Aegre No. 142, July 2015 from the East Midlands Region of The Inland Waterways Association
In this issue - Fulney Lock again, Dawn Rose, Trent Boating, and a view around the Region
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Aegre is published Š 2015 by the East Midlands Region Committee of the Inland Waterways Association for members of Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Branches.
Chairman
David Pullen, 16 Church Street, Scothern, Lincoln LN2 2UA. Tel: 01673 862278
Vice-Chairman
Dave Carnell, Conifer Cottage, North End, Goxhill DN19 7JX Tel: 01469 530138
Leicestershire Branch Chairman
Ian McDonald, 1 Goodheart Way, Thorpe Astley, Leicester LE3 3RX. Tel: 0116 3321534
Lincolnshire Branch Chairman
Dave Carnell (as above)
Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Branch Chairman
Mike Snaith, Hawthorne Cottage, 70 Main St, Gunthorpe, Nottingham NG14 7EU
Secretary & WRG
John Baylis, 215 Clipstone Rd West, Forest Town, Mansfield NG19 0HJ Tel: 01623 621208
Editor for Aegre: Peter Hill, 7 Lock Keeper’s Way, Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 0GQ E-mail: aegre@waterways.org.uk Advertisement Manager for Aegre: Ian Mc Donald, see above. E-mail: aegre.adverts@waterways.org.uk This is the web version, with lower definition RGB pictures. Picture credits: Front cover & p9: Boston Belle, Pete Westwell. Page 3: Rod Auton. Back cover: Malcolm Slater. Other credits, page 29
The Inland Waterways Association: Registered Office; Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA. Registered as a Charity No: 212342. Tel: 01494 783453. Website: http://www.waterways.org.uk The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association or of the East Midlands Region. They are published as being of interest to our members and other readers. The inclusion of any advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the IWA East Midlands Region or any of its Branches.
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Chesterfield’s Dawn Rose as a trailboat.
AEGRE
No. 142 July 2015 Contents
Canal Societies and Trusts in the EM Region...................................................4 The Editor’s Flotsam and Jetsam................................................................5 From David Pullen, Region Chairman...............................................................6 Results from River Navigation Survey...............................................................7 A Cruise to the Welland, August 2015...............................................................9 News from East Anglia....................................................................................10 News from Leicestershire................................................................................11 River Trent Takes the Strain ..........................................................................15 WRG’s Summer Canal Camps .......................................................................16 Lincolnshire Happenings.................................................................................18 News from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire...................................................20 Around the Societies and Trusts......................................................................26 New Boat for Chesterfield Canal Trust............................................................28 Picture Credits.................................................................................................29 Journals Received...........................................................................................29 Notts & Derby Branch Meetings......................................................................30 Nottingham Canal Festival...............................................................................31
Next issue probably to be published in November 2015. Contributions to the editor (see page 2) by the end of September 2015 please. The space on the right is for local contact information.
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Canal Societies and Trusts in the EM Region
Derby & Sandiacre Canal Society Erewash Canal P & D Association
Chris Madge, c/o 62 Broadway, Duffield, Derby DE56 4BU Tel: 07827 946444 www.derbycanal.org.uk
Howard Smith, 1 Millfield, Kimberley, Nottingham NG16 2LJ Tel: 0115 9384129 www.erewashcanalpreservationanddevelopmentassoc.org.uk
Foxton Inclined Plane Trust
Friends of Charnwood Forest Canal
Foxton Canal Museum, Middle Lock, Gumley Road, Market Harborough LE16 7RA Tel: 0116 2792657 www.fipt.org.uk
Mike Handford, 1 Sheepy Close, Hinckley, LE10 1JL Tel: 01455 611508 mahandford@gmail.com
Friends of the Cromford Canal
Ad interim John Baylis, see page 2. www.cromfordcanal.org.uk
Grantham Canal Society
Mike Stone, 7, Crow Park Drive, Burton Joyce, Nottingham NG14 5AS; Tel: 0115 931 3375 www.granthamcanal.com
Louth Navigation Trust
Paula Hunt, Navigation Warehouse, Riverhead, Louth LN11 0DA Tel: 01507 605496 www.louthcanal.org.uk
Melton & Oakham
Richard Booth, Sysonby Knoll, Asfordby Road, Melton Mowbray LE13 0HP Tel: 01664 503330 www.meltonwaterways.co.uk
Waterways Society Sleaford Navigation Trust
Steve Hayes, 10 Chelmer Close, N. Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 8TH Tel: 01522 689460 www.sleafordnavigation.co.uk
Trent and Mersey Canal Society
10 Long Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire CW10 0BL. Tel: 01606 834471 www.tamcs.org.uk
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The Editor’s Flotsam and Jetsam That magic box in the corner, or maybe now a flat panel on the wall. It can be a distraction from real life, or very occasionally good entertainment, but just recently there seems to have been unusual coverage of canals and other waterways on television. We have had John Sergeant on one channel; Timothy West and Prunella Scales on another. Even Michael Portillo, normally a railway fan, was seen to visit Tooley’s boatyard at Banbury in a side excursion from the train. Even more remarkably we had a two hour cruise on the Kennet and Avon, from the Bath end, without commentary and just a few captions, cleverly placed as though written on the surface of the canal. On the River Trent, someone came down (most of the way!) in a punt. One of our canal societies in the Region has had some good exposure on a relatively new local channel: Estuary TV.
recently, I have heard quite a lot of wise words on volunteering from the point of view of the organisation, and most of these are good general principles applicable anywhere, not just to waterways. To quote a few: They include welcoming new members in some way - not just taking their first subscription; asking what they would like to do, even though some may just wish to give passive support. Some time ago we belonged to a PTA which had a special fund to which you could contribute if you didn’t wish to actually do anything like make cakes - it was called the “Apathy Fund”. Hopefully nobody actually volunteering will be apathetic, though there used to be a rule of thumb that only 10% would actually become active.
