworth Shop on dates to suit yourself. Or you could come on the Committee (we meet in the evenings at 7.30 pm). And get some new Trust Members – the more the better. Please give me a ring. Oh, and don’t forget to get your tickets for the Branch BBQ on Saturday 2nd September, and bring your friends (Ring Jenny Cann on 0118 978 689).

Newbury

All boat maintenance services Boat Safety Examinations Anywhere on the K&A and Thames

the year, the Mayor’s Charity Christmas Market in November. Besides this we have to fit in six social meetings, a Christmas Party, a branch dinner and a branch BBQ and, if we can arrange it, a branch visit.

Graham Smith 01635 580356

he first few months of the year have proved to be particularly quiet for business at the Stone Building. Major works in Newbury town centre appeared to put

people off visiting the town altogether for a while, though hopefully the situation will soon start improving. Unfortunately, slack business was not the only problem suffered by the shop as our team of volunteers lost several long-standing stalwarts through illness. But our media campaign has done the trick. See page 30.

Waterways Festival Bookings are now rolling in for this year’s Newbury Waterways Festival over the weekend of 29th & 30th July. The fair in Victoria Park on Sunday 30th will again be the Branch’s main publicity and fundraising event and there will as usual be a wide range of attractions and stalls. We could still do with more offers of help, both with the pre- and post-event administration and with running the event on the day — again, please contact Tracy if you can spare any time.

AGM The Branch AGM at the end of April saw a few changes of faces on the committee. Particular thanks are due to Chris Martin for his time as treasurer, a mantle which Rob Dean has now taken on. The AGM also marked the end of a very popular talks season – Geoff Paterson has been hard at work organising another range of interesting speakers for us to look forward to and the new programme will start on 27th September.

Northcroft bridge replacement West Berkshire Council has recently come forward with a third design for replacing the 1930s footbridge at Northcroft, ‘The Monkey Bridge’. The original proposal for an ‘off the shelf’ timber structure back in 2001 prompted a local campaign to seek a more inspirational design (see issues 163 to 166 of The Butty). Unfortunately, progress with the modern design that resulted has been thwarted by difficulties with a water main diversion and with finances, so we are back to a variation on

the

Butty BRANCH REPORTS the 2001 scheme that is similar to the bridge installed at Greenham Mill in 2003. One thing a number of members have commented on is the propensity for timber bridge walkways to become very slippery in damp conditions – we can but hope that plans to use carborundum non-slip inserts will resolve the problem this time around.

No. 175 Summer 2006

‘Crofton in the Twenties’ and still in print with new supplies coming in later this year. Robert and Clare had done most of the jobs around Crofton except firing the boiler and driving the engines. In the early 80s they ran ‘Jubilee’ for a while when it was based at Crofton.

Publicity campaign saves Newbury’s Stone Building

New Warden and Shop Manager

Hungerford Richard Snook 01635 253446

i everyone, it’s summertime and as I’m penning this at the start of the season I can report that Graeme has already captained a rainy charter and our Hon. Sec. has undertaken an impromptu underwater inspection. He tells me that all was ok but rather cold! We have just finished our first month of public trips and are pleased to report that passenger numbers have shown a comfortable increase on the same period last year. We have run just a few charters during the close season, with one of them on what was probably the coldest day of the winter when the central heating broke down. The helmsman helped out with a halogen heater from home and both passengers and crew survived to tell the tale. Charter bookings are at this stage showing some promise but of course it is early days. I even have one booking for Autumn 2007.

Arts on the Towpath During March we were asked for the ‘Rose’ to take part in the Open Studios 2006 Education programme, the theme being ‘The Arts on the Towpath; Rise and Fall’. The original plan was for the ‘Rose’ to be at Newbury Town Lock and allow the school children to experience the rise and fall of the water whilst aboard. Unfortunately because of essential repair work at Copse Lock being carried out at the same time, our part of the

BBC Radio Berkshire reporter, Victoria Hazael interviews Shop Manager, Tracy Perryman

aced with insufficient volunteers to keep the Stone Building shop open seven days a week, the Committee considered partial closure. But it decided instead to launch a press campaign stressing the consequences of losing the shop. Local media including

programme was relocated to Kintbury. All the children involved thoroughly enjoyed the experience, as did Graeme and his crew. Peter Crawford gave a very interesting talk about the Kennet & Avon Canal to all those assembled at Newbury and then travelled to Kintbury and enthralled all there with yet another informative talk.

Licensee for ‘Rose’ Many thanks to Adam, our recently appointed licensee; the bar on board the ‘Rose’ is now up and running again and giving Champion service. Beer, wines and spirits can now be sold again to supplement our meagre supply of wine gums.

Picture by Julie Dean

radio picked up the story and started a flurry of interest which has provided around 20 new volunteers. Many have valuable skills and experience. And, as a result, we are pleased to report that the threat to the Stone Building has been averted!

Crofton Ray Knowles 01672 851639

wo sad items to start with as Ethel Cranstone lost her husband Clare in early February and Robert Lake lost his wife Clare in early March. They were devoted couples and we have sent our condolences to their respective spouses and families. Ethel is, of course, best known as Ethel Giles, author of

Our new Warden and Shop Manager, Alan and Catriona Flaherty started work at the end of March and are now going through a learning curve that is so steep that it is almost a vertical climb, but they are still smiling.

