IWA Waterways - Winter 2021 - Issue 274 by The Inland Waterways Association

Issue 274 • Winter 2021

waterways www.waterways.org.uk

ON THE GO

WITH HVO

The green fuel that could replace diesel

CELEBRATING

TAKING A

PUNT A self-built solarpowered craft

CHESTER The first inland

waterways Heritage Port

PLUS

The winners from this year's photography competition

001 Cover AH.indd 14

19/10/2021 11:13

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Winter 2021 Contents Issue 274 • Winter 2021

waterways www.waterways.org.uk

ON THE GO

WITH HVO

The green fuel that could replace diesel

CELEBRATING

TAKING A

PUNT

A self-built solarpowered craft

CHESTER The first inland

5. Welcome Column of the National Chair

6. News

waterways Heritage Port

The latest from within IWA and beyond

12. Campaigns Update

PLUS

The winners from this year's photography competition

Including the latest on freight around the network and a spotlight on Castle Mills Lock

15. Heritage Champions 001 Cover AH.indd 14

19/10/2021 11:13

COVER PICTURE: River Great Ouse by Alison Smedley.

IWA’s new scheme to help protect historic canals and rivers

16. Taking a Punt The inspiration behind the self-built, solarpowered craft launched at the IWA Festival of Water

19. On the Go with HVO Testing a greener alternative fuel to diesel WATERWAYS EDITOR: Amelia Hamson Tel: 01283 742962 E-mail: a.hamson@wwonline.co.uk ART EDITOR: Claire Davis ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER: Laura Smith Tel: 01283 742956 E-mail: l.smith@wwonline.co.uk

22. Silver Propeller Challenge Exploring locations on the Anglian waterways

28. Restoration Hub

ADVERTISING DESIGN: Jo Ward

An update on what we’ve been doing in 2021

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION: Samantha Furniss E-mail: s.furniss@wwonline.co.uk

30. Three Cheers for Chester

REPROGRAPHICS: Waterways World Ltd, 151 Station Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 1BG. Printed in England by Warners (Midlands) PLC, Bourne, Lincs Articles may be reproduced provided permission is obtained and acknowledgement made. ISSN 0969-0654 A non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee (612245), Registered as a Charity (No. 212342) Founded: 1946, Incorporated 1958 Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA Tel: 01494 783453 E-mail: iwa@waterways.org.uk Web site: www.waterways.org.uk Chief Executive – Phil Hornsey Company Secretary – Genevieve Wilson National Chair – Paul Rodgers For press inquiries please contact: pressoffice@waterways.org.uk All IWA national and branch committee volunteers can be contacted by email: firstname.lastname@waterways.org.uk Nothing printed in Waterways may be construed as policy or an official announcement unless stated, otherwise IWA accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine. Although every care is taken with advertising matters no responsibility whatsoever can be accepted for any matter advertised. Where a photo credit includes a note such as CC-BY-SA, the image is made available under that Creative Commons licence; full details at www.creativecommons.org

Winter 2018 003 contents AH.indd 3

The first Inland Waterways Heritage Port

32. Photography Competition 2021 All the winners from this year’s contest

Seven reasons why your membership contribution is vital 1. IWA Canal Clean-ups led by our branches keep many waterways clear of debris 2. Restoration is kept high priority through funding for the Waterway Recovery Group

3. Over 10,000 days of volunteering each year will be supported with the right training, tools and materials 4. IWA can campaign to defend the waterways from unwelcome development 5. We can pass on traditional skills and workbased experience for volunteering young people 6. We can lobby the Government and work with other organisations to repair, improve and protect our waterways heritage 7. Your voice is counted when IWA speaks up for all those who enjoy the country’s canals and rivers

IWA ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATE £36 More details are available from IWA Head Office. Join IWA at waterways.org.uk

IWA Waterways |

19/10/2021 11:15

| IWA waterways

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Winter 2021 18/10/2021 11:26

Welcome

elcome to the latest issue of Waterways. I hope you’ll be inspired by the range of articles and updates that reflect activities across the Association and the wider waterways. It’s been a summer of 'staycations' and I hope that you’ve managed to get out onto our wonderful canal and river network over the past few months, whether on the water or taking advantage of all that surrounds it. I’ve certainly discovered that the UK waterways provide an incredibly varied, enjoyable and inspirational way to spend my scarce free time. Day trips and longer periods away from home in recent months have seen me boating and walking on the River Thames, and the Regent’s, Grand Western, Mon & Brec, south Oxford and Trent & Mersey canals, to name a few. All brought new perspectives on what the waterways offer and demonstrated the continued role of IWA in securing the future of the network as our volunteers work with restoration trusts, environmental bodies, planners, navigation authorities, Government and heritage organisations. This issue gives you a flavour of all of that and even brings some of the beauty of our waterways right to the fore as we reveal the winners of our photography competition (see page 32). I combined wonderful trips to the Welsh borders in June and August with my great passion for immersing myself in the history of IWA and the waterways in general by reading as many books as I can get my

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hands on. I took a day off from walking the Mon & Brec to visit Hay-on-Wye and strip the bookshelves of anything and everything to do with the inland waterways! We have been celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of IWA over the past year and looking forward to what the next 75 years might bring. As I read many of the books that have been written over the past century, I often remark on the fact that so many of the calls to action contained in their pages could equally apply to the circumstances in which we find ourselves today. For me, this only serves to reinforce the message that while we have achieved so much over three-quarters of a century, the ambitious cause to which we are all dedicated is just as vital as it has ever been. As you will read in the campaigns update on pages 12 and 13, we have had the opportunity to discuss with Government the continued commercial use of the waterways for freight and highlight the opportunities for further development in this area. IWA has a great tradition of engaging strongly with Government, going back to our very earliest days. Trustees have committed to further expanding our work with Government both nationally and locally, and I think nothing inspires this action more than a quote that I came across recently: Upon our inland waterways converge, as in few other places, the arguments of low-cost and human amenity. No government representing on a broad basis the people of England can possibly allow them to go to waste; can possibly do other than restore and free them: for an efficient

Paul and his wife Amanda at the IWA Festival of Water aboard solar-powered punt Poppy. Phil Hornsey

system could, directly or indirectly, lower the real cost of almost every commodity, and bring much happiness to the larger part than half of population which lives near some section of it. These words, from an IWA presentation to the Minister of Transport in 1947, strike a chord today as we live through the country’s greatest health crisis, and a transport crisis more severe than we’ve faced for a generation. The joy of our waterways is not limited to the summer and so I encourage you to make the most of our canals and rivers as we approach the winter months. I hope that by getting out and about on them you’ll be inspired by their beauty, the heritage they represent, and the potential for the future. If that gives you just a little nudge to get a bit more involved in the work of IWA, I will be delighted. As I have often said, there is room for everyone in IWA to use their skills, resources and explore their passion for the waterways. Finally, you may have missed our raffle, which we were unable to run this year. Instead, I hope you will consider donating to our Save Waterways Heritage Campaign – you will find an insert with more information about the fund in this issue of Waterways and at waterways.org.uk/heritage. Thank you for everything you do for the Association as a member, volunteer or supporter.

Paul Rodgers, IWA National Chair IWA Waterways |

19/10/2021 11:17

Waterways News

IWA brings a great atmosphere to Perdiswell Park, Worcester We celebrated our 75th anniversary year at Perdiswell Park in Worcester over the August bank holiday weekend. The IWA Festival of Water attracted thousands of visitors eager to join in the fun. Close to 100 boats moored along the towpath for the festival. Traditional working boats and modern narrowboats decked with bunting, flags and flowers attracted a constant stream of admirers. Visitors also enjoyed the Worcester heritage walk, following the waterways from the centre of Worcester to Perdiswell Park. This included a short length of the River Severn, Diglis Docks and the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. Volunteers worked tirelessly for the past two years to put on this event – despite it having to be cancelled in 2020 due to Covid. Paul Rodgers, IWA National Chair, said: “I am extremely grateful to the team at Worcester City Council for its unwavering support, to the caterers and stallholders who held the faith, and to all the volunteers who gave their time and put so much effort into ensuring the event was such a success.” Boats gathered on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal for the IWA Festival of Water this summer.

Droitwich Canals: celebrating ten years back in water As well as celebrating 75 years of campaigning at the IWA Festival of Water, we also recognised the anniversary of the nearby Droitwich Canals reopening. A display featured historic photographs of the project, spanning more than 30 years of work. In 1959 IWA member, Max Sinclair, started a correspondence campaign in the local press and with the councils for restoration. This led to decades of restoration work, with IWA’s Waterway Recovery Group volunteers supporting the Droitwich Canals Trust and wider Droitwich Canals Restoration Partnership. WRG volunteers were particularly involved in the restoration of the Hanbury Locks throughout the 1980s, ’90s and early 2000s, and supported the Droitwich Big Dig of 1973 when over 500 volunteers turned up to clear vegetation and start restoration work. In 2005 work to complete the restoration was funded by grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Advantage West Midlands, Wychavon District Council, Worcestershire County Council, IWA and others. WRG volunteers returned to the project in 2008 and helped refurbish the Droitwich Barge Lock prior to the reopening of the canals. The Droitwich canals were fully reopened in 2011, 72 years after they were officially abandoned. Droitwich was reconnected to the River Severn and the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. Restoration of the canals also re-established the Droitwich cruising ring. Find out more about IWA’s Waterway Recovery Group Canal Camps and regional digs WRG volunteers working on one of the locks at Hanbury at waterways.org.uk/wrg. in 1988.

