The Packet Boat - Winter 2023

Chester & Merseyside Branch

Winter 2023

Branch Walking group: the Winsford Parkway on the river Weaver

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Chairman’s Report - Winter 2023 It seems very strange composing this report as I’m doing it before Christmas and the New Year. Since the Summer 2023 edition the branch held the Waterways Restoration Showcase on the 29th & 30th July aboard the Steamship Daniel Adamson at its “home” moorings on the river Weaver at Sutton Wharf near Frodsham. Despite a low footfall the various societies reported that there was a lot of enthusiasm from the people that did attend and some even recruited a couple of volunteers.

The branch socials with guest speakers recommenced on the 10th October at the Holiday Inn, Ellesmere Port but the number of members attending is declining. These talks are put on for the benefit of members to socialise and have a pleasant evening with other members (and nonmembers) and are free to attend - please support the branch if you can.

There is always a fun raffle and a sales stand offering books, IWA merchandise and other small items. Instead of a talk in November we undertook a quiz night which proved very popular so we will be conducting another one in February. A full programme of the social talks is available in this issue of Packet Boat.

Winter walks organised by Derek Smith are attracting good numbers and are another chance to socialise with like-minded people, and get some exercise.

Beyond organising social events, and this list is not exhaustive, the committee undertake active roles in delivering the Chester One City Plan, monitoring all planning applications in the branch area that could infringe on the waterways environment, publicising events in our area, liaising with other local branches and waterways organisations as well as producing this Packet Boat!

On that note, is there anything else that you feel we should be doing and if so, could you help us in that goal? Head Office sent out the IWA Member Survey at the end of November and I hope that some of you would have completed it and let the Trustees know your thoughts and aspirations for the Association. The branch would also like to hear from you as to what we could do to stimulate more activity locally so please feel free to contact me at my usual address - on the back page. A Happy Christmas and New Year to you all; and I hope to see you again in 2024.

Jim Forkin. Branch Chairman.

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Editors Musings Hi there, I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year. I’m sure you will all be wondering why we are producing the Chester Packet so early in the year; but I am going off on a cruise early in January and we won’t be back until the end of Feb so it’s now or never. I won’t say where we are off to but it will hopefully be a lot warmer and sunnier. In Spring we will be starting our plans for Summer cruising in our own little boat, hopefully starting in May, with the Moira Festival where I hope this year, we won’t be facing a waterlogged ground. We should be holding our AGM and annual get together of the Wilderness boats, plus a few others who normally join us. It will be interesting to see how far the canal has progressed and hopefully one year we will be able to report that section of the Ashby Canal is now open to other boats.

Later in the summer we will be exploring other mainland canals, that will be dependent on stoppages and what time is available to us. Last year we spent two weeks on the Lancaster Canal in the glorious June weather. We launched at Garstang Marina and explored the canal right up to where it is cut off by the M6 and again down as far as the basin near Preston. The photos below were all taken at several locations on the canal by myself.

Jeanne Smith - Editor

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Paddington Meadows is a Magnet for Birdlife Record species count by Warrington`s New Cut Group Volunteers Jim Forkin reports: - On a dull cloudy Wednesday morning in late November when most people were setting off to work or getting the children off to school, seven volunteers led by Terry Eagan from the New Cut Heritage and Ecology group were already out on Paddington Meadows. It what was they thought a normal monthly survey of birdlife on the Meadows, but to their surprise they counted 46 different species.

This beat the previous monthly record of 44 recorded in spring 2021.

Paddington Meadows is Local Nature Reserve of 30 hectares consisting of flood meadows, wildflower meadows, ancient hedgerows, “carrs” and reed beds creating an oasis for wildlife surrounded by the River Mersey and the New Cut Canal.

Not only was this a record count, but there have been some rare predators recorded in November with the first Marsh Harrier (very likely a visitor from the nearby Woolston Eyes Nature Reserve) and the first Short-eared Owl to be seen on the “patch” since surveys were commenced in 2016.

There has been an unusually high influx of Short-eared Owls from Europe this autumn and one of these enigmatic predators has recently taken a liking to the present conditions on the Meadows.