Winter work All the scheduled winter work was completed just about on time as the last section of fencing was completed on Good Friday and painted on the following Tuesday. This completes the work around the steps down to the tunnel where Vaughan Curtis had completed the cutting down of the overgrown trees and the rest of the team had cleared all the undergrowth. The view as you come round the back of the Boiler House is quite breathtaking and we have had many compliments. The handrail on the steps is now being replaced with a hardwood rail so all this area should now keep any Safety Inspector off our backs. (Not you, Ben!) The Boiler passed its test and is now OK until next year when it is due for its 10-year test, which will keep us busy for a large part of the winter.

Winter works During the winter the overhanging willow tree has been trimmed and some new shrubs planted beneath it. We have a nice new hand-painted signboard and, thanks to the numerous ducks ever present, the very lush green grass sets it all off a treat.

New gates for Crofton tunnel

Picture by Elaine Kirby

the

Butty BRANCH REPORTS We have now used up all of last year’s remaining coal and made inroads into the 20 tons that was delivered on March 7th, not 15 tons as stated in the previous Butty.

No. 175 Summer 2006

Devizes

Volunteers Finally, I must again make a plea for more volunteers to come and help at Crofton. I know that other branches have similar problems but we are faced with having to close on some Sundays this Summer due to retirements, non availability and the general effects of an ageing group of volunteers. In June it is necessary to decide on our 2007 programme and currently it looks as though we will have to have a curtailed opening and steaming schedule. Right now we need a secretary, four couples for once a month in the shop, four individuals to work at least once a month in the engine house on steaming days, and a chief engineer and chairman by the end of this year. If you want to know more, give me a ring.

finances.

Wilts & Berks talk Once the formal part of the evening was over, we had an interesting talk from Ken Oliver, Chief Executive (formerly Chairman) of the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust, who brought us up to speed on all the progress and restoration under way. Ken concluded by inviting us to the reopening of the W&B canal in 2014 — the branch wished him and his Trust well.

Social events Our Cotswold Canal walk in May

Picture by Bob Naylor

Alice Boyd 01380 724701 nce again we’ve reached the end of a “branch year” — we finished our year with our annual canal clean-up in March followed that same evening by our social fun quiz night with a canal sights quiz provided by Sam Weller, feely bags supplied by Alice, and a cryptic quiz from Vicki Messam — which she promised really was easier than last year’s one! Barbara Hopkins’ catering team provided a generous supper; this proved to be Barbara’s last culinary challenge, since she’s hanging up her apron after many, many years heading up the Catering Committee. But at least now she can enjoy our social events, rather than always being behind the scenes!

in April. This was an opportunity for Barbara to pay tribute to Dr Ruth Dawkins, a former branch chairman and catering committee stalwart who had recently died. It was also an opportunity for Brian Poulton to thank Barbara on behalf of the whole Trust for her years of hard work and to present her with a bouquet. Some 30 or so people attended the AGM and heard a brief review of the year’s events, and a financial summary showing that yet again Devizes branch has been able to contribute to the Trust’s

AGM We then formalised the end of our year with our branch AGM

Devizes Branch visit to the Cotswold Canals

The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust Public Trip Boats • 3 boats • 3 locations • public trips • special charters •

‘Rose of Hungerford’ Operating from just off the High Street in Hungerford With a seating capacity of 50, ‘Rose’ is a comfortable well-equipped widebeam boat. Public trips: • Every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday from Easter until October – 2.30pm: 2.5 hours • Every Wednesday from June until September – 2.30pm: 2.5 hours • Every Wednesday during July and August – 11.30am: 1.5 hours • Every Sunday during August – 11.30am: 1.5 hours • Special Santa Trips at Christmas Charter trips available for all your special occasions Wheelchair/disabled access Booking Manager: 01488 683389

‘Protect Enhance Promote’

‘Barbara McLellan’

‘Jubilee’

Operating from Bradford on Avon Wharf Cottage The Barbara McLellan is a 65-ft purpose-built wide-beam boat capable of seating 51 passengers. Public trips: • From May to September–11.30am: I hour trip to Meadows Bridge, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays • From June to mid-September – 4.30pm: I hour trip to Widbrook, Saturday and Sunday • Special trips, including cream teas, Bath, Autumn Tints, Christmas Santa Trips

Operating from Brassknocker Basin, opposite Viaduct Inn, Limpley Stoke, A36 East of Bath ‘Jubilee’ is a converted traditional narrowboat with a 30-seat capacity. Brassknocker Wharf has ample car parking.

Charter trips: for 1 to 5 hours or a whole day. Wheelchair/disabled access Wharf shop and tea-room Boat tickets, gifts, books and refreshments Booking Manager: 01225 775326

Public trips: • Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter until October 12.00 – 2.00pm Cruise to Claverton and return 2.30pm – 5.45pm Cruise to Avoncliff stopping for 30 minutes and return • From June to September inclusive Tuesdays 2.30pm – 5.45pm Avoncliff and return Thursdays 2.30pm – 5.45pm Bathampton and return Charter trips Booking Manager: 01749 850169

All boats are well equipped to provide a range of refreshments and they have licensed bars. They also have a public address system or will accept your own sound system. General enquiries 01380 721279

real at! a y o j n E e family tr 31

the

Butty BRANCH REPORTS was attended and enjoyed by a number of participants — and only the Butty editor got lost. The CAMRA beer festival will not be taking place this July, so our tombola fundraiser will be taking a year off — hopefully the festival will be back next year.