IWA responds to EA consultation on boat registration charges IWA has responded critically to the Environment Agency’s recent consultation, which EA says will improve transparency and consistency in registration charges across its waterways. IWA considers the proposals extremely divisive and likely to perpetuate the differences between EA’s three waterway areas. The proposals also fail to address the lack of enforcement of the existing regime, and the wider funding shortfall. The consultation outlined a plan for the next three years based on a revised boat registration charging framework, intended to be implemented with effect from next year. The consultation was launched in June and closed in the middle of September, a busy time of year for boaters and waterways organisations, which meant many were not able to respond. One proposal would see the Anglian and Medway registration fee structure brought in line with the charging scheme on the Thames by introducing a boat

| IWA Waterways

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area-based fee (rather than just length). This, along with the removal of a cap on charges for boats over a certain size, will see huge registration fee increases for the owners of larger craft. Another of IWA’s key objections is to the significantly higher fees that boaters based in the Anglian region will pay compared to those on the Thames. In addition to a fee per square metre (which itself will vary across the three regions), there will also be a ‘base fee’ on top which creates a huge discrepancy between areas. On the River Thames the base fee is proposed to be set at £15.90 for 2022, compared to £159 on the Anglian waterways. This discrepancy is extremely divisive, particularly as it is the waterways which see the poorest provision of services that will be subject to largest increases in registration fees. In responding to other aspects of the consultation, IWA considers that the proposals do not go nearly far enough in

incentivising low-carbon propulsion. The consultation also fails to address the impact of the proposals on the Gold Licence (the joint EA/CRT licence which is managed by CRT). IWA considers that EA has missed an opportunity to bring in a consistent charging regime across its three regions, which could have included a registration that allowed use of all EA waterways in the same way that a Gold Licence does. In our response, we asked for assurances that EA is making every effort to address the funding shortfall without placing the burden on boaters. Any increase in registration fees must be accompanied by increased enforcement in order to be effective. Given the wider benefits that waterways can bring to local communities and the economy, we believe it is also vitally important that the publicly-owned waterways run by EA receive additional funding from Defra, and this is something that IWA will continue to lobby Government about.

Winter 2021 19/10/2021 11:20

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18/10/2021 16:57

Waterways News

Looking to the future at IWA's AGM IWA Chief Executive Officer, Phil Hornsey, joined IWA in February this year. At September’s Annual General Meeting he shared his views on how the ideas and experiences he has heard from IWA’s members, volunteers and staff will help create a successful charity for the next 75 years. “August marked my six-month anniversary of joining IWA as Chief Executive, so I was grateful for the opportunity at our recent AGM both to reflect on what I’ve learnt about the Association during this time, and to share how this information helps give us the direction we need to shape our future. I have especially enjoyed meeting some of our most passionate volunteers and members to learn more about what they do, and to hear their views on what works well and what IWA could do differently. “As I have got to know the organisation, it’s become clear that although IWA has a strong, 75-year history of campaigning and delivery, we must also consider how it should evolve to meet the needs of the waterways into the future. For me, our immediate future will be driven by two things, both of which have been brought up consistently in my conversations with you. “The first is the need for IWA to establish a more sustainable business model, with increased focus on generating higher levels of income. Our membership programme provides our main source of income, and also creates the foundation of our volunteer base, so a renewed focus on growing our membership numbers is an absolutely key objective. “The second thing that will drive IWA’s future is the impact of recent Covid-related lockdowns on the waterways. Over the last 18 months we’ve witnessed previously unseen levels of activity on our canals and rivers, with a whole new community of people introduced to a local asset that they hadn’t experienced, or seen the value of, in the past. Approached correctly, these are all potential IWA members. “So, how do we make the best of this opportunity? Well, over the last few months, IWA’s Trustees, senior volunteers and staff have been working together on plans to shape the Association’s future, and we’ve agreed a series of key steps. “For IWA’s members and donors to continue to support the charity, and for new supporters to be attracted to it, they must be motivated by what the Association does and stands for. So we plan to conduct a formal review of IWA’s role and purpose, to ensure that it remains relevant and inspiring to both groups. “Next, we will review IWA’s campaigns strategy. At our heart, we are a campaigning charity, but currently we have a very broad campaigns focus. Our aim is for our campaigns to drive the change our members want to see, while also attracting and motivating new members to join, and we will take the necessary steps to ensure this is the case. “With both an engaging role and purpose, and a compelling campaigns strategy in place, we will then be reviewing how best to promote this to potential members, and to communicate the Association’s news and updates to existing ones. “Lastly, we will look to develop and embed an ‘always fundraising’ culture within IWA, like other charities do, on the basis that the more successful we are at generating funds, the more we can do to deliver on our aims and objectives. “Our members, supporters and volunteers will have a key role to play in backing all of these areas of work, and we will be asking for your assistance and input to shape IWA in a way that meets your expectations and ensures your continued support. “I hope you’re as excited as I am by the potential of IWA’s future, and I’m really looking forward to working with you all to realise it.” Updates on these projects will be shared in future editions of Waterways magazine. We’re also keen for your feedback on our 2021 AGM and how we might approach this in future years. Please contact phil.hornsey@waterways.org.uk with your views and suggestions.

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New Trustees for IWA In the last issue of Waterways, we announced the four trustees that had been put forward by a selection panel for approval by trustees and members. The appointments were formally approved at IWA’s AGM on Saturday 25th September. Rebecca Hughes and Hannah Sterritt have joined the board bringing a wealth of experience in marketing, fundraising and supporter engagement within the not-for-profit sector. The other two positions were filled by existing trustees, John Butler and Sir Robert Atkins. The four trustees will now serve a three-year term. Thanks were extended to retiring trustees Helen Whitehouse, Nicki Schiessel Harvey and Roger Stocker. Find out more about the board of trustees: waterways.org.uk/about-us/the-charity.

Rebecca Hughes Rebecca is a marketing, communications and fundraising professional with experience working for organisations in both the not-forprofit and commercial sectors. Currently, Rebecca leads on individual giving, campaigns and commercial partnerships for the wildlife charity, Butterfly Conservation. She has also led marketing teams at Table Tennis England and the global manufacturing company Enercon Industries, as well as providing consultancy for several businesses. Rebecca is a keen paddleboarder and writes about the sport for several publications including SUP International. She became actively involved with cleaning up rivers through Plastic Patrol (now known as Planet Patrol) in 2018, and has a keen interest in the protection and restoration of waterways.

Hannah Sterritt Hannah Sterritt is a liveaboard boater and volunteer lock-keeper based on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in south Wales. She will soon complete a MSc in Sustainability Planning & Environmental Policy at Cardiff University, and her final dissertation focusses on the liveaboard boating community on the UK’s inland waterways. Hannah currently works for Miller Research, a sustainability and social research consultancy that primarily operates in the public sector. She has previously held a trustee position for Cardiff University Students’ Union and has just completed a four-year term as a Local Authority Governor at a Cardiff primary school. As a younger member of the community, Hannah hopes to use her experience to inspire the next generation of passionate IWA supporters.

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IWA waterways |

19/10/2021 10:28

Waterways News

IN MEMORIUM Ray Carter

Brian Saunders

Ray Carter, who sadly died of Covid-19 on 9th August aged 80, was one of IWA’s most loyal and dedicated supporters. He joined the Association in June 1962 and was an active member right up until his death, serving 30 years as a trustee as well as terms as National Treasurer and Deputy National Chairman. Ray had a lifelong interest in boats and waterways, which started with rowing and swimming on the Thames after moving to London’s suburbs from Bournemouth as a teenager. He took up motor cruising in the late 1950s and canal-boating in the early ’60s, subsequently visiting most of the connected network on hired and family craft. In the late ’60s, Ray took on his first active IWA role operating the sales and publicity stand for the then London & Home Counties Branch. IWA’s General Secretary, John Dodwell, persuaded Ray to assist with organising the Association’s presence at the London Boat Show in 1972, which Ray then looked after every year until the show’s demise in 2018. Ray also masterminded IWA’s appearance at nearly every other inland waterways event around the country for a period of around 50 years. In October 1974, Ray was asked to join the board of the newly formed subsidiary company IWA Sales Ltd. He also became a member of the Association’s Publicity Committee and in 1976 he became Chair of the sales company. By 1977 he had become Vice Chair of the new South East Region. Ray was secretary, administrator and trade show organiser for the 1977 IWA National Rally and continued on as trade show organiser for the 1978 event. Following this he wrote the first edition of IWA Rally Organisers Guide. During this time he was also responsible for the introduction of the new manual bookkeeping system for both IWA and the sales company, and was instrumental in forming IWA Rallies Ltd, through which the National Rallies were then run. At the 1983 AGM, Ray was elected as a trustee and in December 1990 he took on the role of National Treasurer, serving in both roles until 2001. Subsequently he was employed by IWA part-time as Finance Manager, retiring in 2006. He then stood again as trustee from 2008 until 2020, and held another term as National Treasurer from 2018 until 2020. Throughout his time at IWA, Ray benefited from the strong support of his wife Lorrae who initially accompanied him on local sales stands and in later years ran IWA’s Club 500 and looked after much of the Association’s insurance arrangements. In total, Ray served on various IWA committees continuously at a senior level for 47 years, 30 years as a trustee, 14 years as Chair of the sales company and nearly 13 years as National Treasurer, as well as organising publicity and sales stands at a local and national level for over 50 years. It’s a feat unequalled in the Association’s history and most unlikely to be met in the future. National chairmen, trustees and senior staff relied on his wise counselling and good advice. Above all, Ray was always cheerful, supportive and pragmatic, and he got a lot of things done without fuss. Neil Edwards

Brian Saunders, who died from cancer earlier this year aged 71, was one of the key figures in IWA’s highly successful festivals in the late 1980s and ’90s. Brian first came to IWA’s attention as chair of Coventry Canal Society in a campaign to encourage British Waterways to safeguard and enliven Coventry Canal Basin where he oversaw the restoration of a Fellows, Morton & Clayton warehouse. A keen boater since 1973, Brian had a 25ft Dawndraft called Outlaw before commissioning a 60ft narrowboat of the same name. He was well known in Coventry business circles as owner and manager of an independent cinema, nightclub and brasserie, and also ran Coventry Flyboat Company Ltd. When IWA planned to hold its 1984 National Waterways Rally at Hawkesbury Junction, Brian was the obvious choice for Rally Director and the event was a great success. In 1985, Brian was persuaded to join the board of IWA Rallies Ltd and to take on the chairmanship of IWA’s Publicity Committee, and in 1986 he was elected as an IWA trustee. A last-minute decision to move the 1987 National Rally to Hawkesbury Junction resulted in another success with Brian at the helm. He then used his flair for promotion for the 198892 events, each attracting hundreds of boats and making a substantial profit. Due to personal circumstances, however, Brian resigned as an IWA trustee and as chair of National Waterways Festival Ltd in 1993. Brian was taken on as a paid consultant for the 1994 festival at Waltham Abbey, as well as the events at Henley in 1997, Salford in 1998 and Worcester in 1999. His contract ended after a not quite so successful festival at Huddersfield in 2002. After resigning from IWA, Brian emigrated to Crete with his partner where they were the subject of the Channel 4 series A Place in Greece. They returned to east London and Brian had been in remission from a cancer diagnosis he’d first received in 2009. Neil Edwards

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Robert Shopland Bob Shopland, who died earlier this year aged 80, was IWA General Secretary and Editor of the Association’s Bulletin in the 1960s and ’70s. Bob became involved in the inland waterways as publicity officer for the Bath & Bristol branch of the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust, and is first mentioned in the June 1961 issue of Bulletin regarding a letter he wrote for publication in the Bristol Evening News promoting commercial shipping on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. In 1968, Bob became IWA’s first General Secretary with a waterways background, bringing his great knowledge and a whole new impetus to the job. He held the post for three years before resigning in 1971. He also took on the role of Editor of IWA’s Bulletin from 1969 until 1972, which he continued to work on while touring the inland waterways. Bob was one of the founding editors of the magazine Waterways World, which he launched as a quarterly in 1972 along with Russ Godwin and Harry Arnold. Following this he became editor of one of the company’s then sister publications, Ships Monthly, before retiring from his home in Burton-on-Trent to Portishead.

