No. 170 Spring 2005 ÂŁ1.50
the
Butty The magazine for the Kennet & Avon Canal
Timothy West previews The Butty Ratty is back on the K&A A boating mission Bank erosion Walking at Great Bedwyn
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.
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Tel: 01635 42884 email: sue@newburyboatco.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 — 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
Greenham Island
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Tel: Val or Peter Taylor — 01635 37672 email: val@canal-services.com
Newbury Boat Company Greenham Lock Cottage, Ampere Road, Newbury, RG14 5SN
the
Butty The magazine for the Kennet & Avon Canal
Cover photograph: Tony Earle at the tiller of Tug Bertha near Bradford on Avon
contents
Picture by Bob Naylor
No. 170 Spring 2005
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 Helen Brooks e-mail: administrator@katrust.co.uk 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 Jane Elwell Bill Fisher John Forbes Malcolm Grubb Clive Hackford 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 mail@diharris.co.uk
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.
Printers BAS Printers Ltd 115 Tollgate Rd Salisbury Wilts SP1 2JG 01722 411711
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.
Editorial Design & layout Bob Naylor 07788 134901 butty@bobnaylor.co.uk
Copy dealine for The Butty No. 171, Summer 2005 Tuesday 19th April
For Advertising Contact Di Harris or Bob Naylor
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Timothy West says the K&A should have Cruiseway status
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Hugh Tilley looks back at 10 years as Editor of The Butty
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Stover Canal report
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Erosion — who’s to blame?
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Cycling — a good way to enjoy the canal
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The building of a new K&A barge
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Walking near the canal
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Ratty returns to the K&A
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Peter Atwill — a boater with a mission
Plus regular features and club news 4 Chairman’s report, 6 News, 13 Enterprise report; New skippers, 14 Marketing report, 15 Canal engineering report, 16 BW update with Eliza Botham, 18 Museum update, 19 What’s new on the Wilts & Berks, 21 Twinning news, 26 Branch reports, 35 Letters to the Editor, 36 Reviews, 37 Obituaries, 38 What’s on, 39 Crossword, 39 Unclassified ads 3
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No. 170 Spring 2005
Chairman’s Report Brian Poulton
Notice of Annual General Meeting The forty-third Annual General Meeting of The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust will be held in the Canal Centre, Devizes Wharf, Devizes on Saturday 23rd
egular readers of The Butty will have immediately noticed the new style, layout and content of this edition. On behalf of our new Editor – Di Harris – and the other members of The Butty Steering Group, may I express the hope that the changes meet with universal approval. The Butty is first and foremost published as the house magazine of the Trust, and is thus aimed at existing members. Of almost equal importance, however, is the recruitment of new members, and so we hope the magazine will encourage more people to become fully paid-up ‘Friends of the Canal’. As well as welcoming Di to the Editor’s desk, I must pay a massive tribute to the retiring Editor –- Hugh Tilley –- who has been editing, compiling and formatting The Butty for the past 10 years. Thank you, Hugh, for having carried The Butty from strength to strength during your time at the helm, and having done so in such an efficient and cost-conscious manner. NEW MD FOR ENTERPRISE (LTD)
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We also welcome another new volunteer who has agreed to serve the Trust in a key appointment – Malcolm Grubb – who has replaced David Saady as the Managing Director of the Trust’s trading arm, known as ‘Enterprise’. Malcolm previously held a series of business and financial directorships within the Burmah Castrol company, and he has spent these past winter months reviewing the way we run the Trust’s boats and shops to see what scope there might be for improving efficiency and profitability. Welcome aboard, Malcolm ! David Saady has been a central figure in Trust and Enterprise activities for many a decade but, during the past eight years as MD of Enterprise, he has steered the company to new levels of
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strength and maturity, resulting in an impressive four-fold rise in profitability and thus increased cash donations to the Trust’s coffers. Thank you, David, for your massive input to the growth and success of Enterprise since 1996. AGM & WEBSITE ROLL-OUT Annual General Meetings are not usually particularly entertaining but they are, nevertheless, unavoidable. By law, the officers of the Trust have to deliver their reports, expose the balance sheets, elect and re-elect the Council members and appoint auditors – all pretty dry stuff! Our AGM this year will be held at Devizes Canal Centre on 23rd April at 11.15am. As last year, we will get through the formal business as quickly as is decent and legal before I close the formal part of the meeting and invite the members to put questions to me and the other members of Council. We will be happy to discuss canal-related or Trustrelated issues there and then, or take the matter away for further work. We then plan to unveil the new trust website. Over the past winter, the Website Steering Group has been redesigning the web-site to make it more relevant, userfriendly and attractive. The new site – still www.katrust.org – will go ‘live’ shortly after the AGM and will, I hope, result in more visitors to our lovely canal and the activities organised by the Trust. Do come to the AGM and see it before anyone else ! I look forward to meeting many of you at the AGM, and I wish all of you well in the summer season ahead.
April 2005 commencing at 11.15 am for the purpose of considering and if thought fit passing the following resolutions: Ordinary Resolutions: 1. To receive and adopt the Council’s Report and the Accounts for the year ended 31st December 2004. 2. To elect Members of Council Mr C Hackford, Mr MJ Lee and Mr DA Copley retire in accordance with Articles 50 and 51 of the Trust’s Articles of Association and being eligible offer themselves for re-election. 3. To re-appoint the Auditors Messrs David Owen & Co, and to authorise Council to fix their remuneration. Special Resolution 4. To elect members of Council The following members having been co-opted to Trust Council during the year offer themselves for election under article 37: Mr JH Kirby, Mr M Grubb, Mr R Hollands, Mr J Maciver, Miss F de Rhé-Philipe By Order of Trust Council
Fleur de Rhé-Philipe Note:
A member entitled to attend and vote may
appoint a proxy to attend and vote in his stead. 24th March 2005
Registered in England and Wales: No 726331 Registered Charity: No CC209206
Situation Vacant Trust Administrator The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust is seeking a successor to Helen Brooks, who retires in early Summer. This part-time position running the busy Trust office in Devizes is currently 28 hours a week (2 full days and 5 afternoons). The successful applicant will have good administrative, typing and computer skills, a high standard of written English, a pleasant and helpful telephone manner and a positive ‘can do’ attitude to the many and varied tasks that fall to the Administrator. He or she will head up a small team of part-time staff who deal with accounts and membership matters. Further information and salary details are available from Helen at the Trust Office: telephone 01380 721279. Applications with CV to the Trust Office by 15th April 2005
Brian Poulton, Chairman
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Cruiseway status now for K&A says Timothy West t is apt that Trust Vice President Timothy West is the first person to have sight of the newly designed Butty. He was present at the first ever meeting of the K&A Association as it was called in 1956 and, with his wife Prunella Scales, was the first person to cruise the entire length of the newlyopened K&A Canal in 1990. Timothy is an avid reader of The Butty. For him, the magazine needs to celebrate the successes of the Trust and be a responsible record of what is happening on the canal. “I think The Butty is excellent” he said, “but I’d like to see it published more often so we can keep up to date with news about the canal.” The canal and the Trust have moved on a long way since Timothy went to the first meeting of the K&A Association in Bath. Although the idea of restoring the canal was very much a dream in those days,
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Di Harris the new Editor of The Butty
ince becoming Editor I have been getting round to as many branches as possible and meeting members of the Trust to find out what people want from our magazine. I have found an enthusiasm for The Butty and I hope that it now includes many of those things that people have asked for. Obviously space limitations will determine how much we can cover in each issue, but I will include all the essential Trust news, news of neighbouring canals, our twinned waterways and as many general interest
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the success is here for all to see and enjoy today. And, although the restoration is complete, the work of the Trust has in no way diminished. The K&A still does not have Cruiseway status. “Why not?” asks Timothy. "If there are good reasons for this, let us be told. I don’t think I’ve heard the arguments". Timothy and Prunella have been keen boaters since a holiday in 1976 enticed them to buy into their first boat. They see their boat as their cottage in the country. Their permanent mooring is on the K&A and they enjoy their time on the canal whenever work commitments allow them to take time off. They enjoy meeting the wide variety of people using the canal — often visitors from the US or Japan. Their great regret, however, is not being able to spend more time on the boat. features as space permits. I hope that the Letters Page will become a lively forum for discussion of topics about our canal, so please send in your letters. I am also eager to hear from anyone with news and human interest stories as well as ideas for features. I am heartened by the support from existing advertisers whose contribution make it possible for the magazine to exist and I am encouraged by new advertisers who have endorsed the new design of the magazine and who have made it possible to increase the number of pages in The Butty. The new look is due in no small part to the design skills of Steve Richardson of DesignMix and Bob Naylor who have worked with the editorial board on the redesign the magazine.
Picture by Bob Nay
K&A Trust Vice Presidents, Timothy West and Prunella Scales are among the first to see the designs for the new look Butty and give it their seal of approval.
The Tutti Pole
by the South side of Hungerford Bridge
Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of our Tea Room/Restaurant and Patio Area seating up to 50
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No. 170 Spring 2005
Hero boater saves car driver from icy Kennet by Bob Naylor 60-year-old woman motorist owes her life to the actions of a hero boat owner who jumped into the icy waters of the fast flowing River Kennet in Reading in December to rescue her from her sinking car.
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In the early afternoon of 8th December, 2004 the woman drove her Rover Metro car through a metal barrier, over the top of a moored narrowboat and into the River Kennet at the end of Lower Brook Street, Reading, about 200 yards upstream from County Lock and weir. The car drifted downstream past the moored boat belonging to motorcycle dispatch rider, Shaun Mailey, who was splitting wood for his stove. “I heard an engine revving up followed by a loud crash and a splash and the next thing I saw was the car drifting past my boat towards the weir with a woman inside. “She seemed to be rummaging through her handbag — probably for her phone to call the emergency services,” he said. With no regard for his own safety, he jumped into the icy water. “ I realised that the car was sinking fast and I had no choice but to get into the water. When I got to the car the woman’s head was out of the open window and the car was almost completely submerged.” Shaun managed to pull the woman, who is a non-swimmer, out of the window and onto the roof of the car, where both were standing when a crew from the Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service and Paramedics of the Royal Berkshire Ambulance Service arrived at the scene. The driver was rescued from the roof of her car and assessed by paramedics before being taken to the Royal
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Berkshire Hospital in Reading where she was treated for minor injuries and shock. Emergency service staff praised Shaun for his quick thinking and brave action. Reading Ambulance Station Manager Kirsten Willis said, “The driver has had a very lucky escape. The man who dived in is a real hero and he
Shaun Mailey
Picture by Bob Naylor
undoubtedly prevented this incident from ending in tragedy. I would like to offer our grateful thanks for his actions.”
News in Brief Kennet Barge launch Nikki and Adrian Softley’s new Kennet barge, ‘Unity’, will be launched and set off from Keynsham on Wednesday 27th April. They will moor overnight at Bradford on Avon and on Thursday they will travel to the bottom of the Caen Hill Flight, coming up the flight on Friday. They will arrive arrive at Devizes Wharf on Saturday 30th April. ‘Unity’ will be decorated with the K&A Trust banners. Please come and wave it on its way. See the story of the boat building on page 24.
Threat to Devizes Wharf phone box Attempts by British Telecom to remove the telephone box on Devizes Wharf are being opposed by Devizes Town Council, local residents and users of the Wharf. BT say that there is insufficient use made of the phone but it has been out of order for extended periods of time.
Brassknocker mini-fest
Picture by Bob Naylor
New bollards replace the old barrier at the scene of the dramatic rescue in Lower Brook Street, Reading where a motorist drove through a barrier and over this narrowboat boat into the fast flowing icy waters of the River Kennet in Reading in December.
Boat Trips NW & J
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Moorings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Permanent or temporary Enquiries: 14 Beech Lane, Earley, Reading, RG6 5PT Tel: 0118 987 1115 Fax: 0118 921 0604
www.kennetcruises.co.uk
Bath Branch are planning an open day at Brassknocker Basin/Dundas to be held in either late summer this year or early summer in 2006 and they are looking for members for an organising committee to plan, coordinate and publicise it. The event will include free trips on ‘Jubilee’ in and out of the Basin and down to Claverton and a free Running Day at Claverton. The aim is to publicise The K&A Trust and local attractions as well as other organisations including The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust, Somerset Coal Canal Society, Bathampton Anglers and ACE (Association of Canal Enterprises). To get involved contact Mike Davis on 01225 448576 or email: meddavis@bionics.ltd.uk
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No. 170 Spring 2005
BW staff changes on the K&A
News in Brief River and canal ban for woman
ob Hawkes who has patrolled the K&A for the last 10 years has retired and Jane Newton has taken on the role of Patrol Officer for the waterway. Bob Hawkes adopted a non-confrontational approach to a difficult job and he managed to somehow remain good humoured in whatever circumstances he found himself. He is succeeded by Jane Newton who was previously the Moorings Officer for the canal.
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ath Magistrates banned Kim Sutton, 24 from causing distress to the public by attempting to commit suicide by jumping into rivers or canals. In February the court heard how she had tried on four occasions to kill herself by throwing herself into the River Avon at Poultney Bridge in Bath. She now faces a prison sentence if she defies the the ban.
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Reading Water Fest
Bob Hawkes
Picture by Bob Naylor
New Patrol Officer, Jane Newton
Picture by Graham Lee
Modern towpath ‘street lighting’ opposed in Devizes he Trust joined many other Devizes residents in opposing plans by Wiltshire County Council to install 22 modern galvanised lamp-posts, each four-metres high, along the towpath between London Road Bridge and Quakers Walk Bridge near Devizes Wharf. The Council’s Local Transport
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Plan encourages people to walk and cycle rather than take the car but, as Trust Chairman Brian Poulton pointed out in his letter to WCC, there is already a well-lit road running some 30 yards parallel to the stretch of towpath in question. The Trust was also concerned by the likelihood of increased litter if the towpath
became a route for people returning home having visited fast-food take-aways. BW, who own the towpath, also had reservations over the plans and expressed concern that the proposed urban style of street lamp was totally inappropriate for the historical landscape of the canal.
The Water Fest organised by Reading Borough Council in partnership with The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust will be held on Saturday 25th June 2005 between 11am and 5pm. Events will take place by the Kennet at Abbey Ruins, Chestnut Walk, Riverside Walk, Riverside Museum and Bel and the Dragon. Come and enjoy the sights and sounds in one of the most historic and charming parts of Reading. Parades of colourful canal boats, live music, traditional dance, craft market, charity stalls, boat trips, children’s activities and barbecue. General Enquiries: 0118 939 0373 Boaters Enquiries: 0118 942 7708 A full programme of events will be available in May. For your copy call 0118 939 0771
New base for Wilderness Boats Wilderness Boats who have been operating from Gastard near Corsham have now moved to new workshops at Chelworth near Malmesbury from where they will continue to provide their full range of services. Ian Graham and Mark Smith can be contacted on 01666 577773.