Newbury Waterfest However, we will be supporting Newbury branch at their Waterfest in July; do come and join us. On 30th September we will start our autumn/winter social

No. 175 Summer 2006

season with a speaker on the Dorset & Somerset Canal — which we then hope to visit next spring. And the social season of the branch will start again, with events monthly throughout the winter. All details can be found on the branch web page; if you would like to receive an electronic copy of the branch programme, which is updated approximately monthly, please contact me on 01380 724701 and I’ll add your email address to the circulation list. Our social events are popular and great fun — please do come along and join in!

Picture by Roger Hollands

Devizes canal clean up

Unfortunately the canal was partially frozen at the beginning of March, which prevented us from using a boat to reach the far bank to clear rubbish. Nevertheless, in addition to a mountain of cans and general rubbish, we managed to recover five bikes — one still had air in the tyres and was rideable. Only two supermarket trolleys this year, but a new addition to the stuff deposited by the good folk of Devizes was a computer! Many thanks to Pete Jordan for leading the safety briefing and liaising with BW to make sure the event took place.

Would you like to cruise along the Kennet & Avon Canal near Devizes with no cost to yourself? The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust is thinking of buying a fourth trip boat that will operate from Devizes Wharf and be totally run by volunteers. We are looking for people to train as skippers and crew — and people to work behind the scenes as booking agents, maintenance engineers, a Treasurer, and a Boat Manager to co-ordinate the venture. Think you are too old? . . . nonsense — some of our volunteers are in their 80s Think you are not qualified enough? . . . no problem — we will train you for every aspect of your job. Think you don’t have the time? . . . worry no more — a few hours per month is all we ask. Enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of the lovely Kennet & Avon Canal for free — become a crew member for the newly proposed Trust Boat at Devizes — meet the public — get pleasure from the experience! Interested? ….. Then give our Director of Boat Operations, John Shaw, a call on 0117 9756271 or email him on JohnShaw@stoke362.freeserve.co.uk

West Wilts John Maciver 01225 812225

e are back in business! After an awful lot of hard grafting by a hard core of volunteers, ‘Barbara McLellan’ was ready for the Crew Training trip on 25th March and, after some more concerted preparatory work, the boat passed the MCA Heel Test and full Equipment Survey at the beginning of April and regained her passenger-carry Certificate.

Boat painting Geoff Olver is to be congratulated for preparing the boat so thoroughly. The boat has also been repainted and, even in her new Trust livery, she is unmistakable! Robin Parry, Boat Manager, project-managed the boat rebuild programme — maybe a jig-saw without the picture on the front of the box would be a better description — for the complete re-fit of the main cabin, bar and galley area.

Herculean efforts We are most grateful to him for his Herculean efforts, not only in managing all that work but also for the many man-days spent working on the boat. He has of course been helped by a dedicated team of other skilled volunteers, too many to mention, and they of course deserve a sincere thank you for all their time and effort. Thousands of £s have been saved by doing the work ourselves.

Recruitment trip Our annual recruitment, training and promotional trip to Devizes at the end of April was another success. Quite a number of people came along for the free ride and liked us so much they joined up as volunteers! See, you don’t know what you are missing!

Bookings Charter Trip and Special Trip bookings are very healthy so we are all looking forward to a thriving and enjoyable season.

Our Special Trips include Strawberry Cream Teas, single or return Bath Trips, Autumn Tints Trips and Santa Trips; in fact, quite a number of booking forms have already been taken for our normally sell-out Santa Trips. Look out also for flyers for one-off themed trips that are organised throughout the year. On 7th May we teamed up with ‘Jubilee’ for their Open Day at Dundas, to run shuttle trips to and from Claverton. The BOA Wharf Day will be held on Sat 26th August, when we hope to surpass last year’s highly successful and enjoyable show.

Mo’s infectious enthusiasm There is also really good news on the Tea Room/Shop front. David and Margaret Jupp prepared and re-stocked the Tea Room/Shop and opened up for business at the end of March. Our new Tea Room/Shop Manager, Mo Bennie, took over at the beginning of April and since then has introduced a number of innovative ideas and, through her infectious enthusiasm, there is a real ‘buzz’ about the place. Thanks to Mo and all the volunteers who help in the Tea Room, we are attracting an ever-increasing circle of customers who appreciate the friendly relaxed atmosphere and the excellent range and quality of snacks and refreshments that are now available. Add to this our attractive and tranquil terraced garden, which Harry Fox and Chris Poulter have tended so well, and we have the perfect haven in which everyone can enjoy the soothing bustle of canal-side activity.

Volunteer Social Club We are still waiting for a willing volunteer to help organise the monthly Volunteer Social Club programme of events. The Club meets on the last Thursday evening of the month, so if you would like to help out please contact me. Finally, I would like to welcome the new volunteers who have joined us this year. As you have discovered, getting involved in helping in the Tea

the

Butty BRANCH REPORTS

No. 175 Summer 2006

Trust volunteers who helped with the Barbara McLellan heel test. Room or on the boat is a most rewarding and enjoyable pursuit. Also, everyone is so friendly! So, if anyone else would like a slice of the action please come along and check us out; we would be delighted to welcome you. You do not need any previous experience to getting involved and, you will have an enjoyable time to boot.

Claverton Pete Dunn 01761 432811

he repairs to The Claverton Sluice are reported elsewhere so I will give an update on the more social aspects of the Pump House. In March we held our annual dinner at the Limpley Stoke Hotel which was very well attended and enjoyed by all.

