Chester & Merseyside Branch Spring 2025
Northwich yard – The Heritage Scotch crane to be preserved
Northwich Old Navigation Yard Development
The three-acre riverside site in Northwich was once home to W. J. Yardwood & Sons, a shipbuilder supplying craft to the Manchester Ship Canal Company. This later became the old British Waterways yard which was closed by the C&RT a few years ago when it became surplus to modern requirements. The site was eventually purchased by developers, who now propose to build: - 47 houses, 8 mews, and 12 apartments. But retain the old and listed structures
The emerging proposals involve the repair, retention and re-use of the Navigation Offices, (Grade ll listed), the Clock Tower, Wash House, the Lock Keeper’s Cottage, the Former Holy Trinity School and the Scotch Derrick Crane - (Photos of the offices & crane below).
This would maintain those aspects of the Appraisal Site which make a positive contribution towards these special interests of the Northwich Conservation Area. Similarly, it would retain the listed buildings and non-designated heritage assets within the appraisal site.
Collectively, the retention and re-use of these key buildings and structures would sustain and potentially enhance the significance of these heritage assets. This would be subject to the final repair works proposed, and the design and layout of any new uses to the exterior and interiors
Chairman’s Report – Spring 2025 Packet Boat
Welcome to Spring 2025 edition of Packet Boat as the nights begin to draw out and we can look forward to better weather.
Talking weather, we’ve had some bad storms over the last couple of months with the main damage being the breach of the Bridgewater Canal at Little Bollington which will severely hinder anyone wishing to cruise North.
This is going to be a long repair and alternative arrangements are being discussed with CRT & Peel Ports to assist any boaters wishing to head that way.
The “Lock in the Millrace” project has moved a step forward in that a revised feasibility study that will now allow 12’6” beam x 57’ long boats to navigate above & below the Chester weir.
Other brief news is that the Northwich Navigation Yard has been sold and the new plans show that the heritage assets, including the derrick crane have been accommodated but the rest of the mix of affordable housing and employment uses has been altered and now turns its back on the River Weaver.
I have to tell you of some sad news in this edition that Maragaret Pitney, one of our most staunch supporters and long-time committee member passed away recently and she will be sadly missed by all branch member who knew her. She was always active and she was last seen at our January social in jovial mood and still enjoying chatting to other attendees.
A brief obituary on page six this edition.
Best Wishes, Jim Forkin
Branch Chairman
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
The Inland Waterways Association Chester and Merseyside Branch
Notice is hereby given that the thirty-ninth Annual General Meeting of the Chester & Merseyside Branch of the Inland Waterways Association
Will be held on Tuesday 18th March 2025
At 7.45pm at the Holiday Inn, Lower Mersey St., Ellesmere Port, CH65 2AL
AGENDA
1. Apologies for absence
2. Approval of the minutes of the 38th AGM
3. Matters arising
4. Chairman’s report for the year 2024
5. Presentation of Accounts
6. Adoption of the Accounts
7. Notice of Committee size. The committee size is 13.
7.1 Currently 6 of those are corresponding members, not active therefore leaving an active committee of 7 members.
7.2 Four members of the committee are up for re-election — Ian & Vera Short, Jeanne Smith & Geoff Gittus. Ian & Vera will be stepping down, whereas Jeanne & Geoff have indicated their willingness to continue.
8. Election to fill vacancies on the Committee - are there any volunteers who would like to come on the committee
9. Any other business.
(Items that members wish to raise at this point should have been sent to the Chairman by 10th March 2025. (However, questions will be taken by the Chair)
IWA Chester & Mersey Branch Spring Programme
18th March -The Short AGM will be followed by a Talk By Roger Butler which will be all about: - A light-hearted ‘Canal Honeymoon’ describing a hilarious romantic voyage to Langollen, followed by trip around the West Midlands canal ring.
This will be the final social meeting until September. Except for the April and May branch waterway walks.
13th April - The April Walk will be starting from the charming village of Kingsley, near the river Weaver. This 4.3 mile challenging circular walk starts along enchanting footpaths out of the village, then across a host of meadows connected by a string of kissing gates. Farm drives and tracks will then bring you to the river and the North Cheshire Way along its bank. These give you landscape views across the river to the farmland on the other side. At Catton Hall the footpath takes you through a long belt of bankside woodland, this time taking you over a string of short wooden bridges over marshy undergrowth. The return route is along tracks and quiet country lanes with a final short footpath back, with the only two stiles on this walk, taking you back to the pub at the end.
