PETERBOROUGH BRANCH
HEREWARD SUMMER 2014
John Revell
www.iwapeterborough.org.uk The IWA charity registered number 212342 The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association or of the Peterborough Branch. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers
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The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 5 6
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WATERWAYS OF THE QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK
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ne major event that occurred during the summer was the opening to the public of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This is the site that was used for the 2012 Olympic Games at Stratford in east London. What has this got to do with waterways and boating one may ask? Well included within the park are several waterways which make up the Bow Back Rivers which have connections in two places off the River Lea Navigation. One of the main principles established when the London bid to host the games was successful was that the extensive, and very expensive, infrastructure required would, firstly regenerate an area of Stratford that was a polluted and derelict wasteland and, secondly would leave a legacy of benefits for all to enjoy. The Bow Back Rivers and this area of the River Lea were not a place that would be top of most boaters ‘to do’ list but paying a visit to the newly opened park in early June, the regeneration and the legacy we have been given is very impressive. At present access for boats, except on organised cruises, is prohibited due to ongoing construction work for parts of the Crossrail project obstructing some of the channels. However once this, and some other areas of outstanding finishing work are completed then boats will be allowed into the waterways within the park. Due to the nature of the construction of the channels which include hard concrete walls, it is unlikely that any large scale mooring will be allowed within the area of the park. Captions to Photos opposite: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
The Olympic Stadium and The Orbit seen across the Park The giant Helter Skelter—part of the entertainments provided for young and not so young The City Mill River, The Stadium and in the distance The Orbit The Waterworks River and in the background on the left is the Aquatics Centre The Old River Lea winding round the Olympic Stadium—one of the access routes to the River Lea Navigation just below Old Ford Locks—the landscaping can be seen in this view The ArcelorMittal Orbit—a prominent landmark for miles around The Waterworks River and the Aquatics Centre
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Since the conclusion of the games the park has been lavishly landscaped and means of access have been opened up for visitors on foot or on cycles including good accessibility for disabled visitors. The whole are provides a very pleasant place to stroll and sit and for families there are adventure playgrounds and a paddling pool with fountains. The waterways within the park, which are outlined on the map, can easily be followed on foot and they provide a fascinating backdrop to the major features of the park which include the Olympic Stadium, the Aquatics Centre and the Velodrome. There is also the very prominent ArcelorMittal Orbit: a giant sculpture that swirls and swoops and delivers you to views of the familiar made unfamiliar, of the right way up inverted. As I couldn’t figure out what it was, that description is given to you from their website!
The entrance to the Olympic Park via the Old River Lea is just below Old Ford Locks on the main line of the River Lea Navigation. At present booms have been placed across the channel which is closed to day to day navigation as some construction work is still taking place. Once this is completed, estimated in 2015, this will be one of the two access points to the Olympic Park
To one side of the park towards the bus and railway stations is the massive Westfield City shopping complex which seems to have more to offer than Oxford Street and Regent Street put together. So if retail therapy is what you want, you can easily burn out the credit card here. The two access points for boats are one below and one above Old Ford Locks on the River Lea. Access to the Lea is from the Regents Canal and Hertford Union Canal so when open the park’s waterways should be accessible with just a CRT licence. In addition to visiting the park it is well worth travelling a short distance down the River Lea either by boat or on foot or by cycle along the towpath, to Three Mills. The Three Mills are former working water powered mills and are one of London’s oldest existing industrial centres. The largest and most powerful of the four remaining tidal mills is Continued on page 16… 2
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HORSEWAYS CHANNEL and WELCHES DAM LOCK WHY THEY MATTER by John Revell Branch member John Revell has been a regular par cipant in campaign cruises arranged by the branch over recent years. He was there at the recent joint visit to Welches Dam Lock and the Horseways Channel with his boat Olive Emily and friends Roy and Lois Parker on cruiser Marie II. John has wri$en this ar cle to express his views on the present impasse that exists on this fenland route and he also makes reference to much more complex restora ons that have succeeded despite for many years being considered ‘impossible’.