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News in Brief
Inappropriate planning bid withdrawn
Canal tractor tragedy leads to towpath vehicle ban Father and son Mark and Luke Wells from Melksham died on 1st December 2004 when their tractor fell into the K&A near Pewsey and they were trapped inside the cab. It is believed that the bank collapsed when they were hedge cutting with a flail cutter. An immediate ban was put on vehicle movements on the towpath while the situation was assessed. Risk assessments are being undertaken by British Waterways and vehicles are now using the towpath in those areas where it is considered safe to do so.
The view across Wilton Water to Freewarren Farm and the canal at Crofton where plans had been drawn up to build a marina.
lans for a new 125-boat marina to be built beside Wilton Water and within sight of the Crofton Pumping Station have been withdrawn after strong opposition from, amongst others, the local parish councils and the Trust. The marina basin, at Freewarren Farm, would have
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Picture Bob Naylor
connected to the canal between Lock 59 and Lock 60, the last two locks of the Crofton Flight. The Trust objected strongly to the plans on the basis of their immaturity, incompleteness and inaccuracies. Although not opposed to marinas per se, the Trust pointed out that the
proposed marina would be within the North Wessex Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and would destroy the totally unspoiled view from the grounds of the Pumping Station. The plans have subsequently been withdrawn but may well be resubmitted at a later date.
of any wildlife you see, including mammals, plants, birds, insects and reptiles. Then send these records to us. Remember that we need a full description of where you saw anything and a grid
reference is vital. For more information about the project and how you can get involved, please contact Carolynn Jureidini on (01380) 725670 ext 351 or email: carolynnj@wiltshirewildlife.org
Picture by Trevor Porter
Murder charge following Bath canal death A Bath man has been charged with murder following the discovery of a body in the Kennet & Avon Canal in Bath on February 3rd. Stephen West was charged with the murder of Robin Lynch, 39, who had been sleeping rough in the city, and whose body was found in the canal at the Widcombe Flight.
Flood management talks continue The K&A Canal Trust is chairing continuing discussions between BW and EA to improve flood management in the Newbury area.
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Wildlife Counts! ow often do you see kingfishers or water voles along the canal bank? How about the elusive otter? By making a note of what, when and where you see wildlife in Wiltshire, you can help the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and the Swindon and Wiltshire Biological Records Centre to safeguard our wildlife. We need to know what species we have got and where they are in order to protect them. Despite thousands of existing species records there are still many gaps in our knowledge, which you can help us plug. Our Wildlife Counts project is encouraging amateur wildlife spotters to send us their sightings. All you need is a notebook and pencil to jot down details
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Butty NEWS
No. 170 Spring 2005
Michael Goodenough’s contribution to K&A is recognised ichael Goodenough, who had been the Kennet and Avon’s Canal Manager for 12 years between 1991 and 2003, has become a Vice President of the Trust. At their November meeting, Trust Council members unanimously supported the proposal that we should recognise his enormous contribution to the restoration of the K & A. Earlier that month, Mike had left his post as Service Manager at BW’s South-West Regional offices in Gloucester to seek pastures new.
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In his letter accepting the honour, Mike expressed his enormous pleasure and pride in the Trust’s acknowledgement of his part in the momentous years leading up to the formation of the Partnership and the successful completion of the Restoration Project. He said, “I hold the Trust very dear to my heart as, without it, the waterway would not have been restored and probably lost for ever in many places.” Trust Chairman Brian Poulton said, “We are delighted that Mike has accepted the honour
Picture by Brian Poulton
and we are particularly pleased that he has expressed a wish to become involved in Trust activities in the future. We wish him well in the next phase of his life.”
Thanks to David Lamb and Brian Oram D
Picture by Robert Coles On board the ‘John Rennie’ restaurant boat in Bath are from left to right, David Lamb, George Greener and Brian Oram.
r George Greener, British Waterways Chairman, said a public thank you to David Lamb (retired K&A Canal Trust Chairman) and Brian Oram (Chairman of the K&A Canal Partnership) during a November evening cruise aboard Bath’s restaurant boat ‘John Rennie’. David and Brian have been members of the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust for around 18 and 28 years respectively. They have both added immense value to the canal’s restoration project as volunteer representatives. Members of the Trust, BW and the restoration project Partnership were there to celebrate David and Brian’s work.
Newsi n Brief Devizes Canal Centre Car Park empty Despite strong opposition from the Trust Chairman, the local MP Michael Ancram, the Trust shop volunteers and Ian Sharp, operator of the public trip boat ‘Kenavon Venture’, Kennet District Council have turned the space in front of the Canal Centre into a public ‘Pay and Display’ car park. For the past 30 years, since The K&A Canal Trust volunteers rebuilt the derelict and abandoned building, the adjacent car park was used by up to 18 vehicles on a first come, first served basis at no charge. Now, on most days, the 12 painted slots remain empty.
Picture by Bob Naylor
Devizes Canal Centre car park as it is seen most days since parking charges have been introduced.
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No. 170 Spring 2005
“Burbage Crane can be saved” say Claverton Group
National Historic Bridge Award for Dundas Aqueduct renovation
he decaying crane at Burbage Wharf can be renovated say members of the Claverton Pumping Station maintenance team. Pete Dunn, the Claverton Group Leader, has inspected the crane at Burbage Wharf, together with John Webb of the IWA and Mike Lee, the Trust’s Hon. Engineer. Pete said after the visit, “The type of work is very suited to the skills of our group. We have John Adie, a shipwright by trade; Graham Canfield, who will be interested in the crane’s ironwork, along with Brian Staines, Jim Caldwell, John Chutter and myself who have heavy engineering experience.” The talented maintenance team at the Pumping Station have the skills and the capacity to rebuild the wooden crane in sections at Claverton and then re-assemble it at Burbage. In any event, the Group are willing to prepare a full set of engineering drawings of the
ritish Waterways has been awarded a commendation in the National Historic Bridge Awards for its restoration of the Georgian Grade I listed Dundas Aqueduct near Bath. The three arch structure, built in 1804, is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is widely regarded as John Rennie’s finest architectural work. The award winning restoration commenced in Autumn 2002 and took two years to complete. Much of the masonry of the historic structure had deteriorated due to age and frost damage and over the years a number of unsympathetic repairs, using a variety of bricks and concrete, have been made. The restoration project involved replacing much of the blue engineering brick repair on the northern face with Bath limestone to match with the
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B crane for the archive; even if the project did not go ahead, there will at least be a record for the future. The Burbage Crane is the last surviving example of a type that was built around 1831 along the canal; cranes were also installed at The Board Quay, Bath; Top Lock, Bath; Honeystreet; and, it is believed, at Bradford Wharf. Pete Dunn said, “I feel that the Group will enjoy this project and will be proud to have been involved in its undertaking.” Discussions will continue with Crown Estates, on whose land the crane sits, and with IWA who share the Trust’s hopes that the crane can be faithfully rebuilt.
original detail of the aqueduct, waterproofing of the footpath to prevent water getting into the structure in the future, the removal of vegetation in all areas and of gunite (a mixture of sand and cement) in one of the arches, the re-construction of timber steps to improve access and safety and the relocation of an existing boat shed. British Waterways selected a local quarry to provide the new stone and highly skilled stonemasons and traditional masonry techniques ensured that the aqueduct was a shining example of heritage preservation. The Dundas Aqueduct has also been entered for a Waterways Renaissance Award; an award which aims to recognise best practice in waterway improvements throughout the UK.
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Bath Sydney Gardens Bridges repainted he Kennet and Avon Canal, where it passes through Bath’s Sydney Gardens, is acknowledged as being one of the most attractive lengths of urban canal in the country. This section has now been given a considerable boost by the repainting of the cast and wrought iron bridges that cross the canal between the two short tunnels. The painting was undertaken by Bath and North East Somerset Council who employed the Norwich based specialist coating company AJS. After shot blasting where appropriate, a surface tolerant aluminium primer was applied, followed by two coats of SIKA Cosit 6630, which it is claimed will last for 25 years. So as not to hinder navigation to all but the largest boats, Bath’s SN Scaffolding ensured that the painting
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Tories target BW’s property The Conservative Party has included BW’s property portfolio in its list of quangos, agencies and estates that could be axed as part of a Value For Money Action Plan should the party come to power. The proposals have triggered strong opposition from Inland Waterways Association National Chairman, John Fletcher, who points out that the property portfolio raises £50 million of annual income for BW – more than double what it receives annually from boaters and other leisure and commercial users. It has been BW’s policy in recent years to increase its income from commercial property and operations (e.g. marinas and pubs) in order to reduce its reliance on Government grants via DEFRA. The IWA is not alone in pointing out that any loss of income from BW’s properties and operations would have to be offset by higher grants from Government if the waterways are to be maintained to the minimum legal standard.
platform, which spanned the canal, gave a 4m wide clearance and an air draft of 2.3m. Temporary scaffolding built gauges were also constructed across the navigation to warn boaters. The contractors, however, reported that one boat
Sydney Gardens Bridge
managed to hit their platform. English Heritage, in consultation with British Waterways, asked that the standard white be toned down to match the white of the oldtime lead-based paint. The whole job cost almost £30,000.
Picture by Robert Coles
Boat Safety Scheme relaunch in April April 1st heralds the latest relaunch of the Boat Safety Scheme. Extensive consultation has taken place and the revised scheme is the result. The BSS exists to ensure that boats on waterways in the scheme meet minimum standards and boats are examined every 4 years to check for compliance with those standards. Boats will only be licensed if they have a current BSS certificate. From the boat owners point of view it seems that little will change. The last review emphasised third party responsibility — the duty boat
owners have to other users of canals and rivers and property — this remains the case. Many standards that were compulsory in the early days of the BSS are now classed as ‘advisory’ so if a boat does not meet those standards an endorsed BSS certificate will be issued and the boat can be licenced. Although the boat owner should will find that little has changed since the last examination the BSS examiner will now be required to take on greater responsibility for advice and information about potential risks.
News in Brief Kennet Chalkstream Restoration Project takes shape The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust is strongly represented on two committees that have formed within the Kennet Chalkstream Restoration Project to improve the quality and clarity of the waters of the River Kennet. As forecast in the Chairman’s article in the last Butty (page 22, Fighting Turbidity), the Trust has joined EA, BW, Thames Water and the riparian local authorities in this important project which, for the next 5 years at least, has been jointly funded by EA and BW. Trust Chairman Brian Poulton has become one of the trustees of the project, and Trust Council member Bill Fisher, whose knowledge of the River Kennet is probably unrivalled, is a member of the Project Team. The Project Team has held its first meeting and The Butty will report progress in future editions.
Wilton Windmill Open Day Wilton Windmill will be holding an Open Day on Saturday June 4th, starting at 1.00pm. Events that would have been enjoyed by Victorian children in Wiltshire have a timeless appeal — and this is the theme this year. Steam engines, swing boats, puppet shows, ferret racing, a village blacksmith and a brass band are just some of the attractions. This year’s event builds on the huge success of 2003 when more than 2000 people came to Wilton Windmill on a beautiful Spring day to enjoy an oldfashioned country fair. Entrance is FREE. All proceeds will go towards the continued maintenance and development of Wilton Windmill and towards local charities. www.wiltonwindmill.co.uk
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10 years at the helm Hugh Tilley reflects on his time as editor of The Butty en years is but five percent of the Canal's life, yet the last decade has probably seen more activity than ever before on the Kennet and Avon. When I took on editing The Butty the canal had been officially opened by HM the Queen, but, largely unknown to most people, there was still a lot of work to be carried out to bring it to the standard required by the current users and to ensure usability for the foreseeable future — 'sustainability' was the word coined for this.
days — and none was more important nor a stronger 'driver' than John Gould. British Waterway's annual award in his honour is entirely fitting and a lasting reminder of his work.
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Prince Charles
Spring 1995
Summer 2002
Back pumping Perhaps one of the most important canal developments was 'back pumping’. The Trust was a major contributor to this. Past experience has taught me that water supply even in this climate, is a fragile yet vital thing, though The Butty never really shouted about the success of back pumping.
Butty re-design
Lottery Fund In contrast, and rightly so, quite a lot was made about the grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. There can be no doubt that this transformed the Canal and allowed sustainability to be built in. But, more important, the Lottery Heritage money shortened the time scale of our achievement — as well as speeding up the entire nationwide restoration process.
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One of the highlights of the decade has been HRH Prince Charles's visit in 2003. By this time The Butty was not restrained in the use of colour and so we were able to see several pages devoted to this Royal visit. Looking through the front covers leads me to pick out two which I particularly like — Summer 1998 — a picture of a man fishing on the Kennet — and Summer 2002 — a cat eyeing ducks at Bradford on Avon. But there are several others which almost match these.
Summer 1998
It should not be forgotten that the Trust along with the K & A Partnership was in the vanguard of restoration.
Crofton chimney Another notable event recognised in The Butty was the restoration of the chimney
Winter 2004
of the Crofton Pumping Station. Supported by the Manifold Trust, putting the chimney back to its designed (and original) height not only provided adequate draft for the boiler but made a vast improvement to the looks of the station. The requirements of the Heritage Lottery Fund for matched funding put an onus on the Trust for more fund raising. The 'Adoption Scheme', largely inspired by Peter Lindley-Jones, met this requirement with great success. Space was regularly made in The Butty to report progress. As the strength behind this hugely successful project, Peter was a worthy recipient of the John Gould Award in 2001. Over the years, The Butty has carried a number of obituaries of pioneers who drove the Trust on in its early
In retrospect the change of design from Spring 2003 to allow wide rather than tall pictures and to highlight 'The Trust' at the expense of the name The Butty has not worked particularly well. So it is nice to see the cover reverting to the old scheme albeit with new colours.
Partnership I am reminded, in looking through past issues, that the Trust has ceased to be an 'Island' and its experience is being disseminated to other canals in restoration. The Butty has for several years carried updates on neighbouring canals and I see this as a healthy and progressive sign. Partnership is a word which began (in canal usage) on the K & A and has now spread.
Recruitment An early call in my editorship was for more members — and this same call was broadcast in my last issue — so perhaps amid change there is constancy and consistency.