Environmental factors such as higher than normal rainfall and water tables has created flooded areas on the meadows forcing voles and shrews into the open, where the raptors could feed more easily. The wet conditions have also been to the liking of secretive Woodcock, Snipe and Jack Snipe plus several Grey Heron and a surprise Little Egret.

The Wild Carrot seed heads of the recently created wildflower meadow has created the perfect habitat for large flocks of Goldfinch and a few Pheasant.

Bird species on the British Trust for Ornithology Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern noted during the survey included Redpoll, Greenfinch, and the common yet threatened House Sparrow.

04 There has been a good crop of Hawthorn and Holly berries this autumn which has encouraged large flocks of foraging Blackbirds, Redwings and Song Thrushes.

Terry Eagan (Member of the New Cut Bird Group) said “The New Cut Heritage and Ecology Trail Group’s volunteers working with Warrington B.C. officials have helped to create an accessible green space in the midst of urban surroundings for all to enjoy. This exceptional bird count demonstrates what can be achieve when a suitable environment is both improved and cared for”

Little Egret Short Eared Owl

Marsh Harrier

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Another Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Closure The North Wales News has reported that walkers have been given notice of the imminent closure of the world’s highest navigable aqueduct; and have been urged to take advantage of the engineering 'masterpiece' while they still can.

In the New Year, the spectacular crossing at Pontcysyllte is to shut for two-anda-half months so it can be “dewatered. Visitors planning post-Christmas walks will have just seven days to blow away the cobwebs before maintenance starts on a four-mile stretch of the Llangollen Canal. Water will be pumped from the canal to enable the structure to be inspected. (More likely they will just pull the plug – editor) Towpath supports will also be replaced during the work, due to start on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. It will continue until Friday, March 15, 2024.

Between these dates, the aqueduct will be closed to all boats and pedestrians.

It should be noted that the views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the IWA. They are published as being of interest to our members and readers. The IWA is a registered charity No 212342

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Merseyside’s towpath to the past Twenty-mile hike along the Industrial Revolution’s first canal - by Chris Moss Giant relics from previous centuries, a restoration effort and our writer’s childhood memories loom large on this hike along Britain’s first modern canal.

I hadn’t planned my walk along the Sankey Canal to coincide with the axing of HS2, but it happened like that. It was a sunny day. I had been promising myself a hike along the towpath for ages. I grew up in the area and it holds a special place in my affections. As I wandered it struck me that this underexplored waterway was arguably the UK’s first significant development in infrastructure since the Romans built roads. It was built in two years.

The Sankey Canal connects St Helens with the River Mersey. It was opened in 1757 and subsequently extended to Widnes. Large sailing barges called Mersey flats moved coal from Lancashire to the Cheshire salt-brining towns and to Liverpool. The first canal of the Industrial Revolution built in Great Britain (Northern Ireland’s Newry Canal was earlier), its construction was only permitted because engineer Henry Berry and financier John Ashton duped parliament and other investors into believing it was a “navigation” - a widening of the existing Sankey Brook. But it is a true cut and prompted the Duke of Bridgewater - the “father of British inland navigation” - to build his own waterway.

6 As it happened, this first section passed near the village of Burtonwood, where I was born and raised. Several spurs were built to reach local collieries. I started at one, at Blackbrook, just outside St Helens. There I met Colin Greenall, the chair of the Sankey Canal Restoration Society (Scars), who gave me a handy historical walking guide. Colin, who is 79, remembers seeing cargo vessels on the canal when he was a boy.

“It must have been about 1956. I remember being out trainspotting at Winwick and seeing boats going up towards Earlestown with sugar. Then everything changed to road transport and the last boats stopped in 1959.”

He says the society’s chief aim is to create a nature corridor in what is a densely populated and economically deprived area. “We hope we can keep the southern section in water [i.e., navigable] and develop the rest as a leisure space. But in the long term, there’s nothing to prevent the canal being fully reopened. Even where it’s filled in, nothing has been built along its course. ”Scars is keen to recruit more volunteers and fundraises to support conservation work along the waterway. It hopes one day to create a fully working canal for leisure crafts.