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ur Peterborough Branch Committee are to be congratulated on organising the joint visit with IWA (Great Ouse Branch) to Horseways and Welches Dam locks on 5th April 2014 and for the excellent presentations and refreshments at Manea Parish Hall. It was very encouraging that Les Etheridge, IWA's National Chairman, and John Pomfret, Chairman of IWA's Navigation Committee (and nearly 50 others) attended. Many canal and waterways routes have been restored to full navigation after falling into disuse. Examples include the Southern Stratford Canal, the Upper and Lower Avon Navigations, the Kennet and Avon Canal, the Ashton Canal, Huddersfield Narrow Canal, the Rochdale Canal, and the Droitwich Canals. The Falkirk Wheel has been built, the Anderton Lift has been restored, Standedge and Leek tunnels have been reopened, the Ribble Link established and a new route into Liverpool created. Many other restoration schemes have been completed or are well under way.
Olive Emily and Marie II moored at Horseways Lock on the occasion of the recent joint visit made by members of the Peterborough and Gt Ouse Branches to the channel and Welches Dam Lock. Being unable to turn his boat in the channel, John had to breast-up with Marie II in order to get out of the lock, a practice he has used many times over the years exploring ‘dead-end’ bits of the system.
In our own area, the Middle Level Commissioners restored Horseways Lock a few years ago and this remains navigable as shown in the last edition of Hereward. Beyond the lock is Horseways channel, which leaks and is clogged up with weed. Beyond that is 5
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Welches Dam lock which has been unnavigable since the Environment Agency piled the entrance in 2006. Beyond that is the Old Bedford river which runs all the way to Salters Lode. This route from the Forty Foot river to Salters Lode was the "Link Route" used by boats in the past navigating between the Great Ouse and the Nene (and then onto the main canal system) until Well Creek was improved. This old "link route", first opened in the seventeenth century, was used by boats and boaters for years, including by Fox Boats Hire Fleet. This view of Horseways channel taken in 2005 shows that it was at that time still navigable despite the encroaching weed. The situation has significantly deteriorated since this journey was made.
These waterways from Horseways channel to Welches Dam and then onto Salters Lode are controlled (I hesitate to use the word "managed") by the Environment Agency. Various sections have been navigated in the last 10 years by a few determined boaters but the piling of Welches Dam lock (when has anyone seen the Environment Agency act so fast?) effectively severed the route and delayed any restoration. The present Branch Committee and their predecessors have tried and tried to get some restoration work started but the Environment Agency seem to have blocked all attempts in making any progress. You might say this doesn't matter when a route along Well Creek is possible. The Well Creek Trust (all volunteers) and the Middle Level Commissioners (who receive no income at all from boat licenses) have done a really good job but View of Horseways Lock bottom gates taken from within the on the Well Creek is shallow in occasion of the joint visit in April this year.
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parts with some very low bridges. What if the Mullicourt Aqueduct or a section of embankment failed? I think that the problem is not about finance (or lack of it) but of will. The technical problems involved in restoring the short stretch of leaking Horseways channel appear to be similar to the leaking canal bed at Limpley Stoke that was fixed as just a small part of the complete restoHorseways Lock bottom gates taken from the landing stage on the same day of the April visit. ration of the Kennet and Avon canal. Rebuilding Welches Dam lock is not rocket science; staff at the Canal & River Trust (formerly British Waterways) and IWA's Waterways Recovery Group do this all the time.
Another view taken by John in 2005 on one of his passages through Welches Dam Lock when the route was navigable and the channel was holding water for at least short periods of time after filling.
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I cannot believe that this state of affairs would have been allowed to continue for so long had it occurred on the main canal system or had it involved the Canal & River Trust/ British Waterways. Would not IWA (nationally) have sorted this out by now? Why was IWA set up many years ago? Surely it was founded to deal with this sort of seemingly intractable problem. IWA Branches at Peterborough and Great Ouse cannot do this on their own.