Winter 2021 19/10/2021 11:20

Waterways News

The new Anglian Pass, launched earlier this year, was supposed to simplify boat licensing between the three navigation authorities in the region: the Environment Agency, Middle Level Commissioners and Cam Conservancy. The Middle Level Commissioners is now able to charge licence fees following the passing of the Middle Level Act, and its own licensing scheme for boats based on the Middle Level also came into effect earlier this year. While we welcome the overall aim of the Anglian Pass, it disadvantages potential visitors from elsewhere on the inland waterways, unless they hold a Gold Licence (the joint EA/CRT licence). IWA has written to EA (which is operating the scheme) to suggest a simple solution that we believe would resolve the situation. Boaters wishing to access the Anglian waterways from elsewhere on the inland waterways and who hold their license with another navigation authority, will currently find they are not eligible to apply for the Anglian Pass. This means that any prospective visitor wishing to visit all the Anglian waterways will need to buy three additional licences: 1. A short-term EA visitor registration – 31 days for a 50ft boat is £272.90* 2. A short-term Middle Level registration – 31 days for a 50ft boat is £272.90* 3. An annual Cam Conservancy licence (the Cam Conservators have had to remove the option of purchasing short-term visitor licences due to a limitation of their own statute) for a 50ft boat is £1,060* The combined cost of these licences is well over £1,500. In contrast, the Anglian Pass costs £100* for a 50ft boat. An alternative is to buy a Gold Licence, but as this runs annually from January it requires boaters to plan a year ahead and removes spontaneity from boating trips. While cheaper than buying the three licences separately (e.g. £258 extra for a Gold Licence compared to a CRT licence for a 50ft boat, plus £100 for the Anglian Pass*) it is still a prohibitive amount for anyone not likely to visit other EA waterways in the same year. IWA is promoting a change to the wording of the terms of the Anglian Pass to make it more inclusive. Boaters from outside East Anglia should be able to tour these waterways easily, and visiting them, including the River Cam, should be affordable. We will continue to work with the Anglian navigation authorities to find a solution for the next licensing year. (*Based on 2021 fees.)

Winter 2021 006 News AH SS NE.indd 11

UTTOXETER CANAL RESTORATION SAVED The recent decision by a local council to refuse a planning application which would have blocked restoration of the Uttoxeter Canal in Staffordshire is a great demonstration of the value of working in partnership across waterway organisations. It is also a good example of the national level support that IWA can offer to local canal societies and IWA branches. The proposal was for 48 new houses and restoration of a listed farmhouse at Froghall on the line of the Uttoxeter Canal and partly on a greenfield site that had not been allocated for housing in the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council’s Local Plan. Both the Local Plan and its associated Churnet Valley Masterplan specifically state that any development should not prejudice potential reinstatement of the route of the Uttoxeter Canal, with a strip of land allocated for the future restoration of the canal along with space for walking, cycling and horse riding. When the planning application for the site, adjacent to the restored first lock and basin of the Uttoxeter Canal, was first lodged in February this year, IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch and the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust worked together to mobilise objections. The IWA branch sought the advice of IWA’s Planning Advisory Panel for the initial planning application and to respond to some additional documents from the developer. In both cases, the PAP submitted an objection on behalf of IWA nationally, while the branch also submitted its own response. CUCT, meanwhile, sought professional advice for its objection, as if the planning application was approved the development would have prevented the rest of the Uttoxeter Canal from ever joining the navigable Caldon Canal and the inland waterways network. The two local organisations spread the word to the local community, boaters, waterway supporters and WRG volunteers who had worked on the restoration of the first lock and basin at Froghall and on more recent Canal Camps. Over 300 objections were submitted to the application, with almost all citing the future restoration of the canal within their responses. Among the hundreds of people in support of the canal’s future restoration were Sir David and Lady Sheila Suchet. After being postponed five times, the application eventually went before the Council’s Planning Applications Committee on 9th September, with the planning officer recommending refusal in a 44-page document. The councillors of the planning committee were unanimous in refusing the application, for reasons including: the application not meeting the aspirations for mixed use of the site; flood and transport concerns; the integrity of the adjacent Caldon Canal embankment; and the harm to the future restoration of the Uttoxeter Canal. A representative of IWA North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch said: “We are relieved that common sense has prevailed. There is no other viable route available for the canal – the alternatives put forward by the developer simply don’t stack up. We don’t object to part of the site being developed for housing, as allocated in the Local Plan, provided the development allows for the future restoration of the Uttoxeter Canal and doesn’t undermine the stability of the Caldon Canal embankment and its retaining wall. An opportunity exists for the developers to embrace the canal and benefit from it, and we remain very willing to meet with them to discuss alternative plans for the site.” Alison Smedley

Anglian Pass complicates boat licensing

Uttoxeter Basin and the first lock of the Uttoxeter Canal at Froghall.

IWA Waterways |

19/10/2021 11:20

Freight traffic restarts on Aire & Calder Navigation IWA welcomed the reopening of the Aire & Calder Navigation in late August, following the completion of Canal & River Trust’s repairs to last December’s breach. Freight barges are now able to resume operations and replace numerous lorry journeys that were being made every week, just in time to help with the current countrywide shortage of HGV drivers. The marine-dredged aggregate traffic from Hull to Knostrop Wharf in Leeds has restarted. This weekly run first began last autumn but was then put on hold due to the breach. The 500-ton capacity barges were initially only able to load 350 tons but dredging is now being carried out by CRT to allow barges to operate at full capacity. Once this is complete each barge fully loaded with aggregate will replace 18 lorry journeys.

Tanker barges carrying oil from Hull have also started operating again, with 600-ton capacity craft carrying lubricating oils to the Exol Oils works in Rotherham. The reopening is also good news for ongoing plans to develop the Port of Leeds, a 10-acre site on the outskirts of Leeds which would be capable of handling 200,000 tons of cargo per year. CRT has a statutory duty to maintain the Aire & Calder Navigation, the South Yorkshire Navigation and other waterways that have a commercial designation, in a suitable condition for the carriage of freight. The trust has assured IWA that it is committed to maintaining its commercial waterway responsibilities, but with ever-increasing expenditure required to maintain this 200-plus-year-old network, it will struggle

Above: Fusedale H at its mooring on the Aire & Calder Navigation, Goole. below: Farndale H loading sea-dredged sand in Albert Dock, Hull, on the inaugural run to Leeds in October 2020. Jonathan Mosse

Support for waterways freight is among some of the issues we’ve been campaigning on with your help. Here’s how we’ve been doing…

Jonathan Mosse

CAMPAIGNING WITH YOU

to uphold this duty without additional funds. The breach repairs (which closed the canal and prevented freight traffic from operating for eight months) were estimated to cost around £3m, and this was just one of several major breaches and culvert collapses over recent years. IWA has written to Government to outline the importance of investing in the UK’s commercial waterways.

Waterways Minister and West Yorkshire Mayor respond in support of freight Replies have been received to the letters that IWA sent to national and local Government raising concerns that a lack of funding is having a detrimental impact on the potential for waterborne freight. Investment in the commercial freight waterways would not only assist the Government’s Levelling Up agenda, but would also contribute to the Clean Air Strategy as well as the target of net zero carbon by 2050, due to the greater fuel efficiency of waterborne transport. Letters to Defra and the elected mayor for West Yorkshire outlined the importance of investing in these waterways to facilitate increased trade and to get more freight off the roads and onto the waterways. In her response, Rebecca Pow MP, the Defra Minister with responsibility for Canal & River Trust’s waterways, confirmed that the Government fully supports efforts to develop the inland waterways for the widest possible range

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of uses. She also stated that Government shares our concerns that the waterways in England and Wales should be adequately funded to ensure that they are properly maintained and protected so that they can continue contributing to the economy, health and well-being of the country. Tracy Brabin, Elected Mayor of West Yorkshire, sent a much more detailed response, which noted that the use of the region’s waterways could be a viable way of contributing towards a net zero carbon region by 2038. She also confirmed that the West Yorkshire Combined Authority was working in partnership with CRT on flood risk management, safeguarding and enhancing local wharves, and freight and project development issues. The letter also outlined the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s involvement in the development of the Port of Leeds, where they will be contributing £3.17m towards the £3.37m

Bringing more cargo-carrying vessels onto the waterways will help contribute towards reaching the Government’s net zero carbon targets.

scheme. As well as transferring 200,000 tonnes of freight from road to water by the end of year one, the scheme would also reduce carbon emissions from road vehicles by 894 tonnes by the end of year three resulting in improved air quality for the Leeds City Region. It would also create up to 16 new jobs, safeguard three jobs and assist 25 businesses, thereby supporting economic growth in the region. CRT is currently working up its Final Business Case, which will be appraised through the Combined Authority when it is finalised. Winter 2021 19/10/2021 11:21

Green boating seminars at waterway events in August Volunteers from IWA’s Sustainable Boating Group delivered a series of green boating seminars at two waterway events in August. At the Crick Boat Show, which took place on 20th-22nd August, chair of the group, Bowman Bradley, along with Jonathan Mosse who heads up the subgroup looking at alternative fuels, gave a presentation as part of a morning of green propulsion topics. They spoke to a packed marquee amid much interest in green boating at the event. IWA campaigns & public affairs manager, Alison Smedley, was on hand at the IWA stand over the weekend to answer

The seminar tent at the Crick Boat Show.

questions from existing and prospective boat-owners about alternative fuels and electric propulsion. The following weekend, IWA’s Festival of Water saw a slightly different line-up from the Sustainable Boating Group – Malcolm Bridge, David Struckett and Jonathan Mosse – deliver a series of six presentations on green boating in the seminar tent. Jonathan talked about alternative fuels, particularly HVO which IWA

sees as the interim solution for all existing diesel-engined boats, Malcolm Bridge, coowner of an electric narrowboat, talked about electric propulsion, while David Struckett looked at other measures that can reduce the carbon footprint of boating, such as boat design and channel maintenance, as well as boat-handling techniques. Find out more at waterways.org.uk/greenboating.