If you have the luck to be offered support from another organisation, like a So what does this mean for those of us large firm or the DoE scheme, make who are already interested in our time for their volunteers to socialise canals and rivers? Is it going to mean with members, and also learn some lots of volunteers flocking to join in background on what they are doing the good work which still remains to and why. Nowadays training for a cerbe done? For one thing missing, or tificate is a “good thing”. Do you have almost missing, from the programme enough chain-saw operators; back hoe content in the series just mentioned drivers; etc., etc. Can you be an was the struggle with that jammed accredited training organisation? ground paddle, lengthy search for a mooring spot, or views of fierce signs Enough for now - I will go back to saying “No Mooring, No Fishing, Pri- watching the television before I get vate Land, Keep Off”. any more exotic ideas. Best wishes, Visiting various Societies and Trusts Peter Aegre 142 - July 2015 Page 5
From David Pullen, Region Chairman
F
ock L ey uln
, no ted n i pa ely c i n
The debacle with EA over the long planned IWA cruise to Spalding still rankles with me. I had been discussing and planning the cruise with up to four EA Navigations staff for over six months before they informed me at three weeks notice that Fulney Lock was silted up and the gates couldn’t be opened. It then took continued IWA pressure and issue of a press release to get EA, after 7 week’s delay, to eventually issue a formal stoppage notice for Fulney Lock. (Picture above, on 16th June). Several boaters from across our region and further afield had already started their planned cruises, so it was not only highly inconvenient for them but also embarrassing for IWA; seemingly not for EA! They are simply not a competent authority to run these lesser used navigations. It is wholly evident that no one at EA cares about Fulney Lock and we are far from con-
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abl ork w t
e.
vinced that they will come forward with a sustainable solution for future maintenance… so the battle continues! Elsewhere in this issue there is a list of other EA shortcomings across East Anglia. These examples make it laughable that EA claim that their flood defences subsidise and support navigation. The only positive to come out of all this is that it is raising the stakes with regard to CRT eventually taking over EA navigations. A separate but related issue is EA’s flood defence plan for the Boston Barrier. The EA flood defence and major project engineers have always opposed providing any navigational improvements within the barrier project. IWA and others are making huge efforts to get this reversed. Following a very recent tour around the Lincolnshire navigable rivers and drains with Gren
Messham (Chairman of IWA Navigations Committee - “NavCom”) the campaign will now be led by Gren and NavCom, who have the expertise, experience and connections to make the best case for the decision to be reversed. I hope there will be good support for the Nottingham Canal Day on October 10th. Notts & Derbys Branch will have a stand there as well as some of our local restoration trusts and canal societies (see page 31). On NB Rhoda Ellen we had four separate tidal Trent passages in May and June. It seemed to me that traffic on the Trent was higher than usual, and most of the boats were heading for Lincoln to see Magna Carta and the re-opened castle/cathedral experience. It seems appropriate to visit the Castle by water, as Mary Powell, who achieved so much with Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership, was also responsible for the Castle project, involving about £22M. Pressure over the winter by IWA on CRT to increase and publicise the moorings in Lincoln has been vindicated with adequate FREE space now available. Also see the feedback below in this issue from the Trent boaters’ survey and the proposed actions that fall out of it.
Results from River Navigation Survey In our March issue we mentioned that C&RT were planning to survey boaters to get their views on river, as opposed to canal, navigation, with special interest in the Trent. They have been kind enough to pass on the results, briefly summarised below. There were about 430 replies. How many years have you been boating? Answers: 0-2, 11%; 3-5, 12%; 6-10, 13%; more than 10, 64%. Do you ever use river navigations? Answers: Frequently, 41%; Occasionally, 48%; No but intend to, 8%; No, 3%. Have you used the tidal Trent? Answers: Yes, 55%; No, 45%. What stops you from using the river? Answers (could be more than one): ● Too far away, 26%, ● Prefer canals for scenery / interest, 15%, ● Not experienced enough, 21%, Aegre 142 - July 2015 Page 7
● ● ● ●
Risks are greater, 34%, Size of locks, 6%, Freight boats, 15%, Lack of moorings / facilities, 69%
Which of these would make you more likely to use rivers? Answers (could be more than one): ● Detailed written information, 63%, ● Charts, 68%, ● Group briefing, 14%, ● Training on land, 6%, ● Training on water, 14%, ● Youtube videos, 27%, ● Buddying with an experienced boater, 43% Actions to be followed up are intended to be: 1. More publicity about the existing charts, maybe subsidised by CRT for a defined period 2. Developing a buddying system, (possible role for IWA) 3. Free issue of briefing notes (TBA/IWA/CRT?), particularly emphasising the paternalism of the lock keepers. 4. Youtube video, edited to show areas of particular issue, e.g. entering West Stockwith, sailing bight to bight etc. Lack of moorings is a major thing but there is no quick fix as CRT own hardly any of the river banks and there are other problems such as to where to put them. Gainsborough and Dunham pontoons are there but are hardly used because shore facilities are either not very near or not very attractive. This also needs long term capital budget outside the scope of the Regional Partnership Committee. The moorings thing may be a psychological thing connected with safety. DP and editor.