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Enterprise
Two new skippers for ‘Big Mac’
Introducing Malcolm Grubb Managing Director the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust (Enterprise) Ltd alcolm Grubb joined Enterprise on 1 January 2005 after opting for ‘semi-retirement’ following a 21year career with Burmah Castrol Plc. Whilst not a ‘boater’, Malcolm is definitely an outdoor person with a long held passion for most sports and outdoor recreation - even if the body is perhaps not as willing as it once was! Indeed returning to Devizes is something of a homecoming for Malcolm, as in the early 1970s Malcolm was captain of a very successful Devizes Town football team! Malcolm now lives in Chiseldon, just outside Swindon - an ideal location for reaching the various canal operations. An accountant by profession, Malcolm held a number of senior management positions within Castrol both in line and advisory roles in the UK and overseas. Spells as Managing Director of companies in New Zealand, Australia and the United States have given Malcolm invaluable experience of business at the sharp end. A three-year role as Head of Consultancy & Audit has given him a different perspective on business controls and systems and business risk assessment and management. Since ‘retirement’ Malcolm has undertaken a number of consultancy projects and is also a non-executive director of a national voluntary body. A well-rounded business career will enable Malcolm to add real value to the work of the Enterprise team. Malcolm is excited to be
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joining Trust and Enterprise at a new crucial phase of its evolution. Impressed with and attracted by the significant achievements to date, he relishes the challenge laid down to the Enterprise team to improve business performance and introduce new initiatives in response to the new vision to "promote, enhance and protect" the canal. Clearly no room for complacency going forward! Recognising the importance of people and a team approach, Malcolm will be spending as much time as possible ‘on the ground’ meeting and listening to the people who make the business tick and also importantly the views and the needs of our customers. Early days indeed, but the one thing that stands out so far is the commitment and enthusiasm of our volunteers. In counting year end stock at Devizes and Newbury, taking part in a Santa Cruise on ‘The Rose’ and meeting the engineers at Crofton, Malcolm has been amazed at the hard yards put in by all and importantly the level of fun and enjoyment. Having fun is an important part of business life, and so far there appears to be no shortage of characters out there! So lots to learn and lots to do… but that’s fine. Malcolm brings a fresh pair of eyes to the business and will always be receptive to fresh ideas and constructive input from all in the organisation. He very much looks forward to meeting and working with you all.
Picture by Andrew Cox
Christine Poulter and Phil Jose have recently passed their Boatmaster examinations and are qualified to captain passenger-carrying boats such as the Trust’s trip-boat ‘Barbara McLellan’ at Bradford on Avon. To become skippers they had to build up considerable experience ‘on the tiller’ as helmsmen before taking comprehensive oral and practical tests by an examiner from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA). As captains, they can now take full responsibility for public and charter trips from Bradford on Avon in the 60-seat ‘Barbara McLellan’. Pictured from left to right are, Christine Poulter, John Shirley (Crew Manager), Phil Jose, John Maciver, Chairman of West Wilts Branch, and Geoff Olver (Boat Manager).
Crofton
Beam Engines
Amazing industrial archaeology in a rural setting 2005
Open daily
10.30am — 5pm from March 25th to October 2nd
In steam
March 26, 27, 28 April 30 May 1&2 May 28, 29, 30 June 25 & 26 July 30 & 31 August 27, 28, 29 October 1 & 2
1812 Boulton & Watt and 1846 Harvey beam engines regularly steamed from hand stoked, coal fired Lancashire Boiler Crofton Pumping Station is a Branch of The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust
Cofton Pumping Station, Crofton, Marlborough, Wilts., SN8 3DW. Tel: 01672 870300 www.croftonbeamengines.org
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Marketing the K & A Trust in 2005 John Kirby introduces the new member’s joining pack
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he new membership joining pack has been launched. This will enable new members to join the Trust instantly. The packs are available from all the Trust shops at Aldermaston, Newbury, Devizes and Bradford-on-Avon as well as the Trust’s visitor attractions, the pumping stations at Crofton and Claverton and the trip boats ‘Jubilee’, ‘Barbara McLellan, and ‘Rose of Hungerford’. The new pack contains an introductory letter from Chairman, Brian Poulton, welcoming the new member to the Trust along with one each of the new leaflets on all the Trust’s visitor attractions and a new leaflet on the Trust museum at Devizes. There is also a new decal for members to put on their car or boat, which has the Trust’s logo and the words ‘Working to Protect, Enhance, Promote’. The new member will also find a leaflet on walking the canal, along with
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a timetable for buses to take them to and from the canal. And as well as all this, there is the latest edition of a GEOprojects map on the Kennet & Avon Canal. The new member will also receive a leather wallet to keep their membership card in if they pay by standing order, completely free of charge. All this becomes theirs when they become a new member of the Trust, and of course they will be able to take advantage of free boat trips, free entrance to the pumping stations and museum. All it needs now is for YOU to go out and spread the word and get your new member for this year. Please help us to increase the membership in order to make the Trust a major voice in the protection, enhancement and promotion of our beautiful canal.
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Canal engineering report Mike Lee The K&A Canal Trust Hon Civil Engineer reports on recent works t has been a busy time during the winter months on the K&A and much has been achieved. We have seen a lot of progress on current projects.
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Dundas Wharf Crane With all the necessary approval now in place, the Claverton volunteers hope to start work towards the end of March on the crane. To date, work has only been carried out on the clearance of the crane base and surrounding area pending the receipt of the Listed Building approval. Ticket office The ivy which almost completely covered the little ticket office building has been cut back and it is now possible to see it again. There is a great deal of work to do in order to reinstate this building; the roof is close to collapse, the doors and windows need replacing, the exterior walls need repointing and the inside needs relining. BW have, as a safety measure, erected fencing and
warning notices around the building. There is however plenty of interest in its rehabilitation and a recent site meeting with BW and Tim Wheldon was very positive, with a good possibility that the roof can be replaced in April/May, leaving the Trust to complete the inside during the summer. The repointing, however, is a task for a stonemason. Is there a Trust member with this skill prepared to take on the job?
MAD money
repercussions arising from the fatal accident on the K&A in January. The replacement of gates at Newbury Lock is progressing well and work should have been finished by the time this Butty is published.
River Avon New revetment works are due to start at Saltford in the
summer to combat serious bank erosion on this length of river. The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust and the River Avon Users Consultative Committee were unhappy with the original plans, but these have now been changed and, although not what we originally sought, they are acceptable.
What’s cooking!
Work on the three projects that British Waterways is funding under the Make A Difference scheme (MAD) is underway. The work of fitting modifications to paddle gear to make it easier to operate locks is progressing well. Members walking the towpaths may have noticed steel plates bolted to many of the existing paddle gear spindles. This is the first stage — the base-plate ready to receive an additional gear box and spindle, which will be fitted in the next few weeks to approximately 85% of the canal’s locks. Work is also now proceeding at Bradford on Avon to extend the mooring area and complete the remaining work, which could not be completed under the HLF project.
Maintenance work Work on gate replacement at Higgs and Guyers locks has now started, having been delayed because of the H&S Picture by Bob Naylor
Situation Vacant Unpaid shop manager at Claverton Pumping Station To take control of our small shop which sells entrance tickets and canal souvenirs between Easter and the end of October. You will order and replenish stock and organise a rota for shop staff on Wednesdays, Sundays, Bank Holidays and special openings for private parties and be prepared to behind the counter yourself when necessary. The position would suit a retired male or female who has Wednesdays free and would like to spend some time in an interesting and attractive location working with a friendly team. If you are interested please contact Peter Dunn on 01761 432811 (eves) 07770 683581 (day)
Francis Bull, left and Patsy Hehir the longest serving members of the K&A catering team. he K&A has its own catering team who provide food for many events at the Trust Building at Devizes Wharf. They provide meals for Trust Council meetings and they are always available to provide a full catering service for all hirers of the meeting room. Whether the needs are simpy for tea and coffee, snacks, or a full menu, they are ready and able to meet every need.
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At the moment there are six in the team but they are keen to recruit more. Whether they are cooking for six or 60 people, they always enjoy themselves and have a great deal of fun. All volunteers get full food handling training from Kennet District Council. If you are interested in joining the team, contact Barbara Hopkins on 01380 723795
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BW update Eliza Botham the BW South West Service Manager gives an update on BW’s activities on the K&A
Eliza Botham, BW South West Service Manager
“I am delighted to be asked to continue in Mike Goodenough’s footsteps”, she said. “I came to the business unit in the autumn on a temporary secondment, to help General Manager, Ian Jarvis, in the short term, and I am delighted to say he has asked me to stay on until the end of 2005.”
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y previous experience within British Waterways began many years ago as a Project Officer, developing all sorts of education projects, producing literature and encouraging people to use the Birmingham Canal Navigations. As time went on, I headed up a team developing and looking after moorings, marketing the waterways more widely and managing a Clean Up Campaign to rid the canals of the wall-to-wall debris in the Birmingham Canals at that time. In more recent years I have worked as Marketing and Communications Manager in the Midlands, and overseen Heritage Lottery and Arts Council funded projects. Over the years, my family and I have taken many boating holidays (including my honeymoon, which was wonderful), so I do understand the joys of boating as well as enjoying walking, cycling and bird-watching. Coming to the South West Business Unit has been a great opportunity. There is lots to do, but I am looking forward to the challenge and very much look forward to meeting you all.
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Caen Hill Café & Information Centre On the 25 March 2005, we will be reopening our Café at Caen Hill on the Kennet & Avon Canal. The Café & Information Centre, situated at the top of the Caen Hill Lock Flight in Devizes, has been completely refurbished and redecorated and includes a new all-weather pergola in the tea garden. The Café will now serve a wide range of hot and cold drinks, snacks, lunches, teas, ices and homemade cakes. It will draw on local produce, with an emphasis on freshly prepared soups, sandwiches and cakes. The Café will offer information about other visitor attractions along the Kennet & Avon Canal, local heritage and wildlife and about the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust. A variety of souvenirs are also available from the Café gift shop if you want to take away a reminder of your visit. The Café is served by a ‘pay and display’ car park in Marsh Lane and toilets.
Picture by Lucy Poulton
Bradford-on-Avon Every year British Waterways sets aside a sum of money that will make a real difference to all its visitors, which include boaters, walkers and cyclists to name a few. These funds are known as ‘Make a Difference’ funds. The South West has been extremely fortunate and we have received £300,000 to spend on Bradford-on-Avon. The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust have also made a generous contribution towards the work that will be carried out. One of the main parts of the scheme is to introduce hard landscaping to the Wharf area and lock edges at Bradford-onAvon. We will also be improving visitor safety around the lock by putting in new quadrants and heel grips. A safe landing stage will be put in place for the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust trip boat the ‘Barbara MacLellan’. We are also applying for a change of use so that the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust who already operate a successful shop, tea room and information
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centre from the Lock Cottage on the Wharf can use their recently restored garden as an overspill seating area. A pathway and tables will also be installed at the picnic area. The overall end result of all of this work will make a huge visual impact on the area and hopefully make it more attractive to our visitors.
Mooring Abuse & Licence Evasion We are taking a firm line with boaters who do not pay their annual licence fee on the K&A. This action is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure the fair distribution of boating facilities across the network. Efforts to tackle the problem of overstaying in the Bath area by boaters who haven’t paid for moorings are also underway. At British Waterways we are
working very hard to address the problem of licence evasion and overstaying on moorings. The process of removing a boat from the waterways that is not licensed can be lengthy, especially if the boat is being used as a home, as certain legal proceedings must be followed, but many people do licence their boat after the first warning letter. Nationally the money raised annually from boat licences represents around seven per cent of our income. It’s important that everyone who keeps a boat on our waterways pay their way to help continue to maintain them for the benefit of all. The problem of licence evasion often appears worse than it actually is because many boaters don’t display their licence disk. We urge boaters who do have a licence to display them in a prominent
position, showing the index number and name. Our licence evasion rate in the South West is currently around seven per cent and it is in response to concerns from regular waterway users that we are taking steps to reduce that rate.
K&A Marketing Group The K&A Marketing Group is now up and running, and comprises representatives from ACE (Association of Canal Enterprises), the K&A Trust, the Rural Transport Officer for the K&A and British Waterways. The North Wessex Downs AONB are keen to send a representative in the future. The group has already promoted the canal at three “Great Days Out” fairs, where group travel organisers attend in order to
plan their excursions. A revised tourism leaflet is planned, along with other activity designed to promote the canal as a whole. This is a great example of cooperative working with interested parties along the canal, and we are delighted with the level of enthusiasm towards the group from our partners.
Lock Gearing As part of our essential maintenance and repairs works, we are in the process of replacing the lock gearing along the entire length of the Kennet & Avon Canal. From Devizes to Hanham the work will be completed around the middle of February. The gearing along the rest of the K&A will be worked on throughout the rest of the year.
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Museum News by Curator, Warren Berry uring the winter period, when the museum was closed to the public, museum staff working with external contractors have been developing and implementing a number of changes and improvements in the museum displays. Where canal restoration is concerned, for example, we can now show more graphically the effects of dereliction, as well as the scale of change that the restoration process was able to achieve. Changes in that particular display also help to pay tribute to the early volunteers whose dedication and tireless effort made restoration of the canal possible in the first place. In a similar way, existing display boards detailing the various royal visits have been improved and rationalised and some new material added. In addition,
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some totally new displays have been built. These include boards that focus on Newbury’s canal-related history, and boards which describe both the Wilts & Berks Canal and the Somerset Coal Canal, stressing the important relationship these waterways had with the Kennet & Avon. Three new display cabinets will allow us to display the water can (believed to be painted by Frank Jones), the museum’s two Measham teapots, and the model of the Kennet barge ‘Harriet;. The cabinet that houses the barge model will additionally contain two narrow boat models as well as a number of boat building/repair tools. The new cabinets will also allow the Trust’s original Lottery Fund bid and associated documents and plans to be fully displayed.
Recent museum additions A set of caulking irons consisting of a sharp iron, a ramming iron, a crease iron, and a rare jerry iron for raking out old seams when repairing the hulls of boats and barges. Barge and boat builders frequently used such tools when engaged in the important task of tightly filling seams with horsehair or oakum, so that boat hulls could be made watertight. An unusual brass bound caulking mallet this is the second caulking mallet in our collection and is very well made and, unusually, bound with brass.This example shows to good effect the holes and slots in the mallet head that were intended to produce a musical note when the mallet was swung through the air, making it ‘sing’. In practice each individual mallet was tuned to a different note by enlarging the holes or lengthening the slots in the head and it was claimed that, if the slots were not there, the noise made by a gang of men involved in caulking would very soon deafen them. A shipwright’s maul the standard type of heavy hammer used by boat builders. Made in various sizes up to 8 pounds in weight, the shaft was usually around 3 feet in length. The maul in our collection is one of the lighter types and the shaft has been shortened at some stage. The head does however have a peg poll or point on one end for driving iron bolts and spikes. A boat-bevel used for taking of bevels and angles when fitting out barges, narrow boats etc. Made from rosewood and brass, this particular example is a very fine one and was probably made by a boat builder for his own use.
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Museum Archive Where the archive is concerned the museum has also received a collection of papers and documents associated with the Dundas Carrying Company. On behalf of the museum I would like to thank Tim Wheeldon for kindly donating this interesting collection. In the last Butty issue I mentioned the space and other problems we are having with the current museum archive. To
overcome these problems we have decided to move parts of the archive elsewhere and British Waterways have kindly agreed to provide space in one of their buildings at Caen Hill. Although this is likely to be a temporary arrangement, it will in the medium term provide an effective means of ensuring that documents can be more appropriately stored and retrieved, and will additionally allow research using those documents to be more readily carried out.
