Thrussington Lock and gate recess showing beautifully dressed stone blocks forming the quoin. See Melton story on page 20 for details.
From the East Midlands Region of the Aegre 158 - November 2020 Page 1
Aegre is published Š 2020 by the East Midlands Region Committee of the Inland Waterways Association for members of Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Branches.
Chairman
David Pullen, 43 Howell Road, Heckington, Sleaford. Lincs NG34 9RX Tel: 01529 460547
Vice-Chairman
Dave Carnell, Conifer Cottage, North End, Goxhill DN19 7JX Tel: 01469 530138
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
Graham Jeffery, Mercia Marina, Findern Lane, Willington, Derbyshire DE65 6DW E: graham.jeffery@hotmail.co.uk
Member & WRG rep.
John Baylis, 215 Clipstone Rd West, Forest Town, Mansfield NG19 0HJ Tel: 01623 621208
Secretary and Editor for Aegre: Peter Hill, 7 Lock Keeper’s Way, Louth LN11 0GQ E-mail: aegre@waterways.org.uk Printing: Colour Image Loudwater. Despatch: Branch Volunteers. Picture credits: Front cover, Melton volunteers. Others; see page 26.
Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA. 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.
Page 2 Aegre 158 - November 2020
Mural at Tallington on Stamford Canal (see Page 16 )
Aegre
No. 158 November 2020
Contents Canal Societies and Trusts in the EM Region The Editor’s Flotsam and Jetsam From the Region Chair Boston to Peterborough (B2P) Wetland Corridor News from Leicestershire Branch Stoke Bardolph Boston Black Sluice Lock The Stamford Canal Lincolnshire Branch News Boston Barrier Louth Navigation Trust Sleaford Navigation Trust Boston Alternative Energy Facility Melton and Oakham Waterways Society Derby and Sandiacre Canal Picture Credits Chesterfield Canal Trust Cromford Canal Grantham Canal Society Other Canal Societies and Trusts Journals Received Aegre 158 - November 2020 Page 3
4 5 6 8 10 14 15 16 18 20 21 23 23 24 26 26 27 28 30 31 32
Canal Societies and Trusts in the EM Region
Ancholme Rivers Trust
Gail Copson, 21 Maple Close, Brigg, North Lincs. DN20 9JE. Tel: 07769 950589.
Derby & Sandiacre Canal Society
Chris Madge, c/o 62 Broadway, Duffield, Derby DE56 4BU Tel: 07827 946444 www.derbycanal.org.uk
Erewash Canal P & D Association
Norman Cornwell, 38 Millfield Road, Kimberley, Notts. NG16 2LJ Tel: 0115 8544155 Mobile 07854 451183 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
Judy Berry, 5 Hambling Close, Nottingham NG6 7DX Tel: 0115 854 9852. 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 Waterways Society
Michael Clowes, tel: 01509 414140, e-mail: lindandmick@btinternet.com www.meltonwaterways.co.uk
Old Union Canals Society
Jean Bourne, 2 Nithsdale Crescent, Market Harborough, LE16 9HA tel: 01858 461483
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
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 There is a common theme to most of our items this time - it is that much can be achieved by co-operation with other organisations and authorities, and that persistent persuasion pays off. Perhaps a motto “PPP”? In particular, the work on the Boston to Peterborough Link has been going on quietly, but busily, like the traditional picture of the swan gliding gracefully through the water. See David’s report on page 8. On a smaller scale, we have news of a great initiative at Stoke Bardolph. This arose from Robert Aspey’s Facebook page on moorings along the Trent, and includes a valuable precedent where the riparian landowner has paid for the cost of some materials used. See more details on page 14. If you have not already supported this activity, do look at his Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ groups/267686390376240 Melton Society draw attention to the very useful effect Face-
book has had for them on numbers of those interested, maybe turning into actual members, and a major effort by volunteers at Thrussington. See page 24. Back in March 2015 we mentioned the Stamford Canal in the course of an article about the River Welland, which of course flows through Stamford. We now have a short summary on page 16 from Ken Otter of Tallington, to bring us up–to-date on the research, and the early importance of this canal to history. The Canal & River Trust East Midlands region will be holding an online Waterway Forum on 25th November 2020, 17:00 – 19:00. To express interest, e-mail to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/ signin/?referrer=%2Fo%2Fcan al-amp-river-trust-east-midlands-17956557145 They will be holding this online session via Zoom, and a link to the meeting will be sent to all registered attendees. Best wishes, Peter
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From the Region Chair In the two boat outings that we managed in mid and late summer, massive increases in visitors and users of the waterways in our area was very noticeable and greatly encouraging for the future of these prized public assets in our midst. Canoeing, cycling, walking, paddle boarding etc. can only hugely benefit people’s health and well-being and hopefully will result in much needed increases in funding for the waterways. IWA’s most powerful mantra “Love Your Waterways” has never been more pertinent!