Pump talk The next day saw us gathering at the Radstock Mining Museum for an illustrated talk given by Robin Williams. The subject was very close to our interests. It was about the restoration of The Mellingriffth Water Pump near Cardiff, also built by John Rennie. That pump was built in 1807 but, although it has some similarities to ours, it appears to be of an earlier design. Without denigrating the splendid work by the K&A restoration team, the Mellingriffth team had a much more arduous task. They had to work completely in the open alongside and in a polluted river and sadly their efforts have been let go — there is no-one who wants to

look after the pump now, so it has begun to deteriorate again. This is a great shame, although I believe that Robin is making efforts to put the situation right.

Open day Finally, we took part in the Canal Open Day organised by the Bath & Bristol Branch. We opened free for the day, visitors being brought to us by the Trust trip boats ‘Jubilee’ and ‘Barbara McLellen’. This was an excellent, busy day and I think that a lot of interest was generated. We have two definite new volunteers who want to come and join us at Claverton. Many thanks to both boat crews and everyone who helped to make the day a success.

Picture by Keith Scott-Green

on what is such an important subject at our end of the Canal.

Holburne Museum link The Trust has also exchanged visits recently with the Holburne Museum in Bath. Since we moved ‘Jubilee’ to Brassknocker we have not had a presence in Bath, which is a pity as the City is so important in the history of the Canal. The Museum has successfully applied for a grant from the National Lottery to expand their offering; while remaining as a Fine Art Museum, it will also develop as the Interpretation Centre for the

building within its natural landscape, which includes Sydney Gardens, the old Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, and the Kennet & Avon Canal and Brunel’s Great Western Railway, both of which run through the Gardens. The building, the old Sydney Hotel, is one of Bath’s finest and most prominent features. The aim is to entice more local people and tourists down Great Pulteney Street to this new cluster of attractions. The physical junction of the Canal and Bath is at Thimble Mill, at the bottom of the Widcombe Flight, but this not an attractive location for Visitor Management.

Little Venice The cultural junction is Bath’s “Little Venice”, within Sydney Gardens, adjacent to the Holburne Museum, and this is extremely attractive. Five minutes’ walk from the City Centre, “Little Venice” contains Cleveland House, the old HQ of the K&A Canal Company. A great opportunity for both parties!

Bath & Bristol

Boat builders and repairers

Mike Davis 01225 448576

Bespoke built narrow and wide beam boats

ur Open Day at Brassknocker and Dundas Basins on Sunday, 7th May, was a great success. An estimated 700 people passed through Brassknocker, where the regular commercial activities reported that it was like another Bank Holiday, and about half this number moved on to Dundas where we had laid on our special one-off activities. See a full report on page 28.

Moorings talk Eliza Botham of British Waterways was the speaker at our Branch AGM on 28th March, talking about their Moorings Code and its current application. There was a good turnout and keen interest in progress

Holiday hire 2-12 berth Full weeks and short breaks 2 fully equipped and built for disabled use

Full mechanical and electrical services Break down service Agents for Shire and Beta engines Mastervolt energy shop 3M thinsulate insulation Webasto heaters

Quality work by quality craftsman Reading Marine Company Ltd Aldermaston Wharf, Padworth, Reading RG7 4JS 0118 9713666

the

Butty

No. 175 Summer 2006

Ruth Dawkins Mike Corfield remembers the work of a legendary volunteer

’m very grateful for the opportunity to say a few words about Ruth’s association with the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust. Over the 30-odd years that Ruth and I were associated with the Trust, remarkable things were achieved.

In the Devizes and Pewsey Branch we had more to do than most other Branches, especially when we were mad enough to take on the restoration of the canal warehouse for use as the Trust Headquarters with a shop, museum and meeting room. And of course to provide the people to run these activities. We could only have done it with the wholehearted support of a nucleus of dedicated people who devoted a large part of their lives to the Trust.

One of the best Ruth was one of the best. Nearly 30 years ago, my predecessor as Branch chairman, John Rowlands, told me that a retired doctor who was interested in the Canal was moving to the area and that I should grab her before anyone else did. When I met her, Ruth told me that she planned to set up a mobile catering service to provide quality food to the boaters we all expected to flock to the canal at any time. Fortunately she soon realised that she would have a long time to wait — and set about looking for alternative outlets to her enthusiasm. It was not long before she

was joining our working parties at the canal wharf, not only wielding paintbrushes herself, but press ganging any passing child, giving them jam jars of paint and a brush. Her job was finished in double quick time!

she learned how to cater for coach loads — extracting a good fee for doing so. I suspect that quite a few of the regular clients came for Ruth’s catering as much as — or more than — for the canal.

Eddie and Barbara Hopkins were her accomplices in these tours and recount pleasure as Ruth rushed them up and down the A4 to the next inspection and the promise of an excellent lunch along the way.

Information Centre

Canal Fayre

‘Water Pipit’

As soon as we had the use of the Wharf we began an annual Canal Fayre — for which Ruth was at the heart of the organisation. She continued to cater for these sort of events until the last few years when the Trust felt it had to back out of events like the Devizes Beer Festival at which we provided a popular Barbecue which Ruth master(or should it be mistress-) minded.