Kennet Barge model completed
As can be seen from the pictures, the model of the Kennet barge ‘Harriet’ has now been completed with all the deck fittings and rudder in place. The actual model is now on display at the museum. If you want to see what a Kennet barge looked like you should come along to the museum to view the model of ‘Harriet’ at first hand. Conversely of course you will soon be able to see a full size replica when Adrian Softley’s steel version of a Kennet barge takes to the water (see Adrian’s feature on page 24). Although all Kennet barges were painted in black and white, different companies had different designs for particular barges. The design I have used is based on a painting of the barge ‘Unity’, which was of a similar design and type to ‘Harriet’.
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Wilts & Berks Canal news by Chaloner Chute ood news to report on the Melksham front. The Canal is now one of top four schemes in the Area Community Strategy. It is now recognised as a major catalyst to regeneration at Melksham and we have combined our forthcoming report to include aspects of a River Avon Enhancement scheme. This will look at a range of nice-to-have facilities from Public Art, wildlife sites and picnic areas to improved footpaths and cycle ways, with links from the proposed navigation to the town centre. It certainly needs it, as locals will testify. Sadly, for decades, the town has turned its back on the river. So, almost there; when this report is published and consulted on, then we shall submit this single route to the Local Plan process for adoption. Then, it’s hopefully over to our Partners such as BW to join us in making the K & A junction happen. We all know the pressures on the K & A and the desire shared by all to come up the Wilts & Berks. I know we have the full support of the K & A and your Chairman. I bump into Brian often and recently we shared the platform at a meeting in Saltford, near Bristol, to present our three canals to a wider audience. He spoke in glowing, proud terms on what has been achieved on your canal and it it is good to be reminded of what to expect
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on ours one day! This strategically important Flagship scheme at Semington & Melksham is part of our Vision 2014 Implementation report. The Brief for the report is being finalised and we expect to complete this by the end of summer. This report will set our critical path for next 10 years, as to how to do it and take on our major projects, as well assessing the Trust’s capacity to restore the sections associated with the flagship schemes. For readers who have not followed our plot, these schemes at Semington & Melksham, Abingdon, Swindon and Latton & Cricklade give us the key junctions and links to the rest of the waterways as well as allow early traffic and visitors on to our canal, thus providing revenue streams to encourage our funding Partners to commit.
EU projects selected! I am pleased that both Partnerships have now chosen their special projects for EU funding bids. This is a challenging process and takes time and patience. There was a risk that we as lead partners would be running ahead of our French colleagues — but, no, a lengthy call to France yesterday revealed that they too have now gone for an ambitious scheme to complete
Picture by Chaloner Chute
The sluice gate & weir on the River Avon at Melksham
their canal — the Nantes a Brest — up near Brest. Our scheme is to investigate how the predicted urban growth of Swindon will impact on its surrounding countryside and how the canal restoration and other proposed facilities such as forest, leisure, walks, wildlife reserves can mitigate and be masterplanned within the new regional planning framework. In order to test this, we propose to construct a section of canal with close consultation and community involvement in a community action plan. The landowners hereabouts are friendly and supportive, and the area in question is well attended by all our Partners. I would stress that no funding is guaranteed in this bid – the process alone is worthwhile, but there is as ever strong competition, particularly from new EU countries. A notable event for you to join us: the first Canal Trust conference is being held at Wroughton, near Swindon, on Saturday April 23rd. More details from our Trust office, 0845 2268567. We shall be opening `– or topping off – Chaddington Lock at a grand ceremony in April too. This is the culmination of excellent Trust restoration and project management, as well as solid Partnership funding, the total cost being c £110k. It is a real showpiece project. I escorted Ian Jarvis, the BW
Regional General Manager around the site, as well as sharing our plans with him. He was impressed. New leases, licenses and ownership of canal land have beckoned for some time – I am glad to say that we have a record number of these transactions proceeding well, and attracting funds to move ahead to restoration, like Hayes Knoll Lock near Cricklade, recently purchased by the Trust and plans well prepared to start works. The Trust is showing a high degree of professionalism these days, an essential quality in how it goes about is business in order to convince partners that it can and will do the job until such time as BW come fully on board. National Priority 2 status brings added excitement, challenges and responsibilities. It’s proving to be an exciting and rewarding year so far… after this wintry spell, enjoy getting outside again; those quiet peaceful stretches of water are stirring! ‘Emily’ will cast loose her lines for trips along the K & A as usual, as well as forays on the Upper Thames. And we shall be venturing up the East End to seek out watery bits on the Wilts & Berks in support of funding bids..If you see us, early evenings, do give us a shout and come on board, preferably with refreshment!
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Stover Canal by Brian Poulton ow many canals could there be in Devon? In answering that question, don’t forget the short 2.5 km Stover Canal which ran north from Newton Abbot, and which could be at least partially restored. The canal was born from the need to transport ball clay, which was a rapidly expanding industry in the Bovey Basin during the late 18th century, to markets in far away places such as The Potteries in Staffordshire. Prior to the building of the Stover Canal between 1790 and 1792, clay had to be transported over poor roads to wharves in the Teign estuary where it was transferred to coastal barges. James Templer’s canal shortened the overland part of this journey considerably and, by 1816, trade on the Teign had increased from the precanal figure of 400 boatloads of clay per year to 600 per year; this figure had increased to 1,000 per year by 1854. From 1820 the canal was also used in conjunction with a tramway that transported granite from the Templer family’s quarry complex on Haytor Down to Ventiford at the head of the canal. By 1862, the Moretonhampstead and South Devon Railway (MSDR) company had purchased the canal and, by 1866, had built on the line of the tramway down to Newton Abbot, running beside the canal from Ventiford. Although the MSDR had no obligation to maintain the canal, from 1867 the canal was leased to Messrs Watts Blake and Bearne (WBB) who continued to use it to transport clay from Teignbridge clay cellars. The canal above Teignbridge was no longer used other than to give barges access to Graving Dock Lock, which had become the main barge maintenance and repair workshop. The canal
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above Graving Dock became derelict from this point onward. The railway and the canal were purchased by the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1877. At that time, the Stover was the only canal owned by GWR where income exceeded expenditure, so its future was temporarily assured. Although new lock gates were fitted in 1906, the decline of the canal was inevitable with competition from railways and motor transport. Although the canal remained in use for another 30 years, by 1937 no clay companies were using barges to transport their clay, and WBB’s lease expired in 1942. GWR then closed the canal to barge traffic and maintenance ceased. Most of the canal is currently owned by Railtrack.
The Stover Canal Society Some seven years ago the chairman of the Stover Canal Society (SCS), Roger Harding, recognised that there were large numbers of residents in the locality who were concerned that this canal should not be lost to future generations but cherished, restored and used by all sections of the community. After an encouraging response from exploratory public meetings, the Stover Canal Society formed on 3rd September 1999 with the objective of promoting the preservation and restoration of the Stover Canal. The canal, although now mainly dry and in a derelict, overgrown state, survives over its entire length, including three stonebuilt locks, and many of the original buildings associated with the canal are still standing. Two work camps, in collaboration with the Waterways Recovery Group (WRG), have so far taken
Picture by Di Smurthwaite
Graving Dock Lock on the Stover Canal
place with the permission of Railtrack. The work carried out, in which Graving Dock Lock was cleared of scrub and some paths and fences were reinstated, has helped raise awareness of the society’s aims.The SCS is actively recruiting new members and is currently preparing the way for the society to become a company limited by guarantee and to achieve charitable status. Railtrack have already stated their willingness to pass the canal over to the people of
Teignbridge with a cash dowry to help with the restoration. Whilst full restoration of the canal to navigable condition is not impossible, the SCS see partial restoration as being more realistic; they envisage the canal and locks being restored, and sufficient water to maintain the integrity of the canal as a waterway but not suitable for navigation by normal canal-size craft. We in The K&A Canal Trust wish them success. For more details, log onto www.stovercanal.co.uk.
Stop at the one-stop service
HONEY STREET Visit our Wharf
for diesel, Calor Gas & coal water & 240 volt electrics overnight moorings pump-out & ‘Porta Potti’ disposal on the Long Pound by Honey Street Bridge
Gibson’s Boat Services Telephone 01672 851232
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No. 170 Spring 2005
Twinning — our friends on the Nivernais By Mike Lee es Amis du Canal du Nivernais are holding their three-day rally this year at at Coulanges sur Yonne approximately 9 km north of Clamecy on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of July. On the Friday there will be a coach tour of the area around Clamecy, including a visit to Vezelay (hilltop Basilica and medieval town). If the last rally is an indication of standards, there will also be a wonderful lunch laid on. Saturday will be the usual demonstrations, competitions, entertainment, food and wine, as well as trade stands and exhibitions. Sunday will include a “sail past” by all the boats taking part in the rally. Visitors from the K & A will be very welcome, with
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accommodation available for those without boats or caravans. There is also an excellent camp site close by. Any Trust members who attend will find that Les Amis’ rallies are very relaxed affairs with plenty going on. For more information, contact : Jo Parfitt Telephone 00 33 (0) 680 301 153 email: fluvialmig@aol.com
Les Amis to visit K&A On 10th September Les Amis are planning to take up our invitation and visit the East end of the K & A. Les Amis have now confirmed that they would like to visit the K&A again, this time to see the centre and East end of the canal. They have booked
two boats starting from Aldermaston and had hoped to do a one-way trip but this has not been possible so their route is not yet decided. As with previous visits, Trust Council members will meet them on arrival and arrangements will be made to help and provide some entertainment. All Les Amis are very friendly and hope to meet Trust members along the canal during their visit. Don’t worry if you can’t speak French, many of them speak very good English! Just go and say “hello”. Full details of boat names and the route will be published in the next Butty. You can contact me on 01225 873915 — Email: Picture by Mike Lee
mike.margaretlee@btinternet.com
The view from the top of the Roche du Saussois at Misy-sur-Yonne
Seat adoption and sponsoring By Peter Lindley-Jones The first Butty of the year, along with primroses and snowdrops, is a welcome harbinger of Spring. The perceptibly lengthening days encourages the daffodil stems to leave their warm beds and also awakes us to resume our plaque fixing sorties which is a quite unrealistic task during cold Winter months. Not only is fixing difficult but the certificate photograph taken in the wet and gloom hardly enhances the scenic beauty surrounding the seat. We have been busy nevertheless; some new seats have been installed on Caen Hill and we hope this Spring and Summer, with the cooperation of BW, not only to make real positive inroads into our long waiting list but to be able to offer prospective sponsors a choice of sites. If it has been in your mind to consider sponsorship,
please contact Helen Brooks in the Trust Office (01380 721279) for details. I was pleased that my appeal for assistance in the last issue of The Butty did not go unheeded. Two volunteers offered help — my thanks to them — they are very welcome but, please, we could do with some help in the Bradford-onAvon and Bath areas. Look out for the new Sit Down and Be Quiet! leaflet which features the locations of all our canal seats, together with hosts of other useful information — it should shortly be available from Tourist Information Centres, Trust shops, etc. Adopters, Seat Sponsors and all who walk the towpath will be interested to know that the Lock Cottage café facilities and information centre on Caen Hill are being greatly improved with the help of the proceeds of
seat donations and the residue of the Trust Adoption Appeal which together total some £26,000. Our Chairman, Brian Poulton, has had sight of the plans showing improved access and facilities which will help the disabled, together with a very imposing decked loggia complete with tables and chairs
on which to relax and enjoy the view. The re-invigorated café will be opening for business on Good Friday. It is really pleasing to see these funds being used on a project with universal appeal which everyone can enjoy.
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
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No. 170 Spring 2005
Bank erosion Bob Naylor finds that investment in bank protection pays dividends for plants and wildlife on the K&A Keeping up with bank erosion is a continuing job and it seems that most users of the canal contribute in one way or another to this expensive maintenance problem
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Picture by Bob Naylor
he increased popularity of the Kennet & Avon Canal has brought problems to a waterway built for a different era. Clay puddle used to line the canal over 200 years ago at a time when the only traffic on the canal was horse-drawn working boats is now having to cope with a large volume of modern motor boats. This and other use of the canal by increasing numbers of people is creating an expensive problem for British Waterways who spend much of their maintenance budget on bank repairs.
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The successful restoration and promotion of the canal has brought a dramatic increase in boats with their permanent mooring on the canal, steadily increasing hire-boat use and and an influx of visiting boats from other waterways. As well as many walkers, cyclists and anglers who are now using the canal. Increased use inevitably contributes to the major erosion problem that British Waterways have to deal with. And bank protection and repair is a costly business. Last year British Waterways spent over £30,000 on bank protection and repair on the Kennet & Avon Canal. The causes of erosion are many. Foxes, badgers and deer have their regular places to cross the canal and they damage the bank where they enter the water. Anglers break down vegetation at their favourite fishing spots and expose the bank. Badgers are under suspicion of causing the major breach on the Llangollen Canal in December by burrowing into the bank — and even our friend the water vole doesn't escape criticism for weakening the bank with its home-building activities. Boats that travel too fast and create wash cause damage and boaters who run their engines in defiance of the BW by-laws, with the propeller turning when they are moored up, cause severe problems. So what is the answer? Some stretches of canal, like parts of the Grand Union Canal are piled on both sides. But these are sterile channels, they are very suitable for boats to navigate and they need relatively little
maintenance, but they do not have the reed fringe and wild life that contribute to the beauty that makes the K&A so special. Restoration work on the K&A has been done in line with the Conservation Management Plan that was a central part of the Heritage Lottery Project. Laurie Graham the Project Engineer based at the regional office in Gloucester, said, "The approach we took was a compromise. We had to weigh up what was best for all users of the canal, boaters, anglers, walkers and cyclists -— and also what was best for the vegetation and wildlife of the canal -— it was an approach that was never going to give a maintenance free canal." A novel approach was taken at Sells Green near Devizes where there was a serious problem with erosion of an embankment that contained a healthy population of water voles. Shuttering the side of the canal would have solved the erosion problem, but deprived the water voles of their homes. The solution was to form lakes on the offside of the canal, behind the embankment, and then link them to the canal.
Picture by Bob Naylor
Running a boat engine with the propeller turning while moored is against the BW by-laws and causes bank erosion.
This created a nature reserve, solved the problem of bank erosion, and left the water voles undisturbed. Elsewhere, as at Bradford-onAvon, fagots of hazel have been used to protect the bank from erosion while still allowing plants to grow but give access for small animals. Although willow is longer lasting than hazel, its use has been rejected because it has a tendency to take root and grow — and then need regular maintenance. Stretches of the canal near Bath have historically had problems holding water and they have now been lined with concrete. Gullies outside of the navigation channel have been filled and planted with reeds and other water plants so that now there is little to show of the dramatic measures taken to keep the canal in water.
Picture by Bob Naylor
Hazel branches woven between driven stakes protects the bank and allows the plant and animal life to flourish.