Appgw meeting on freight and sustainability Waterborne freight and better dredging could be future solutions to combatting the climate emergency, parliamentarians were advised at a recent All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Waterways meeting about freight and sustainability. The MPs and peers of the APPGW met on 14th September and were joined by representatives from navigation authorities, waterway organisations and Government officials. Three speakers gave presentations describing ways in which the inland waterways can contribute to the UK’s net zero carbon target. David Lowe, chair of the Commercial Boat Operators Association, gave an overview of current freight operations and future planned developments, including some easy wins if more funding was made available. David noted that the Government’s proposed new public body, Great British Railways, would have “a statutory duty to promote rail freight to secure economic, environmental, and social benefits for the nation”. He suggested that this policy should be replicated so that Canal & River Trust would be obliged – on the waterways designated as Commercial Waterways in the 1968 Act – to promote waterborne freight in the same way. David also suggested that the APPGW should ask Government to issue guidance on its priorities for water freight, and said that with modest funding the Department for Transport could support developing water freight on the larger waterways, including reintroducing Freight Facility Grants for wharves and handling facilities in England. John Pomfret, representing IWA’s Inland Freight Group, outlined how transfer of freight to inland waterways could contribute Winter 2021 012 Campaigns Update AH SS.indd 13

to several themes in the Government’s 25-year Environment Plan. These include cleaner air (compared with road HGVs), cleaner water (the risk of spills from accidents involving waterway freight vessels is less than 25% of the risk from road traffic accidents), less waste (long life of waterway craft compared with road vehicles) and less congestion on the roads. John suggested that a change in mindset and better promotion are needed to achieve more waterborne freight in the UK, along with a ‘carrot and stick’ approach (a combination of funding support and planning conditions). Hauliers are more familiar with road transport, which can cause resistance to change. Planning authorities need to be made aware of the opportunities, and wider safeguarding of existing wharves is essential. In terms of the infrastructure required, John outlined that modernisation and upgrading were required on some non-tidal waterways, especially those operated by CRT. He suggested that these requirements should be taken into account in the next Government funding settlement for CRT, and that additional funding could come from DfT for freight – probably through grant systems. In particular, all motorway miles should be taken into account when calculating grants available through the Modal Shift Revenue Support scheme. Dr Momchil Terziev and Dr Tahsin Tezdogan of the University of Strathclyde’s Faculty of Engineering talked about their Decarbonising Inland Waterways in the UK project. This research, which is supported by IWA, aims to take a holistic approach to how inland waterways can be decarbonised, and has been submitted to the Engineering

& Physical Sciences Research Council for £3.8m of funding. Using data from navigation authorities and a scale model of a canal at the Kelvin Hydrodynamics Laboratory, along with computer modelling, Dr Terziev and Dr Tezdogan will seek to identify how dredging can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from inland waterways in the most cost-effective and environmental way. The project will also look at how innovative green propulsion technology can be adapted to the inland waterways fleet to contribute to the zero emissions target for future generations. Another outcome of the project would see the development of a userfriendly tool (such as a mobile phone app) that would inform boat crews of the best operational conditions to ensure minimum emissions from their vessel. One of the key outcomes of the APPGW meeting was the importance of more investment in waterways freight, and in particular whether DfT should be contributing to that in the same way that it does with rail freight. Michael Fabricant MP, chair of the group, concluded the meeting by confirming that the APPGW would write to DfT about this issue.

Freight on the River Thames in London.

IWA Waterways |

19/10/2021 11:22

In the Slipstream

Spotlight on... CASTLE MILLS LOCK The River Foss lock in York is in operation again following local and IWA campaigning Thanks to the determination of local volunteers and the expertise of IWA, this August Castle Mills Lock on the River Foss in the centre of York saw the first pleasure boat pass through it since 2018, with volunteers from IWA and the River Foss Society once again operating the lock. The lock, which has a complicated system of winches and chains for opening the gates, had been operated by volunteers since 2004 in an informal arrangement between City of York Council and IWA. Early in 2020 a formal Memorandum of Understanding between CYC and IWA was signed, and new and returning volunteer lockoperators received training. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 lockdown along with two long stoppages (for work on Blue Bridge at the junction of the Rivers Foss and Ouse, and on EA’s Foss Barrier) prevented any access for the next 18 months. Further training was finally able to take place in August 2021 ahead of York Walls Festival, and the first boat passed through the lock during the festival weekend. Castle Mills Lock is a Grade II-listed structure featuring 19thcentury cast iron paddle gear in a design not seen anywhere else on the inland waterways. The River Foss Navigation originally opened in 1796 for 12 miles between York and Strensall and had six locks. The route was abandoned in 1859 except for 1 mile in York, and Castle Mills Lock was rebuilt in 1889 to accommodate steam keels carrying cargo from a nearby flour mill. The River Foss up to Wormalds Cut was recently added to IWA’s Silver Propeller Challenge, which aims to get more people out on the water and enjoying the far-flung reaches of the inland waterways. The Castle Mills Lock volunteer team is keen to encourage more boats to use the lock. Passage can be arranged with at least two days’ notice and details are available on the IWA website at waterways.org.uk/fosslock.

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As part of the lock’s opening activities, River Foss Society member Louise cruised her 16ft Norfolk crab boat Slipstream through Castle Mills and onto the River Foss... “I’ve been a member of RFS for five years and have been trained on operating Castle Mills Lock for three. I first got involved after moving into a flat overlooking the Foss and seeing members working along the river. It’s an inspiring society that does a lot – litter picking, water sampling, monitoring water voles, organising walks and more. “Despite all our training, Castle Mills Lock has been very quiet and until the York Walls Festival in August no boat had been through it in years. That was why it was exciting – we could finally put our knowledge into practice. “I volunteered Slipstream and it was chosen because it only has a 1ft draught so it would cope with the Foss’s shallower sections further upstream, and it’s quite narrow meaning we only had to open one of the lock gates. There was lots of pondweed that I had to keep pulling off the propeller, but the boat managed beautifully and we had a good meander along the river. “Everyone had a great time – it was a lovely little spectacle. Lots of people were waving and saying how good it was to see a boat on the Foss for a change. It’s an absolutely beautiful river, and there are some wonderful low-arched bridges and willow trees hanging over the water. It’s so tranquil and I felt it was a huge pleasure to be able to go along it in my little Norfolk crab boat. “We want people to use the lock and I would love it if there could be a nice little marina on the Foss in the future – but there would need to be a lot of work carried out on the navigation for that to happen. More craft on the river would really bring that area of York alive.”

Winter 2021 19/10/2021 11:53

Waterways Heritage

Aberdulais Aqueduct on the Tennant Canal restoration project is a Grade II*-listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument. Its protection status has saved it from demolition, and IWA is campaigning for ﬂood damage to be repaired.

HERITAGE CHAMPIONS

Join IWA’s new scheme to help protect our historic canals and rivers

WA is concerned that historic waterways are falling through the gaps of heritage protection. There is no national view of waterways in Conservation Areas, and structures near canals and rivers with conservation status. Similarly, there is no standard approach for how waterways are (or in many cases are not) included within Conservation Areas. Waterways heritage structures – such as lock-keepers’ cottages, pumping stations, bridges and boatyards – can be left to the mercy of local approaches to planning and heritage conservation. We want to make sure that all the waterways have the planning protection they deserve.

enables local authorities to actively prevent deterioration and loss of our unique heritage. It’s often the last line of defence. There are additional benefits too. A report commissioned by English Heritage in 2012*, suggests that Conservation Area status helps to create a sense of placebased identity, encourages community cohesion and promotes regeneration. Once we know where the gaps are, we can work more closely with local communities and planning authorities to campaign for Conservation Area status and the protection of structures where they’re needed. Having this view helps us to proactively work with planning authorities to give waterways the protection they deserve.

Complicated conservation

Get involved

Conservation status is patchy across Britain’s canals and rivers. For example, along the southern Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire the whole stretch is a Conservation Area, but in Buckinghamshire the Conservation Area status is only applicable where the canal runs through villages that are Conservation Areas. In the Borough of Hillingdon, it is only the locks and some bridges that have Conservation Area status. So, there is no consistent approach for ensuring the protection of Britain’s industrial heritage.

Your local waterway We want to know if your local waterway and the built heritage that surrounds it are protected. Whether it’s a Conservation Area or a listed structure, protection status Winter 2021 015 Fundraising AH SS.indd 15

You can help protect waterways heritage. Join our community of heritage champions to find out more, get access to exclusive events and articles, or donate to support the project – find out more at waterways. org.uk/heritagechampions. *An assessment of the effects of conservation areas on value by Gabriel M. Ahlfeldt, Nancy Holman and Nicolai Wendland. Engineers carrying out the structural survey on Aberdulais Aqueduct.

Case study:

A plan to save Aberdulais Aqueduct Aberdulais Aqueduct in south Wales is an example of heritage at risk. The climate emergency and historic neglect of the aqueduct have dramatically combined and caused significant damage to the structure in recent years. It is now under serious threat of disappearing from the landscape forever. Thankfully, its conservation status as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade II*-listed structure has allowed IWA, working closely with the Neath & Tennant Canals Trust, to campaign for its repair. A recent structural survey means we’re now a step closer to saving Aberdulais Aqueduct. Our campaign to save the aqueduct has involved conversations with Natural Resources Wales and the local council. There are concerns that both organisations would support the removal of the aqueduct to alleviate local flooding issues. We have had meetings with CADW and the owners of the aqueduct. We are also supporting NTCT to rebuild relationships with residents and work with the ‘Save the Tennant Canal’ group to create further pressure at a local level. In August 2021 we successfully applied for a CADW grant to cover the cost of a structural survey of the aqueduct. This was needed to get a better idea of the scale of the repair work and potential cost implications. Mann Williams, who specialises in creative conservation of historic buildings and structures, undertook the survey. Once we have the results, we will plan the next stage of our campaign to save this heritage gem. There are, however, many more structures like this needing protection from insensitive development, damage and demolition.