Of course, the purpose of the canal was to carry boats and as soon as the canal was officially opened Ruth was on the lookout for a boat to buy. ‘Water Pipit’ was found and Ruth’s many friends were to enjoy trips with her. She was one of the first to surmount Caen Hill with a good many of us as volunteer lock winders, the leisurely passage aided by a good supply of beer and, as usual, Ruth’s delicious sandwiches. Later, as locks came to be too strenuous, trips to the George at Bathampton through the glorious Avon Valley became the norm. ‘Water Pipit’ was a light boat and easily caught by the wind. Many of her volunteer steerers will recall the difficulty of getting into her moorings at the Bradford Marina on a windy day. Barbara tells of a time when she was trying to hold the boat into the bank with a boat hook — despite her efforts the wind was dragging it farther and farther out. Barbara was having to stretch until she was close to horizontal. Disaster was imminent and Ruth’s shout to her was “Drop the bloody thing”.

She took on the task of organising the shop and tourist information centre, cajoling Trust members and other organisations in Devizes to help us run it and making sure that there was always a team in the shop to attend to the growing flow of customers. Sometimes she despaired at this — retired folk can be difficult — but we relied on them and she had to try not to be too critical when they dispensed advice that could range from the idiosyncratic to the outrageous.

Catering empire At the same time Ruth began to develop her catering empire — for the Trust. She gathered a team of enthusiastic ladies about her and the Branch notes began to tell of curry suppers and various other foody evenings for members. Ruth also offered catering to people visiting the canal and

David Owen & Co Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors 17 Market Place Devizes Wiltshire 01380 722211

126 High Street Marlborough Wiltshire 01672 512163

Auditors to The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust 34

Committees She was a dedicated member of the Branch committee, and in 1984 we made her my vice chairman. Even during the past years when Ruth became housebound she continued to head the catering committee which met in her flat, ending only about a year ago.

Food test forays One of her valuable initiatives was to produce a list of eating places, pubs and bed and breakfast accommodation along the canal for enthusiasts who were exploring the canal and others walking the towpath from Reading to Bristol in increasing numbers. She would not put anyone into the list until she had personally vetted the place, and I am sure her visits must have been like being the inspected for the Michelin Guide. And the poor owners had to face this every year — no room in the guide for backslackers.

Unsung hero Ruth is one of the K&A’s unsung, but much loved, heroes. We’ll all miss her for her sound common sense, her robust approach to life and for her humour and sense of fun.

the

Butty

No. 175 Summer 2006

Reviews Leonard Pearcey

Tim Wheeldon Technical book reviews Getting Afloat The A - Z of Boating on the Inland Waterways by Emrhys Barrell £9.95 soft cover

t the time this book (or thick magazine) was published, 2004, Emrhys Barrell was (founding) editor of Canal Boat magazine and also running his own business on the Thames: he must have been a very busy man. But somehow he also found time to produce this — and, I suspect — other publications. The A - Z in the title is accurate (albeit in a colloquial way — it isn’t laid out alphabetically), as there is just about the whole gamut of getting afloat here. If you are starting out on the perilous but pleasant path to inland boating this will save you buying a couple of years’ worth of canal magazines. That is what this publication is — a carefully selected collection of articles on the ‘starting out’ theme — but it’s none-the-worse for that. The only downside is that it is worth checking that some of the advertisers are still in business!

Non-technical books Kiwi Afloat By Doris Coppell First published in 2005 by D Coppell ISBN 0 476 00982 0 248 pages. £12.95 soft cover

oris Coppell’s long life (born in Auckland in 1923) has always involved boats: from sailing at an early age in Waitemata Harbour via service in the New Zealand Navy to marrying an English sailor and settling here, then, widowed, a second marriage took her to Yorkshire and many years exploring canals. On the failure of that marriage she leased a canal-side property from British Waterways, maintained a narrow boat, and continued canalling until returning to New Zealand in 1990. This book charts the infinite variety of her love affair with English canals and its ups and downs, literally and figuratively. It has a homespun charm that will tempt some of you to put pen to paper — and perhaps I’ll be reviewing you here one day.

NarrowBoat Magazine. First Issue, Spring 2006. £4.95

The City of Falling Angels By John Berendt First published in 2005 by Hodder and Stoughton ISBN 0 340 82498 0 372 pages. £20.00 hardback

he advent of a new magazine in the inland waterways scene is always a welcome — albeit very rare — event. Hugh Potter, one of the founders of Waterways World way back in 1972, has long been planning a publication devoted to the heritage and history of our waterway network. It must have given him just a frisson of pleasure to have produced such a magazine under the title NarrowBoat — a final victory over the same title which competed with him in the 1980’s published by Harry Arnold and Niall Allsop. This new, quarterly, NarrowBoat (do I detect a certain ambivalence over whether or not it should be one word or two?) is certainly a high quality product, packed with fascinating information, articles and photographs — and, most agreeably, NO advertising; is this a permanent arrangement? I can’t find anything about the K&A in this first edition but there’s plenty of time to correct this omission and, if the coverage of our canal is as comprehensive and readable as the many articles in No. 1, we are in for an historical feast.

f you read John Berendt’s international bestseller and subsequently filmed novel ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’, you’ll know that he was a journalist, and for this, his second book, he proudly announces: ‘This is a work of non-fiction. All the people in it are real and are identified by their real names’. He went to Venice in February 1996 for an extended stay intending purely to see it without ‘the obscuring overlay of tourists’ but, by chance, arrived just before the fire that destroyed the Fenice Theatre. Naturally canals feature strongly in the narrative which reads like a thriller, a detective story, an account showing that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Was the fire deliberate or accidental? He investigates the various suspects, weaving in the extraordinary and not very nice in-fighting among the members of the American version of our ‘Venice in Peril’ Fund, and a real-life version of Henry James’s ‘The Aspern Papers’ as someone tries to take the private papers of Ezra Pound’s mistress Olga Rudge from under her very nose. This is a brilliant book, totally compelling, and quite unputdownable.