Then, I was off on my walk; I had 15 miles at least in front of me, but it was going to be flat – the Sankey is not a “summit-level canal” linking valleys. I made a faltering start. From Blackbrook to Earlestown, it’s only three or so miles, but I took a few wrong turns where tangled vegetation appeared to block the path and ended up on the road. I don’t mind pounding the pavements; I did a lot of roadside walking as a teenager. As it happened, this first section passed near the village of Burtonwood, where I was born and raised. Memories came as fast and intrusively as vehicles. That field, that light, that spirit; the ineffable markers of place. It felt a bit like “beating the bounds”, though I claim no ownership and only a partial sense of belonging.

Things turned rural and totally car-free as I approached the Sankey Viaduct, known hereabouts as “Nine Arches”. Local campaigner Barrie Pennington is leading a bid to secure UNESCO world heritage site for this imposing Grade I-listed structure. Built by George Stephenson in 1830 for his epoch-making Liverpool and Manchester railway, it was, as a red plaque reminded me, the “earliest major railway viaduct in the world”. Another red plaque honours the memory of Berry and the canal. They should add a third for the navvies, masons and carpenters who did the hard graft. Nearby is Earlestown railway station, the oldest in operation, close to the site of the world’s first steam railway junction. The St Helens area is full of candidates for world firsts.

7 The canal beyond the viaduct was quite beautiful, especially when the sun broke through and warmed the green-gold canopy. Passing farmers and miners must have gaped in awe at the viaduct’s soaring arches as it was built in the late 1820s. They are particularly impressive seen from directly below on the towpath. When it was opened it became a tourist attraction in its own right.

It was busy in a good way. I passed coarse fishers, cyclists, dog-walkers, four women on horseback. They were friendly, sometimes chatty; I like south Lancashire people. I suppose I feel at home among them and am biased, but they seem to me a healthy mix of urban and rustic, worldly and humble.

The chaotic, naturally rewilded canal has a lot of birdlife. I saw herons, shags and gulls, coots, hundreds of moorhens, grazing geese, adult swans accompanied by huge grey, moulting cygnets. Dense reed beds provide safety and nesting grounds. The brambles and holly bushes were alive with tits, wrens, robins, blackbirds.

Where the woods retreated, the towpath ran parallel to the west coast mainline - dead quiet on the day I passed due to an Aslef strike - before guiding me under the M62. I caught a glimpse of the Burtonwood logistics hub and its big blue Ikea - the UK’s first, opened in 1987. I also caught my first sight of Fiddlers Ferry power station, my ultimate destination, hazy in the distance.

I dipped into the Scars guidebook. It pointed out geeky stuff - where locks, and bascule and swing bridges once stood, traces of old masonry, hidden engineering - but also highlighted surviving historical sites; development has razed most of them. Just after the motorway I came to a cluster of ruinous old buildings, once a bustling maintenance yard, with a pub, limekiln and nearby dry dock. A handsome brick building is dated 1841. On either side are a scrapyard and a car park with a sign advising that dogging is against the law.

As I progressed south the signage was neater, the trail more clearly marked, and littering greatly reduced. Warrington is better off than St Helens. The park areas around the mainly Jacobean Bewsey Old Hall - which can trace its foundations to just after the Norman conquest. It had well-tended lawns and new play areas; on the downside, the builders never leave Cheshire’s biggest conurbation alone, and new housing pressed in on all sides. Other towns have greenbelts; Warrington has a redbrick belt.

8 The canal path and park have been open to the public since 1982. A large information board declares that it is “Part of Mersey Forest, the largest of 12 community forests” in England. About 9m trees have been planted across this large area. When I sat down at a picnic bench to eat lunch, I was bombed by conkers falling from horse -chestnut trees. I was within wagging distance of my old secondary school, which is named after the area, Great Sankey.

Weirdly, not a single teacher ever mentioned the story of the canal and its role in kickstarting the Industrial Revolution; I’m not sure they namechecked the canal at all.

After a cheese barm (a bread roll in other localities), I set off again. Much of the next section of towpath was long and linear; but the view changed from a mellow low-plains horizontal view to a clashing, post-industrial, and stridently vertical view. For, on the far horizon were the eight awesome cooling towers of the decommissioned coal-fired Fiddlers Ferry power station, one of the great landmarks of the north-west. I am a macro person; I like big things in my landscapes, including human-made ones. Give me a power station over a petal any day. (Tough; half have recently been demolished - editor).