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No. 170 Spring 2005
Cycling Joanna Barrell of SUSTRANS explains how the organisation helps to create ways to walk and cycle ou may be wondering what Sustrans, the UK’s leading sustainable transport charity, has to do with the Kennet & Avon Canal. Well, Sustrans is the organisation behind the National Cycle Network: a massive series of signed cycling and walking routes linking communities to schools, stations and city centres, as well as to the countryside. Many of these routes run along canal towpaths like the one besides the Kennet & Avon Canal, using the naturally flat gradient to offer walkers and cyclists the chance to enjoy the pleasures of Britain’s canals without taking to the water. Sustrans believes that this network of safe and attractive routes is the key to encouraging more people to walk and cycle, improving their health and lifestyle, and reducing pollution. It seems the nation agrees — the National Cycle Network recently won a ‘Helping Hands Award’, when it was voted by the public as the National Lottery funded project which has had the greatest impact on UK life.
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CELEBRATING 10 YEARS We will be wishing the National Cycle Network a happy 10th birthday in September this year, commemorating the day in 1995 when a cheque for £43.5 million was deposited into the Sustrans bank account — a Millennium Commission Lottery Grant to develop the National Cycle Network. Sustrans’ ambitious plans to stitch together existing cycle routes and develop new ones into a countrywide network had an original target of 2,500 to be built by 2000. With characteristic Sustrans enthusiasm, 5,000 miles were actually built by 2000 and a new 10,000-mile target set. That milestone will be reached in September and will be marked with celebratory rides.
WORKING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES Whilst Sustrans is continuing to work with local authorities to deliver 10,000 miles of its flagship project this year, it is also working with a range of partners on other practical projects in response to the transport and environmental challenges we face. Sustrans Safe Routes to Schools projects, for example, involve local residents, local authorities, health and education workers, and the police — working together as a community to make the school journey safer and healthier for everyone. THE CANAL PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART The National Cycle Network near the Kennet & Avon Canal has something for everyone it seems — from boaters and anglers using the canal itself to walkers and cyclists enjoying the flat and level towpath. It is not surprising therefore that the canal was chosen to form the basis of one of the first main sections of the National Cycle Network known as Route 4. Route 4 now extends right across the country from the Thames Barrier to St David’s in Pembrokeshire. Long sections of the For more information on walking and cycling… Sustrans offers you the most comprehensive range of information on where to cycle in the UK. Visit www.sustrans.org.uk to access free interactive mapping Telephone the national information line on 0845 113 0065. Visit the online shop for a wide range of maps, guides and other products
towpath were improved and widened to cater for cyclists and other users. Traffic-free and with no difficult gradients, these lengths extend from Bath to Devizes in the West and from Marsh Benham near Newbury to Reading in the East. For users who wish to enjoy a more traditional towpath, the central part has been left largely unimproved and the cycle route runs along selected quiet, mainly rural roads between Devizes and Marsh Benham.
Picture by Bob Naylor
Things you might not know about cycling Regular cyclists enjoy the fitness level of someone a decade younger Cyclists can enjoy art and sculpture on the National Cycle Network as it hosts the UK’s largest outdoor collection of public art
GETTING AROUND THE ROUTE In 2004 the Kennet & Avon Rural Transport Partnership launched a new cycle leaflet aimed at promoting the Kennet & Avon Cycle Route as a mainly recreational cycle path that could be enjoyed both as a long distance route, or for shorter day trips, suitable for all the family. Copies of the Kennet & Avon Cycle Route leaflet are available from Sustrans, Canal Visitor Centres, local authority offices and Tourist Information Centres along the canal corridor. The new Wigglybus service that can carry two bicycles and operates along the Wiltshire section, along with the excellent rail network within the canal corridor, now offers even greater flexibility. Plans for 2005 include route improvements and new signing on the central ‘on road’ section. AND THE FUTURE Looking further ahead we hope to complete both new national and local routes linking into the Kennet and Avon Cycle Route to improve accessibility from other nearby towns. As well as Sustrans, other partners in this project include the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust, Kennet and Avon Association of Canal Enterprises, local authorities along the canal, British Waterways and the Countryside Agency.
On a bicycle you can have your cake and eat it. A moderate half-hour-each-way commute will burn 8 calories a minute, or the equivalent of 11kg of fat in a year
In 2003 126 million trips were made on the National Cycle Network and one third of cyclists using traffic-free routes said that their trip was replacing a car trip
One in five people say living close to the National Cycle Network would get them cycling more. Already over 50% of the nation lives within 2 milesof the Network
Picture by Steve Morgan/SUSTRANS 23
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No. 170 Spring 2005
The building of an English barge
Nikki & Adrian Softley are building a replica of a Kennet & Avon Canal working barge. Adrian tells how they came to embark on the project
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Work underway at RLL Boats in Keynsham
Warren at the museum. Warren was sceptical at the suggestion that I wanted to build a real K&A Barge but excited at the prospect. I have to say that Warren’s knowledge of K&A Barges is second to none and proved to be invaluable as he was so willing to share it with me. Warren’s model of ‘Harriet’ stands as testament to this man’s incredible research. His drawings have made the task of our build so much easier. We wanted our barge to be built on the K&A and after making quite a few phone calls to various boat builders, I met Rod Boyce of RLL Boat Builders at Keynsham. Rod and his team have won awards for excellence in building widebeams. After a few hours deliberating over drawings and specifications for the original barges Rod decided he could do the job with the words, "If it’s in steel, we can build it". The original schedule was to 200 years of tradition returnsstart building in Spring 2005, to Bradford Wharf so we put our house on the market last Summer 2004. Six For Marine Engineering Services months to sell the house and & Dry Dock Bookings find accommodation to rent should be no problem. Imagine Covering all aspects of boat repairs, our surprise when six days later maintenance & improvements we had sold the house! There Call Richard Burchell on 01225 868 668 or 07971 103436 was only one thing for it, we had to buy a narrow boat to live
n a previous issue of The Butty, Warren Berry, curator of The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust Museum, wrote an excellent piece on Kennet & Avon Barges and his superb model of ‘Harriet’. He also mentioned that my wife Nikki and I had begun plans to build a replica of ‘Unity’, the last barge to trade on the K&A. Late in 2003 we were considering selling up and living aboard. Many hours were spent looking at various boats and wide-beam seemed to be the way to go for us. There are wide-beams and there are widebeams, old ones, new ones, some good looking and others, well, enough said. Then there
are the Dutch ones of course. What stood out was the fact that there is little or nothing remaining of the magnificent barges that were built and traded on the K&A. The big question was “Can we build one again?” The answer “Why not?” It would of course be fantastic to be able to build an original oak barge, but as we only had a small three-bedroom house to sell it wouldn’t be financially viable to build in oak, so steel was chosen for the project. I thought I had done a lot of research, finding photos of ‘Unity’ and reading reference and history books, but then I had the good fortune to meet
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rd o n Avo n W h o f & ar ad r Dry Dock B
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Picture by Bob Naylor
on while ‘Unity’ was being built. Our boat ‘Baltic’ was too small to live on full time. We are both great believers in things being meant to be and everything just fell into place. We had sold our house, our little boat and purchased another boat ‘Foxglove’ all within a few weeks and then to crown it all there was a cancellation at RLL boats, so work began on ‘Unity’ in October 2004. Yes you have read correctly and the build is well underway. At the time of writing we almost have a complete hull, with the lovely transom stern and that rudder, what a beauty! Externally the overall look of the barge will be that of the original as built at Honeystreet by Robbins, Lane & Pinniger, except for the height of the hatch covers, which have been raised by approximately half a metre to allow for our accommodation within the hold. We have had to make some other alterations to the specifications. The barge will be sixty eight feet long and thirteen feet beam, which is two feet shorter and one foot narrower than the original. This will enable the barge to navigate our locks as they are today.
Join
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
The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust now to help Protect, Enhance and the waterway and you will get:
Annual Membership Fees
A GEOprojects canal map
Corporate membership – please phone 01380 721279 for information Branch Membership – please tick one box
Adult Single/£15 Senior Citizen Single/£10 Adult Family/£17 Senior Citizen Family/£12
o o o o
Junior (14–18)/£7 Life Membership Fees
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Adult Single/£200
o o o
Senior Citizen Single/£100 Adult Family/£250
of the Kennet & Avon Canal (and including the River Avon and Bristol Docks)
Central
FREE trips on the Trust boats at:
Your details – please complete all sections I/we wish to join the Trust and enclose:
Hungerford Bradford on Avon Brassknocker Wharf
Reading
o o
Newbury Hungerford
o o
Crofton Devizes
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
o o
o o o o
(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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .............................................
Join at any of the Trust shops or the attractions listed — or phone: 01380 721279
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................................. 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: . . . . . . . . . . .
If you pay by standing order you will also get a leather K&A wallet to keep your membership card in Registered Charity no. CC209206
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. Signature: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . You must pay an amount of Tax at least equal to the tax that the charity reclaims 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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Butty BRANCH REPORTS Reading Peter Crawford 01488 608297 e are now part way through our Winter programme and have settled into our new venue in Tilehurst. For those who still want to know where we are, you can find us by taking the Tilehurst turning from traffic lights on the A4 called Langley Hill, approximately 3/4 mile from the M4 junction. After about 1 mile on Langley Hill turn left into City Road which is to be found just after the water tower. Follow City Road to the ‘T’ junction and turn right into Little Heath Road and the hall will be found immediately on your left, beside a large playing field. There is adequate car parking available. The last meeting of 2004 in our old venue was also the very last meeting to take place in the Southcote Library Hall. Very appropriately it was our Christmas party and so our goodbyes to our meeting hall for the last three decades went with a swing. January arrived with a new venue in sight and a talk from Dick Allen on his trip down the Rhone to the Mediterranean. What an experience and what an evening listening to an excellent speaker talking about an adventure that not many of us have, or indeed will, undertake. We were also very encouraged with a good turnout, which augurs well for the future. By the time this report is read we will have had our
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No. 170 Spring 2005
annual branch dinner and February meeting which is about gunpowder – yes that is correct, the stuff that goes bang! Also the branch AGM on 18th March which is one week earlier than usual due to Good Friday falling on the last Friday of the month. This will also be my last report as Chairman of Reading Branch as after four years I have decided that a new face is a good idea. However the coming year is full of interest as we have the 50th anniversary of the branch and the royal petition which kept the waterway ‘open’. I thank every member of the branch for their support and I wish my successor good wishes for the future.
important aspects in the development of the town. The Kennet & Avon Canal will have a panel to itself and the design shows John Gould, his goat, Mrs Wyn Gould’s canal boat Iris and a lock gate. The mosaic will be unveiled by a notable personality in the last week of April. The Stone Building continues to thrive, and soon will be able to rival Slimbridge in the number of swans present. Last year the number was 92. The latest count had recorded well over 100. Seems as if some well-meaning swan lovers are slipping them in at dead of night. But we must not complain. The packets of swan food are selling well. Tracy’s volunteers enjoyed a thank-you party in January at Deanwood Golf Club (see picture below).
Newbury Allan Mercado 01635 35046 he Newbury Waterways Festival will be held at Newbury Wharf and the adjoining Victoria Park on Sunday 31st July 2005. Plans are in hand for this year’s event to be the largest since its inception in 1998. Upwards of 30 canal boats are expected to moor within the festival area. Harbourmaster John will be pleased to deal with enquiries for moorings; contact him at
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newbury8urmaster@hotmail.co.uk.
Festival Manager, Mike Elwell, is organising stall spaces for the festival area in Victoria Park. The cost of stalls will be £25 for traders and crafts, £10 for canal associations and charities (please quote charity
Canalside Bed & Breakfast
Warm Welcome Award
Bridge House, Semington Tel: 01225 703281 or 706101 Proprietors Jean & Stephen Payne email: jeanpaynedhps@aol.com
A warm welcome awaits 26
number on booking form). Double stalls are £40 and £20, respectively. Contact Mike at 13 Newport Road, Newbury RG14 2AW, 01635 59647 or kandact.newbury@btopenworld .com. The Newbury Branch extend a very warm welcome to all our sister branches along the Kennet & Avon. Do come along and enjoy the event – the 7th time the festival has been held. If you can’t get along, there will be a barbecue and party for boaters and members on the Saturday evening (tickets £4 each). Another important item this year will be the unveiling outside Newbury Library of the Mayor’s mosaic. This is made up of 12 large panels, each a meter square, depicting Newbury’s past events and
Picture by Allan Mercado
Volunteers at the Newbury K&A Canal Trust Stone Building souvenir shop and tearoom enjoyed a “thank-you” dinner party with music on 7th January at Deanwood Park Golf Club. Shop manager, Tracy Perryman (pictured 6th from left) hosted and organised the party which was a rare opportunity for volunteers who work different days to meet. Everyone enjoyed the event so much that the venue has already been booked for a similar event next year.
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Butty BRANCH REPORTS Hungerford Richard Snook 01635 253446 “Santa, our cat ate our hamsters last week...”
“Why have you got black eyebrows when your hair and beard are white?...”
“Mummy said that I’m too old to get into her bed anymore now that Uncle Peter has come to stay...”
“Santa, can you give my dummy to the baby reindeers? I don’t need it anymore ‘cos I’m 4 now...”
“Santa, we heard you fall down the stairs and say a rude word last Christmas...” “You left sooty footprints on the carpet last year and Mummy was cross...”
No. 170 Spring 2005
hese are just a few of the ‘gems’ heard in the privacy of Santa’s grotto during December. Just how the gentleman himself keeps a straight face and carries on regardless remains a mystery. The sense of innocence and awe from his young visitors really makes being Santa such a rewarding experience. This season was also materially rewarding as we had an increase of almost 50% in passenger numbers for the Santa cruises and, as last year, spending five weekends in the grotto at the Hungerford Wyevale garden centre generated an £800 donation to the Trust . Thank you to all at Wyevale for making that possible. Many thanks also to all our volunteers, both in and out of uniform, and to one particular Santa’s little helper who
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bought, wrapped and labelled with individual names some 350 presents single-handedly. We are desperately short of volunteers for the cherished vocation of Santa, so if you are interested, please apply together with your CV to me. Between Christmas and the New Year we took the ‘Rose’ to Foxhangers for a refit. We took two days to get her to Devizes Wharf. All went well and we were blessed with good weather. On the third day, 1st January, we arrived in Devizes in good time to take her down the flight and deliver her to Foxhangers only to find, at the top of the flight, that the gates were locked. Further investigation revealed that British Waterways had closed the flight on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and 1st January. We expected Christmas Day and possibly Boxing Day but 1st January was not expected, particularly considering that the aim is to promote the canal as a recreational amenity for all to enjoy. At a time in the middle of winter, when most people are able to take time to enjoy the canal, surely the wisdom of a closure without obvious reason at this time is questionable. It is with great sadness that I have to report the death of Bob Maslin, a great volunteer of the Hungerford branch and a splendid example to us all. Known to many as ‘Mr Rose of Hungerford’, he will be greatly missed. (Obituary on page 37)
Picture by Brian Poulton
Kennet & Avon Canal Trust Director of Boats, Peter Crawford meets Santa Claus Dunmill Lock, Hungerford
Crofton Ray Knowles 01672 851639 ork on the new workshop and crew room has been very slow this winter as most of us have been concentrating on the repairs to the structural timber beam in the engine house. The new building needs only rendering around three small windows and two coats of exterior paint before we can ask for approval from the Building Inspector to move in. We will not be able to move until after Easter as we must concentrate on getting everything ready for reopening on Good Friday 25th March. The structural repairs have been completed successfully and the cracked beam is as horizontal as it was in 1807, assuming of course that it started off that way. All the guard rails are back in position and there is a lot of new paint around the place, although with our well-known careful colour co-ordination and matching, you may not notice it straight away. We have used squirrel and antique grey gloss, white gloss and high gloss, black matt, gloss, high gloss, anti-rust, Hammerite, chocolate brown gloss (shades of the old GWR but no cream). And there is even a bit of bright yellow — if you can find it, you are just the person we need as there is still a lot of painting to be done this Summer. Even if you can’t find it, we still need you!