IWA Waterways |

19/10/2021 11:26

TAKING

A PUNT

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Cherwell and watching others come to grief, but not me. On one occasion, upon reaching the naturist club (it’s not there anymore), my friend Brian Cox was pushed off the stern by an unfortunately angled tree. As I was in the second of the two punts we’d hired, it was my crew who rescued him, to much hilarity. When I moved to Worcestershire in 2005, I took to canoeing the Severn (and other rivers) and was also involved with the now-defunct Severn Navigation Restoration Trust. I was keen to see if a larger vessel could navigate down from Shrewsbury or above but nothing much bigger than a canoe has made it for many years. A punt could be the answer but I haven’t done any long journeys in mine yet as lockdown put a damper on things. I still intend on arranging an expedition to do this.

The punt was designed in sections for storage and transport.

Tim Lewis

y first forays into punting in the 1960s were brief. I joined the Molesey Skiff & Punt Club (which was actually at Thames Ditton, if I remember correctly), where I was taught to use a 2ft-wide ‘training punt’ on Sunday mornings, from which I’m pleased to say I didn’t fall out. I was, however, very wobbly for a beginner, rather like my first attempts at paddleboarding more recently. The racing punts were only 1ft-wide and one needed to keep up a fair speed to stay upright, but I didn’t progress to races as I moved away from the area. Later, the 3ft-wide punts for hire at Oxford seemed easy to master, and I enjoyed punting socially on my numerous visits there on the River

Tim Lewis

David testing Poppy in Stourport Basin in October 2019.

Alison smedley

Self-built, solar-powered punt, Poppy, was launched at this year’s IWA Festival of Water. Owner David Struckett reveals the inspiration behind the craft and its reception at the show

Into the canal at Perdiswell for the Festival of Water.

Winter 2021 19/10/2021 11:28

alison smedley

Cruising the canal at Perdiswell.

Project Poppy I started building Poppy, my 3ft by 20ft punt, in 2012. It was an on-again, off-again sort of project, fitted around other things and it wasn’t until 2019 that I could carry out the first test launch in Stourport Basin – and then the pandemic struck. I’d previously successfully built and used a coracle, but I’m a metalworker by trade, not a woodworker or boat-builder, so I used what skills I already had and learned a lot as I went along. While the coracle had been built by eye (no measurements, just my hands and string), I used an engineering approach to the punt with everything drawn and specified to my own design. I built Poppy in the garage at home, so because of space I decided to construct three sections joined with bulkheads, and each would float if the screw holes were bunged up. Now that it’s finished, I can see that it’s far too heavy, not quite wide enough and very slightly crooked. I added a picture of a poppy on each of the four corners but it needs a few more details adding to really finish it off. It has been thoroughly tested with the outboard motor, but I’m yet to try poling it.

A powered punt? My involvement with IWA’s Sustainable Boating Group has meant that I always kept the idea of an electric drive punt in mind. I already had an electric outboard from various experiments with dinghies (as a tender or tow-craft and for exploring rivers quietly), and it became an obvious addition to Poppy, especially when I found out we were doing presentations about sustainable boating at the IWA Festival of Water. The word punt as a noun describes the shape of the boat’s hull, characterised by its flat bottom which slopes upwards at the bow and usually the stern as well, making it double-ended or reversible. As a verb, to punt means ‘to pole’, i.e. to push against Winter 2021 016 punting AH SS DS.indd 17

the river bottom, which is easily done on gravel reaches such as on the Thames, Cherwell or Cam. On the Severn, most of the old ferries had a punt-like hull but were roped or chained across the river, or simply rowed. Fitting an electric motor to a punt does not, therefore, make it any less of a punt. One could do the same to a canoe and it would still be a canoe. The punt hull shape has some interesting uses on larger craft. World War II landing craft were designed this way, at least at one end, so that a gangway can be lowered quickly over the bow to unload vehicles and lots of personnel onto a beach. In addition, many of the early ferries on the Thames and other rivers were the forerunners of the ‘leisure punts’ seen now at Oxford and Cambridge.

Festival launch I planned to launch Poppy at the IWA Festival of Water in August, and by the time it had been assembled on the Saturday morning, word had got round about the solar-powered punt. My earlier idea for a canopy made of solar panels had not been manifested, so I charged the batteries (I had two so that one could be charging while the other was in use) from a large solar panel at the festival campsite. I was really pleased to have been able to take several people on cruises through the festival site. Among the first were IWA National Chair Paul Rodgers, his wife Amanda, IWA Chief Executive Phil Hornsey and myself with Peter Fisher steering. Other passengers included family and friends as well as Dr Andrew Hardie, Ivor Caplan, Dave Pearson and Tim Lewis, so I think a good number of people saw Poppy in action, which was the point of the exercise. I was pleasantly surprised by the many complimentary comments, and even when it was moored up it somehow looked okay among the narrowboats visiting the festival.

alison smedley

Tim Lewis

Sustainable Boating

David fitted new seats and an electric outboard for this year’s launch at the Festival of Water.

Paddles up for the test run at Stourport Basin.

David welcomed guests aboard for short trips at the Festival of Water.

IWA Waterways |

19/10/2021 11:55

PLEASURE PUNTING A brief history of the punt and its rise in popularity

unt boats are square-ended craft with flat bottoms and no keels, traditionally propelled using a pole. They are thought to have been developed during the medieval period for use on shallow waters and there is a long history of punts being used on the Thames, as well as the Cambridge Fens for eel fishing, hunting and transporting goods. Larger punts also operated as ferries, and others sported sails for venturing out into estuaries and deeper waters. The Victorians brought punting to the masses, developing it as a leisure activity that hasn’t appeared to have waned in popularity since. Punting for pleasure is thought to have initially taken off on the Thames in the 1860s when day trippers travelling by train visited the river, before spreading to Oxford and Cambridge where it peaked in the early 1900s.

“Learn swimming before punting,” H.M. Winstanley, Punting Over time the two university cities developed their own punting techniques. Those based in Cambridge stand on top of the till (or deck) and propel the craft bow first, whereas those in Oxford stand inside the boat (rather than on top of the till or box) and punt stern first. The Granta Rats, an undergraduate club at the University of Cambridge, was formed in 2010 as the successor of the Damper Club, which ran from the late 19th century to around 1990 for “all those who have unwillingly entered the Cam fully clothed”, and was once led by Graham Chapman of Monty Python fame in 1961-62. Punt racing came onto the scene in the 1880s. Professional watermen and amateurs raced punts from the early 19th century but the Thames Punting Club formalised the sport in 1885 and still operates as the governing body today. The boats used in competition are much narrower, sometimes as little as 15in wide, and over 30ft long. Races usually take place on an 800m straight stretch of river. Today, punting is still a popular tourist activity for visitors to the rivers Cherwell and Isis in Oxford and the Cam in Cambridge, as well as the River Avon in Stratford-upon-Avon, the River Stour in Canterbury, and the River Thames at Sunbury.

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Punting on the River Cam.

“I admit that it is better fun to punt than to be punted, and... a desire to have all the fun is ninetenths of the law of chivalry,” Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night Winter 2021 19/10/2021 11:29

Sustainable Boating

ON THE GO WITH ALISON SMEDLEY

HVO

Almost a year since the newly formed IWA Sustainable Boating Group stumbled over HVO, Jonathan Mosse explains how they’ve been putting the fuel through its paces

efore hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) came onto the scene, first-generation biodiesel was already earning itself a bad name across pretty much all applications that involved storing diesel for extended periods, from farmers to boaters, through to those operating stand-by generators. Anywhere, in fact, where there was a significant gap between purchase and use. With a ten-year storage life and a chemical composition identical to mineral diesel (minus its aromatic, mineral and sulphur content) the IWA Sustainable Boating Group soon realised that second-generation HVO fuel, however, was a product that could potentially be a straight drop-in replacement, compatible with anything that was already in a boater’s fuel tank. At 90%-plus carbon neutral and with greatly reduced particulate and NOx emissions, HVO represented a simple first step along the road to the Government’s net zero carbon target looming less than 30 years away. Of equal importance, this massive gain came without any need to change the boat’s means of propulsion or to modify the existing engine in any way. Consequently, the 80,000-odd diesel engines powering today’s inland waterways craft could see out their days through to a natural retirement, more than justifying their embedded carbon content.

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FIND OUT MORE about IWA’s Sustainable Boating Group at waterways. org.uk/greenboating.

Too simple? Undoubtedly, electric drive engines in one form or another are the future, as the IWA Vision Paper robustly testifies. Until the hydrogen-powered fuel cell (or a possible derivative) holds sway, much of the on-board electricity will come from a diesel-fuelled generator, which in its turn can be powered with second generation biofuel in the form of HVO.

“At 90%-plus carbon neutral and with greatly reduced particulate and NOx emissions, HVO represented a simple first step along the road to the Government’s net zero carbon target” All very straightforward. Or it would be if we boaters simply stuck with using diesel for propulsion. The reality is, however, that we also heat and cook with it. There’s also the tendency among a significant proportion of boaters to lean towards the antique and the classic when it comes to choosing engines. From aficionados through to gongoozlers, we are all thrilled by the sound of a 1930s Bolinder approaching erratically down the cut. But would that same engine be equally ecstatic once transferred to a diet of HVO? While nearly every extant manufacturer of diesel engines in the world had given their blessing for the use of HVO in their products, nobody, as far as IWA was aware, had tested the fuel in the combination of uses a boater might put it to, nor in the range of classic engines powering both historic and contemporary IWA Waterways |

19/10/2021 11:30

HVO-fuelled GPS Anglia delivering 700 tons of aggregate to Pier Wharf Wandsworth. BELOW: HVO-fuelled GPS Arcadia and loaded barge on the Thames tideway.