is looking very promising. Let’s hope the proposals for improved visitor, long term and residential mooring facilities at Memory Lane Wharf really do come to fruition. See more detail in the Leicestershire Branch report on page 10.
Even as I write Covid 19 is returning with a vengeance, there seeming to be a chance of Tier 3 lock downs over most of the country. Nottingham, Erewash and now South Yorkshire are already there! Going forward into next year and beyond I’m sure the opportunities and accessibility for outdoor recreation and holidays on our waterways will continue to appeal to increasing numbers of “new” users. Ah well, we’ll just have to accept that the cat is now out of the bag about our previously well kept “secret hideaways”!
Next to Memory Lane Wharf is Limekiln Lock, and during our late September cruise, from Sileby down to Market Harborough, I was delighted to see that the IWA plaque commemorating the 1967 “IWA National Rally of Boats” (which was centred on Limekiln Lock), had been cleaned, and retained centre prominence amongst the newly commissioned and colourful graffiti. Although these graffiti are not to everyone’s taste, it definitely does brighten up the Belgrave section. There was also noticeably increased use of the waterway by the local BAME community, and we were pleased to be able to talk with one group of late teens about the
The work by Leicestershire Branch in promoting the City of Leicester as a destination and stop-over opportunity
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waterways, our boat, and their enjoyment of the space. Elsewhere, regrettably, my warnings and correspondence with CRT about the probability of groundings due to sand and gravel shoals on the River Trent pretty much fell on deaf ears until it was too late. In one three week period from mid-July RCR (River & Canal Rescue) turned out to 15 stranded boats, nearly all on the non-tidal sections. It seems to me that CRT are wilfully abrogating their responsibilities in maintaining a navigable channel and then expecting boaters to pick up the bill for recovery. On our roads, if a defective surface causes damage to a vehicle, e.g. pothole damage, the highways agency has to settle claims. Not so with CRT it seems! It is a far cry from how it used to be! Perhaps CRT are
practicing for takeover of EA navigations by making light of these navigation obstructions? Say it softly, but in terms of the devastating impact that the HS2b extension to Sheffield and Leeds may have had on restorations and businesses from Nottinghamshire northwards, it seems that there may be a reprieve for now. Whether this reprieve is temporary or permanent is still crucial and it still leaves these projects somewhat in limbo. IWA has always tried to steer a path between outright opposition to HS2 and ensuring that if it does happen that we minimise the downsides and maximise side benefits and opportunities. Our sympathies are fully with these “in limbo� project promoters. David
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Boston to Peterborough (B2P) Wetland Corridor The B2P business case update is now complete and a link will be uploaded to the IWA website on the Lincolnshire Branch pages as soon as it is finally signed off. One final piece of work that had to be done was to engage with Historic England to discuss their position regarding restoration of part of the Car Dyke near Peterborough as part of an open water channel which could be part of the water transfer for the provisional South Lincolnshire Reservoir(s) (SLR). Part of the route is some of the original Car Dyke channel which still exists and is in water. This section is operated as a “Main River� by Environment Agency but is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM). Despite SAM status there is absolutely no local interpretation or public access, but using the channel for part of the B2P channel would facilitate much more local archaeological investigation, and opening up the monument for local amenity.
Historic England are open minded about this possibility and are definitely not minded to oppose this in principle. Much will depend on detailed local investigations and channel design. This route was previously an option in the original Fen Waterways Link report by WS Atkins in 2003/4 but was discarded, principally because of the archaeological issues.