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Norman 23 narrow beam GRP cruiser with a Honda 100 4-stroke outboard motor and a 4-wheel trailor
This boat has been stored ashore, un-used for 8 years and is in need of refurbishment. The trailor will need attention before it can used.
The boat when it was in use
Offers around £1000 Telephone 01380 860605 27
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Butty BRANCH REPORTS The boiler and flue cleaning was completed on schedule and we have found that the corrosion reported in the last Butty was not due to a high sulphurous content of the Rossington coal (it was actually slightly lower than Daw Mill) but due to a high chlorine content coupled with the way in which we actually use the boiler. As we only operate at 20lbs psi steam pressure we do not need a continuously roaring fire all day so the corrosive particles do not get blown clear of the fire tubes at all times. We have gone back to Daw Mill Colliery and we now have 15 tons of Daw Mill Trebles sitting in the coal yard. Coal has gone up in price and now costs £82.00 ton at the pithead, plus Climate Change Levy of £11.70 ton and VAT and of course the cost of transport by road. The good news is that with the aid of UK Coal and the Trust’s charitable status we have not had to pay the CCL and of course we can claim back the VAT. The winter’s work has been heavy but this season the efforts of the Saturday group have really been outstanding. It has made all the difference to the Tuesday and Wednesday groups who have come in and been delighted to find that things were NOT as they had left them the previous week. We have reinstalled No.2 engine, the 1846 Harvey, but the trials for this, at the beginning of March, will be almost like the installation of a brand new engine so we will
No. 170 Spring 2005
have to take things very carefully and whilst you may see smoke coming from the chimney we will not be able to let you in until 25 March. We have now received two bookings from the ‘American Cyclists’, Tuesdays 31 May and 16 August which is one less than last year. I need to finish on a serious note, as we are critically short of volunteers to help in the shop and café on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season and on the steaming weekends. We also need someone to be Branch Secretary with attendance ideally on most Tuesdays and on very occasional Saturday committee meetings. If you can do anything on just a few days a year, or would like more information please let Reg Paynter or myself know or just come in on a Tuesday. Reg is on 01672 870300 and I am on 01672 851639. You could make all the difference to us being open at all on some weekends.
Devizes appy New Year to all Branch Members. Spring is on its way and the dull winter weather will soon be forgotten. The exception must be 15th January, the date of our Branch Christmas bash. I know we
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Picture by Roger Hollands
The final of the Santa races at the Devizes ‘I’ve Survived Christmas’ party at Devizes Wharf in January.
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Tel/Fax: 01225 775100 All workmanship guaranteed
Chelworth Manor Malmesbury 01666 577773
Active independant owners club at www.wilderness.org.uk
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Looking ahead: On Sunday 15th May there will be a guided walk along the Somerset Coal Canal. Roger Halse (a SCC member) has arranged with landowners along the route for us to walk on their land to view the site of the Caisson Lock, the workshops and the flight of 22 locks, which replaced the Caisson. We will be finishing the walk at a local hostelry for lunch and liquids. If possible I would like transport to Combe Hay to be on a car share basis. Please contact Alice or myself if you would like to participate, and let us know if you are prepared to share your car. If you are not receiving regular electronic updates of the programme, please give Alice your email address .(Alice’s email is alicebf2@aol.com).
Roger Hollands 01249 650952
Wilderness Compact Trailboats Builders of Wilderness GRP trailboats since 1969
should be looking forward, but that event needs to be recorded and maybe next year we’ll squeeze even more folk into the Wharf building. Our joint evening with Devizes Boat Club at the Wharf Building to hear Alan Padwick give a talk about his trip on the Lancashire Canal with his wife Sarah on their boat nb ‘Queen of Sheba’ last year was a great success. Not only did we learn about this waterway which has only recently been made accessible from the rest of the system — but we also signed up new members for the K&A Trust. We also went to a quiz night with the Melksham Branch of the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust at the Rachel Fowler Centre in February and the first three winning teams were all K&A Trust members.
www.mp-steelcraft.co.uk
the
Butty BRANCH REPORTS West Wilts John Maciver 01225 812225 his year’s K&A boaters’ carol service at Dundas was better than ever; the excellent atmosphere, service and setting plus the mince pies and mulled wine (provided by the boaters) make this evening a ‘must do’ event for December 2005. Certainly, all the passengers on ‘Barbara McLellan’ thoroughly enjoyed themselves and had the added bonus of a pleasant round trip and a superb buffet supper. The Santa Trips were a huge success again this year. All the children loved their individually chosen presents; Wendy Olver had once again managed to purchase good quality items at bargain prices. The volunteer Santas also did a sterling job in making the trips so special and memorable for the children. Some people have already asked for next year’s booking form! Our Annual Dinner at The Barge, Seend, organised by Dave Jupp, was a resounding success. The nice friendly setting and the excellent dinner made for a very jolly evening. The raffle organised by Chris Poulter raised over £100 for Trust funds; well done. The WWB Volunteer Social Club has been a real success, so thanks go to Andrew Cox and his team for arranging such a varied and interesting programme. Club evenings, held on board ‘B Mac’, are on the last Thursday of the month. Our AGM was on 19th Feb.
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No. 170 Spring 2005
Sincere thanks go to the outgoing committee for all their contributions and efforts throughout their tenure. The Winter maintenance programme for ‘Barbara McLellan’ is well underway. Some work, such as blacking the hull, was completed in November but Geoff Olver’s list of ‘things to do’ runs into a few pages of A4! However, the same band of volunteers — Roger ‘Steamboat’ Davis, Nigel Millward, Roger Brown, Robin Parry, Mike Brown, Keith ScottGreen, Dave Wright, Chris Poulter and Pete Hawes — seem undaunted by the painting, electrical, carpentry, and all other tasks that come their way. We are also grateful to Richard Burchell, Marine Engineering Services BOA, for all his helpful advice, assistance and use of the wharf. On the marketing front, boat trip leaflets have been distributed far and wide, through a distribution agency. Hopefully, our charter trips will be even better than the record number sailed last season. British Waterways has started work on paving the towpath area between Frome Road and the slip path to the car park, plus other work reported in an earlier Butty. The K&A Canal Trust is contributing to some of the improvements and enhancements, particularly in helping to provide access for disabled people from the car park, through a new picnic area, to the Trust Cottage terraced garden. The garden,
which has been lovingly restored by Harry Fox, is an attractive and peaceful haven overlooking the canal. Unfortunately, there were insufficient funds to extend the visitor moorings towards Treenwood Bridge. This year’s pre-season Training Day for both the shop and boat volunteers was on Sat 19th March. The training, which included two shake-down trips, covered all the changes to operating procedures as well a being a refresher on the emergency drills for fire, collision, evacuation and so on. Our first public trip was on Good Friday. Grant and Gill Milner have reported that we already have several charter trips booked for this year. We plan a crew-recruitment, promotional and crew-training trip to Devizes during the period 22nd to 24th April. ‘Barbara McLellan’ will sail from Bradford on Avon to Foxhangers on Friday; Foxhangers – Caen Flight –
Devizes on Saturday and on Sunday will set off early (08.30) from Devizes back to BOA. Potential volunteers are welcome to ‘check us out’ and, if you like what you see, we would be delighted to have you on board as crew. We are also looking for volunteers to help in the shop.
Claverton Pete Dunn 01761 432811 he winter maintenance programme has progressed and we have rewired and installed a new lighting scheme on the ground floor. This has removed the old rusting fluorescent lights, which have been replaced by single older style pendant lights. The other big task was to replace the wheel house bridge flooring. This was not so
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JOHN HUTLEY & ALL-ABOARD MARINE SERVICES Anywhere on the K&A and Thames Newbury Dry Dock All boat maintenance services Boat Safety Examinations
Corgi Registered Tel: 01635 37606 or 01277 623852 Mobile: 07940 583361 GREENHAM LOCK COTTAGE, AMPERE ROAD, NEWBURY RG14 5SN
www.aamarine.co.uk
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the
Butty BRANCH REPORTS simple. First the under-floor supports were found to be rotten and had to be replaced. Then when all was complete the concrete and brick approaches were found to be too low. To remedy this we tracked down and bought 60 stable flooring blocks from Devizes Reclamation. They are to the same pattern as those used by the Great Western Railway on the gear room floor in the 1880s. This has improved the appearance and made it safe to walk over. I have been talking to Bathampton Angling Club about their members who were putting their safety at risk by walking along the railway line beside our site to gain access to their fishing grounds beyond the Pump House. This was easily resolved. We have built a gate for them at the end of our land and they can now walk through safely. The funding for this came from the anglers. It is nice to have good relations with other groups who also have an interest in water-based leisure activities. British Waterways Estates Department have awarded a contract to a local firm to replace all the large downstairs windows that at present are extremely rotten. I do not think that they will be installed before Easter so we have to work a programme around our Wednesday openings. My biggest problem at present is the lack of a shop manager. I have been looking around for some months but have yet to find anyone interested. This is beginning to look like another job for me unless someone comes
No. 170 Spring 2005
forward soon. See the advert on page 15. There must be a person who is looking for some way of becoming involved in canal activities – and this may just
Bath & Bristol Mike Davis 01225 448576 e are now looking forward to the 2005 season. Our trip boat ‘Jubilee’ has completed its Winter refit; a new gearbox has been fitted and there has been a substantial amount of work on the engine with a new engine being promised for the following season. We have a splendid team of volunteer Skippers and Crew and are hoping to match and beat previous years’ records of charters and public trips. We are always pleased to hear from any members who would like to get involved in this activity; we can assure them that they would thoroughly enjoy themselves and no previous experience is required; full training is given. The Claverton Pumping Station reports separately in this issue but there is one point to which we would like to draw your attention. They desperately need a few volunteers to help in the shop on opening days. This is the inter-face with the public. The Pumping Station is situated in an idyllic setting and there is no better place to enjoy a Summer’s day. The team is a very friendly one and morale is high. Once again we appeal to
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HAMS TRANSPORT HOPTON INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, DEVIZES, WILTS
any member who thinks they might fancy it; a small group of friends would be even better. Many of you will probably have seen the BBC TV 1 programme “Inside Out” on 1st November in which I appeared with Graham Sawyer and Anna Rootes on their boat to debate the problem. We were never going to get properly into it in a nine minute slot (which took three days to film) but we had beautiful weather and it was an excellent image of the canal and the Trust’s work on it. Hundreds of thousands of people in this region watched it and people still come up to me in the street, including complete strangers, to say how much they had enjoyed it. The power of TV is incredible! The financial surpluses achieved by the Trust are now available for improvement projects along the canal, now that the matched funding on the Heritage Lottery programme is complete. The restoration of the Dundas Crane and Ticket Office were mentioned in the last issue and the maintenance requirement on the iron bridges on the Widcombe Flight (one of Stothert & Pitt’s first jobs in Bath) is being evaluated. Any member of our branch can come up with proposals for evaluation and should contact me or Michael Lee if they have any ideas. There are a number of interesting new boats to be seen on the canal. It is a leisure waterway and there is no reason why there should be only narrowboats. Obviously if people want to cruise on the
system, and live on the boat for a period, they will need a narrowboat with amenities. But a lot of people just want to spend a day, or even a couple of hours, on a trip (for example, a picnic) and all sorts of boats can satisfy this demand. The greater the variety, the more interesting it is for everyone. Remember that only 5% of canal users are boaters. The remaining 95% are on the towpath doing all sorts of things. The towpath is, by definition, flat (mile after mile with no hills!) and this is ideal for walkers and cyclists and, increasingly, joggers. I have seen a lot of athletes training recently, including Olympic Medallists from the Team Bath stable at the University, and it is lovely to see them.
Trust Recruitment Drive One new member each!
he call from John Kirby, the Trust’s Membership and Marketing Director, for members to recruit one new member each is paying dividends and already many new members have joined.
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If the Trust is to speak with a stronger voice we need your continued help to recruit new members.
David Owen & Co Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors
With flatbeds up to 60’ we can safely transport your narrowboats and wide beams throughout the UK 01380 726837 www.hams-transport.co.uk
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17 Market Place Devizes Wiltshire 01380 722211
126 High Street Marlborough Wiltshire 01672 512163
Auditors to The Kennet &Avon Canal Trust
the
Butty BRANCH REPORTS
No. 170 Spring 2005
Mooring abuse he one big issue at our western end of the canal remains Moorings Abuse. Post restoration, this is the first major challenge; it is a serious problem for the national canal system in various places but the Bath to Bradford-on-Avon stretch of the K&A is one of the worst cases. At the time of writing there are 160 boats moored between Bath and Avoncliff. Some of these are accounted for by the Temporary and Winter Moorings issued by BW but that leaves over 100 without approved moorings, which are not cruising. We estimate that around half of these are residential. Some of these boats shuffle about and say they are cruising but they are not according to the definitions in BW’s Moorings Code; playing musical chairs
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within a small area means that the overall situation is unchanged. These boats are incompatible with all forms of leisure use of the canal, which is what it was restored for. Because of the heavy concentration of boats which are not moving, especially those which are being lived on, boats which are cruising cannot find anywhere to moor (if they are not put off coming here in the first place because of the changed ambience of the canal). Visitors to the towpath cannot find anywhere to park (many of these boat owners also own cars and take up the limited parking spaces available). Similarly trip boats have a less pleasant experience to offer and it is a less pleasant experience for walkers and joggers, many of
whom do not come any more, and there are frequent clashes with these normal canal users, especially the fishermen. The concentration also has an effect on the water quality, which is aggravated by the back-pumping systems now installed, and the wildlife is noticeable by its absence whether for this reason or for any other. There is a danger that this beautifully restored canal is being hi-jacked as a housing estate. This is the Green Belt, where no form of residential units is allowed under any circumstances. It is an overspill of Bath’s housing problem but it is a problem that has nothing to do with the canal. It is not what 50 years of voluntary work and £30 million of recent investment (mainly funded by
the Heritage Lottery) were all about. The BW Moorings Code was published, tested, consulted on, amended and finally approved by all parties. All boat owners sign up to it as a condition of their licence. It is now being implemented and BW are determined to resolve this problem for the sake of all canal users. The Trust is working with BW to try to identify potential off-canal marina sites. There is obviously a shortage of moorings and this is one of the solutions. But the prospects of success in this area, bearing in mind the topographical difficulties as well as the Planning considerations, seem to be low? Michael Davis, Chairman, Bath & Bristol Branch
The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust • public trips • boats • Public Trip Boats • 3• 3locations • special charters • • 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.