I was granted a sublime view of the Mersey, glinting at half-tide - with waders on the mudbanks and gulls offshore. Flat places need drama; the power station will be missed. With a few miles still to go, I decided not to have a pint at the Carriers Inn; so I continued walking, past the marina, dinghies, yachts, skiffs, but no barges. I was dreaming of the bus stop when, at a break in the woodland on my left, I was granted a sublime view of the Mersey, glinting at half-tide. With waders on the mudbanks and gulls offshore, I could clearly see the two great bridges beyond. Firstly, the old 1960s “Runcorn Bridge” (the Silver Jubilee Bridge); I used to cross over this en-route to childhood holidays in North Wales. Secondly, the sweeping span of the new Mersey Gateway bridge, which has deservedly scooped many prestigious awards.

I think everyone should take a short holiday to explore their own locality.

At 15 miles into the walk, I crossed the canal at Carter House Swing Bridge and entered Widnes by way of an industrial estate. Having completed this walk, you can do a circuit of Spike Island, famous for its chemical plants and a 1990 Stone Roses gig. My walk was completed, (and until 1951, I could then have jumped aboard the Ditton Dodger on the St Helens and Runcorn Gap railway); but I had to make do with the No 17 bus, which was like a milk round service. Not tedious at all, as I skirted my mum’s school, and the homes of my dad and late brother. As I said, beating the bounds - but of memory and life.

9 and love. I was not done, though, in fact. From St Helens I walked the section of canal linking the town to Blackbrook. I clocked up 20 miles in the end – far too much for one day. If you want to see the canal, and enjoy it, and have the legs for a walk to a pub afterwards, Sankey Viaduct to Fiddlers Ferry is eight miles and a perfect day out.

But actually, I wrote this not because I expect or even hope for a rush of psychogeography-minded tourists to the north-west and the canal I grew up near – but never knew about. I wrote it because I think everyone can, and perhaps should, take a short holiday where they come from or reside. Travel on the doorstep, at narrowboat speed – even when some of the water has gone – is the future, as well as the past.

The Scars map is at sankeycanal.co.uk/sankeymap and you can order the Towpath Guide here (£6). OS Explorer’s 275 and 276 cover the route.

IWA Chester & Merseyside Branch Programme of Meetings 2023-2024 All meetings start at 7.45 pm on the second Tuesday of the month.

Meetings are free and will be held at the

The Holiday Inn, Lower Mersey St, Ellesmere Port, CH65 2AL Our sales and shop is available for Christmas Cards and Publications, including copies of the ‘Mersey Flats’ book; and don’t miss our fun raffle.

9th January 2024 - Ian Wilson talks on his canal travels from Preston Brook to the Harecastle tunnel on the Trent & Mersey Canal.

13th February 2024 - Another Social and Quiz night with Jim Forkin 12th March 2024 - Branch AGM - followed by a speaker - TBA (Except for those attending the April and May branch walks, this will be the last meeting of the season).

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A Brighter Future for The Sankey-St Helens Canal Volunteers Step Up To Protect Wildlife

Spike Island, Widnes 2023 Volunteers have responded to the threats faced by the historic Sankey –St Helens Canal in the Mersey Valley by forming a new group termed the “Save Spike Island and Widnes Canal Restoration Group.” They have built clay dams designed to contain salt water ingress from high tides on the Mersey into a canal bed currently low on water after the closure of Fiddlers Ferry Power Station pumping and thereby preventing damage to wildlife needing freshwater for survival.

Water levels almost back to normal at Spike Island, Widnes The power station now closed and awaiting demolition had previously pumped cooling water which it had extracted for the River Mersey and then returned to keep this southern section of the canal full of fresh water. It utilized canal water for cooling with some extremely large pumping engines however these were taken out of commission before adequate replacements were put in to place.

To add to the problem, leaks were found at the Widnes end of the canal which would have drained what water there was at the Warrington end on this long level pound hence a second clay dam was needed to protect the remaining water in the canal. However, Halton Borough Council have now.