HVO subgroup With this initial emphasis on exploring the use of HVO, it was logical to form a HVO subgroup of the main IWA Sustainable Boating Group, which I chair. We are very fortunate in the range of experience that its members bring to the exercise. John Spencer is managing director of GPS Marine, a company that operates some 13 tugs and twice as many workboats on the River Thames (and Medway) and has the contract for removing the spoil from the Thames Tideway Tunnel and supplying the concrete lining segments in its place. Not only do GPS Marine’s vessels make use of a range of the engines – largely Listers and Petters – found propelling our boats on the inland waterways (in this case as ancillary power units), but the company also employs Refleks space heaters and the like. While the main propulsion units are way out of our league, it’s comforting to know that alongside the ancillary units, they have put in many thousands of hours of trouble-free running, while dramatically reducing the company’s carbon footprint in a densely populated area.

Domestic appliances craft. Herein lay the challenge (and a pursuit to keep me out of mischief for the next year or so), as from the inland waterways perspective HVO still clearly deserved extensive testing, so that boaters could feel confident that they were not dealing with a derivative of snake oil!

IWA testing Our testing regime fell into two distinct parts: domestic use and fuelling historic engines. Covid travel restrictions initially limited the trial of the 1,000 litres of HVO kindly donated by Crown Oil to engines and equipment in my immediate locality, and I took the opportunity to put 100 litres through an Eberspächer, a Webasto and a Mikuni diesel heater. Ironically, we found ourselves being overtaken by events as successive manufacturers gave OEM approvals for HVO use in their products. Eberspächer and Webasto state it can be used in ‘new installations’ but our trials had already demonstrated that it burns cleaner than gas oil (red diesel) leaving noticeably fewer residues. In place of the Mikuni unit, the importers now supply the MX50 range and their own trials support our findings.

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019 sustainable boating AH SS JM.indd 20

In parallel with John’s experience on the ‘domestic’ front, I’ve had the chance to put 200 litres through my Dickinson Adriatic cooker-cum-heater over the winter and was delighted to find that cleaning out the burner is something that now falls due every five months, rather than every two. The distinction to be made here is that of the two types of diesel-fuelled domestic devices found on inland craft – pressure-jet and gravity-fed pot burner – both are equally happy operating on HVO and both demonstrate a cleaner internal burn with reduced fumes and smoke externally. That really just leaves a Wallas diesel catalytic hotplate and space heater, which is currently on trial. Again, going on past experience, I don’t anticipate any problems.

Classic engines We are very fortunate to have experienced ICI organic chemist Tim Noakes in the HVO subgroup, as well as Bernard Hales who has spent a lifetime with Lucas and Delphi working on diesel fuel injection systems and is now retired. That they both own and operate historic narrowboats is something of a bonus. As an interesting aside, it is worth noting that Bernard was engaged in a large body of work, alongside Bosch and the like, back in the 1990s, examining the impact of the use of first generation FAME biodiesel on diesel engines. Among many other things, they determined that it should not be used in any greater concentration than 5% when added to mineral diesel and yet here we are currently buying B7 fuel (with a 7% concentration), which is soon to be replaced by B10. Winter 2021 19/10/2021 11:30

Sustainable Boating

So far Tim has carried out a trial using HVO in narrowboat Spey and its Bolinder semi-diesel on a fast run along 18 miles of the Bridgewater Canal, returning on mineral diesel which showed a 20% increase in fuel consumption. Of most significance in Tim’s eyes, was a marked reduction in BCBs (‘Black Crumbly Bits’ and not exactly emission-friendly in any respect) when running on HVO. Bernard’s 1931 Gardner 5L2 full diesel has run equally satisfactorily, as has a semi-diesel from the same era. In this instance we received the only complaint about the fuel so far, namely that when he was away from the boat, setting a lock in a noisy environment, he could no longer tell whether the engine was still running or not – the exhaust smoke was no more!

above: Gardner-powered Skylark, whose owner commented of the lack of smoke from HVO. below: Spey’s Bolinder lining up for a taste of HVO.

Severn trials The recent trial conducted on the River Severn and the Droitwich Canals by Ortomarine, although largely devised to compare the performance of different types of hybrid drive against a benchmark conventional diesel drive, also included a HVO-fuelled boat skippered by a man of many years’ professional experience with narrowboats. He was amazed by the total lack of smoke and fumes in the bottom of a lock or when navigating a tunnel and by the noticeably quieter running. There were some trials, now underway, that were unable to take place at the time due to Covid restrictions, including the BMC derivatives and a further foray into classic country to embrace a two-cylinder Bolinder, a National and a Lister HE. In the near future, members of the Historic Narrow Boat Club will be fielding a further selection of classic engines for trial. We were much encouraged to learn recently that the National Historic Ships Register is reviewing its proposed strategy of propelling some of its collection with electric motors, while leaving the diesel plant in situ, but idle. Facing increasing pressure to reduce emissions from historic vessels, as legislation steadily begins to bite, this seemed like the only way to go… before HVO came to its notice.

below: HVO kept hearth and home glowing throughout last winter.

Get what you pay for Hopefully, by the end of the year, the IWA Sustainable Boating Group will have a comprehensive picture of HVO and its place on the inland waterways. If there is one telling observation to take away from our findings so far, it is that although the fuel currently costs about 10p per litre more than gas oil, the additional cost could be viewed as the premium paid out for an insurance policy. The average boater probably buys around 250 litres of mineral diesel a year, so if this is replaced with HVO the fuel bill will amount to an extra £25. Now compare that with the likely costs incurred when sorting out potential problems relating to first generation FAME biodiesel (none of which attaches to HVO), and it suddenly appears extremely affordable. Winter 2021 019 sustainable boating AH SS JM.indd 21

IWA Waterways |

19/10/2021 11:30

SILVER PROPELLER CHALLENGE

The junction of the Forty Foot and Sixteen Foot drains looking towards Horseway Lock on the Middle Level.

ALL PHOTOS BY ALISON SMEDLEY

ANGLIAN ADVENTURES

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Alison Smedley explores five Silver Propeller Challenge locations on the Fens nca

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CAMBRIDGE

WICKEN LODE BURWELL LODE

REACH LODE

Cam Conservators

St Neots

Mildenhall Uppware Lock

Brownshill

Raunds

BEDFORD

Brandon

MAP COURTESY OF WATERWAYS WORLD

GREAT RAVELEY DRAIN Mepal

Great Barford

e Ouse River Littl

Earls Barton

WELCHES DAM

FORTY FOOT/ VERMUYDEN'S DRAIN

HIGH LODE

MONK’S LODE

River Wissey

Wadenhoe

Welney

Middle Level Navigations

Holme NEW DYKE

Thrapston

March

Oundle

Stoke Ferry

Denver EA Anglian

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EA Anglian CONQUEST BEVILL’S LODE Elton LEAM YAXLEY LODE

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ORKSEY UNCTION

Exploring the far-flung reaches of the network is now even more rewarding

Cambridgeshire Lodes

Reaching the Middle Level via the Nene As you would expect for the Silver Propeller scheme, the five destinations in this article can be a challenge to get to, and before you reach any of them you have the 37 locks and 60 miles of the River Nene to navigate. Despite the frequency of the locks (mostly between 30 minutes to an hour’s cruising apart) and the lack of moorings, this is a delightful river. An EA Anglian Region visitor licence can be obtained from Northampton Marina and membership of Friends of the River Nene is a good idea to increase your mooring options. Made navigable in different stages during the 18th century, the river had become derelict by the 1930s. It was restored and reopened by 1937, with the new locks each having a guillotine gate at the lower end of the chamber. These were originally operated by turning a wheel, but nowadays all but six have been converted to electric. A handful of the locks have since been updated with traditional mitre gates at both ends. If you are feeling energetic you can make the journey from Northampton to Peterborough in three days, but if you can, allow twice as much time and linger in some of the delightful towns and villages along the way. Once at Peterborough, head onto the Middle Level Navigations and you will immediately be in a different world of manmade drainage channels and the old course of the River Nene. Access is via Stanground Lock, operated by a lock-keeper who requires 24 hours notice of your intended passage. A visitor licence is now required – see the Middle Level Commissioners website. Why ‘Middle Level’, you may ask (it’s definitely singular, not plural)? In the 17th century the Duke of Bedford brought in Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden to drain the marshland. He proposed three areas of drained Fenland, north, south and middle, which are collectively known as the Bedford Levels. Winter 2021 19/10/2021 14:55

There’s a winding hole and space to moor at Holme.

Silver Propeller Location:

Holme, Middle Level

Horseway Lock, Middle Level

One of the remotest parts of the connected inland waterways system has to be the drains beyond Lodes End Lock on the Middle Level. Although only a couple of miles from Peterborough as the crow flies, and about eight hours away by boat, it feels truly isolated. Most craft visiting the Middle Level tend to stick to the Stanground to Salter’s Lode ‘link’ route, with few venturing around the alternative, mostly straight, Sixteen Foot and Forty Foot drains route, and even fewer heading down Lodes End Lock to these delightful dead end waterways. Lodes End Lock was built in 1983 as part of measures to maintain navigation due to sinking land levels. The lock is just under 68ft long as it dates from before Ashline and Stanground locks (originally designed to take 50ft fen lighters) were lengthened in the 1990s. On the New Dyke there are another four dead ends to explore while you are here, although two will only be reached if your boat has very low air draught due to the headroom under Exhibition Bridge. If it’s marginal, you may have more success over the winter when MLC lower the levels as less water is needed for irrigation. Yaxley Lode and a short stub of Bevill’s Leam (cut off by a pumping station as part of the same works that required Lodes End Lock to be built) are accessed beyond Exhibition Bridge. The other two, Monks Lode and Great Raveley Drain, are well worth the short detours, with Great Raveley Drain making a good overnight stop to access the adjacent Woodwalton Fen nature reserve. While heading up New Dyke to Holme, don’t be concerned if it starts to feel as though you are boating up an unnavigable ditch – there is plenty of depth and it widens out to a winding hole at the end with space to moor. All five dead ends can be done in a day, with overnight moorings available at Holme itself (a short walk across a couple of fields takes you to the Admiral Wells, the lowest pub in England) and Ramsey St Mary. MLC has recently created two new moorings in this area, one at the junction with Monks Lode and the other at Yaxley.