Car Dyke near Peterborough Work on the initial SLR design concept will now allow for up to four site options/outline designs to be submitted to OFWAT by July 2021. (Gate 1 in OFWAT parlance). This is a revised OFWAT milestone, previously only one option was allowed. A final single option has to be completed by Gate 2 in July 2022. Most of the work is now concentrating on
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water sourcing and ecological assessments. I recently visited Covenham Reservoir near Louth, which is an Anglian Water public water supply (PWS) reservoir. Covenham, although much smaller than the projected size for SLR, is somewhat of a “scale model” for the SLR reservoir in that it is fed by an open water channel – The Louth Canal (canalised River Lud). Various views of Covenham on this page. David Pullen
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News from Leicestershire Branch Social Gatherings: Our last meeting was the AGM in February, after which we were effectively locked down by Covid. We now have no social gatherings planned for this year or next. I am waiting for instructions as to the Annual General Meeting, which I believe has to happen in some shape or form. I have a feeling that ‘Zoom’ will be involved! Oh dear. Memory Lane Wharf: Some of you may have seen the piece in the Leicester Mercury regarding the Memory Lane Wharf development. In a nutshell, CRT have submitted a planning application for the project, and we are very pleased to see progress on this development, for which the Leicestershire Branch has been campaigning for many years. Here is a relevant link: https://www.leicestermercury.co. uk/news/leicester-news/slowboat-leicester-plans-unveiled4566991 The item is based on the following CRT press release, and we are really very pleased to have been given the chance to provide an input to it: Plans Submitted to Attract More Boaters To Visit Leicester Leicester’s waterways could be set to welcome more boats as part of
plans which will bring colour to the city’s waterways and provide a welcome boost to the local tourism economy. Waterways and well-being charity, Canal & River Trust, working in partnership with Leicester City Council, has submitted plans for new boat moorings to be created at the city’s historic Memory Lane Wharf, enabling boaters to stop off and explore the city. The plans, which have been drawn up in consultation with the Inland Waterways Association, would see 6-8 residential moorings and 4-6 secure visitor moorings created, with electric hook-ups, water point and waste facilities. If approved works would begin this October with the moorings available for use in 2021. The project would be the third phase in a wider initiative to attract more boaters into Leicester. Earlier phases have already seen visitor moorings created at Friars Mill and new mooring rings installed near Wolsey Island last year. More than £500,000 has been invested in increasing mooring capacity in Leicester since 2017. The latest phase will see a further £315,000 invested, with funding coming from the Local Growth Fund, following a successful bid by the Leicester & Leicestershire Local Enterprise
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Memory Lane now Partnership, Leicester City Council and the Trust, as well as £100,000 investment from the Trust. The investment will help to continue the renaissance of Leicester’s waterways, which are on the doorstep for more than a third of people living in the city. The waterway provides a green route to work and the shops or just a quiet place to relax. More than 3km of towpath, between Soar Island and Belgrave Lock, has been improved in recent years with further phases of work to improve the towpaths over the next year. Speaking about the proposed new moorings at Memory Lane, Leicester City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, said: “For far too long Leicester’s beautiful waterways have been a hidden gem. Thanks
to our ongoing work with Canal & River Trust, the Inland Waterways Association and other partners, we have made a huge investment in improving the city’s riverside and canals for pedestrians and cyclists. “Now boaters are set to benefit from this ambitious improvement programme with top quality moorings at Leicester’s Memory Lane Wharf. I am sure that this will help encourage many people to discover Leicester by water.” Phil Mulligan, regional director for the Canal & River Trust, said: “This is really exciting news for boaters but it’s also great for the city as a whole. Boats add colour and life to our waterways but they also help to give the local economy a boost as people stop off to visit the local shops, pubs and attractions.