Spalding and Water Taxi
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A Cruise to the Welland, August 2015
IWA Cruise on Boston Belle Tuesday 11th August 2015 at 2.45pm. Several IWA members across our region contacted me about joining the “Welland/Wash rehearsal cruise” on Boston Belle. There were insufficient numbers for a chartered cruise but the skipper would be very pleased to have IWA as a group on a scheduled trip. The “Sea Trip” lasts 4½ hours leaving Boston on the first level tide at Grand Sluice, passing down The Haven out onto the Wash, then a short push up the Welland to within sight of Fosdyke Yacht Haven, then returning to Boston for the second level tide. On The Haven we will pass through Boston past the famous Boston Stump, the fishing fleet, Black Sluice Lock, Port of Boston, the site of the Boston tidal barrier, and any commercial shipping approaching Boston, as well as the Pilgrim Fathers memorial. For further information visit www.bostonbelle.co.uk where you can book in advance. Payment will be direct to Boston Belle. £20 adults, £15 concessions, £12 under 16’s. For those coming by car, the most convenient Council parking place is off Tunnard Street PE21 6PL, or more appropriately perhaps 52o 58’ 54.32” N, 0o 01’ 33.61” W. Boston parking charge, at the moment, is £3.90 for four hours during the day and £1 for an evening. There may be a few open spaces by the Witham Tavern, at the Sluice, but these are often full. Please let me know if you intend to join the cruise so that I can ensure that it is not over-subscribed, and also so that any last minute bookings can be reserved. David Pullen 07766 714650, 01673 862278 Aegre 142 - July 2015 Page 9
News from East Anglia Our neighbours in the East Anglian Waterways Association were welcomed in Sleaford at their Annual General Meeting last April. They were also briefed by Chris and Steve Hayes on progress with the Slea Navigation. Subsequently they have reports in their journal “The Easterling” on a very sad state of affairs in many of their suppposedly navigable waterways. The list is too long to give all the details here, but just a summary of a few: ● Failure to remove weed from the Old West River; the closure of Old Bedford River due to silting at its northern end; removal of the bottom gates at Swaffham Bulbeck lock. ● Operation of the centuries-old ferry service that connects Ferry Lane, King’s Lynn with West Lynn has been made very difficult by the build-up of silt in the river. This restricts the ability for the ferry to reach the landing stages at times and necessitates passengers having to walk on causeways of duck boards to try and avoid the mud. ● Once a busy port on the north Norfolk coast, today Cley harbour is silted up and unnavigable to all but the smallest craft. Plans are now being developed to dredge the river Glaven that flows through Cley and runs out to the sea via Blakeney Point. ● At Welches Dam Lock no major structural repairs are required to the chamber walls beyond minor but prevalent remedial crack repair work. On the lower lock gates there is excessive leakage past the deteriorated mitre sealing boards. A further problem is that the beams supporting the boarding of the wooden chamber floor have wasted and as a result large areas of the boarding are now loosened with some entirely free and will require replacing. It was noted on the inspection that the line of sheet piles driven across the upstream entrance to the lock, which have closed the lock to navigation, are not in fact holding back the water of the Old Bedford River. This is because they do not extend to the southern bank of the entrance but leave a gap of around 1.5m. The 2m head of water is being held entirely by the lock top gates with only a small leakage at the mitre. This supports the view that the piling was introduced in 2006 to prevent use of the lock, and therefore navigation, rather than to support the head of water. The lock top gates are still performing this function well.
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News from Leicestershire Since the last edition it has been very quiet in Leicestershire compared with our fellow East Midlands Branches. Following on from the exceedingly well attended AGM, where we heard from Sir Peter Soulsby about great plans for the area of Leicester near to the navigation, our final meeting of the winter season was to hear from journalist Steve Haywood. His frequently controversial style in print was on show to some extent but sadly I was away. I know that the turnout was not as great as Andrew & Debbie, our joint Social Secretaries, had hoped. Andrew was certainly hoping that the talk would be rather controversial and stimulating to the audience.
The Leicester Riverside Festival was held on the first weekend in June and was blessed by fine weather and reasonably warm temperatures. I estimated around 20 boats attended, including one of the “Peter Le Marchant” award winning charity boats acting as a floating tea room. Sunbeam, the boat operated by the charity Mosaic, was taking frequent short trips with fare-paying customers, whilst the three little day boats from Sileby Mill Boatyard were taking boat-loads of people up and down the Straight, yet there was still a long queue waiting to get on! “Paddle Plus” is a group based at the northern edge of the city at the Outdoor Pursuits Centre, and ever since the Leicestershire Branch started to
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get the Festival to be more water–based, Paddle Plus have been brilliant supporters with canoes and kayaks performing interesting manoeuvres on the water. There was the floating Burger Bar doing a good trade and another floating shop offering a range of goods. A Jazz band was playing away merrily as they were carried to and fro on one of the city council’s boats, giving a somewhat different form of entertainment, but one Leicester has done several times before. The towpath was a throng of people, and on the Saturday Dragon Boat racing was happening at the Castle Gardens end with their crews filling Castle Park.
Council’s waterside team who had created an interesting little model showing to children how rainfall run off brings pollution and silt into rivers and drains (picture above).