Books reviewed in The Butty are normally available from the Trust shop on Devizes Wharf or through other Trust shops. If it is not convenient to visit in person you can use our mail order service by telephoning 01380 729489. 35

the

Butty Letters to the Editor

No. 175 Summer 2006

Letters on any subject related to the canal are welcome. We want to encourage debate about canal issues. This is your forum to voice your views. Requests for Editor, Di Harris

anonymity will be honoured, but no letter

will be published unless it arrives with contact details. Letters should be not more than 300 words and may be edited for reasons of space or clarity. Send letters to the Editor: contact details on page 3.

WHEN WILL WE THANK THE VOLUNTEERS?

hen Prince Charles paid the canal a congratulatory visit to shake a few selected hands on completion of the lottery project it effectively wrote finis to the K&A Trust’s original restoration aspirations; so, whilst general back slapping was very much in order, it would have been fitting if some sort of bouquet could also have been handed to the thousands of volunteers of all ages, from many organisations and all walks of life, whose absolutely unpaid and unstinting efforts over 50-plus years had, in reality, made it all possible. I know that some time ago it

was an intention to place a “thank you” plaque somewhere on Caen Hill. Perhaps this idea could be revisited and maybe at the same time it would be appropriate also to place plaques at each end of the waterway to remind all those who today enjoy, take reward or make their living from this amenity that they do so thanks to many thousands of hours of voluntary effort. All this may be a little late but, hopefully, not too late — I wonder what others think?

Peter Lindley-Jones, Devizes

Terry Kemp, Economic and Social Development Manager, British Waterways South West, replies

eter is correct. The many hours, days and years of volunteer effort needs recognition. The plaque is produced — and some years ago we had ‘a bit of a do’ to unveil it and others temporarily on the Caen Hill Flight. Unfortunately, the volunteer

team that was to produce the permanent stands did not materialise. They are at the Devizes Depot now and, time permitting, will be erected so that there will be a permanent reminder to all of the terrific contribution of so many people and organisations.

Satellite Television Martyn Satman Telephone: 07914 401036 Forget ghosting, crackling sound, with satellite. 100% perfect picture, over 200 free channels and no monthly payments. Fully fitted system on site to your existing television, including demo – £450 36

BRITISH WATERWAYS RESPOND TO MOORING COST COMPLAINTS

n behalf of British Waterways South West I would like to respond to ‘Spiralling Mooring Costs’ by Roy Skeates in the Spring 2006 edition of The Butty British Waterways prices reflect geographical location, mooring type, facilities and demand. Higher prices reflect local scarcity of moorings on the Kennet & Avon Canal. Market demand is constantly monitored, at the time of the pricing review there were nearly 200 people waiting for

moorings on the Kennet & Avon Canal, 33 of which waiting for the Bridge Inn at Horton. The location and facilities at the Bridge Inn moorings are considered among the best that British Waterways offer on the Kennet & Avon Canal. UK competition law requires us to ensure that our pricing and activities in the retail market do not inhibit new investment in moorings by the private sector.

Janey Perkins Moorings Team Leader

HAVE BW GONE POTTY?

hat have BW done with the pump-out at Pewsey Wharf? And why? Apparently there were health and safety problems because the hose ran over the towpath and people might have tripped. But now it’s almost impossible to use the pump-out without ending up in the cut. There is very little space to stand while struggling to open the wooden doors on the top — then you have to haul the hose out — and after that the hose still trails over the

towpath. And on top of that, whereas you could moor your boat safely off line before — the new pump-out is very close to the end of the wharf and I have seen boats in the bridgehole while pumping-out. The changes improve the look of the wharf — but they bring new dangers — and the pipe store appears to have been built the wrong way round.

Robert Francis, Chichester

Susie Mercer, Leisure Services Development Manager, British Waterways South West, replies

he pump-out has been relocated to reduce the risk of walkers and cyclists tripping over the hose and also placed within the brick housing to prevent towpath users from having access to the hose end. The hose should now lie along the length of the towpath, rather than across it. The length of the hose is more than sufficient to be used along

the length of the wharf and so there is no need to use the bridge hole for the pump out. We are grateful for this customer's comments and will look into whether an additional sign is needed to prevent accidents from happening. We will also address the weight of the doors on the hosereel unit.

the

Butty The page for younger canal users

Arts on the towpath Pictures by Deborah Taylor

No. 175 Summer 2006

est Berkshire schoolchildren have been taking part in an unusual arts project on the K&A with the Trust trip boat, Rose of Hungerford. Forty children from three schools used the boat for their project ‘rise and fall’. There was an ‘inspiration’ day in March when the children and members of their families met at Newbury Lock. Reading Branch member Peter Crawford was at hand to explain how a lock works and then they had first-hand experience as they went through Kintbury Lock on ‘The Rose of Hungerford’. After experiencing the environment of the K&A and all the physical sensations of rise and fall by going through the lock, they had workshops exploring the sensation through Shakespearean texts and learnt how they could make willow structures and silk

paintings based on the sketches and notes taken at Newbury Lock. Shakespearean actor Will Wollen, sculptor Julieann Worrall Hood and textile artist Sarah Moorcraft were on hand to encourage and inspire from a literary and a visual arts point of view. More workshops have taken place, including one at the Globe Theatre in London. How will the children and their families have interpreted the workings of the lock in Shakespearean terms and what artwork will they have produced? See the Autumn Butty for some examples.