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“It’s a continuation of the great work that’s been happening on Leicester’s waterways in recent years with investments in the towpath and the addition of some much-needed boater facilities. This investment means Boats at the National Rally 1967. Photo that more people are Ros Mackay. feeling the benefits that a healthy, thriving waterway can bring. 1967 was the site of the IWA’s National Rally, attended by some “We’re delighted that Leicester 350 boats. It will be fantastic to City Council and Leicester and see boats using it again and bringLeicestershire LEP recognise the ing it back to life. The Leicesterimportant role that the city’s shire Branch of the IWA have waterways play in daily life and I’d been campaigning for this restoralike to thank them for their contion, and we are absolutely tinued support in helping us to delighted to see it happening.” make them even better.” Birstall Lock: Andrew Shephard, chairman of During the summer, the Canal & the Leicestershire branch of the River Trust began work at Birstall Inland Waterways Association, Lock to create a new lock landing, said: “These new moorings, along below the lock. New piling has with the important boater’s facilibeen hammered in along a stretch ties, will be a very welcome furof about 22 metres, tapering from ther addition to Leicester’s the bridge buttress on the near waterways and will undoubtedly side to join up with the existing encourage more boaters to stop towpath. There does not appear to off and see what the city has to be any provision of steps up to the offer. bottom gate - having secured their “Memory Lane Wharf was once a boat, boaters will have to retrace thriving inland port, and in July Page 12 Aegre 158 - November 2020
artwork. Views of the Branch Committee have been mixed. Some have applauded the brightening up of some of the run-down features of the waterway. Others are mixed. Personally, I had hoped that the Memory Birstall Lock - New Lock Landing. Lane Wharf The photo is taken looking towards the lock. project might have inspired Still some way to go. Leicester College to carry out the ‘waterside their steps back to the existing social area’ adjacent to Limekiln towpath. Lock and the wharf, a proposal There was a slight hiatus in the included in their architect’s outwork when the crane they were line design for this site. I hope the using broke down but once a new new mural does not discourage machine came out progress the College if ever they re-visit appeared to pick up again. As the photo shows, however, the project this idea. is not yet complete, and we have 2021 no information at this time on the By the time this edition hits your planned completion date. Hopedoormat, Christmas will be fully before the start of the 2021 quickly approaching. So, on behalf boating season. of the Branch Committee, very best wishes for Christmas and a Limekiln Lock: very Happy New Year. Let us hope As mentioned in David’s report, that 2021 is not quite so difficult. page 6 , the mural at Limekiln Lock has now been completed, and as he says, it is good to see the Andrew Shephard Chairman, Leicestershire Branch IWA commemorative plaque restored and incorporated into the Aegre 158 - November 2020 Page 13
Stoke Bardolph IWA committee members David Pullen and Robert Aspey met at Stoke Bardolph Visitor Moorings on 30th September 2020. With right-angled forks and rope they managed to remove several large rocks, and a pole attached to a concrete base, that had been reducing the navigation depth alongside the moorings. paid for the cost of replacement composite deck boards. These are very popular moorings in a picturesque spot alongside the Ferry Boat Inn. Therefore we feel it is worth looking after them, and to that end are looking at forming an informal partnership
The average minimum depth for boats is now around 2' 6", but be careful at either end of the timber moorings ,where there are some shallow spots formed by rocks they were unable to move. Both CRT (the navigation authority) and STW (Severn Trent Water, the land owner) are unwilling to dredge or maintain these moorings due to financial restrictions. However STW are happy for the IWA to maintain these moorings on their behalf, and have already
with the Parish Council, STW, Gunthorpe Leisure Boats, and the landlord of the Ferry Boat Inn to maintain and improve the area.
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Robert Aspey
Boston Black Sluice Lock Over the autumn and winter of 2019/20 the county was impacted by prolonged and heavy rain, with persistently saturated ground resulting in high levels in our watercourses. The first phase of an EA programme has been completed on the gravity sluice, and involved replacing the hinges to the guillotine gate and fitting new straps to the tidal pointing doors. The second phase is a far larger piece of work on the navigation lock, which involves a full drain down of the structure. This will allow specialist contractors to safely carry out detailed inspections of all parts of the lock which are often under water, as well as replacing or repairing any required parts. We are also carrying out general maintenance and service to the site, plus a 3D survey of the whole structure will be taken to provide an extremely detailed model of the lock for our records. The drain down of the lock will involve fitting purpose-built dam
boards, sealing off the inflow of water. This means that navigation will not be possible during these works, and the lock was formally closed for a four week period from August 2020. Because of the lock’s vital role as a gravity sluice during heavy rain, we have opted to close the asset during the summer months to mitigate the flood risk. In addition, our contractors have a contingency plan in place for unexpected events. Should we receive a high rainfall alert during the time the lock is closed and managing through the guillotine gate alone may lead to flooding, a crane will be on site to remove the dam boards and allow us to use the sluice as normal. Information courtesy of EA.