Behind this Bede Park was lovely to see as loads of people were ambling along, buying off yet more stalls and there really was not a lot of space to sit down on the grass if that was your wish. I looked at the beer tent Shore-based, a longer length of Western Boulevard than previously but regrettably I didn’t want to had been closed to traffic. There was endure the long wait to be served. an array of charity stalls, both those trying to raise funds and those trying So I would say it was a rip-roaring success on the Saturday and I have to raise awareness of their causes, plus some good food stalls offering no reason to think it would have been any less successful on the Sunstandard festival foods and some day, the only thing missing was the finer quality foods and ethnic delights. The road was pretty full of IWA! people as I walked along it but the plaza in front of the bandstand was a The Branch is involved in the River Soar and Grand Union Partnership nearly solid mass of happy people! which involves virtually all groups At the entrance to the plaza, CRT that have an interest in the waterway had their display, as did the City Aegre 142 - July 2015 Page 12
Bell Boats at Leicester
from Foxton through to north of Kegworth. One of the meetings recently was a paddle along backwaters and past the weir in Abbey Park, coming through past the Space Centre and then turning back south at the top of Belgrave lock. It was a very interesting two hours in a Bell Boat, formed by two long Canadian canoes tied abreast making for a very stable craft. The whole of this waterway and the navigation from Freemans Meadow Lock to Swans Nest Weir by Belgrave is entirely man made, created in the late Victorian years to control flooding in that part of the city. The new schemes that are about to start incorporate more prevention work to upgrade the work done by our Victorian forebears. It was interesting to hear that much of the siltation along these engineered backwaters has been
caused by the Victorians creating waterways that were too deep or too wide to keep the water flowing fast enough the carry the silt with it. This is why the large lagoon in the centre of Abbey Park upstream of the Space Centre is now full of water lilies. When we started boating we used to cruise into it and moor up, and at the time of the National Festival in 1967 it was a central part of the event. Sadly it is very unlikely that it will ever be dredged again. A branch representative is attending a two day event at the beginning of July which involves a fairly extensive bus trip around the watercourses in the city and is aimed at improving connections between community groups and the waterspace. Hopefully these efforts and those of the city council waterspace team will encourage younger memAegre 142 - July 2015 Page 13
bers of our community to appreciate boaters want to be part of. Let us hope that this carries on being a feathese features and not to grow up into people constantly throwing litter ture of boating in Leicestershire. and other substances in them. We are about to distribute our latest Sadly, of course, this year there was version of the Guide to the Leicester Line. It has been delayed as we have no organised Loughborough Canal completely redrafted it and have Festival, but I gather quite a few incorporated some sponsorship as boats turned up anyway. Perhaps we no longer raise sufficient funds at they didn’t know that the valiant our meetings to completely cover organiser felt she could no longer arrange it as she had had little help. our costs. The issue has been further delayed by an extended period of ill She and her colleagues had done health endured by Andrew who has their bit over the years creating an done the drafting and most of the incredibly successful event, but donkey work, but it will be well there is absolutely no reason why worth the wait. boaters should not agree to have a gathering on a particular weekend, We have established a date for our sorting out moorings ad hoc and first meeting of the autumn on Octothen getting together to discuss the happenings from over the winter and ber 8th. We hope it will be at The Gate Hangs Well but this is dependplans for the following main cruisent on their refurbishment proing season. Well, that is what hapgramme. Please look out for pened. Sandra from Sileby Mill spread the word that it would be OK notifications from us in your “inbox� as well as on-line at to gather there again and about 30 www.waterways.org.uk in the boats turned out and they had a lovely time. She tells me they even Leicestershire section. If you would had their own amateur radio station like to be kept up to date with emailrunning through the weekend, and of ings from the branch please ensure course as it was just a gathering of that you give permission for mesboaters, all with licensed craft, it sages to be emailed to you. We do required no special approval from not keep your e-mail addresses; eveCRT. I heartily applaud this effort, rything is sent out by being forthank you Sandra, you made my warded to you from Head Office heart glad, and so too must be the ensuring that data protection is dedicated band that worked so hard maintained. for many years to run the Festival proper. It set up a gathering that Ian McDonald, Chairman Aegre 142 - July 2015 Page 14
River Trent Takes the Strain A huge electricity transformer weighing 270 tonnes, or the same as 18 double decker buses has been safely delivered by ALE to Staythorpe Power Station, having been transported on the River Trent. The transformer was delivered to Hull where it was loaded onto the Inland Navigator, a river barge specially converted to carry abnormal loads. The barge is owned and operated by Robert Wynn & Sons and can carry single piece loads of up to 300 tonnes on the inland waterway network to cities such as Leeds, Nottingham, York and Worcester. Had the transformer not been carried on the river then it would have faced an arduous 85 mile journey by road. Using the Trent not only proved to be quicker, but it also helped to reduce potential disruption on the region’s road network. Stuart Mills, a director at the Canal & River Trust said; “The River Trent has a long history of freight movements and it’s wonderful to see it being used in this way once more. We believe that the river still offers great potential for transporting freight, and although this is just one movement, it’s a great example of what the Trent has to offer. We very much hope that others will recognise the potential benefits that waterborne freight movements such as this can bring.” Tommy Quik, ALE’s Project Manager who coordinated the transformer move, said: “We normally transport this type of cargo using the public roads, but we actually prefer using waterways because it is an efficient means of transport which poses little disruption to traffic and residents. We were pleased to be working with Robert Wynn & Sons and the Canal & River Trust on this move as they could provide the excellent services that made this possible.” Andy Manners, General Manager of Robert Wynn & Sons commented; “It’s great to see the River Trent being used to deliver large abnormal loads. These loads have been delivered to Staythorpe without impact on the travelling public and this again demonstrates the real benefit of using the inland waterways for carriage of the largest and heaviest abnormal indivisible loads” See the picture on our back cover of the Inland Navigator in Cromwell lock near Newark - photo by Malcolm Slater. Aegre 142 - July 2015 Page 15
WRG’s Summer Canal Camps IWA’s Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) is in full swing with its 2015 working holidays. ‘Canal Camps’ offer a unique opportunity to volunteer and learn new skills, whilst exploring amazing parts of Britain’s industrial heritage. This year there are 27 Canal Camps planned on 12 different canal restoWRG team at Grantham ration projects. This summer they will be travelling throughout England and Wales, offering volunteers the chance to rebuild bridges on the Ashby Canal, restore a lock on the Stover Canal, or improve towpaths on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation. Each camp costs £56 to cover simple accommodation and food, and is open to anyone aged over 18. In 2014 WRG spent 40,000 volunteer hours working towards the restoration of derelict waterways and we want to do even more in 2015! If you’d like to know more about volunteering with WRG please contact Jenny or Amber at 01494 783 453 ext 604, email enquiries@wrg.org.uk or visit the WRG website www.wrg.org.uk In December 2014 the Grantham Canal Society and Canal & River Trust were awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to restore locks 14 and 15. WRG is actively supporting this project through canal camps, weekend digs and provision of plant training. From 27th February – 1st March seventeen volunteers from WRG Forestry team spent three days felling large trees and clearing vegetation around lock 15 to enable restoration work to start. Then over the weekend of 21st-22nd March WRG’s Regional Group ‘Bit in the Middle’ ran a plant training weekend for Grantham Canal Society volunteers on small excavators and dumpers. WRG will be back again this summer running three week-long Canal Camps from the 22nd August-12th September. It is hoped these camps will be involved in starting restoration work on the nearside chamber wall of Lock 15 as well as putting in clay dams and water control measures so other work can start. If you’d like to volunteer please contact Jenny or Amber (details above). WRG also has two Canal Camps planned on the popular Cromford Canal (11th-24th July) – these camps are already full but visitors to the site at the Ironville Flight are always welcome. Aegre 142 - July 2015 Page 16
Two of the Faithful Vans
To support these camps and enable them to take place WRG owns a set of four vans. These vans travel around 10,000 miles annually across the country to ensure WRG keeps running smoothly. Since WRG first purchased the vans around eight years ago, they have been driven a total of 400,000 miles. This is the equivalent of travelling around the world sixteen times! These vans play a vital role transporting volunteers, equipment and tools on WRG’s camps and weekend digs across England and Wales, and without them WRG couldn’t continue to support canal restoration. The current fleet of four much-loved Transits needs to be retired and it is time to find new sets of wheels for the next generation of volunteers. IWA has launched an appeal to help WRG raise £120,000 to purchase the four vans with the aim of buying two vans in 2015 and a further two in 2016. We can’t do this without you. The appeal needs the support of people like you, who are passionate about waterways restoration, to help reach the target. If you would like to help WRG get this essential equipment for restoring canals then please make a donation or get involved in one or more of the many exciting events and activities that will take place throughout the appeal. Ways to Donate Online: See www.wrg.org.uk/wrgvanappeal for how to donate via the Virgin Money Giving appeal page. Cheque: Make cheques payable to The Inland Waterways Association and send them to WRG Van Appeal, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA. If you would like any further information on the appeal visit www.wrg.org.uk/wrgvanappeal or contact Toby Gomm at 01494 783453 ext. 611.