11 appointed contractors to both clear the vegetation around the leaks and seal them beginning early in 2024. Warrington Borough Council will continue to pump water into their section of canal when necessary, and in the long term a lease has been taken on the former power station pumping house, and more suitable pumps will be installed when essential services including electricity and pipe work are completed.

In the meantime, volunteers from the Sankey Canal Restoration Society (SCRS) have used the autumn months to continue tree clearance and balsam bashing work parties.

Progress in St Helens Officials at SCRS have been very busy at the other end of the canal in St Helens where they are now regularly invited by local authorities, rotary societies, and scouting organisations to attend press, walking and educational events. The St Helens council sees the development of the redundant canal as a means to help with town centre rejuvenation and SCRS have been included in the consultations about how to both landscape and develop the Foundry Wharf site.

In addition, SCRS have been asked by council officials to develop a strategy document on what they want to do with the canal in the next five years so that the council can in what ways they can contribute.

Colin Greenall (Chairman SCRS) said “The future does now look brighter for the canal, and we can only thank the local volunteers and the authorities for their tremendous efforts to secure and retain this important component of Britains Industrial past.”

Jim Forkin (Chairman IWA Chester and Merseyside) said “It is a great credit to the councils through which this canal flows who see it as a wonderful green space for leisure and in the case of St Helens a glorious opportunity for town centre rejuvenation.” The photo below shows the canal water level in 2021.

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Open Day at Ellesmere Port Boat Museum Sunday 21st January: The Canal and River Trust are inviting you to find out what lies beneath the surface. See behind the scenes of their multi-millionpound winter repair programme, protecting and preserving the nation’s waterways.

Join them for a day of discovery, meet the experts and gain a deeper appreciation for the extraordinary work that keeps our waterways vibrant and thriving. Marvel at the usually submerged unique history of the Shropshire Union Canal in Ellesmere Port. The trust is replacing the lock gates at the 'bottom narrow lock' and the footplates leading to the lower basin on the narrow canal. While the lock is drained, they will also repair the brickwork of the canal walls and bed.

Not only can you get a bird's eye view of the incredible lock chamber, but you'll also have the chance to:

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Get a free pass to explore the seven-acre site and museum home to the nation's designated collection of waterways history.

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See the bespoke new handmade lock gates that are being fitted.

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Engage in volunteer demonstrations in the Power Hall, housing our permanent collection of historic engines.

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Explore life beneath the surface with a camera and microscopic view of the creatures and mini-beasts.

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Find out more about the invasive species the Trust is trying to eradicate.

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Meet the experts on-site and ask questions about our work.

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Discover more about Pennywort Paddle, a unique volunteering opportunity starting in January.

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Learn more about how you can get involved and support us as a charity.

Don't miss the opportunity to see the heart of our waterways up close and learn how, as a charity, we're making life better by water. Claim your free pass by using the link below before 20th |January: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ellesmere-port-shropshire-union-canalopen-day-registration-773143883167?aff=oddtdtcreator

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Branch walks to enjoy and keep you fit ~ Spring 2024 To get the parking details and join a walk, just send an email to the guide, and ask him to book you in: - derek.smith@waterways.org.uk Sunday morning 7th January at 10.15 am. Daresbury, the Bridgewater Canal and countryside. This circular walk can be either 3½ or 2½ miles long, and folows well used footpaths all the way. Starting with a downhill stroll through the woods of Daresbury Firs which are delightful. The length along the Bridgewater Canal is equally pleasant. But then we descent to Red Brow Lane to climbing through the deep and gloomy cutting. The dark, damp and solid rock is impressive - an experience not to be missed. Higher up the lane are lovely views across the valley, and having reached to top of the hill we finish the walk along footpaths round cultivated fields which have Lewis Carroll connections, so keep a sharp look-out for white rabbits.

Sunday morning 17th March at 10.15 am. Farndon, the river Dee and countryside. Featuring the river Dee; this popular circular walk will be about 4 miles long and most of the route is along well used footpaths which pass through a wide variety of scenery. Starting with cultivated fields. There are no steep slopes and there is a short but pleasant section of planted woodland just before you arrive at the river. On your return towards Farndon you will pass through meadows alongside the Dee which are easy walking, and climb over the only stile on the walk.