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The Stamford Canal
Most IWA members in Lincolnshire know the local waterways and canal sections quite well with the majority probably believing the printed history of the canals and industrial revolution in England. Unfortunately the words ‘printed history’ are anathema to us here in the south of Lincolnshire. Because no-one documented the building and use of the Stamford Canal has meant that its position in the history of canals in England has been forgotten, down-graded and/or ignored. Our hope and intent is that its story will be told and everyone benefit from the research undertaken in recent years to show how important this very early canal was to Lincolnshire. A little bit of the recorded history will put this omission into context: The Stamford Canal received Parliamentary assent several times
from 1571 and was then built in the 1660’s, and by 1670 it was fully in use. On the 12.5 miles between Stamford and Market Deeping there were ten locks on the canal and two on the River Welland in Deeping St James. An average of 3,000 tons of Newcastle coal were transported yearly from Spalding towards Stamford, along with products from elsewhere, including Europe, brought in via the Wash. Manufactured goods returned from Stamford, with other goods and crops collected on the return. The last boats travelled from Stamford in 1863, with silting up and competition from the railways causing lack of trade. Built 100 years before the Bridgewater canal, it had provided almost exactly 200 years of daily use. The Bridgewater Canal first got assent in 1759, then Brindley’s design got assent in 1760 and it was built by 1761 with no locks.
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Canal Bridge near Uffington Used for carrying coal and minerals to Manchester, the boats returned empty. Yes, the industrial revolution was beginning but the Stamford Canal had brought prosperity back to Stamford and south Lincolnshire for 100 years and continued to do so for another 100 years. For the full story, please look at the 200 page website dedicated to this important early waterway. At Deeping St James
StamfordCanal.info is not only an educational facility, but a working repository for past and current research with everything known or written about the River Welland and the canal from Stamford to the Wash over the years. If any of you have anything to contribute towards it, please get in touch. The mural shown on page 3 is a 32' wide x 8' high work in progress in lock 5 at Tallington to show schoolchildren (and locals) how it looked in 1670 with the lock-keeper’s cottage and the Crooked Billett alehouse! Ken Otter email: ken@tallington. info
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Lincolnshire Branch News A Branch committee meeting was held on July 22 at Saxilby, (overlooking the Fosdyke Canal!) in the garden of new committee members Adrian and Chris Dann. David Pullen was elected Chairman, as Dave Carnell, previously long-standing chairman, had indicated that he did not wish to stand for re-election. Huge thanks to Dave for his sterling work and achievements over many years as branch chairman. Dave is continuing on the committee as Treasurer, and overseeing and reporting for IWA on Louth Canal and River Ancholme Navigation. Penny Carnell was elected minutes and membership Secretary. Both Dave and Penny have over 40 years service on Lincs Branch committee and again huge thanks for their commitment and achievements over this marathon period. Adrian and Chris Dann will oversee and report on Fossdyke and Witham Navigation. Mel Sowerby will cover Sleaford Navigation and David Pullen will cover Witham Navigable Drains and Boston to Peterborough (B2P) Wetland Corridor. At a subsequent virtual (Zoom) committee meeting on 14 October the following branch meetings were proposed:
18 November 2020, 7 pm Stamford Canal presentation (Zoom) by Ken Otter Early January (TBC) Work of the Waterways Chaplaincy, Adrian and Chris Dann May 2021 Visit to Anglian Water Covenham Reservoir, (possibly joint meeting with Louth Canal Trust?). The November and January meetings will be Zoom virtual meetings. Joining details will be circulated by email to all branch and IWA members nationally. Witham and Fossdyke CRT advised a four month closure, October to January, of the Fossdyke Canal and a shorter closure of Stamp End Lock, in some 20 pages of their works. They did not contact anyone locally, and by chance a local boater found them. Along with British Canoeing and Brayford Trust, Dave Carnell lodged our concerns about the total closure and was informed it was in respect of a third party works application. This was for the EA who are to install 300 metres of flood protection piling on the north side of the canal, from Brayford Pool westwards towards the CRT facilities.
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River cruiser passing moored narrow-boats at the site of the flood wall improvements proposed by EA
The total closure prevented passage from the Brayford Pool westwards to the CRT facilities. Dave contacted the EA and explained the problem caused by a total closure to around 200 craft and asked if it was possible to leave a single navigation channel open. He was also informed the cost to the EA for a full closure was ÂŁ40,000, and that they had not realized the impact on navigation. As of now the EA have confirmed they are unable to reach an agreement with CRT on this, and the works are cancelled for this year.