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Lincolnshire Happenings The EU Water Framework Directive places responsibility on all member states to achieve set targets in water quality. To monitor progress “River Basin Management Plans� are submitted every few years. In the UK the EA is responsible for these consultations and it is in the interests of all those associated with water activities to respond. In our Branch area there are three such areas. The Rivers Ancholme, Witham and Welland/Glen all have similar problems, one of which is excessive weed growth caused by phosphate and nitrate enrichment. Steps to deal with this are by reducing the amount of nitrate fertilisers used in agriculture and phosphate from sewage works. Water companies are introducing expensive equipment to strip this from their water discharges. Siltation, caused by fluctuating water levels eroding banks, is a major problem. It can block approaches to locks and lock gate recesses, as in the case of Fulney Lock, leading to the cancellation of the planned River Welland trip.
However! On the River Ancholme the first phase of a multi-user footpath travelling north from Brigg towards the Humber has been completed. There is news that water transport may be used to convey large quantities of straw to a new power station in Brigg, but erosion of bank-side moorings is making them unsuitable to use, losing the EA money. Louth Navigation Trust have had a successful special display at their local Museum and received good publicity on Estuary TV. Further damage to their unique lock chambers should be reduced, now that possible flood waters in the River Lud are to be stored in new lagoons being built up-stream to protect the Town. On the Sleaford Navigation, Trust members are working on the Cogglesford Mill Lock in the town, replacing brickwork removed to excavate tree roots that were damaging the chamber. The site for a winding hole upstream of South Kyme is regularly strimmed to deter wild life habitation.
Members of the Trust are represented on the River Witham Catchment Partnership, South Kyme Parish Council In Anglian Region the EA have a number of navigations with restrictions and Sleaford Regeneration Group. Here due to silt build-up. They have limited monies are available to create a large amounts of money to deal with the situ- wetland area to the west of the town ation and there are internal problems as that will store water in times of plenty and be released slowly in dry times to to who deals with it, Navigation or maintain a more acceptable level. Operations. There are promises for future improvements, but only time will For many years the dates, May to Septell. tember inclusive, when it is possible to
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navigate the Witham Navigable Drain have been publicised. This year however a boater entered prior to May whilst the system was still being filled, and became trapped upstream of a low bridge, as the levels rose to navigable level. To try and prevent a repetition, CRT and the Drainage Board are fitting information boards to the Anton`s Gowt Lock giving level control information. Due to Black Sluice entrance lock to the Fenland Link being closed for a long time, the EA are offering a concession, £10, to boaters wishing to visit the waterway over a number of days. There is no news of any further works being completed to extend the navigation towards the Rivers Welland and Glen.
Grantham Canal Heritage Initiative has received a Heritage Lottery Fund Award of £830,000 for a training in Heritage Skills programme for volunteers. This programme is to restore the remaining four Locks within the Branch area, namely Lock 12 Woolsthorpe Bottom, Lock 13 Stenwith, Lock 14 Kingston, and Lock 15 Woolsthorpe Middle. Lock 15 will be the first to receive attention. In addition to the HLF monies the Environmental Body WREN have committed a further £75,000 towards materials for this lock.
In Lincoln, extra visitor moorings are available on the Fossdyke, with CRT increasing the length of bank available. Work on Knipton Also on the north side of the River Feeder by GCS earlier Witham from the Glory Hole towards Stamp End Lock, a number of signs A matter of some concern is a Planare to be installed indicating that ning Application to remove several mooring is permitted, and for what thousands of tons of limestone from a time period. quarry site in Gorse Lane, Denton. This Brayford Trust has a new name affects a Public Right of Way and the “Brayford Harbour”. Due to a serious character or appearance of a Grade 2 build-up of silt in the Pool, the results Listed Building and a water supply to of a survey carried out by CRT are Denton Reservoir. Objections are being awaited to determine the volume to be submitted by CRT, GCS and the IWA. removed to restore proper navigable The Society has a very busy social and depth. The source of the silt which volunteer work programme; details of enters the Pool is from the Fossdyke their activities can be found on their and Upper Witham, which are within web site in their news letter “Bridge”. another authority’s responsibility. Dave Carnell
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News from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire One of the joys of my role as Chairman of the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Branch is being able to officially recognise the contributions to safeguarding or restoring our local waterways made by often unseen individuals. Bring forth the Champion Webster cup, which can be awarded to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to waterways in the local area. I emphasise the word, outstanding. It was therefore my great pleasure to present the cup at our AGM last February to David Hayes, a real behind-the-scenes stalwart of the Derby and Sandiacre Canal Society.