The Teasel Picture by Bob Naylor The ‘Rose of Hungerford’ at Kintbury Lock

Peter Crawford explains how a lock works and the children and adults taking part in the project take notes, take pictures and make sketches.

easel can be seen along the canal all year round and in the winter they are a source of food for some birds. The plant bears purple flowers in July and August. Teasel crops are grown commercially and used in the woollen industry to raise the nap in newly woven cloth.

the

Butty

No. 175 Summer 2006

What’s On Diary June Saturday 24th Reading Water Fest on the Kennet at Abbey Ruins, Chestnut Walk, Riverside Walk and the Riverside Museum. Come and enjoy the sights and sounds of canal-based activities in one of the most historic and charming parts of Reading. Parades of colourful canal boats along the Kennet, Live music on Chocolate Island, Traditional dance, Craft Market along Chestnut Walk, Boat trips and Children’s activities. Event Information 0118 939 0373; Boater Information 0118 942 7708. Sun 25th 8pm Mikron Theatre, Mrs Brunel: a life with Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The Rowbarge, Station Road, Woolhampton. For further details tel: 0118 971 2213. Collection after the show. Mon 26th 8pm. Mikron Theatre, Carrying on. Building the future at a Cheshire shipyard. Barge Inn, Honeystreet. For further details 01672 851705. Collection after the show.

Tue 27th 7pm Mikron Theatre, Mrs Mrs Brunel: a life with Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Barge Inn, Seend Cleeve, nr Melksham. For further details 01380 828230. Collection after the show.

July Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd Saul Canal Festival Details from the Festival website: www.junctionevents.org.uk or 01285 643440. Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd Beer Festival, Pewsey Wharf from 10.30am onwards. Live music both days, marquees, pig roast, Cask ales, Ruddles Best, IPA, Morland Original, Ruddles County, Greene King Abbot, Old Speckled Hen, Alfresco, Tooly Original, GPC XXX mild, Belhaven. Alternative parking in the field opposite. Saturday 29th Boaters’ BBQ at the Stone Building, Newbury Wharf. Sunday 30th Newbury Waterways Festival 2006 in Victoria Park, Newbury.

Crofton Beam Engines Amazing industrial archaeology in a rural setting 2006

In Steam May 27th-28th-29th 24th-25th

Jul

29th-30th

Aug

26th -27th-28th

Sept 30th-Oct 1st

September Friday 29th Reading Branch, River Thames (speaker Chris Cove-Smith). Turnham’s Farm Scout Hall, Little Heath Road (close to the junction with City Road), Tilehurst. at 7.30 pm for a start at 8.00 pm. Admission free - Open to members and nonmembers - light refreshments ample free parking. Saturday 30th Devizes Branch, The Dorset & Somerset Canal, Speaker: Derrick Hunt 7.30pm at the Wharf. This event is open to the public.

1812 Boulton & Watt and 1846 Harvey beam engines regularly steamed from hand stoked, coal fired Lancashire Boiler

A fascinating place to visit for families,or anyone interested in the history of the Kennet & Avon Canal, or our industrial past. Also a delightful place to stop for an ice cream or a cup of tea.

October Sunday 15th Devizes Branch, Lengthsman’s inspection Help us provide a comprehensive report for BW on the state of the canal/towpath/vegetation along “our” stretch of the K&A (Barge Inn, Seend to Wootton Rivers) by joining our walk/cycle/cruise. Please contact Roger Hollands on 01249-650952 if you’re interested in helping.

November Saturday 18th Devizes Branch, Skittles Challenge. Help us keep our trophy (which we’ve won 2 years in a row, not that we’re boasting!) The Cross Keys, Rowde. £5.50 per person to include supper. Contact Alice Boyd on 01380-724701 to book your place on this popular evening.

UNCLASSIFIED ADS A Narrowboat holiday in Devon Short breaks & tranquil weeks on landlocked, 10 miles of lock-free Grand Western Canal. Own mooring & car park gives opportunities for day out visits in the West Country. 01884 252178, pat@middevonhireboats.co.uk www.middevonhireboats.co.uk Canalside House for sale Georgian 4-bed townhouse in Devizes with s/contained 2-bed basement flat. 59 ft Mooring. Call Brian Poulton on 01380 727673. Vintage Butty copies Needing a new home. Issues 152 (Spring 99) - 174 (Spring 06), except for 160 (Winter 01). All in good condition (except the 1st has got ‘25p’ biroed on it - bought in K&A shop during canal walk!). keith@salvesen.demon.co.uk

Open daily 10.30am — 5.00pm from April 14th to October 1st

Jun

Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th Bristol Harbour Festival. Information from Harbour Master’s Office 0117 9031484

Sundial Marine Services For gas, oil, solid fuel heating servicing and installation, plumbing and electrical work contact Eddie Belston Tel: 01225 873243 or mobile: 07795 550839 Bob Naylor Boat Safety Examiner Tel: 01380 840584, Mobile 07788134901 Email: bob@boatsafe.co.uk Boat surveys Professional surveys of any type of boat undertaken for sale, insurance or damage. Over 40 years of boating experience. Prompt, efficient and sympathetic surveys with realistic recommendations. Now incorporating Richard Birchell. Gibson’s Boat Surveys Ltd. 01672 851232

The Barge Inn Honeystreet Historic Canalside Inn

serving home cooked food from noon — 2.30pm and 7 — 9pm

Why not time your visit to see it in steam

Real Ales Campsite Marquee for parties

Crofton Pumping Station, Crofton, Marlborough, Wilts., SN8 3DW. Tel: 01672 870300

Tel: 01672 851705

www.croftonbeamengines.org

Crop circle venue with notice boards

www.the-barge-inn.com

the

Butty

No. 175 Summer 2006

PRIZE CROSSWORD The prize for the winner of this crossword will be a video from the Trust’s Shop. Two runners-up will get £10 voucher to be used in the shop. Send your entries with your name and address to: Prize Crossword, Kennet & Avon Canal Trust, Canal Centre, Couch Lane, Devizes SN10 1EB before 4th August 2006. Photocopies will be accepted.