Horseway Lock on Vermuyden’s Drain (also known as the Forty Foot) was designated as a Silver Propeller location to highlight the ongoing IWA campaign for the restoration of the lost route from the lock to Welches Dam and on to the Old Bedford River. As it is not possible to turn a boat longer than about 30ft at Horseway Lock, getting to the junction at Sixteen Foot Corner will be accepted for the challenge, but if you are feeling adventurous you can always reverse a longer boat to the lock, just less than 1 mile away. The channel is fairly straight and wooded, opening up as you approach Horseway Lock itself. The lock unfortunately hasn’t been used since the Environment Agency piled across the entrance of Welches Dam Lock in 2006. There is a decent landing stage before the lock, where you can moor up and perhaps walk the 2 miles along the public footpath to Welches Dam Lock to see for yourself how simple it would be to reconnect this route to the rest of the waterways system.

Winter 2021 022 Silver prop Anglian waterways AH SS.indd 23

Horseway Lock.

IWA Waterways |

19/10/2021 11:34

Old Bedford River – a boat passes through Welney as part of an IWA Peterborough Branch campaign cruise.

Silver Propeller Location:

Welches Dam, Old Bedford River Opened in 1637, the Old Bedford River is one of the earliest navigations in Britain, and formed part of an attractive cruising ring until Welches Dam Lock was blocked off in 2006. It is a statutory navigation controlled and managed by EA, and IWA’s Peterborough Branch has been campaigning to reopen this historic route. Closure of Welches Dam Lock has made navigation of the river difficult and sometimes impossible to access. Welches Dam is therefore one of the more challenging locations on IWA’s Silver Propeller list but it will appeal to experienced boaters with a pioneering spirit, an ability to reverse and a willingness to contend with mud, weed and bumps. IWA Peterborough Branch has organised a number of campaign cruises on the river, including two in 2018 leading up to the IWA Festival of Water at St Neots. These cruises established that it is possible for shallow-draughted boats up to 50ft long to enter the Old Bedford from the tidal sluice at Salter’s Lode, travel up to Welches Dam Lock, turn there and leave by the same route. The Old Bedford Sluice consists of a single guillotine gate, which can only be opened for a short length of time on every tide to avoid brackish water from entering the Old Bedford River. The channel up to the guillotine gate gets very silted, which makes access quite tricky for all but the most determined. Any boater wishing to access the Old Bedford River is advised to notify EA with the proposed dates after checking the tide times with the lock-keeper at Salter’s Lode. You can find out when IWA Peterborough Branch is planning its next campaign cruise, or can ask to be put in touch with somebody who has undertaken the journey previously, by emailing campaigns@waterways.org.uk. Even if you can’t get your boat along the Old Bedford River to bag this particular Silver Propeller location, it is worth a visit by road or on foot to Welches Dam, which is walkable from the nearby RSPB Ouse Washes visitor centre.

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Welches Dam showing the piling below the lock and a boat on an IWA Peterborough Branch campaign cruise.

River Great Ouse and its tributaries

A short tidal passage takes you from the MLC Salter’s Lode Lock to Denver Sluice, and back onto EA waterways. Passage needs to be booked in advance by phoning the relevant lock-keeper. Heading out of Salter’s Lode up to Denver is relatively simple – the lock-keeper will send you out at the right time to allow enough headroom under the bridge that crosses the lock and while there’s still sufficient water in the tidal channel. Follow the instructions to avoid getting stuck on the silt that builds up below Denver Sluice. Passage in the other direction is slightly more tricky due to the tight turn into the narrow channel through the silt into Salter’s Lode Lock. The River Great Ouse system is complicated and incorporates the Ely Ouse, Old West River, River Ouse between Bedford and Earith, several tributaries including the River Cam (operated by yet another navigation authority, the Cam Conservators), and Cambridgeshire Lodes. There is also the New Bedford River (also known as the Hundred Foot), which provides a tidal shortcut up to Earith, and the Flood Relief Channel towards King’s Lynn which was built in the 1960s and finally made navigable by the addition of a new lock at Denver in 2001. The Ouse system has 25 locks across its 158 miles. Unlike the Nene, most of the locks have a guillotine gate at their upper end and vary in size significantly with width restrictions meaning that boats over 10ft 4in will not make it all the way up to Bedford. Moorings on the Ouse are more plentiful, but it is still worth joining the Great Ouse Boating Association so that you can make use of its moorings. Although not included in the Silver Propeller Challenge, detours up the River Cam to Cambridge and along the three lodes accessible through Upware Lock are also recommended. Wicken Lode gives access to the National Trust’s Wicken Fen nature reserve, and the villages of Burwell and Reach are worth a visit. All three have moorings at the end.

The Ely Ouse downstream of Ely.

Winter 2021 19/10/2021 12:00

FURTHER INFORMATION The full list of Silver Propeller Challenge locations, as well as details of how to enter, are available at waterways.org.uk/ silverpropeller.

The River Little Ouse above Brandon.

Silver Propeller Location:

Brandon, River Little Ouse

Kempston Mill, River Great Ouse

The River Little Ouse, also known as Brandon Creek, is one of the three tributaries of the River Great Ouse to be found downstream of Ely. The other two, the rivers Lark and Wissey, are also well worth a visit. The mooring above the town bridge at Brandon is the Silver Propeller location for larger boats, while if you have a smaller craft you may be able to reach the official limit of navigation at Stanton Downham Bridge, 2½ miles further upstream. The only lock on the Little Ouse is just downstream of Brandon but unfortunately, despite only having been built in 1995, it is only just over 40ft 8in by 12ft 1in. For longer boats, the wide area below the lock qualifies as your Silver Propeller location. Historically the Little Ouse was navigable upstream to Thetford, and the remains of one of the old staunches (flash locks) still exist just downstream of the town. There have been talks about restoring navigation up to Thetford, with proposals that would involve four new locks.

The upper part of the River Great Ouse, especially upstream of St Neots, is very under-used. This is a shame as there are some delightful locations, such as Great Barford with its many arched bridges, and Bedford itself with its lock in the middle of an island at right angles to the navigation giving access onto the Bedford Embankment. This part of the river was made navigable in the 17th century, but by the early 1900s had fallen into dereliction upstream of St Ives. It was restored during the 1970s and reopened to Bedford in 1978 as a result of a campaign led by the Great Ouse Restoration Society and supported by IWA and WRG. Some locks were built as new structures during the restoration, with the result that they are huge and rather utilitarian. Others were rebuilt on the site of previous locks, with occasional evidence of the former structures worth looking out for, such as the 1840s C&F date stones (C&F referring to Sir Thomas Cullum and John Franklin who owned the navigation at the time). The Silver Propeller location is upstream of Bedford at, or as near as you can get to, Kempston Mill, which is the official head of navigation. Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterways Trust carried out some dredging in the last couple of years to enable its trip-boat John Bunyan to reach Kempston Mill, but deeper-draughted boats may still struggle to get past the shallows just downstream of the footbridge before the old mill. BMKWT has a project to improve navigation and put in a landing stage as part of its plans to build a new waterway between Bedford and Milton Keynes.

Brandon Lock.

Kempston Mill.

Winter 2021 022 Silver prop Anglian waterways AH SS.indd 25

IWA Waterways |

19/10/2021 11:34

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restoration HUB:

2021 Updates

Restoring Confidence Project draws to an end In 2019 IWA was awarded £30,000 from the National Lottery’s Resilient Heritage Fund to run our Restoring Confidence Project. The grant has enabled us to improve our support for the restoration sector over the past 18 months. Project activities included upskilling key volunteers and staff, offering heritage training to volunteers, and providing guidance and training to groups on strategic issues such as diversity, the environment and governance. The Covid-19 pandemic impacted our ability to deliver the planned programme of events and activities but also presented us with opportunities. Restrictions on activities in 2020 gave us the time reflect and review our current working models and explore what could be achieved through digital channels. As a result, we have been able to create more accessible formats for many of our events, which have attracted a wider range of participants.

Some key outputs include: n 860 attendees at our new Restoration Hub webinars, workshops and other training events. There was a wide range of sessions covering topics on governance, fundraising, biodiversity net gains and how to run outdoor restoration events during Covid-19 restrictions. n 194 queries were received by our Restoration Hub Hotline. These included things like requests to undertake preliminary Environmental Surveys and helping develop volunteer training programmes, to technical advice on rebuilding bridges and locks. n Strategic thinking on Environmental Issues. We formed the Biodiversity Net Gains Working Group for Waterway Restoration to ensure the sector seizes any opportunities as this legislation comes in. n Creation of IWA’s new digital Restoration Hub. A dedicated space on IWA’s new website full of resources for waterway restoration groups is due to launch November. We have also created Restoration Hub TV on IWA’s YouTube channel – 15 webinars and guidance videos have received over 2,600 views. n 105 volunteers gained new skills. Restoration volunteers have developed a wide range of skills by attending courses – we now have more first aiders, mental health first aiders, slingers and chainsaw operators. The project has also led to a better understanding of the future challenges the waterways sector is facing. One area that has been a recurring theme is the need to improve diversity and inclusion in the sector and making sure we are relevant and engaging to young audiences. There is a huge opportunity for the sector to engage with young people and build stronger, more sustainable organisations so we will look to develop this aspect of engagement going forward. The work of the Biodiversity Net Gains working groups has encouraged the sector to visualise construction-focused heritage projects as eco highways. The 2021 Restoration Conference, The Big Green Conversation, continued this greener sector outlook. IWA’s restoration sector support is funded through memberships, donations and grants. IWA would like to thank the National Lottery Fund for supporting this project.

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Ecological Survey Training on the Sleaford Navigation.

A volunteer undertaking first aid training during Covid-19.

Winter 2021 19/10/2021 11:36

Louise Bellaers

Waterways in Progress: Ashby Canal Trail Work is underway to build a new trail for the Ashby Canal, which has been funded through our Waterways in Progress grant. Volunteers rolled up their sleeves to clear and level a section of the path. Several new gates are now installed on the trail that will create a safe pathway link between the village and the canal. A delivery of 20 waymarkers are also keeping the hardworking volunteers busy. The village of Snarestone at the terminus of the canal is a short walk from Measham. However, there is little to link the two settlements. Waterway users arriving at Snarestone along the canal often aren’t aware that Measham, with its shops and facilities, is close by. To get to the village, people must currently walk along country lanes with poor visibility and unsafe verges. We hope the trail will help to regenerate the area, as well as highlight the local heritage. Our Waterways in Progress grant scheme was made possible by legacies that have been left to the Association.