During early 2014 and late 2013 David was the main bid writer and organiser for the D&S Trust’s Heritage Lottery Fund bid. This is a huge task requiring much research into hisDavid lives in Spondon and is very tory, conservation, active in village activities and a key schools/educational involvement, promoter of the Derby and Sandiacre environmental/wildlife issues. At the canal in Spondon and to its Commu- same time having to gain and provide nity Association, of which he is a evidence of support for the project founder member. He has a backfrom a diverse array of other organiground in Local Authority planning sations and groups. Whilst doing this and is the link for the D&S Trust with David was also coordinating the Derby City Council, and key in devel- inputs of other authors and finally oping the correct contacts for canal writing the bid documents where the restoration. He is also a main contact number of words is capped ‌. a when Planning Applications need a severe test of concise use of the Engresponse from the D&S Canal Socilish language. This was then folety. lowed by many focusing re-writes Aegre 142 - July 2015 Page 20
with the long hours worked seemingly thy 2014 recipient of IWA’s Chamgoing unseen. pion Webster Cup. Coupled with this, David’s organisation and leading of walks along the canal in and around Derby (along with Derek Hathaway) is becoming quite famous. But few realise the comprehensive preparation and research that goes into finding all those historical insights and anecdotes that make the walks so popular, informative and memorable. But, if that wasn’t enough, it is also those hidden things that people don’t see that just get done that also make David’s contribution to waterways in the local area outstanding. If something is needed for a presentation or a bid, like a photograph, quietly and unbeknown out comes David’s camera, a long walk ensues along the canal and low and behold there is the photo you need. David Hayes, wor-
Other volunteers have also been out and about on the canals during Spring. On Friday 27th and Saturday 28th March, volunteers gathered for the Erewash Canal Clean up. Both days, the first led by Erewash Canal Preservation & Development Association and the second by the Branch, were once again a great success. Despite spells of wet weather, the volunteers covered the distance from Gallows Inn public house to Trent Lock over the two days, a distance of about 8 miles, grappling rubbish from the canal bed and litter picking as they went. On Friday, about twenty volunteers between Gallows Inn and Sandiacre Lock filled half the pan supplied by Canal & River Trust with bicycles, chairs, tyres and other debris. The
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opportunity was also taken to clear offside overhanging vegetation in key spots, which has had a significant effect on opening out the restricted channel. On the Saturday, about twenty volunteers were also joined by a section of the 1st Sawley Scouts and their leaders as part of work towards their community badge. Saturday's efforts saw a similar haul of rubbish and debris, which filled the remainder of the pan, although it was refreshing to note that the amount of rubbish had reduced compared to previous years – possibly a welcome result of everyone’s hard work over many years? Or an anomaly? Whatever, the Canal was left looking ready for the boating season and will hopefully be enjoyed more and more as the weather improves. Early summer saw Treasurer Brian White and I also out in the sunshine in Newark. It was our pleasure to make a donation towards the purchase by the Newark Heritage Barge (NHB) project of the barge Leicester Trader. They are making progress in raising the funds to purchase the barge and Brian and I were able to make a donation of £250 from Branch funds to aid their endeavours. The cheque was presented to project leader Les Reid beside the barge on White House Wharf in June (above right). As well as fundraising to purchase the barge outright and open up many new fund raising opportunities the NHB charitable organisation is also workAegre 142 - July 2015 Page 22
ing to restore the integrity of the hull and as we presented the cheque Les gave us a brief explanation of the project and the latest progress. The Leicester Trader is the only remaining Trent size dumb barge in original condition and the last built of the size dictated by the old William Jessop locks of the Trent Navigation. The much needed conservation work will ensure that the barge comprehensively fulfils the insurance regulations for navigation and will therefore enable visitors to re-live this part of our industrial history. After twelve months out of the water on White House Wharf in Newark, Leicester Trader’s outer hull restoration work is nearly complete. Having totted up well over 700 volunteer hours, the entire bottom of the hull and its sides up to a point several inches above the (unladen) waterline have been re plated. Each plate has had to be individually measured and fashioned. This is an enormous task in itself, but in order to fashion each new plate an individual template has to be created from the existing hull, requiring careful measurement, cardboard mock ups, a wooden version of the cardboard, then creation of accurate “patterns” from the wooden mock up before finally bending and shaping the new plate to the pattern. It is only when you view the shape of the bow and stern of the hull when out of the water that you can really see the complexity of the task and reflect on the
L to R Mike Snaith, Brian White, Les Reid, Ernest Body
enormous skill of Les and his team. Once fashioned, only then can you offer up the new plate to the hull and think about welding it in place. But nothing is being welded until the existing hull is made good, so that all the heritage of the hull is safely preserved within, before the new outer skin plate is welded in place. Not only welding at the plate edges but you also have to ensure that the new plates are bonded in the middle as well, so that nothing can ripple out of place. This technique not only ensures the ongoing integrity of the hull but also would enable the heritage features of the original hull to be revealed in future if desired. What a tremendous project and what a pleasure for the Branch to donate funds to this worthy cause.