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n his ar cle John Revell refers to many of the waterway restora on successes that have been completed in recent years, many funded by the millennium ini a ves but the campaigning had been ongoing on all of them for many years. John has visited many of these and here are some of his photos. In comparison, the restora on of the Horseways route looks to be a simple job! Considered by even the most enthusiastic of waterways supporters as ‘The impossible Restoration’. Standedge Tunnel and the whole of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal have been restored to through navigation. In addition to major work being needed on the collapsed and blocked tunnel, the route was obstructed by two factories in Huddersfield, Stalybridge town centre and bus station, and the line had been infilled in Uppermill and Slaithwaite for significant distances.
For anyone who has cruised the Ashby Canal the sense of anti-climax on reaching the truncated end will be well known. Work has now started on an extension towards Measham, largely funded from open-cast coal interests. This new swing bridge and a short pilot length were completed a couple of years back.
The Anderton Lift stood derelict for many years but has now been restored to full operation opening up a direct access from CRT waters to the River Weaver. A long running campaign to save the lift was supported by a successful ‘friends’ initiative which raised a significant amount of the funding for the restoration work.
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WELCHES DAM UPDATE To the south of the Forty Foot is Block Fen / Langwood Fen containing extensive gravel beds under a clay overlay. The Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) Block Fen / Langwood Fen Master Plan (Supplementary Planning Document) adopted 19 July 2011 envisages major gravel extraction and the subsequent creation of lowland wet grasslands. This CCC Master Plan includes for the sealing with clay of the southern boundary of the Forty Foot River, with the aim of restoration of navigation. Gravel extraction is now underway and during the summer months discussions have taken place with the contractor involved in the gravel extraction workings in the area around the Horseways channel. The discussions have been cordial and it has been established that the workings will produce a source of clay when the ground overlay is stripped to allow access to the gravel lying below. Andrew Storrar, with his background in engineering and his considerable experience of working on waterways restoration with WRG, is currently preparing some estimates on an assumed volume basis as to what costs are likely to be involved. Sources of potential funding are also being investigated by your committee but the main priority that now remains is to try to establish how much of the channel is in need of sealing so more accurate estimates of material, plant and labour requirements can be made to firm up the preliminary costings. The use of aerial photos of the area to identify by way of crop patterns where the areas of leakage are located and to what extent these areas are was considered to be the best way forward. The first series of aerial photographs has now been taken. These will be analysed and hopefully these will allow conclusions to be drawn. The next stage proposed is to arrange weed clearance and preparation of the channel. To do this it is considered the best way is to install paddles (slackers) in the temporary piling at Welches Dam to permit the raising of the water level temporarily in the Forty Foot. This would allow a weed-cutter boat to be floated into the channel to cut back weed growth. The channel would then be re-drained in order to allow a closer inspection of the banks and bed. Preparation of the channel profile where leaks have been identified can then proceed with dragline/excavator/digger. Our outline plan envisages loading of dumpers with stiff blue clay from the gravel extraction sites and transporting it across to the Forty Foot and offloading it into the preprepared channel at the sites identified and prepared. This can then be spread on the inside of the channel banks and bed, profiled and consolidated, to provide sealing. The water level can then be raised and checks to ensure leaks have been eliminated undertaken. The major work to reopen this waterway will thereby be achieved. It is perhaps apt that Cambridge County Council are brought into the picture sooner rather than later, particularly as their foregoing Master Plan for the site envisages the dumping of clay, outwith our own involvement, along the southern bank exterior of the Forty Foot. This opens up the possibility that we may perhaps obtain the clay as freeissue or with a possible financial contribution from CCC. 12
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STRONG STREAM ADVICE The Environment Agency has announced changes to the way Strong Stream Advice is communicated to river users. The table previously included on their website Gov.UK, an example of which is shown below, has been discontinued as there was no guarantee that this arrangement provided the most up to date information. Information about river flood conditions can be obtained by calling the Floodline information number 0845 988 11 88 and by registering with the Agency to receive the free Strong Stream Automated Messaging Service which is the quickest way of ensuring up to date information.