They are reviewing the project, which will take place sometime next year. At Stamp End Lock in Lincoln, CRT planned a stoppage from 2 Nov to 15 Dec 2020 for refurbishment of the existing operating system for the guillotine gate arrangement. This was a draft notice of works planned as part of the winter 2020/21 stoppages programme. This is now subject to change depending on the latest advice from the government on corona virus. DP and DC
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Boston Barrier Way back in November 2008 we ran an article in Aegre about the major storm and tide flood barrier near Rotterdam in the Netherlands. As it is just past the equinox as we write, it is interesting to hear from Adam Robinson of the Environment Agency relating it to the works at Boston. He says: “It’s storm surge barrier testing season, and our Dutch colleagues at Rijkswaterstaat are live streaming the test closures of the Maeslant Barrier and Hartel Barrier on Sunday 20th September. This is a popular spectator event in South Holland but due to COVID-19 they made the test closure, including webcam and drone footage, available on their YouTube channel so that everyone can watch it, . It may still be there try https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtXnptHCtFQ “Key facts: the Maeslant barrier or Maeslant Kering has two 210 metre long barrier gates, with two 237 metre long steel trusses holding each gate. So about the size of the Eiffel Tower. (In the picture, the three small “dashes” to the right are tour buses). “At almost the same time, we had spring tides in Boston, but not significant enough to trigger closure of our barrier. A test closure was planned for Thursday 24 September 2020 though, at 16:00. This was a full gate closure at low tide as part of our site acceptance testing regime, as we continue to bring our primary barrier fully on-line for the end of the year.” Pictures from BAM/Rijkswaterstaat and Environment Agency.
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Louth Navigation Trust Celebrating 250 years since Louth Navigation was built and Louth saw an industrial dockland develop. Wealth came to the town with merchants and grand houses, shipbuilding and trade. The building of the canal was an engineering coup by John Grundy, ploughing through the marsh with his barrel-shaped locks. The heritage is still here to celebrate: the many warehouses, five of the eight locks, and most of all it is still in water. Now used for pleasure, the canal is every bit key to the people of Louth as we enter a new era. In a year of cancellations Louth Navigation Trust (LNT) were delighted to actually celebrate the canal@250 anniversary on 12 & 13 September just before further restrictions were announced. The event was funded by the Awards for All community fund. Wonderful live music was performed on the wharf at Navigation Warehouse. For most of the musicians it was their first job and likely to be their last this year. A specially commissioned poem by Fee Griffin (now available on the website www.louthcanal.org.uk ) was performed at the Warehouse to a socially distanced audience basking in the sunshine. Fee managed to capture the heritage and beauty of the canal which has been the driving force for LNT.
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The EA currently hold only shallow water in the Riverhead basin. LNT would like this to be deeper, and to make this point a water craft display, courtesy of Cleethorpes Model Boat Association and Joanne Joveini in her canoe, took place throughout the weekend. Stuart Sizer gave a talk and led a walk as part of the Heritage Open Days festival which started the same weekend. Bensley’s homemade ice cream van attracted people to the waterside and the Woolpack Pub served refreshments. Whilst the event was well supported, we were not inundated with people, which kept a happy and relaxed atmosphere. One way systems, hand sanitizers, social distance signs and risk assessments made for a lot of extra preparation, but we were satisfied we were “covid secure”.
Louth Mayor Cllr Darren Hobson opens the event
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The next weekend three young men paddled kayaks from Humberston Fitties to the Gas Lamp Pub by the Riverhead in Louth, researching LNT’s next venture, the Canoe Trail on the Navigation. More on this later. From Paula Hunt
Sleaford Navigation Trust One unexpected bonus of installing the landing stages in South Kyme has been that there are some new residents in the village. This otter was spotted by village resident Jo Shields last week and we thank her for allowing us to use her photo. The otter seems quite friendly as this photo was taken in the daylight using just a phone, no fancy photographic equipment. Apparently there’s also the possibility that there is a family of them living there. The work parties will hopefully continue, usually on the second Sunday of the month. Call Mel Sowerby on 01522 856810 for details. From Steve Hayes
Boston Alternative Energy Facility This project is effectively a power station burning recovered household waste to generate about 100MW. It is of interest to boaters because it will involve cargo vessels up to about 2500 tons coming up the Haven to a new wharf, part of the Riverside Industrial Estate, on the right bank about 500m below the existing dock entrance. Planned are about 120 ship movements per year, coming up at a high tide and unloading before turning round, probably at the elbow just below the dock entrance to leave, again tide permitting.
