Aegre 167
Winter 2023 with some Winding Ways From the East Midlands Region of the Aegre 167 - Winter 2023 Page 1
Aegre is published © 2023 by the East Midlands Region Committee of the Inland Waterways Association for members in Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Branches and Groups.
Chairman
David Pullen, 43 Howell Road, Heckington, Sleaford. Lincs NG34 9RX Tel: 01529 460547
Vice-Chairman Leicestershire Branch Chairman
Andrew Shephard, 41 Roman Road, Birstall, Leicester, LE4 4BB. E: andrewshephard1946@gmail.com
Lincolnshire Branch Chairman
Contact David Pullen (as above).
Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Branch Chairman
Contact David Pullen (as above).
Retiring Editor for Aegre: Peter Hill, 7 Lock Keeper’s Way, Louth LN11 0GQ E-mail: aegre.editor@waterways.org.uk Printing: Colour Image Loudwater. Picture credits: Front cover; Paula Hunt, WRG at work, see page 10. Others; see page 19.
Registered Office: 16B Chiltern Court, Asheridge Road, Chesham HP5 2PX. Registered as a Charity No: 212342. Tel: 01494 783453. Website:
http://www.waterways.org.uk 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. Dates and times of events may change and should be checked before travelling. Any chart fragments or related information on canal or river features will be out-of-date when published and should not be used for navigation.
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Aegre 167 Stockwith Lock on 28th October, just after high tide; level over side walls. Photo Nick Roberts.
Contents Winter 2023 Canal Societies and Trusts in the EM Region The Editor’s Flotsam and Jetsam From the Region Chair Nottinghamshire-Trent Group Stoke Bardolph Visitor Moorings News from Lincolnshire Sleaford Navigation Trust Louth Navigation Trust Black Sluice Pumping Station News from Leicestershire Market Harborough Festival of Boats & Arts Melton & Oakham Waterways Society Raw Dykes Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust Grantham Canal Society Picture Credits Journals Received Old Union Canals Society
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4 5 6 8 8 9 9 10 11 13 14 14 16 17 18 19 19 19
Canal Societies and Trusts in the EM Region
Derby & Sandiacre Canal Society Erewash Canal P & D Association Foxton Inclined Plane Trust
Friends of Charnwood Forest Canal
Chris Madge, c/o 62 Broadway, Duffield, Derby DE56 4BU Tel: 07827 946444 www.derbycanal.org.uk Norman Cornwell, 38 Millfield Road, Kimberley, Notts. NG16 2LJ Tel: 0115 8544155 Mobile 07854 451183 www.ecpda.org.uk (note the change) 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
Richard Handley, richard.handley@cromfordcanal.org www.cromfordcanal.org
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
Jerry Filor, Secretary, e-mail: jfilor@talktalk.net https://www.meltonwaterways.org.uk
Waterways Society
Old Union Canals Society
Jean Bourne, 2 Nithsdale Crescent, Market Harborough, LE16 9HA tel: 01858 461483 https://www.old-union-canals.org/events-news
Sleaford Navigation Trust
Steve Hayes, 10 Chelmer Close, N. Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 8TH Tel: 01522 689460 www.sleafordnavigation.co.uk
Stamford Canal Society
Ken Otter, The Meadows, Church Lane, Tallington, Stamford PE9 4RU Tel: 07761 452030 www.StamfordCanal.org
Trent and Mersey Canal Society
Margaret English, 10 Long Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire CW10 0BL. Tel: 01606 834471 www.tamcs.org.uk
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The Editor’s Flotsam and Jetsam I have to admit failure. A firm intention to retire as editor for this journal has fallen by the wayside. Zero forthcoming volunteers, and an offer to help the incoming editor has turned into the present (rather thin) edition. In the meantime our colleagues in Leicestershire have made a noble effort to plug the gap with their “Winding Ways”, so in order to keep other members up-to-date with their plans and activities we have included some of their material here. We have tried to keep other Branch areas equally up-to-date with some snippets of news, as well as our usual short summaries of some coming events around the Trusts and Societies in our Region. We deliberately try not to include items already well publicised in the national IWA quarterly “Waterways”, but of course are fully supporting the current actions to persuade the Treasury to restore CRT and EA Navigations funding. On national topics, it is difficult to ignore headings in journals like “Canal Boat” pointing to “turmoil at the top of IWA”. All I can say here is that there is no turmoil in this area of the Region, or in any areas I see or have contact with -