‘Protect Enhance Promote’
General enquiries 01380 721279
‘Rose of Hungerford’
‘Barbara McLellan’
‘Jubilee’
Operating from Bradford on Avon Wharf Cottage
Operating from just off the High Street in Hungerford
The Barbara McLellan is a 65-ft purpose-built wide beam boat capable of seating 51 passengers.
Operating from Brassknocker Wharf, just East of Bath
With a seating capacity of 50, ‘Rose’ is a comfortable well-equipped wide beam 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
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 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
‘Jubilee’ is a converted traditional narrowboat with a 30-seat capacity. Brassknocker Wharf has ample car parking. Public trips: • Every Sunday and Bank Holiday from April until October – 12.00 noon and 2.30pm: 1.5 hours • Every Tuesday and Thursday from June to September – 2.30pm: 2 hours 15 minutes Charter trips Booking Manager: 01749 850169
real a y o j n E treat! y l i m a f
Booking Manager: 01225 775326
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the
Butty
No. 170 Spring 2005
Get walking
James Harrison takes us on a walk that includes Great Bedwyn, Crofton Pumping Station and Wilton. his walk enjoys an abundance of heritage and natural history, taking in two villages, woodland, a windmill and a steam-driven pumping station. The last part of the walk is via the canal towpath, and footpaths, bridleways and minor roads make up the rest. There is a steady climb after Great Bedwyn and after the path drops down into Wilton; the rest of the walk is on the flat. There are several places en route where refreshments are available Wilton Windmill and the café at the Crofton Pumping Station. There are also pubs at Great Bedwyn and Wilton.
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Leave Great Bedwyn on the southwesterly road out of the village passing the Stone Museum on your right. Shortly after passing the church on your left. Take the footpath heading southwest towards the railway. If you decide to visit the church you can join the footpath via an entrance on the western edge of the churchyard. Taking care as you cross the railway line, continue along the footpath over the canal and through the gate in front of you. Follow the path as it goes round to the right. Shortly afterwards look out for a stile on your left. Take the path beyond the stile as it continues up the hill and to
1 Wilton Windmill Picture by Bob Naylor
ne of the best ways to explore the K&A is to pull on a pair of boots, grab a drink and a sandwich, and take a walk along the paths and trails that lie just a short hop from the canalside. With funding from the ‘Window on Wiltshire's Heritage’ project, the Trust has developed a series of walks that show what the canal has to offer.
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The walk begins at Great Bedwyn Grid Reference: 16 SU 278 645
the left of the field boundary. Climb the hill keeping the boundary on your right and continue along the path towards an area of woodland. Continue walking through woodland for around 3/4 of a mile, passing through a clearing after which the path becomes a made-up track. The paths and bridleways through the wood are well sign posted. A wooden building on your left marks the start of another clearing and soon afterwards the bridleway enters woodland again and continues for a short while through an area called Bedwyn Brail. The bridleway passes a line of pine trees behind which is an area of mixed woodland containing springs and an earthwork known as the ‘Conduit’. The bridleway crosses another route running SE– NW and shortly after deviating to the right joins a byway. Follow the signposts for ‘Windmill’ and, at a bench carved from a tree trunk, turn left onto a much narrower footpath.
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Where this joins another bridleway, turn left and walk south to a minor road. At the crossroads here, turn right and walk west for a short while passing Wilton Windmill on the left. The minor road soon meets the Great Bedwyn–Wilton road — carry
3
Crofton Pumping Station
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Picture by Bob Naylor
on walking west until you meet the crossroads of an old Roman road. Here, you can either carry on walking along the minor road into Wilton village or turn right onto the old Roman road making sure that after clearing the steep banks on either side and passing the sign for the return footpath to Wilton you carry on up the track to enjoy the views looking back towards the windmill. Retrace your steps and pick up the footpath to Wilton village on your right. Follow this down the hill and turn sharp right along a path running along the lower boundary of the field, heading north past Wilton Water and leading to the canal and Crofton Beam engines.
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5
If you wish to visit the Beam engines, cross the canal at the lock gates, or pick up the canal towpath again, turning right to head back to Great Bedwyn. The towpath takes you past several locks, past New Bridge and under Mill Bridge. The Crofton– Bedwyn road runs parallel with the canal and Crofton Brail woodland lies to your right. After about a mile you will join the footpath, taking you back over the canal, through the church yard and back into Great Bedwyn.
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the
Butty
No. 170 Spring 2005
Wildlife Ratty returns to Wiltshire’s waterways usan Litherland from the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust outlines the dramatic success of the campaign to save the water vole. Only a couple of year’s ago it seemed the future was finished for the water vole, the UK’s most endangered mammal. Surveys of rivers and waterways all over the country were showing that they had almost completely disappeared. But now, thanks to a carefully planned campaign to pull the creature back from the brink, the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust can report there has been a dramatic turnaround in the fortunes of the shy, vegetarian creature, immortalised as ‘Ratty’ in Kenneth Graeme’s Wind in the Willows. The success follows a threeyear, last-ditch effort to save it from total wipe-out. The speed and scale of the success has taken conservationists by surprise. The main threats to water voles are the fragmentation of their habitat of lush bankside vegetation, and hunting by the American mink. Mink, brought into the UK by the fur trade, have succeeded in breeding in the wild along many UK rivers and canals — with lethal results for native wildlife, including the water vole, whose numbers have nose-dived where mink
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have moved in. The focus of the North Wiltshire Water Vole Recovery Project has been to develop ways to protect the little creature from these threats. The project, a partnership between conservationists from Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, English Nature, the Environment Agency, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), has been spearheaded by the Trust’s Mark Satinet. In the last three years, Mark has surveyed 182 sections of water-course that are each 500 metres long for signs of water voles, to establish the effects of mink control on water vole populations. The project has concentrated on three key areas: the Malmesbury Avon, the Upper Kennet and the Upper Thames around the Cotswold Water Park. “The aim was to provide hard, scientific proof that water voles can return to rivers if mink are controlled along whole river catchments, using many volunteers to do the work” Mark explains. “It’s early days, but the results have been spectacular. On the Swill Brook, near the Cotswold Water Park, 12 mink were captured. Recent surveys show that water voles have returned for the first time in five
Picture by Darin Smith
years. The warden of adjacent Swillbrook Lakes Nature Reserve has recorded the bestever year for breeding birds such as coot.” On the Kennet, the capture of 26 mink has resulted in a fourfold increase in water voles numbers in a stretch that has been monitored for four years. Overall water voles have increased from 50% of sites occupied to 84% where mink were controlled, but over the same two years dropped from 50% to 23% where they were not. On the Kennet and Avon Canal there is a similar mixed result. In Bradford-on-Avon water voles have successfully survived the recent bank improvements through the efforts of conservationists and British Waterways who
incorporated vole friendly banks and moved the voles away during works and returned them afterwards. Surveys by locals show the population is now doing better than before the work. However, at Semington growing numbers of mink are decimating the water voles in one of their strongholds. Mark says: “This means that there is still much work to do if we are going to secure the future for water voles in Wiltshire and the country as a whole.” For more information on the Water Vole Recovery Project, contact Mark at the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust on (01380) 725670 ext 231, email: msatinet@wiltshirewildlife.org
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the
Butty
No. 170 Spring 2005
A boater with a mission The Reverend Peter Atwill takes his ministry to a floating community y fascination for boats began as a boy when I lived not far from the River Teign in South Devon. My father had worked on the interiors of both the ocean racing yacht ‘Endeavour’ and the replica of the ‘Mayflower’ and he would no doubt have been thrilled to fit out a narrowboat. It was to Teignmouth I returned to meet my wife Lin in 1983. We were both widowed with two children each and we decided that one way to bring these youngsters together was to take them boating; they loved it! Some years later I had a dream that was so vivid I wrote it down; I knew that at sometime I would be working on the waterways. At the time I was a Minister of a Church in Hampshire with very few navigable waters nearby, but within a few years I was called to work with a Church in Bath and there in all its glory was the Kennet & Avon! One day at Bradford Lock I met John Chard on ‘Stokie’; his comment was “We could do with someone like you on the canals”, because some of his friends had died recently and there seemed to be no one to help the bereaved. I began to pray for openings and we found a boat to suit our needs and ‘Gospel Belle’ was soon ours. John Chard’s face was a picture. “You have done it”, he said. Soon there was an opportunity to work full time as Chaplain as we were invited to work with Home Evangelism, an interdenominational Mission that supports Evangelists and Chaplains in unusual situations. For example, I have a colleague who works at Heathrow Airport. We began to live aboard ‘Gospel Belle’ in 1999 and have been involved with mission on the system as far up as Skipton on the Leeds and Liverpool but have always tried to return to
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the Kennet & Avon for the Winter when we organise our now famous Carol Service at Dundas. 2004 saw the largest crowd and the highest number of decorated boats yet. It is always held on the first Saturday in December at 6pm and the Salvation Army play for us. See you there this year? During my time on the canal I have conducted the funerals of boaters, taken weddings and helped with the blessing of boats including the ‘Barbara Mac’ at Bradford, upon which we have our Harvest Festival most years. I also like to give every new boat a New Testament and so far not one owner has refused the gift. I have the opportunity to visit schools alongside the canal, taking assemblies where possible, especially if some of the children live aboard boats. This September we will be working with the Boaters’ Christian Fellowship on the Trent and Mersey when ‘Gospel Belle’ will be part of a flotilla taking the Good News of Jesus to people along the canal from Nottingham to Stoke-on-Trent. ‘Gospel Belle’ is always open for people to pop in and talk and we carry special insurance for public liability. Her name stems from a verse in Paul’s letter to the Romans “How beautiful (Belle) are the feet of those who bring good news (Gospel)”. How we need good news in these days of sadness, disaster and bloodshed. As we meet people on the canal system, it is our prayer that they come to know the peace that only Christ can give. We have a listing of all the Churches on the whole system, which enables us to contact clergy and congregations along our routes and occasionally preach in these Churches. We have made countless friends among the boating community and support many in their
Picture by Lin Atwill
Peter Atwill conducts a wedding on the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust trip boat, ‘Jubilee’ at Brassnocker Basin.
sometimes difficult situations, caring not only for the spiritual welfare of boaters but also being a listening ear when problems arise and of practical help if possible. Some years ago the Salvation Army and the London City Mission maintained boats on the waterways but stopped in 1936 when the canals became quiet. Now we have seen a revival with more and more people using the system.
Here we are, part of God’s Church working as we can among the people whom Jesus just loved to be with. Just read in the Gospels to find out how much time he spent in a boat. If he got it right, so must we!
The Reverend Peter Atwill can be contacted on 07801 562483
Y BOATING DAon the beautiful
Kennet & Avon Canal
self-drive and skippered boats canadian canoes & cycle hire The Bath & Dundas Canal Co. Brass Knocker Basin Monkton Coombe, Bath, BA2 7JD Telephone: 01225 722292 Web: www.bathcanal.com
the
Butty Letters to the Editor
No. 170 Spring 2005
THAMES BARGE, CYGNET I was interested in the photo in the last Butty of the Thames barge ‘Cygnet’. She has a very interesting history and I thought you might like a few details. She was built in 1881 at George Curel’s yard at Frindsbury on the River Medway, Kent. This yard was beside the Strood Basin of the Thames and Medway Canal. She was built for Walter Wrinch, a farmer/bargeowner, based at Ewarton on the Essex Stour and registered at the Port of Harwich. By sailing barge standards, she was tiny, being only 16 registered tons (most barges were 40+ tons registered). She was, however, fully rigged as a top sail barge, even though only 45 ft long. She traded mostly with farm produce around the Essex and Suffolk rivers and also to London. Wrinch owned several farms and another 6 normal sized barges, which were ‘stackie’ barges; they traded to London with hay stacked on their decks halfway up the mast. In all probability, ‘Cygnet’ also carried the odd ‘stackie’ cargo. She was a useful barge and traded until the middle 1930s, long after the hay trade had finished.
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 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 clarity or space. Send letters to the Editor: contact details on page 3.