Looking forward to activities being planned over the coming months, we are holding a Lock Winding event at Derwent Mouth Lock on the Trent on Mersey canal near Shardlow on Saturday 8th August. Volunteers will operate the lock on behalf of passing boaters in return for a donation towards waterways causes. Several worthy causes are in mind, such as the Chesterfield Canal Trust (Staveley Town Lock and the push towards restoring the canal under the adjacent railway) and Waterway Recovery Group (Van Appeal, see page 17) but no final decision has been made as I write. Maybe if it is a very successful day we can support more than one? If you are interested in helping out on the day please contact nottsandderbys@waterways.org.uk Aegre 142 - July 2015 Page 23
for more details. Last year it was great fun, boaters were very appreciative of the help and made many much needed donations. At the same time, as boaters and passers-by were extremely interested in learning about IWA and the cause we were raising money for, it made the whole day very worthwhile and a joy to participate in. This coming one could be even better. Further ahead we have a provisional date planned for a clean up of the Nottingham Canal on Sunday September 27th. The intention is to cover the central city area of the canal this year around the Magistrate’s Court and the retail parks (Sainsbury’s and Currys etc). Planning still needs to be completed, so the date is provisional, but we are going to need lots of volunteers to turn out to make this a success, so please watch this space and come along if you can. One reason for cleaning up that particular area is a new event, the Nottingham Canal Festival being planned for Saturday 10th October. It is hoped that maybe 20 historic narrow-boats in near to original condition will brighten up the canal space by the old Fellows, Morton and Clayton warehouse (currently known as the “Canal House” pub) opposite the Magistrate’s Court. There will be many waterway groups with displays to see, along with as many activities as can be packed in, so it should be a good day out. The Branch exhibition stand is being dusted off for this event and will be on display near the canal side. Feel free to join us on the day and help to promote IWA to hopefully large crowds. Or just come on down to say hello. We are hoping to help with trip boats, too, and we would be glad to hear from anyone willing to help in this way (and with the right ticket). Please contact Mike Snaith. October will also see the start of our season of Social evenings. After many a long year of holding these on the third Friday of the month at the Rushcliffe Arena in West Bridgford, it’s all about to change. Rushcliffe Arena will close during this summer for refurbishment and will not re-open for at least 18 months, so we are going have to change to a new venue. We have found a really good new one but it isn’t available on every Friday evening, so we are going to hold the first event of the season (in October) on the usual third Friday of the month but then change to a new evening. So we are going to change both the venue and the usual day in the month. (What could possibly go wrong?) The Social calendar for the foreseeable future will therefore be presented at the Poppy & Pint public house, Pierrepont Road, Lady Bay, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 5DX. It is worth looking up on the map for the first visit but it is easy to find thereafter. They also have a good website, so you can Aegre 142 - July 2015 Page 24
check them out on line as well. For any English ale aficionados they have some good hand-pulled local ales from the nearby Castle Rock brewery as well as good food, coffee, tea and soft drinks. The first event of the calendar will be on Friday 16th October with following events being scheduled for the second Thursday of the month. (Picture courtesy of Castle Rock Brewery). As we have only recently been able to book a venue and associated dates it means that only the first event on the calendar has been confirmed. This will be a great one as well, as we have Richard Parry, Chief Executive of the Canal and River Trust, giving an illustrated talk about waterways and the Trust. Richard is a great speaker so it will be a really interesting and enlightening evening with a question and answer session at the end. This illustrated talk will be at 7.45 pm on Friday October 16th at the Poppy & Pint. The November social will be on Thursday 12th November and will provisionally be an illustrated talk “The Great Central Railway, Past Present and Future” by Mike Riley of the Great Central Railway. Thursday 10th December will be our Christmas Social with buffet and illustrated talk, provisionally “The Montgomery Canal” by Mick Golds. So put the evening of the second Thursday in the month in your diaries but noting it is Friday 16th for the October meeting and see the calendar of provisional events at the back of this magazine. Do come and join us, everyone is most welcome, I look forward to seeing you there. Mike Snaith
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Around the Societies and Trusts Melton and Oakham Waterways Society Syston Hub News Revised plans for the Hub are now being drawn up. At a recent committee meeting a working party, consisting of committee members Mike Handford, Hugh Butler, Peter Samways and Paul Dadford, was formed to consider these plans and advise on future action. Earlier this year, a presentation was given to the Chairman of Syston Town Council and the Syston Town Manager. As a result, Councillor John Lillie was appointed to liaise with the MOWS committee and ensure co-operation between the Council and MOWS in moving forward. The Derby and Sandiacre Trust work parties continue at Draycott and Borrowash. Indoor meetings are planned to continue on the fourth Tuesday of the month at the Wilmot Arms, 49 Derby Road, Borrowash DE72 3HA. Cromford Canal. Leawood pump will be in operation on August 30 and 31, October 3, 4, and 31 and November 1. Their trips on Birdswood continue; call 07552 055455 for current details. Social meetings at Ironville Church Hall will resume on September 21, and then on October 19 and November 16. Sleaford Navigation Trust continue with their work parties (usually second Sunday of the month, call 01522 856810). For more news see Dave Carnell’s report on page 18 . Louth Navigation Trust is included in Dave Carnell’s report on page 18.
Erewash CP&DA have a new newsletter and a new chairman, Norman Cornwall, and his thoughts for the future are ones we could well share: “Work parties should include the whole canal, not just Langley Mill and Sandiacre Lock Cottage. One possibility is upgrading and repairing the towpath in various locations. I have spoken to CRT about ongoing, regular maintenance of lock gear and the like. If we are seen in action by users of the canal we have the opportunity of promoting ECP & DA. My aim is for closer co-operation with local canal associations, Friends of the Cromford, Derby & Sandiacre and perhaps even Trent & Mersey. I would like to raise our profile in the waterways press, promoting both the canal and membership of ECP & DA. Locally, how about posters in the notice boards on the Nottingham Canal toll house at Langley Mill and at Sandiacre? Aegre 142 - July 2015 Page 26
I believe we should look at getting some sensibly priced operator training for the machines we own, possibly through IWA. At present we have one regular driver of the RB excavator and Case and to the best of my knowledge, only one other person may be qualified to drive them. I would like to look at funding opportunities with local organisations such as Asda, Tesco and the like. We have a rally to look forward to in 2018. It sounds a long way ahead but takes a lot of organising. In short, new, younger members, more of the membership sharing the running of the Association, collaboration and co-operation with other clubs and organisations and seeking out new projects and the funding for them. Finally, the elephant in the room. I would love us to be able to continue where we left off with the Cromford extension, although I believe this should be in co-operation and collaboration with the Friends of Cromford Canal.” The ECP&DA will be having a stand at the event on 10th October at Castle Wharf Nottingham, to coincide with the Nottingham Castle Beer Festival. Foxton has had a major refit, costing about £200,000, and new digital displays to illustrate the site and the workings of the inclined plane. Well worth a fresh visit.