just steady progress with the various volunteer-driven projects, subject to the usual bureaucratic constraints. It is also difficult to ignore the effects of unusually heavv rainfall. I would normally expect to hear of incidents on the Trent after reports of the various flood gates being closed and the wing walls of the lock at West Stockwith only just showing above the water after a combination of strong fresh flow and high spring tides raised the river level. However, thankfully, our colleagues at Trentlink have not reported any. I was very concerned to hear that Nick Roberts, who started the Trentlink Facebook page, is thinking of ending his involvement next year. He has brought a combination of experience and skills to it, difficult to find elsewhere, and has spent much of his time as a boater on the river, and on the internet, to make it a real asset. From a knowledge of ColRegs to understanding the workings of CRT, we hope someone will come with a solution. From over 1800 members, surely…. Wishing you all the best for the future, Peter
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From the Region Chair
Regrettably our appeal for a new editor for Aegre has so far fallen on deaf ears and Peter Hill has offered to again edit this edition. If anyone is willing to take this on, or knows someone with editorial skills or aspirations, it’s not too late so please do get in touch. The Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign, which IWA is jointly leading, along with other waterway organisations, has certainly raised the profile of waterways and their contribution to people’s lives, wellbeing and prosperity. There is an on-line petition hosted through the IWA web site which has currently over 50,000 signatories; Petition · Fund Britain's Waterways · Change.org so please add your support. If the petition can reach 100,000 a Westminster debate can hopefully persuade Defra to look again at the future funding of our waterways.
Sometimes great things arise out of adversity and hopefully the threat to the future of our inland navigations will be the same. IWA desperately needs new and younger members, and this return to the campaigning zeal which originally led to the formation of IWA in 1946 is certainly an opportunity to create new momentum for our association. The best way of recruiting new blood is by existing members lobbying and sponsoring our future generations and family members to join us in fully supporting and enjoying our waterways. If each existing member could recruit just one new member this would make a huge increase in the ability and capacity for IWA to continue the fight. Largely due to the Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign, the long-term funding reduction for Canal and Rivers Trust post 2027 has had the headlines, but in fact the threat to the EA Navigations waterways is far more immediate with the current in year cut in capital works funding of 50%. We will be taking a first-hand look at how this plays out over the next several years, having just taken the decision to move on from Sileby Mill to take up a mooring on the River Nene near Northampton. We leave our Leicestershire mooring (after circa 15 years), with many happy memories but new horizons beckon! Page 6 Aegre 167 - Winter 2023
As pre-warned by EA and other local Nene users, the river duly went into “strong stream” conditions in mid-October which scuppered some family plans to explore out from our new marina mooring over school half-term. Little did we expect the deluge of rain that Lincolnshire and the East Midlands received in the last few days of that week though. At home, near Sleaford, I recorded 65mm (2.6in) of rain in a continuous 20 hour period, the most intense rainfall I have experienced in over 45 years living in Lincolnshire. However, this doesn’t challenge the 1 in 1000 rainfall event in North Lincolnshire in 2007 which saw over 100mm fall in 36 hours along both sides of the Humber Estuary. We wait with bated breath for a new IWA National Chair and a replacement CEO. These are difficult times for charitable organisations but, whilst there is a full complement of IWA Trustees, it seems that taking on the roles is not attractive to our otherwise hard working activists and volunteers. Look out for further developments in IWA’s “Waterways” magazine. David Pullen Chairman, IWA East Midlands Region.