Stonework at the Derby Canal Camp.

Five restoration projects boosted by Canal Camps

Starting small young volunteers at the Wendover Arm family day.

IWA’s Waterway Recovery Group organised a series of small-scale Canal Camps and a family volunteering day over the summer to help bring the waterways back to life. This phased return to activity involved over 70 volunteers on five different sites supporting restoration work on the River Waveney, Montgomery Canal, Wendover Arm, Derby & Sandiacre Canals, and Shrewsbury & Newport Canals. New ‘Staying Safe’ Covid-19 measures were trialled on these projects, which included smaller participant numbers and lateral flow tests before and after the events. The family volunteering day on the Wendover Arm Canal was particularly successful with ten children and their families joining in with the activities. The kids spent the day learning how to lay bricks and exploring nature along the restoration project, which included building a bug hotel and hedgehog house. Since the trial events in August another mini Canal Camp has been held on the River Waveney in order to complete the restoration of the south wall of Geldeston Lock. In October, WRG volunteers worked with the Burslem Port Trust to create a new footpath. The Burslem Port Footsteps project aims to provide a walkway from the Trent & Mersey Canal along the line of the Burslem Branch Canal. The work, funded by a local council grant, will reopen this heritage green space to the public and help the trust increase its community engagement. It will also demonstrate to the wider community and funders that BPT has the ability to undertake and deliver a major project. While the decision has been made not to run any big reunion events this year, further small-scale Canal Camps and weekend digs are planned for the autumn and winter. Regional groups are also planning to support the Buckingham Canal, Wey & Arun Canal and Schoolhouse Bridge (Montgomery Canal) restoration projects. For details of upcoming events and to sign up to receive our 2022 Canal Camps brochure go to waterways.org.uk/wrg.

New gates installed along the Ashby Canal.

Louise Bellaers

Duke of Edinburgh Award students at Schoolhouse Bridge on the Montgomery Canal.

Rebuilding Geldeston Lock on the River Waveney.

Derby Canal Camp volunteers.

Winter 2021 028 restoration hub AH SS.indd 29

IWA Waterways |

19/10/2021 11:36

THREE CHEERS FOR

CHESTER

Jim Forkin, chair of IWA Chester & Merseyside Branch, celebrates Chester’s success at being named the first Inland Waterways Heritage Port

embers of IWA Chester & Merseyside Branch were delighted to be informed in June that Chester had been designated the first Heritage Port on the UK’s inland canal and river system. The scheme, run jointly by the Maritime Heritage Trust and National Historic Ships in the UK, aims to properly recognise long-established but often-forgotten ports that played an important role in the maritime and industrial history of the country. Chester, a port since Roman times and possibly earlier, was put forward by IWA, Chester Civic Trust and Cheshire West & Cheshire Council. They outlined the area’s unique historical development, catalogued its surviving buildings, and evaluated the environmental and heritage features in relation to the criteria laid down in the Heritage Port designation process.

Interconnected system The 21-page application stressed that Chester’s waterways were part of an interconnected system linking the open sea, Dee estuary and non-tidal River Dee with the national canal network and River Mersey via the Shropshire Union Canal. Heritage assets covered both maritime and inland waterway features with a focus on Tower Wharf, Northgate Locks, the Dee Branch of the Shropshire

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Alison Smedley

Union Canal and the adjacent tidal Dee frontage of the old port of Chester. Downstream anchorages on the Wirral side of the estuary were also included. A great deal of the application naturally focussed on the Shropshire Union Canal as it threads its way through the city but the early history of the waterways in Chester, as a result of its position as the highest navigable point for seagoing vessels, was strongly emphasised.

Roman beginnings During Roman times Chester was the busiest port in north-west England, and an old quay wall still remains on the Roodee racecourse today. As a port it grew until around 1700 when silting in the river prevented vessels above 20 tons reaching its wharves. Even the creation of a 16ft-deep navigable channel with associated new warehouses after the 1730s could not prevent the port’s ultimate demise as Liverpool finally grew to be the dominant port in the region. In the 1770s the Chester Canal aimed to boost the port’s importance but the route initially terminated in a dead end at Nantwich and was deemed a failure. In 1795 the Wirral Line of the Ellesmere Canal, which linked to the River Mersey, served to boost Chester’s status, and by 1833 the city was fully linked to the national canal network by the Shropshire Union Canal, which brought trade from the Midlands, the Potteries and Wales. Winter 2021 19/10/2021 11:38

Heritage Harbours

Other ports of call

IWA has been in discussion with the Maritime Heritage Trust and National Historic Ships, which run the UK scheme together, to identify more sites for future Inland Waterways Heritage Port status. Among the potential locations are Brentford on the Grand Union Canal, Stourport on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal, Warwick Bar on the Digbeth Branch of the Grand Union, and Shardlow on the Trent & Mersey Canal. Shardlow Inland Port Festival, which took place in September and drew an estimated 4,000 visitors, aimed to raise the profile of the canal and kickstart the campaign for Heritage Port status. The IWA Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Branch joined in the festivities and had a tent on the bank, while David Pullen provided ‘harbourmaster’ support for the historic and roving trader boats that attended the event. The village features over 50 Grade IIlisted buildings and many surviving public houses within the designated Shardlow Wharf Conservation Area. Elsewhere, Exeter basin on the Exeter Ship Canal and Maldon & Heybridge on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation (see Spring 2021 issue of Waterways) were granted Heritage Harbour status in November 2020 and early 2021 respectively. IWA Branches or members interested in pursuing Heritage Port status for other inland waterways locations can contact campaigns@waterways.org.uk for more information. You can also watch the IWA webinar The UK’s Heritage Ports and Harbours Initiative online at waterways.org.uk/iwa-tv.

Shardlow Inland Port Festival organiser Sue Hampson with Paul Dunn, vicechair of South Derbyshire District Council at the event in September.

opposite: Chester Canal Basin, showing Graving Dock to the left of the cast iron roving bridge, as well as modern development on the right. right: This is one of the best-surviving buildings in the Old Port of Chester. The three-storey warehouse and two-storey cottages were built in the mid-16th century, although the north-west end was rebuilt in the 19th century after a fire. below right: Northgate Locks raise the canal by 33ft and originally date from the late 18th century.

It was as a result of these connections that Chester acquired warehousing and a graving dock at Tower Wharf, the core of the Heritage Port. Trade continued on the waterway through the 19th century but it declined steeply after World War I and by 1957 regular cargo carrying had left the canal.

Recognition and regeneration The waterways of Chester decayed in the 20th century but the city’s port facilities remain assets of great historical importance, unique survivals from the waterway age. This has been increasingly recognised since the 1970s but Chester’s waterways still suffer from neglect and unfulfilled potential. Some of the late 20th-century regeneration was of questionable quality and the connection between the Dee and the Shropshire Union Canal is effectively unusable. Chester is embraced by its waterways but the Cestrians need to fully embrace them too. Designation as a Heritage Port aims to maximise the potential of the city’s valuable urban and waterway environment, and encourage stakeholders to come together with initiatives to conserve and develop the city’s waterway assets. IWA will continue to campaign for better access to the River Dee, especially the non-tidal section, and will encourage other towns with equally good prospects to apply for Heritage Port status. Winter 2021 030 heritage harbours chester AH SS JH.indd 31

IWA Waterways |

19/10/2021 11:38

2021 Photography Competition All the winning entries from this year’s contest, judged by professional waterways photographers Derek Pratt and Kev Maslin

mateur and professional photographers submitted over 300 images featuring Britain’s canals and rivers as part of this year’s photography competition. Pictures were entered across the four categories: Heritage & Restoration, Waterscape, Built Environment, and Life & Laughter. Our judging panel included exceptional waterways photographers Derek Pratt and Kev Maslin. Derek is the author of several books and articles on canal and river photography and has a library of more than 80,000 photos taken over a period of 45 years. Kev runs photography walks along the canal and his work has featured in BBC Wildlife and Waterways World magazines, as well as in the popular Geo Projects maps. Congratulations to this year’s worthy winners. Enormous thanks to Kev and Derek for judging this year’s competition – and to everyone who entered.

Life & Laughter and overall competition winner “Kev and I chose this photo of the River Ouse at York as the overall winner in the competition. Capturing a moving steam train over a bridge with a cruising boat on the waterway below is extremely difficult. The people waving from the moored craft add that little extra something to what is already a very good picture. The narrowboats and the edge of the paved towpath lead the eye into the picture to complete an excellent composition,” said Derek.

Waving at the train crossing the River Ouse at York by Alan Stopher.

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Winter 2021 19/10/2021 11:40

Our 2022 competition will be announced shortly. Visit waterways. org.uk/photocomp for more details.

2022

Heritage & Restoration “This delightful image of the Falkirk Wheel shows the rotating boat-lift working as it takes craft between the aqueduct above and the basin below. The lift was built to restore the link between the Forth & Clyde and Union canals, replacing 11 derelict locks. Good light and a blue sky make this an interesting and unusual shot,” explained Derek.

The Falkirk Wheel on the Forth & Clyde Canal by Nigel Essery.

Waterscape “The use of two compositional techniques makes this low-level shot a winner. The bow of the boat is neatly placed on a third, while the colourful foreground blooms lead the eye nicely into the picture. The lovely blue sky with puffy clouds provides additional interest,” commented Kev. Replica steam trip-boat Victoria at Linlithgow Basin, Union Canal, by Maureen Wilson.

Built Environment “London provides the perfect backdrop for this interesting study of the built environment. It’s well composed and taken from a slightly elevated position, which gives an excellent overall view of St Pancras Lock and its surroundings. The inclusion of the picture-perfect fuel-boat Emu adds a dash of colour and ably demonstrates what the canals were originally built for,” said Kev Maslin. Fuel-boat Emu at St Pancras by Tim Lewis.

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IWA Waterways |

19/10/2021 11:40

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IWA Waterways - Winter 2021 - Issue 274

Articles inside

On the go with HVO

Restoration Hub

News

three cheers for chester

taking a Punt

Heritage champions

Welcome