Site plan courtesy of BAEF
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Melton and Oakham Waterways Society
Welcome to the jungle! MOWS volunteers went along to start to clear Thrussington Lock chamber of 150 years’ worth of silt and vegetation; repair what was repairable and to install a recently acquired lock gate. The final planned act would be to install a fence on the towpath side and an interpretation board.
The present floor of the chamber consists of about a metre of silt, but is flat and gave a good working platform. A massive bonfire (always an essential) saw the vegetation disappear, but revealed a tree stump and several large stone blocks amid a carpet of old bricks from the towpath side wall.
The towpath-side wall had been used as a “practice piece� for the Royal Engineers to test out explosives just prior to WW2 and is now in a ruined state.
As the photographs show (this page and the front cover), the initial clearance brought dramatic results, revealing brickwork in various stages of disrepair and beautifully dressed stone blocks making up the quoin and gate recesses at either end.
Initially volunteers were divided into two teams. One worked on clearing the existing lock wall, whilst the other worked on the opposite side removing vegetation and saplings to let in the light.
Work party 2 saw the mill owner using his digger and dumper truck to effect further clearance whilst
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Additionally, the large block we were removing turned out to have the quoin recess too, showing it to be part of the stack, and two nearby blocks turned out to be others from the same stack including the coping, with the distinctive carved collar retaining slot.
Collar-retaining recess cut into towpath side the volunteers cut back towpathside trees to give sight lines into the chamber, and started to attack the vast swathes of ivy that sit atop the extant side wall. This revealed the collar-retaining slot hand-dressed into the coping. Tower scaffolding was erected to allow work to be done on a piece of overhanging brickwork and just before the end of the session a great discovery was made. Whilst attempting to remove a massive stone block from the floor of the chamber, the digger uncovered one of the blocks that made up the quoin recess on the towpath side and a measurement across of 14’6” confirmed this to be the match to the other side.
Meanwhile at the other end, a paddle hole was uncovered with the brickwork all intact and leaving us plenty to explore. (Pictures from “the volunteers”). Earlier this year, members of the society expressed concern over development at Sysonby Grange. The developer appeared to be clearing the whole site, which included many mature trees, and seemed to have created an artificial ‘lagoon’ by breaking through the existing riverbank. We contacted MBC Planning Office and the EA to check. Subsequently, work seems to have stopped (picture below). From Mick Clowes
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Derby and Sandiacre Canal Eddie Case reports that working parties are still ongoing. With the new rules that are effective from Monday 14th September they will restrict groups to a maximum of six people, well-spaced apart, to continue the hedge cutting that started last month. The work at the Draycott cottages has moved on in leaps and bounds, Don and Derek have nearly finished the “Great Wall of
Draycott”, behind the cottages. Having once visited the actual Great Wall, there are certain similarities! Work is also ongoing at Sandiacre to check the state of the lock walls. The more that Gary and David dig, with various helpers, the more issues seem to arise. However, we will overcome any obstacles. The trip boat is coming! Work has been on-going on the kitchen fitout and the electrical systems that are needed. We are also looking at crew being trained by the Chesterfield restoration group, all ready for a hopeful launch prior to the winter floods/high water. The Outram is currently based at Long Eaton for the fit-out.
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; Michelle Hill, Eddie Case, Archie Roberts, Dave Carnell; David Collin; Mike Snaith; Rod Auton; Mel and Sue Sowerby; David Pullen; Jane Pollard; Mick Clowes; Malcolm Fielding, and as noted for specific articles. Stoke Bardolph article Robert Aspey and Ferry Boat Inn cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Jim Thornton - geograph.org.uk/p/629286.