Editor’s note: Two really useful Facebook sites for the Trent are : Visitor Moorings on the River Trent & Associated Waterways https://www.facebook.com/groups/267686390376240 Trentlink - Safe Navigation of the Tidal River Trent https://www.facebook.com/groups/666937220961360
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Nottinghamshire-Trent Group Stoke Bardolph Visitor Moorings We continue to make progress towards a rental agreement with Severn Trent Water (STW) for the moorings and canoe access point at the Ferry Boat Inn at Stole Bardolph. We plan to have these moorings fully functioning and signed for the start of the 2024 boating season. As part of the ongoing agreement with STW for these moorings, they would like us to confirm that going forward there will be a group of local volunteers to maintain the moorings. The adjacent grassed land between the moorings and the road will be maintained by STW who will continue cutting the grass. The moorings (timber and concrete) are currently in good condition as a result of the work undertaken by members of the Visitor Moorings group over the last 5 years, so it’s a matter of say a six-monthly visit to make sure all is well, repairing any damage and cutting back any vegetation. The area to be maintained is bounded by the red line in the plan, with recent photo below, from the village end. Can anyone able to put themselves forward as a volunteer please confirm, via the Facebook page, which will include me. You will not be taking on any personal liability whatsoever, and you can leave at any time. 3 or 4 reliable volunteers is sufficient, but the more the better. Robert Aspey
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News from Lincolnshire Sleaford Navigation Trust Volunteers from Sleaford Navigation Trust undertook considerable vegetation clearance on the Slea in September/October 2023. The encroaching willow trees needed cutting back iready to prepare the river for a trip boat.. Training for competent and safe use of pole saws and chain saws was partly funded by IWA/WRG. The equipment was purchased with financial assistance from Sleaford Community Power Fund..
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Louth Navigation Trust
WRG camp In August the Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) held a successful camp at Ticklepenny Lock, just downstream from Louth and the Keddington Lock which was the subject of work following collapse in 2019. Much cleaning out and re-pointing was done, and the result was a stable and safe looking set of walls. See below and our front cover. Forthcoming events and meetings Sunday 3rd December Louth Christmas Market, Eastgate.
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Black Sluice Pumping Station
Black Sluice Pumping Station with Black Sluice Lock, (to the right of the main pump house), and moorings in Boston. Black Sluice Pumping Station was opened in 1946. It is located in Boston next to the entrance into the Black Sluice Navigation, also known locally as the South Forty Foot Drain (SFFD). Black Sluice Navigation is a vital part of the proposed Boston to Peterborough (B2P) Wetland Corridor. The pumps are powered by five Ruston & Hornsby, Lincoln built, heavy fuel oil engines. These engines each develop 950 HP at 350 rpm. They are magnificent examples of Lincoln’s industrial and engineering heritage and history. Together the 5 pumps can move 60m³/sec (cumecs) up into the tidal Haven River (River Witham outfall). That is 60 tonnes every second!
One of the Ruston & Hornsby engines. The huge Gwynnes pumps are also from Lincoln and are coupled through David Brown (Gears) Ltd. gear boxes. (Yes, that’s the same David Brown of Aston Martin and Tractor fame!).
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Close up of a Gwynnes Pump The 5 engines, complete with modern fume extraction hoods. The pumping station was formally de-commissioned in 2018 when the Environment Agency, pretty much unilaterally, declared that it was unnecessary and too costly to maintain and operate. Why such a hugely expensive and well- built flood defence facility, which was considered essential in 1946, and which is eminently conservable and maintainable, should suddenly become “unnecessary” as we begin to come to terms with climate change, beggars belief! The Environment Agency is however open to hearing about any local proposals to save the heritage of the pumping station. Contact Maria Piraino via this email address for more information: SouthFortyFootCatchment@environment-agency.gov.uk David Pullen.
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News from Leicestershire AGM The Branch AGM will be held at The Gate Hangs Well, Fosse Way, Syston, Leicestershire, LE7 1NH, on Thursday 8th February 2024. The meeting will start at 7.30, and our guest speaker will be Nick Roberts, of Trentlink, who will be talking about various aspects of the River Trent. Birstall Lock We walk the dog past Birstall Lock most days, and on Monday 17 July we noticed that something wasn’t quite right with the top gate, so took a few pics and reported it to CRT. As can be seen from the photo, the off-side top gate balance beam had become detached from the actual gate. It was not clear why or how. It could have been damaged by a boat, or simply given way because the timbers were so rotten.
Anyway, CRT were fairly quick to advise boaters that the navigation was closed here, but until they came and padlocked the bottom gates, boats still persisted in getting through! CRT arrived three days later, on 20 July, and removed the balance beam, craning it onto the crane boat. (They knew they couldn’t leave it on the lock-side because it would have ended up in the lock!)