Sunday morning 14th April at 10.15 am. Beeston, the Iron Lock & Shropshire Union Canal. Halfway round this 4¾ mile circular walk you will be passing two castles. Beeston with the old ruined castle, and the still used Peckforton castle. In this popular hiking locality, most of the paths are quite well used, but we can expect to find some boggy patches even in summer, through the woods. There are a few stiles to climb over, but most have been replaced with kissing gates. The route is hilly in places but there are no steep slopes. When you reach the canal we’ll take a very short excursion to view the unique old Iron Lock, which is a scheduled ancient monument.

Sunday morning 5th May at 10.15 am. Stoke hamlet, the river Gowy and countryside. This circular walk is local for Chester walkers, and will be about 5 miles long, crossing over mixed farmland with a good mixture of stiles and bridges most of which are in fair order. There are a few gates you will need to climb over where stiles are missing, so this is not a good walk for dogs. There is a long length of the river Gowy to enjoy and in summer the river bank path can be a bit overgrown. Taking a walking stick may be helpful if some fields have cows in them. Suitable footwear will be boots due to the frequent absence of visible paths, and possible sections of muddy footpaths, especially if it has been recently raining.

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Subsidised biofuel to help decarbonise the waterways The IWA Reports: - This has now been given the green light for more widespread use on leisure boats by the UK Government. The DfT provided written clarification over the Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFC’s) subsidy after the HVO Joint Working Party – representing IWA, RYA and the Cruising Association – met with officials from the DfT in Westminster in November 2023.

Leisure boaters looking to reduce their carbon footprint while cruising will be able to take greater advantage of a government managed subsidy on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), after the Department for Transport (DfT) agreed that the benefit can apply to fuel used for onboard domestic purposes, as well as for the propulsion of vessels.

The move will narrow the price gap between HVO and mineral diesel. It will also mean that it will be easier for suppliers to market HVO to the leisure boating sector in the future as they will not have to establish what proportions of the fuel will be used for domestic and propulsion purposes on the vessel, a requirement complicated by the fact that most leisure vessels have only one fuel tank.

HVO is a biodiesel alternative to ‘FAME’- a first generation biodiesel currently being added to fuel supplied to the leisure boating industry and to road diesel. The addition of 7% ‘FAME’ biodiesel to mineral diesel (B7) is resulting in fuel unsuited to a marine environment, causing regular boat engine failures due to blockages in vital fuel injection components.

Bowman Bradley, chair of the Joint Working Party and IWA’s Sustainable Boating Group, said: “We are delighted that the DfT appear to have recognised the problems that the leisure boating sector faces and taken this important first step towards resolving them.”

However, the group warned that even with the new measures, there will still be a significant price gap between HVO and mineral diesel. The Joint Working Party will continue to work with Government to seek to make HVO affordable to the leisure boater to allow the sector, and the existing fleet in particular, to transition away from fossil fuels. This will also then resolve the safety issues associated with using B7 diesel in a marine environment, particularly in craft that cruise challenging waters.

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OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

President.

Ron Evans

Branch Chairman

Jim Forkin jim.forkin@team.waterways.org.uk H. 01270 650054 M. 07803 928929

Minute Secretary

Ann Farrell ann.farrell@waterways.org.uk

Treasurer, Social Sec. Jim Mole jim.mole@waterways.org.uk H. 01606 40955 M. 07580 162355

Publicity Officer

Les Green les.green@waterways.org.uk

Editor Packet Boat

Jeanne Smith jeanne.smith@waterways.org.uk H. 01244 382058 M. 07746 955931

Planning & Navigation Officer

Geoff Gittus geoff.gittus@waterways.org.uk

Membership Secretary

John Herson john.herson@waterways.org.uk

Merseyside Liaison

Geoff Gittus geoff.gittus@waterways.org.uk

Scars Liaison

Colin Greenall colin.greenall@waterways.org.uk

H. 0151 605 1094 M. 07808 859751

H. 01744 731746

M. 07944 101162

Chester Liaison

John Herson

Bridgewater Canal Liaison

Ian & Vera Short ian.short@waterways.org.uk

Committee Members Vacancies

john.herson@waterways.org.uk

vera.short@waterways.org.uk