BURBAGE WHARF CRANE In response to the article on Burbage Wharf crane, I would like to make the following observations. Firstly, did the crane receive no repairs or renewals from the date of building, 1831, until the restoration on 1972? I don’t think that we are told of the type of timber supplied by Crown Estates but on the assumption that it was English oak then this should have lasted at least 30 years and possibly up to 60. Incidentally oak is not normally treated with creosote or other preservatives although the framing and balance beams of lock gates are or were tarred, as far as I know. The article suggests that it is only the timber that has failed, but in the ‘Canal report by Mike Lee’ he mentions damaged or missing cast iron bearings and gears. Cast iron is a durable material and is well suited for outdoor uses. However, as the crane has not been in use I would expect corrosion between the teeth of any two stationary meshing gears simply because water trapped there doesn’t readily evaporate and thus ideal conditions for
When she was no longer profitable, she was de-rigged and used as a lighter, probably by Sadds the timber merchants at Maldon. She was scrapped and dumped on the Blackwater saltings after the war and was rotting away when rescued by, I believe, a Mr Payne, who restored her and sailed her for pleasure. He is probably the owner who took her onto the K & A; how far he got I do not know. Subsequently, Mica Brown, a well-known character on the East coast, bought her, did further work and kept her for at least 15 years. He took her to France and down the Med as well as cruising extensively on the French waterways. I do not know who owns her now, but she is berthed at Snape on the Suffolk River Alde, where I photographed her in October 2004. She looks in good condition, has had her wheel removed and returned to tiller steering, as built. She regularly races in the East coast barge races and looks better now than I remember seeing her under sail in the 1950/60s. Mike Lee rusting are present. Has there been any vandalism to the structure? For the future, it is imperative that the reasons for the current failure are fully understood and the appropriate action taken. If not then it seems logical that in another 30 years’ time there is every likelihood that the job will require doing yet again! It must be disappointing for the dedicated volunteers who gave so much of their time 30 years ago to learn that their work has not stood the test of time. I note that the crane is the sole survivor of its type on the K&A and accordingly I do hope that the Trust makes every effort to restore it. M Rowling, Banbury
CONTINUOUS CRUISING After reading some of the articles in previous issues of The Butty, I felt I should write with another point of view. I think that liveaboards and their boats are a unique living heritage and make the canals one of the most interesting aspects of life. The towpath in the Avon Valley teems with people; they love to see the diversity of colourful boats and boaters going about their daily lives. Yes, there is a problem with some boaters leaving rubbish on the towpath – that needs to be dealt with on its own, without linking it to moorings. All boats should display a current licence and move every 14 days when not on their mooring. There are a lot of boats in the Avon Valley, but BW’s latest purge is not alleviating the problem of visitors not being able to find overnight moorings. In fact selling towpath moorings makes the problem worse. As soon as a boat moves from its towpath mooring it
Cygnet at Snape on the River Alde
Picture by Mike Lee
takes up two spaces, the new space and the mooring where no one else can moor. Instead of taking up one visitor mooring space, it now takes up two! BW, instead of harassing boats displaying a current licence and moving every 14 days, should be supporting and celebrating the liveaboards, who are a unique living heritage, an asset to the canal and the country. B Greaves, York
COBBLERS LOCK In response to the article on Cobblers Lock in the winter 2004 edition of The Butty I like to point out that this lock is unique in as much as the water level in the pound above the lock can be higher than the top of the bottom gates because the top of the top gate is higher than the top of the bottom gate. As a result, there can be two or three inches difference in the water level at the top gate even when water is flowing over the bottom gate. You have to wait for the water level in the pound to drop, even with the bye-weir this seems to take a long time. Last time we went through it needed three people and a dog to open the top gate. When it did open, there was a waterfall over the bottom gate as the waster surged through until the water level in the pound had dropped. The answer is to fasten additional timber to the top of the bottom gates, or to alter the height of the bye-weir to lower the water level in the pound. Any boat following a pair up through the lock would not experience this effect as it needs to have the top gates closed and the bottom gates open and enough time for the water level in the pound to build up again, John Arthurs, nb ‘September Pearl’
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Reviews by Clive Hackford Getaway with Murder by Leo McNeir First published in 2000 by Enigma Publishing ISBN 0 9524052 6 1 316 pages. £7.99 soft cover
cademics do not necessarily make good fiction writers but Leo McNeir has, with this his first novel, shown an ability to maintain the reader’s interest in what is a very good, entertaining mystery. The character of Marnie Walker is at the centre of the narrative, alongside the narrowboat ‘Sally Ann’ which is owned by her sister. The story starts easily enough with Marnie deliberating the setting-up of her own interior design business in an old Northamptonshire farmhouse crying out for restoration and utilising ‘Sally Ann’. But running alongside the main story is a parallel story of events from the English Civil War and gradually the two stories converge in dramatic events that ruin the idyllic serenity of the countryside. Edge of seat stuff as the drama develops.
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Devil in the Detail by Leo McNeir First published in 2004 by Enigma Publishing ISBN 0 9531742 2 0 376 pages. £8.99 soft cover
his is the fourth novel from the pen of Leo McNeir, featuring again Marnie Walker and ‘Sally Ann’. The friendship with Anne continues, there is a stable relationship with Ralph, the newly formed business is flourishing and the future looks good. But the peace of the lovely home beside the Grand Union Canal does not last as nearby social order begins to fall apart. The business continues to develop, however, with expansion to a job in Italy which a new colleague is drafted in to handle but is he all that he seems? Mix in a smooth talking politician and the sinister arrival of a stranger by boat and the carnage and murder which follows cannot be wholly unexpected. Gripping to the very end.
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Canal Arts and Crafts by Avril Lansdell First published in 1994. Updated and illustrated in colour in 2004 by Shire Publications ISBN 0 7478 0586 5 56 pages. £5.99 soft cover
t was only recently that I came across this little book. Whilst searching for some accurate dates and place names for text to accompany two Measham Ware teapots in the Trust’s Museum I spotted this colourful and relevant book on the shelves of the Devizes shop below the Museum. Not only did it contain the information that I sought but I was astounded by the wealth of interesting information revealed. Included are some excellent close-up photographs to show detail. Items and terms such as a swingletree and a cracking whip must be new to the vocabulary of many readers but detailed photographs reveal all. An amazing amount of interesting information is packed into this small book which would make a welcome and inexpensive present for anyone with an interest in boats or heritage.
I
Avoncliff: The Secret History of an Industrial Hamlet in War and Peace by Nick McCamley First published in 2004 by Ex Libris Press ISBN 1 903341 23 X 208 pages. £9.95 soft cover
he boater passes through Avoncliffe and admires the view whilst passing over the aqueduct, the walker admires the view and probably the produce of The Cross Guns, the industrial archaeologist savours the remains of past industry and the amateur historian and romantic in us all tries to savour the activities of past times. If the reader fits into any of these categories then this book is a compelling read. A few short paragraphs at the beginning of the book convince the reader of the author’s qualifications for writing this book. A native of the area, his passion for its industrial past is evident and although the historical record is well researched and detailed it remains an easy, fascinating, compelling read. The quarries, the mills, the canal, the railway, the workhouse, the waterworks, wartime and social aspects of local life; all are covered. The value of this record of Avoncliffe history and the interaction with the river and canal is such that a copy has now found its way into the archive of the Trust’s Museum.
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Books reviewed in this and past issues of The Butty are available from the Trust shop on Devizes Wharf or through other Trust shops. If it’s not convenient to visit in person you can use our mail order service by telephoning Devizes (01380) 729489. 36
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Butty OBITUARIES
No. 170 Spring 2005
Bob Maslin It is with great sadness that the Hungerford Branch announces the passing of Robert Thomas Maslin (Bob) who died 17th January 2005. Born 30th August 1927 in Newbury, Bob was one of five children. He moved to Hungerford in the 1960s where he worked as Day Care Organiser for the Kennet Day Centre at Hungerford Hospital until his retirement in 1997. He had numerous hobbies and interests that he brought to his work and he organised regular events, trips and activities. Bob always applied himself to whatever he did with considerable enthusiasm, nothing more so than his love of the Kennet & Avon Canal and his determination to see it restored. When the K&A Canal Trust decided to purchase and run a canal trip boat from Hungerford, Bob was one of the original volunteers who gave much of his time to the project. For many years he acted as boat and booking manager. His hard work and determination, together with his friendly enthusiasm have contributed immensely not only to the boat’s overwhelming financial success but also to its undoubted popularity with the residents and the very many visitors to Hungerford who were able to enjoy the peace
and tranquillity of the canal. Many volunteers on the boat, both past and present, captains and crew, owe their involvement to Bob for the cheerful, friendly way he ‘press ganged’ them into joining the crew. He will always be remembered as the smiling face who, with rugged determination, ensured the ‘Rose’ was crewed and maintained to a very high standard. Today we endeavour to continue as he would have liked. Bob was a keen walker and enjoyed his outings along the canal and could often be seen with his wife Frances strolling across Hungerford Marsh towards Cobbler’s Lock, one of his favourite walks. He was a keen supporter of the Adoption Scheme and adopted Guyer’s Lock, which he claimed was one of his favourite spots along the cut. It was with the same eagerness that Bob took to archery and he was the prime mover in forming the successful Hungerford Longbow club to which he devoted much of his latter years. He moved to Alton in Hampshire in June 2003, quickly settled in and soon became well known in the community. Although in recent years his
health declined he always maintained his sense of humour and enjoyed life to the full, albeit at a slower pace. He was a very popular man and was well liked by everyone who knew him. Bob is survived by two brothers and leaves a wife, three children and four grandchildren.
The funeral was held on Friday 28th January at St. Lawrence’s Church, Hungerford, and was conducted by our Branch Chairman the Rev. Andrew Sawyer. It was attended by a large representation of branch and committee members.
Ian ‘Mac’ McAbendroth K&A Trust member Ian McAbendroth died recently at the untimely age of 57 after a short illness. He grew up in Devizes and West Lavington and spent more than 30 years as a police officer in Salisbury, Swindon and Marlborough. He was promoted to Inspector in 1981 and spent the last seven years of his career as training manager, based at police headquarters in Devizes. Ian and his wife Liz returned
to live in Devizes a year ago and quickly became involved in the local community. Liz works as a volunteer in the Trust shop in Devizes where Ian often ’popped in’ for a chat. As narrowboat owners they spent many happy hours enjoying the peace and beauty of the Kennet & Avon Canal. Ian attended meetings of the Canal Users’ Forum where he represented the views of local boaters.
Ian was a man of enormous warmth and wit and as chairman of the Devizes Boat Club his leadership and sense of fun ensured that all events were well supported. Everyone who knew him in the Trust, Devizes Boat Club and the wider boating community will miss his company and we send sincere condolences to Liz and their children Louise and Jamie.
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What’s On Diary April Saturday 2nd Devizes Branch AGM followed by ‘Antartica Cruise’, talk by Alan West. Canal Centre, Devizes Wharf. This event is open to the public. 7.30pm. Sunday 3rd Gloucester Boat Jumble. Open 10am. The National Waterways Museum, Gloucester Docks, Gloucester. All stalls on hard standing. Admission £3.50, accompanied children and car park free. Thursday 18th IWA. Birmingham & Black Country Canals. Talk by Ron Cousins. Riverside Inn, Saltford Marina.7.30pm. Thursday 21st IWA Avon & Wiltshire Branch. Evening Cruise around Bristol Docks on the ‘Elizabeth’. 7.00 pm sharp. £8.50. Bristol Docks, SS Great Britain landing stage. More Information:Geoff Harman, 0117 962 2812.
July
May Friday 22nd—Sunday 24th West Wilts— Barbara McLellan Devizes Trip. Friday From BOA to Foxhangers, depart 10am. Saturday From Foxhangers to Devizes Wharf, depart 11.30am. Sunday From Devizes to Foxhangers then to BOA depart 8.30am (arriving approx 6pm). Saturday 23rd Kennet & Avon Canal Trust AGM. The Canal Centre, Devizes Wharf. 11.15am. Wednesday 27th Newbury Branch AGM followed by ‘The History of Newbury’, talk by Tony Higgott former curator of the Newbury Museum. Stone Building. Everyone is welcome. 7.45pm. Thursday 28th WWB Volunteer Social Club evening on board ‘B Mac’. 7.30pm.
Tuesday 13th Hungerford Branch AGM on the ‘Rose’, 7.30pm. Sunday 15th Devizes Branch. Guided walk along the Somerset Coal Canal. Finish with a pub lunch. Please contact Roger Hollands on 01249-650952 or Alice Boyd on 01380-724701 for further information. Thursday 26th WWB Volunteer Social Club evening on ‘B Mac’. 7.30pm.
Sunday 3rd Royal Berkshire Boat Jumble. Open 10am. Wellington Country Park, Rallyfield, Riseley, Berkshire. Junction 6 M3/A33. Junction 11/M4/A33. Signposted from A33. Admission £3.00 (Entry to park separate), accompanied children and car park free. Friday 22nd—Sunday 24th Bristol Harbour Festival 2005. Friday 22nd—Sunday 24th Les Amis du Canal du Nivernais Rally. Coulanges sur Yonne. Contact Jo Parfit. 00 33 (0) 680 301 153. e: fluvialmig@aol.com Saturday 30th-31st Boaters’ barbecue and Festival (see ad below).
June Saturday 4th Wilton Windmill Open Day. Entrance is FREE. 1.00pm. Saturday 25th Reading Water Fest on The Kennet. Abbey Ruins, Chestnut Walk, Riverside Walk, Riverside Museum, Bel and the Dragon. Organised by Reading Borough Council in partnership with the K & A Canal Trust. Enquiries: 0118 939 0373. 11am—5pm.
August Saturday 27th Crofton Branch AGM, at the Pumping Station. 6.00pm followed by branch barbecue at 6.30pm.
ury
ria
Victo
b , New Park
The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust
Newbury Waterways Festival 2005 Sunday 31st July 10.00am to 5.00 pm Please contact Mike Elwell on 01635 569647 for further details. Boat Gathering, Boat Trips and many other displays and attractions.
Stalls available @ £25 for Traders and Crafts and £10 for Charities & Canal Associations. Larger stalls available pro-rata. Boats are £18 per boat, which includes 2 tickets to the Saturday barbeque and a commemorative plaque.
Barbeque for members and boaters on the Saturday Night
Contact the Harbourmaster on 01793 722292 or 0782 1842628
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No. 170 Spring 2005
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 1st May 2005. Photocopies will be accepted.
The Butty Prize Crossword No 170 Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..................................... ..................................... .....................................
Across 1 Great waterway – K&A perhaps, or could be in Venice. (5,5) 6 Endless disgrace is false. (4) 8 Antique clock for veteran. (3-5) 9 UK native sounds like a composer. (6) 10 Small bird with architectural skills? (4) 11 Car part with added charged particle results in extreme fatigue. (10) 12 Fuddled gin taster repeating himself. (9) 14 Composer brings happiness. (5) 17 Maybe demonstrated fabric. (5) 19 Anguish caused by cardiac pain? (9) 22 Talisman could bring fortunate spell. (5,5) 23 Dye derived from an illicit source. (4) 24 Hellcat has short fit of anger after six — then nothing. (6) 25 Maturity after breach — it’s been smashed. (8) 26 Adorn the floor of the boat. (4) 27 Ally sat too uncomfortably for ‘The Queen’? (5,5)
Butty Crossword 169 Solution
Down 1 Shiny beetles depressed when surrounded by good maggots. (4-5) 2 Apply oneself to speech. (7) 3 Observations on old decoration with peripheral coins. (8) 4 Direction on rage over convent created by Austen. (10,5) 5 Hard work for women in childbirth. (6) 6 Disordered inelastic learner lacks energy for spark. (9) 7 Loving our Amos in disarray. (7) 13 Focus group may consider armed vehicle. (5-4) 15 Sells time unrestrainedly – it gives the nastiest odour. (9) 16 A hundred efficiently besieged Rome inconclusively for Lord Protector. (8) 18 Rude four overwhelmed by deceit. (7) 20 Choral piece which descant at alto pitch embodies. (7) 21 Instruct a group of fish. (6)
UNCLASSIFIED ADS 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
33 correct entries Winner Mr RJ Corke, Lymington. Runners up Mrs J Gascoigne, Avoncliff and Mrs C Poulter, Bradford-onAvon.
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? Don’t have time to take a full day’s instruction? Just need someone to give you an introduction into boat handling and gain confidence? Give me a ring. I can help. Just call Roy on 01635 821780
The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust are looking for oak stop planks for their restoration of Dauntsey Lock. They need to be 9’6” long x 6” wide x 6” or 8” deep. If you are felling trees and have suitable oak please phone 01249 892289 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 Bob Naylor Boat Safety Examiner Tel: 01380 840584, Mobile 07788134901 Email: bob@boatsafe.co.uk
Batts 12v boat fridge & freezer need a new home. 12 years old, but still in good working order. New owner collects. Phone Alan Padwick on 01380 721595 Boat surveys. Professional surveys of any type of boat undertaken for sale, insurance or damage. I have over 40 years of boating experience and guarantee prompt, efficient and sympathetic surveys with realistic recommendations. George Gibson, Gibson’s Boat Services. Tel: 01672 851232 Unclassified ads are free for members of The Kennet & Avon Canal Trust
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