11th May - The May Walk from Aldford will be about 4 miles long and has a variety of interesting and very picturesque features. There are a few fields to cross and a number of farms to pass, and a small wood to walk through. The walk is mostly quite level and all of the paths are fairly well used. The return route takes you fair way along a quite country lane before following a long stretch of river Dee pathway onto the Duke of Westminster’s estate. He has given permission to use a section of his drive to gain access to a meadow past a church, and back to the start. It’s unlikely you will meet any farm animals and there are only a few stiles, and only one you may have to lift any dogs over
Reminders of these will be circulated by email as usual.
26th April - The National Restoration Hub Conference with will be held for the first time locally at the Waterways Museum. Anybody who is interested can ask to book into it through the IWA main website. Full details about the conference are on page five.
This will be jointly organised by The Inland Waterways Association and Canal & River Trust, and is taking place on Saturday 26th April 2025 at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port.
This year’s Conference will focus on the challenges of delivering sustainable restorations from different viewpoints featuring a line-up of experienced speakers. It will be of special interest to those working on our branch’s Sankey Canal and the Runcorn Locks restorations.
Presentations and seminars will include the Grand Union Canal water transfer project and wider implications of water transfer for restoration; Youth Engagement in restoration will be looked at through a deep dive on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. A strong focus will be given to the Restoration for the Future, and what sustainable plans and designs will need to consider going forward while also ensuring a commitment to heritage preservation.
With its collections and archives focussed on Britain’s inland waterways, including canal boats, traditional artefacts and provide a unique and exciting location, with the chance to visit the Island Warehouse, the Power Hall and the blacksmith’s forge where the ironwork for the canal and its boats was made.
The conference is a valuable chance for those involved in waterway restoration to experience new insights into the important topics facing restorations today. Delegates will have the opportunity to network, and attend in-depth sessions and workshops led by experts across the field.
The conference will run from 9.30am with an optional tour of the Museum in the afternoon. The fee for the day is just £10.00 which include your lunch. More information including the programme of the day will be published in due course.
Spaces are limited – This magazine can be found online in our branch web pages; from there paste this into your browser to secure your place.
https://waterways.org.uk/civicrm?civiwp=CiviCRM&q=civicrm%2Fev ent%2Fregister&reset=1&id=548
Magazine Editor’s Musings
Welcome to the first Edition of our Packet Boat Magazine for 2025. It has been another interesting year with some progress with the plans for a lock in the River Dee, enabling boats to travel up to Farndon wharf. Also the Runcorn Locks are making slow but steady plans and the Frodsham lock is another project which is continuing to take up our time, so plenty to think about in the next few year. Locally we now have to avoid the Bridgewater Canal, which won’t be available for cruising for about two years, due to the breach at Dunham Massey.
Finally, I have decided to relinquish my role as Editor and hand over to someone younger and fitter, so if you know of anyone who wants to take over, please get in touch. It’s a very rewarding task and we only produce the magazine four time a year, but with failing eyesight and a few mobility problems, I feel our boating will be winding down soon and I would like to hand over to someone, before I pop my clogs. I hope to be at the Restoration Conference in Ellesmere Port so you can contact me there or by e mail.
Jeanne Smith
Obituary for Margaret Pitney, died on 8th February 2025
Margaret was one of the very early members of IWA Chester Branch and held the post of Secretary for many years. Together with Ron Evans as Chairman, they were a formidable team of waterway devotees, campaigning for local issues in particular - the lock in the weir at Chester being one of their ideas in the 70’s. Margaret had taken early retirement from her teaching post in adult education which gave her plenty of time to boat around the waterways with friends and ‘selling’ the IWA to everyone she met. She was a great organiser and Chester Branch rallies were the ones to attend! She was also a member of Nantwich Boat Club, the River Weaver Navigation Society and edited the branch magazine for several years. Her defence of our waterways was enthusiastic and she still attended the branch IWA socials when she could; the last being a talk on the Montgomery Canal in January this year. This included many pictures from the sixties and seventies it was a trip down memory lane for her. If ever someone lived a ‘waterways life’ Margaret certainly did her be best.
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
Editor Packet Boat
Les Green les.green@waterways.org.uk
Jeanne Smith jeanne.smith@waterways.org.uk
H. 01244 382058 M. 07746 955931
Planning & Geoff Gittus geoff.gittus@waterways.org.uk
Navigation Officer H. 0151 605 1094 M. 07808 859751
Membership John Herson john.herson@waterways.org.uk Secretary
Merseyside Liaison
Geoff Gittus geoff.gittus@waterways.org.uk
Scars Liaison Vacancy
Chester Liaison
Bridgewater Canal
John Herson john.herson@waterways.org.uk
Ian & Vera Short ian.short@waterways.org.uk Liaison vera.short@waterways.org.uk
Committee Members Vacancies