They were back to re-fit it on Monday 24 July, so all done in a week, which we thought was quite a good effort. They have also
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replaced the ‘fenders’, the little wooden upright pieces that are there to stop boats from getting caught up in the gap below the balance beams. Sadly, there are still no lock mooring bollards below the lock. This omission was pointed out to CRT it must be almost two years ago, in October 2021. Market Harborough Festival of Boats & Arts 2025 is the 75th anniversary of the 1950 Inland Waterways Festival of Boats & Arts held in Union Wharf, Market Harborough. The Leicestershire Branch, working in collaboration with the Canal & River Trust, the Old Union Canals Society and Harborough District Council, are organising an event to mark this important historical festival, to be held on Friday 30th May, Saturday 31st May and Sunday 1st June 2025. We will be basing the event at Foxton, as Union Wharf is no longer suitable, being now full of permanent CRT moorings and a hire fleet. The land-based activities will be sited in the existing event field at the top of the flight.
Boats will be assembled on allocated moorings above and below the staircase flight, and there will be an organised cavalcade up the Harborough Arm to Union Wharf and back on the Saturday to collect commemorative plaques. During the day, there will be entertainment from the Quorn Ukulele Orchestra in the event field, and we hope to have a performance from the Mikron Theatre Co. on the Friday or Saturday evening. The 1950 Festival of Boats & Arts in Market Harborough was the first Inland Waterways Association national rally, and was a huge success for the IWA and the town. It attracted around 120 boats of various shapes and sizes, and some 50,00 visitors. Full details will be available later on an Event Website. Melton & Oakham Waterways Society At the 2022 AGM the Chairman Mick Clowes announced his resignation after 17 years in office, and after a few “chairless” meetings a new incumbent, Glynn Cartwright, was appointed. Subsequently, the current Treasurer, who wished to step down, was
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replaced and one or two changes of personnel took place on the committee. So, with new ideas coming forward several major events took place, the first of which was to appoint a footpaths officer to replace the old footpaths committee. Mike Patterson will oversee the improvement of the footpath and towpath infrastructure adjoining the whole navigation from Syston to Melton and liaise with County Hall when problems arise. He also intends to stage guided walks along the navigation when time permits. As a happy coincidence, this lines up nicely with the recent publication of the “Wreake Valley Way” walks booklet. This, together with the re-printing (with additional information) of the guide book to the Melton Mowbray Navigation, is now on sale at many outlets around the town and beyond. The second and third things to occur broke new ground for the society, when a 30-foot steel trip boat “Daydream” was purchased along with 7 rowing boats (to be hired out) and a 12-metre floating pontoon to assist in the boat hire
side of things. Also, the old Melton Bowling Club changing room has been re-purposed as the hire boat office for staff and the storage of equipment and life jackets, etc. This all entailed a new programme of dredging around the Melton Ring to allow the trip boat to operate with 14 (12 passengers and 2 crew) on board and to create the new pontoon location. In addition, a winding hole has also been produced to allow the trip boat to return to base when not being used. It is envisaged that the rowing boats will be in operation from the rear of the café in Wilton Park, and the trip boat will run hourly trips from the Melton canal cut out to Eye Kettleby Lock and back, commencing next spring Exciting times ahead! For more information about The Melton & Oakham Waterways Society, go to: www.meltonwaterways.org.uk
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Raw Dykes
It must be unusual to look for a Roman road and find a Roman canal. This is roughly what happened when Steve Mitchell and John Poulter were investigating the site known as “Raw Dykes” by the Aylestone Road in Leicester. This rather modest earthwork now looks isolated amongst modern buildings and a railway, opposite a car showroom. Their research led them to suggest that the short but wide channel was once part of a canal built to carry stone from the area south-west of the city of Leicester (then called Ratae Corieltauvorum). The canal was fed from the upper River Soar near Narborough some 16km away, and led finally to the site of the Roman Bathhouse, where the Jewry Wall museum now stands. It thus provided stone for the buildings and water for the baths. Some confusion about ground levels measured in the 1930’s had led experts to believe that it would not have been possible for this to happen by gravity alone, but new level surveys suggest that this would have been workable. Pictures: © CC-SA-3.0. Above, Raw Dykes, North End by NotFromUtrecht. Below: Raw Dykes c 1960, from Leicester City Council.