Rowing Events on the Witham for 2015 scheduled to be organised or hosted by Boston Rowing Club. September 20th 2015 (Sun) - Boston Marathon. 31 mile race from Stamp End Lock, Lincoln to Boston. November 1st 2015 (Sun) - GB Rowing Team Senior Long Distance Assessments & British University & College Sport Small Boats Head. 5km time trials between Langrick Bridge and Boston. November 14th 2015 (Sat) – GB Rowing Team Junior long Distance Assessments. 5km time trials between Langrick Bridge and Boston. December 19th 2015 (Sat) – GB Rowing Team Senior Long Distance Assessments. Further events are planned for 2016.
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New Boat for Chesterfield Canal Trust The first new Cuckoo boat to be built for over 80 years was officially named at Worksop Water Day. Cllr Sybil Fielding, the Chair of Nottinghamshire County Council, presided over a ceremony that included saying some traditional verses, pouring beer and throwing a mirror into the canal. This was the culmination of over a decade of planning, fund-raising and hard graft by a group of volunteers from the Chesterfield Canal Trust. Cuckoo boats were unique to the Chesterfield Canal. They never had engines, being horse drawn right up to the end of commercial working in the 1950s. They had a mast in order to sail when they ventured onto the River Trent. The last Cuckoo boat known to be in existence rotted away over 20 years ago. It was called Dawn. This gave the inspiration for the name of the new boat. The actual building work started four years ago. It was led by David Bownes who worked on Cuckoo boats as a young man. He was one of the very few people alive - possibly the only one - with real working knowledge of their construction. The volunteers decided to do it the traditional way, so they used only hand tools. No power tools were used at any stage. Even the dead straight 25 foot mast was carved out by hand. As the culmination of the naming ceremony, bunting was hoisted up the mast, topped by a pennant bearing the boat’s name. Worksop Water Day was organised by the East Midlands Waterways Partnership, the Canal & River Trust, Chesterfield Canal Trust, the Angling Trust, Focus on Young People in Bassetlaw, and Bassetlaw Aegre 142 - July 2015 Page 28
District Council. It was supported by the Grafton Angling Association, Worksop & District Anglers Association, Pleasley Canoe Club and the Lock Keeper Pub. It was very well attended, in fabulous weather, with lots of people taking boat trips, trying fishing or taking to the water in canoes. There were also several information stalls from the various organisations involved.
Picture Credits We are most grateful to all of the following, who have contributed photographs or other illustrations to enhance this edition of Aegre: Ian McDonald; Dave Carnell; Mike Snaith, Rod Auton; Shirley Rogers, David Pullen, and as noted for specific articles. Some photographs in this issue are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic Licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. The authors concerned are acknowledged in the relevant articles,
River Glen at Surfleet Seas End - tidal side
Journals Received We are very pleased to acknowledge copies of journals from various canal and river societies and trusts. They include “The Portal” from Friends of the Cromford Canal; “The Packet” from the Derby & Sandiacre Canal Society; “The Cuckoo”, from the Chesterfield Canal Trust; “The Bridge”, from Grantham Canal Society; “Sleaford Navigation Trust” journal; the “Melton and Oakham Newsletter”; and “The Wharfinger”, from Louth Navigation Trust, as well as “Navigation” from our neighbours at West Midlands, and the “Easterling” from our Eastern neighbours the EAWA. Anyone interested in receiving a copy of one of these journals should contact the relevant address given on page 4. For “The Cuckoo” contact the editor at 22 Works Road, Hollingwood, Chesterfield S43 2PF.
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Notts & Derby Branch Meetings The Notts and Derby branch of the IWA is organising a series of public meetings at a new venue. We are hoping to attract lots of new faces to the meetings and have arranged a very interesting and varied group of speakers. Non IWA members will be very welcome to attend. · ·
We meet on the second Thursday of the month throughout most of the year. (On Friday in October this year) Meetings are held at 7.45 pm at the Poppy & Pint, Pierrepont Road, Lady Bay, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2-5DX, about five minutes from the A6011/A52 (ring road) junction at Gamston.
Friday, October 16th 2015 “Canal and River Trust” - an illustrated talk by Richard Parry, Chief Executive, Canal and River Trust Thursday, November 12th 2015 - provisional topic, details to be confirmed “The Great Central Railway, Past, Present and Future” - an illustrated talk by Mike Riley (Great Central Railway).
Thursday, December 10th 2015 Christmas Social with buffet including an illustrated talk – topic to be confirmed but likely to be “The Montgomery Canal” by Mick Golds
Thursday, January 14th 2016 - provisional topic, details to be confirmed “Stanton – Gone but not Forgotten” an illustrated talk by Stephen Flinders about the history of the Stanton iron works that used to be beside the Erewash canal. Further information about meetings can be obtained by email, address :nottsandderbys@waterways.org.uk
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Nottingham Canal Festival 10 Oct 2015 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Castle Wharf, Carrington Street, Nottingham, NG2 1EE C&RT are organising an event to showcase Nottinghamshire's canals and River Trent to celebrate their role in the county's history and local communities. Castle Wharf will be alive with working boats once more as part of this special event. 20 boats will bring colour and their history to the city. Anyone wanting to bring a historic boat to the event should contact enquiries.emidlands@canalrivertrust.org.uk to book a space. There will also be be fun activities on and off the water including canoeing, angling, boat trips, craft stall and live music. C&RT are also seeking applications from crafts people for the stall pitches at the event. There is no fee for a pitch. Completed applications must be received by Friday 24th July 2015 and sent to Katherine@number8glass.co.uk IWA Nottingham plan to be there - see page 24.
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See story on page 15 Aegre 142 - July 2015 Page 32