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Chesterfield Canal Trust In August, David Smith, a Life Member of the Trust, ran the full length of the canal and back to raise money for our 2027 Restoration Appeal. Just to make it more interesting, he did it dressed as Scooby Doo! Altogether he has raised over £2,000. David is a pharmacist. Having done a morning’s work, on 29th August he left Chesterfield at 2.40 p.m. He ran all 46 miles to West Stockwith on the River Trent, arriving just after 1 a.m. He then turned round and ran straight back to Chesterfield. In total he covered 94.7 miles in 23 hours and 6 minutes. A marathon is 26 miles, so that’s just over 3½ marathons in less than a day. He burnt 8,657 calories and took 185,367 steps. The Trust has now reached 2000 members at the end of last month, a real achievement for a locally based organisation. Work Party volunteers have been puddling the clay into Hartington Harbour ready to flood it very soon. If you have not yet watched it, see the AGM presentation by Peter Hardy, the Chair of CCT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL0H5RsPoc0 There is also a recent trip from Clayworth to Ranby with the boat Seth Ellis to see at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXyMFEZb8W4 You can buy the 2021 Trust calendar at Hollingwood Hub, at Katey’s Coffee Shop or our shop (which is now open virtually every day), at Tapton Lock Visitor Centre .
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Cromford Canal Beggarlee Planning Permission Granted After a wait of almost a year and a half, Planning Permission has finally been granted to the extension of the navigable canal north from Langley Mill, through a staircase pair of locks, under the A610 and through to its original course at Stoney Lane, Brinsley. See the visualisation on the next page. New Walker's Guide A new edition of the FCC's perennially popular “A Walker's Guide to the Cromford Canal” has just been published. This third edition takes on a new form as 'A Walk Through History', guiding you not only along the route of the canal today, but showing you what it used to look like in the past. There is a public footpath along most of the route, but diversions are necessary in some places, and the footpaths are not always easy to follow. With this guide you can confidently trace the entire route of the canal from Langley Mill to Pinxton and Cromford. The guide breaks the walk down into shorter sections, from one to five miles. Car parks and local public transport services are detailed, and local refreshment stops are listed. Copies of the new 36-page guide are available at just £5 (post free) from the online shop at www.birdswood.org or by post from Friends of the Cromford Canal, 264 Bennett Street, Long Eaton, Nottingham NG10 4JA. Page 28 Aegre 158 - November 2020
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Grantham Canal Society Mike Stone reports: that now the flying wildlife has ceased nesting, jobs planned include: re-constructing the slipway at the depot; several specific issues at locks 16 to 18; continuing to clear the canal of hazards (weeds and other things) and establish the depth of water between Lock 18 and the A1; raising the level of Denton runoff weir; examining the nonnavigable canal for blockages and leaks that cause potential water loss; keeping fingers crossed awaiting the outcome of recent funding bids; recruiting more volunteers; raising funds to replace income lost as a result of covid-19 during 2020 and, almost forgotten, completing Lock 14 reconstruction. Four months of uncontrolled weed growth along the navigable section has really tested the commitment of our Maintenance Team volunteers. The Canadian Pond weed has actually stopped the motorised craft from moving. Thank goodness we have a new weed cutter boat! Even with this addition to our armoury constant and repetitive work has been required to clear a reasonable section up to Bridge 62
so that the trip-boat can again operate. The very appropriate name chosen for the new weedboat is Otter. We appreciate the support on this given by the Rothen Group and their staff. By the time you read this the water might be trickling into Lock 14 now that the lads from CRT have installed both sets of gates. We should thank them all for their skill and expertise and we hope
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the gates serve the lock for many years to come. Those of you who purchased memorial bricks will be pleased to know that they have been erected in the form of a bench seat at Lock 15. Many thanks to Bob Terry, Dave Cross & Jim Freeman for these photos.
Other Canal Societies and Trusts Old Union Canals Society
Trent and Mersey.
normally hold their monthly meetings in Great Bowden village hall (LE16 7EU) on the last Friday of the month at 7.30pm. For current information call Mary Matts on 0116 2792188.
Their social programme, if you are near enough, is at The Red Bull Public House, Congleton Road South, Stoke-on-Trent, ST7 3AJ and the planned programme will hopefully continue this year on: ● 20/11/2020 Spot the Locks take 2, by Peter Scott ● 15/01/2021 The changing scene and history of the Shropshire Union canal, by Ian Wilson ● 19/02/2021 Warrington Transporter Bridge, by Margaret Ingham ● 19/03/2021 Ampère in Ireland, by Malcolm Bridge
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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; “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; “Union” from the Old Union Canal Society, 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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