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Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust
Chris Madge reports that Storm Babet caused considerable damage and disruption at Draycott. The rain was so heavy and for so many hours that water rushed down the hill behind the cottages and pooled in the small depression that is our cottages development. As a result all three tenanted cottages were flooded with around 6” of water throughout the ground floor. Less than 24 hours later the water had dropped considerably and the car park was open again. As soon as the water receded we’ve had a team in place to start the drying out process. We are still working through with the tenants how to handle the repairs and whether we compensate them for moving out.
Whilst the flood protection system seems to have coped well, we were concerned to protect the boat. When we saw the forecast we realised we needed to move it from the mooring under Causey Bridge, but we hadn’t yet effected the jetty protection so had to temporarily move the boat to an open steep bank where it would be able to rise and fall without snagging. This provided a good test for the new motor as the flow was already ten times normal. Fortunately we achieved the objective, but we’ll have to await the river levels falling before the maintenance and move to winter mooring is completed. This picture of the boat is taken from the Furnace pub with the City Road flood wall in the background.
At the trip boat pontoon, the River Derwent water level rose above all previous records to a high of 3.56 metres The previous highest from November 2019 had been 3.23. Parts of the city were flooded and many roads closed.
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Grantham Canal Society Open Days 2024 The Grantham Canal Society will be holding 4 open days next year, at the Woolsthorpe by Belvoir depot, NG32 1NY, and will be inviting stalls and information stands to join us at these events. We have room for at least a dozen stands in our marquee, and space outside for several gazebos. The events will be widely advertised in press and social media, with the added attraction of being held on the canal side, close to popular walking and cycle paths, and of course our friendly neighbours at the Dirty Duck pub. If you would be interested in coming along to any (or all!) of these events, please let me know as soon as possible by emailing me on membership@granthamcanal.org, quoting Open Days 2024 in the subject line. Sunday 21 April 2024 – Craft fair, Sunday 9 June 2024 – Strawberry Cream Teas. Sunday 11 August 2024 – Activities day. Sunday 22 September 2024 – Produce fair Jane Grylls Mike Stone says that winter work for volunteers includes; • Working with Belvoir Castle to restore the underground feeder from Knipton Reservoir to the Canal • Instructing and liaising with the consultants who are assessing the feasibility of a new link to the River Trent • Rebuilding Otter, the weed boat, to continue the removal of weed along the navigable length of the canal • Conducting a review of the society policies to ensure we continue to meet all legal requirements • Working for the canal owners, Canal & River Trust (CRT), to repair any leaks and weaknesses to the structure of the waterway • Undertaking preliminary work required to effect restoration of Lock 13 of the Woolsthorpe flight • Minimising leaks at Locks 18, 17 & 16, first restored in the 1990s. • Working with the volunteer groups in West Bridgford to enhance the appearance of the west end of the canal. • Upgrading and developing the Society’s website. • Improving society records, reports and communications So there are many opportunities for all types of skill - it’s not only bricks, lime mortar and mud.
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Old Union Canals Society The Old Union Canals Society have their monthly open meetings at Great Bowden Village Hall (LE16 7EU, near Market Harborough) at 7.30 on the last Friday of the month (except for Good Friday, when the meeting will be on the 22nd March 2024). A donation of £2 per person is requested to help cover costs. Visitors are welcome. Details from Mary Matts on 0116 2792188. Next events are the AGM on January 26th and meetings in the next months, yet to be finalised.
Picture Credits We are most grateful to all of the following, who have contributed photographs or other illustrations to enhance this edition of Aegre: Andrew Shephard; Chris Madge; Michelle Hill; Eddie Case; Archie Roberts; Dave Carnell; David Collin; Robert Aspey; Rod Auton; Phil May; Mel and Sue Sowerby; David Pullen; Jane Pollard; Mick Clowes; Alan Leather; David Pit; Malcolm Fielding; Keith Bown; Steve Kitt; Paula Hunt, and as noted for specific articles.
Journals Received We are very pleased to acknowledge copies of journals, sometimes in PDF format, 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; “Sleaford Navigation Trust” journal; the “Melton and Oakham Newsletter”; “The Wharfinger” from Louth Navigation Trust; “The Bridge” from Grantham Canal Society; “Grand Trunk” from the Trent and Mersey Canal Society; and “Union” from the Old Union Canal Society. 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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