The Butty Prize Crossword No 175 Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..................................... ..................................... .....................................

Across 1. Scanty and sugary – gratifyingly brief! (5,3,5) 9. What Her Majesty does may sound precipitate. (5) 10. Change volume with song following, reverse it with back number. (9) 11. Ran down, led astray to Alice’s place. (10) 12. Beautiful fairy concealed within imperial surroundings. (4) 14. Regularly query all confusion if right is missing (7) 16. Flatulence embraced by native – of this Wiltshire borough? (7) 17. Service bod may be flashy. (7) 19. Disinter a hunter distractedly. (7) 20. Destiny found in reversal of sweet affaire. (4) 21. Rich caste transformed with terror initially in order to produce the likes of Wren? (10) 24. Fashionable worker conceals European limb – how graceless. (9) 25. Bovver - horse locked in by battered oar. (5) 26. Mathematician has break – we’re all going on one according to Cliff. (6,7)

Butty Crossword 174 Solution

Down 1. Fruit market – subject of Simon & Garfunkel song. (10,4) 2. Vegetable dome. (5) 3. Superior cut of meat served when lion butchered following offer. (10) 4. Book with outwardly trendy ending is something new. (7) 5. Seasons water sources. (7) 6. Ages to untangle phrase without measure of acidity. (4) 7. Back marker may follow one who closes. (4-5) 8. Could be classical study – or maybe just passé information! (7,7) 13. Straight post – may provide promotional opportunity. (6,4) 15. Acrobatic free stunt removes restraints. (9) 18. Container inserted in this place generates cover of vegetation. (7) 19. Remove restraint from United Nations jerk. (7) 22. Record about time imprisoned. (5) 23. Broad smile provides ray of light. (4)

UNCLASSIFIED ADS The Dorset & Somerset Canal “The Canal that never was”. A talk on the D&SC “Friends, foes, families, feuds, finance & failure”. The canal was to connect the K&A at Bradford on Avon with Poole, Dorset, with a branch to the Somerset coalfields but was never completed. Derrick Hunt: 01225 863066

Winner: Noel Davies, Newbury. Runners up: Mrs S E Emmett, Farmborough, Bath and Michael Lott of Purley, Surrey.

Roses and castles Painting courses These ever-popular courses will be running again at Devizes Wharf Canal Centre. One day course (£35) Two day courses (£75) All materials & refreshments included. For more details and dates, contact: 01793 615898 (evenings) or email spengi@ntlworld.com

Commission a collector’s model of your nb/trailboat/etc or cottage, or both – in a bottle. Leaflet John Burden, 32 Astley Close, Pewsey, SN9 5BD. 01672 563193. Guild Waterways Artists. Waterways Craft Guild – Master Fancy a weekend’s hard graft? The NWPG arranges monthly restoration trips to southern canals. Learn new skills – for free! Contact Graham Hawkes on 0118 941 0586 or grahamhawkes@btinternet.com

Buying a narrowboat? Need it moved to another location? Don’t have time to do it yourself? Let me move it for you. Apprehensive about cruising for the first time? Call Roy on 01635 821780

Boat for sale Dejon 17, Honda O/B, sleeps 2 + 2 children, cooker, elsan, BSSC,4 wheel braked trailer, £2600. 01380 870 384. Ribbon Plates: Sold the narrowboat – now the plates. £12 each. Phone for details 01749 670545 or email: alantyldesley@mbzonline.net Camping equipment Elsan Double container, large, never used. Toilet tent for camping, never used. Saunders Backpacker 2 lightweight “Bivie” tent, used once. Karamat, new. Brian Coward, 07980 971586 (Sundays only) Unclassified ads are free for members of The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust for up to 30 words

Seven Simple Steps to Saving Water! Please help to conserve water on the Kennet & Avon Canal this summer by following our 7 step guide. 1. Share the experience Share locks wherever possible

2. Shut up! Please shut all paddles and gates to conserve water unless local signing advises otherwise

3. Spot leakages Report leakages or damage to paddles and weirs to British Waterways on 01452 318000

4. Spot boats ahead If the lock is against you and there is a boat in sight please allow them through first

5. Set your locks to save water* Prevent water going to waste over weirs by making sure that water goes straight into the lock below instead of down the weir

6. Stealing doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help! Please donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t empty or fill a lock when it is already set for an approaching boat

7. Simply listen Please follow advice from lock keepers and other British Waterways staff For more information on please log on to www.waterscape.com/savewater Telephone: 01452 318000 Email: enquiries.southwest@britishwaterways.co.uk

*Setting locks to save water This prevents water from going to waste over weirs by only drawing one lock full of water from the top pound when going up or down a lock flight. Going downhill: Open the top paddles on the lock below then raise the bottom paddles in your lock Going uphill: Open the top paddles of your lock then raise the bottom paddles of the lock above