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INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION Peterborough Branch
COMMITTEE MEMBERS CHAIRMAN: David Venn, Bruffs Lodge, High Street, Nordelph, Downham Market PE38 0BL Tel: 01366 324102 e-mail:davidgvenn@gmail.com
SECRETARY: Roger Green, 70 Windmill Close, Ellington, Huntingdon, Cambs PE28 0AJ Tel: 01480 890215 Mobile: 07799 066001 e-mail: nb.chatsworth@gmail.com
TREASURER: Roger Mungham Boatmans Cottage, Workhouse Lane, Upwell, Wisbech PE14 9ET Tel: 01945 773002 e-mail: rogerboatmans@talktalk.net
EDITOR: Philip Halstead, 20 Cane Avenue, Peterborough PE2 9QT Tel: 01733 348500 e-mail: pp@halstead5.orangehome.co.uk
ENTERTAINMENTS OFFICER: Richard Fairman, The Old Railway House, Cowbit, Spalding, Lincs PE12 0XD Tel: 01406 380575 Roger Sexton, 2 Shaw Drive, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 9TB Tel: 01354 652329 Andrew Storrar, 48 Station Road, Morton, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 0NN Tel: 01778 570610 e-mail: andrewstorrar@aol.com Stephen Heywood, Whitehouse Farm, Nordelph, Downham Market PE38 0BG Tel: 01366 324470
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….Continued from page 2 believed to be the largest tidal mill in the world. The River Lea Tidal Mill Trust Ltd owns the House Mill and the Miller's House buildings, which are used for educational projects and as conference spaces. There is also a café and some outside seating by the river. On the opposite side of the Three Mills from the river is the Prescott Channel, a former flood relief channel and this creates Three Mills Island. A great deal of expense was incurred by the former British Waterways in constructing a new lock in the Prescott Channel with the aim of using water transport for much of the construction materials required for the Olympic Games site. In the end delays to completion and various other issues have meant it was little used for this purpose and the large modern lock has become something of an embarrassment. The site is shared with the Three Mills Studios, a 10 acre film and TV studio, which makes a large number of major films and television programmes. A little lower down the River Lea are Bow Locks which provide a passage to Bow Creek and an alternative route to the Thames. However the creek is tidal and needs careful navigation so the locks appeared to be little used with most craft continuing on the Limehouse Cut to access the Thames from Limehouse Basin. Along with the Olympic Park, the Three Mills area provides a pleasant green space in urban east London with water on all sides and both are well worth a visit. Access by public transport couldn’t be easier. There are Underground, Overground and Docklands trains to Stratford and from Kings Cross the 205 bus to Bow Church takes you within easy walking distance of the River Lea from where the Olympic Park and Three Mills can be easily be reached.
Philip Halstead Captions to Photos opposite: 1: Some of the attractive buildings making up the Three Mills site, the House Mill with the bridge across to the island. 2: The main mill building with the Kentish style oast house vents and the leat channel running alongside. 3: View of the main mill building spanning the channel with the outlet seen towards the right. At the time of the visit it was low tide and the tidal effect can be seen with the mud. 4: Bow Locks which provide access down to Bow Creek from the River Lea Navigation just below the Three Mills site. With the tricky tidal nature of this route to the Thames they see little use these days. Continuing on by the Limehouse Cut is a far safer option for inland craft. 5: Attractive waterside property by the River Lea in the vicinity of Three Mills and a good clear channel to cruise in. 6: Artwork on a regenerated former industrial building by the River Lea.
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Three Mills & the River Lea Navigation 4
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