For press enquiries contact: pressoffice@waterways.org.uk
All IWA national and branch committee volunteers can be contacted by email: firstname.lastname@waterways.org.uk
Nothing printed in Waterways may be construed as policy or an official announcement unless stated, otherwise IWA accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine. Although every care is taken with advertising matters no responsibility whatsoever can be accepted for any matter advertised. Where a photo credit includes a note such as CC-BY-SA, the image is made available under that Creative Commons licence; full details at www.creativecommons.org
P5 Welcome
From the new National Chair, Mike Wills
P7 News
Round-up of all the happenings at IWA and beyond
P12 goodbye mr mac
The end of an era
P13 grants projects
Focus on two recipients of IWA funding for smaller projects
P16 campaign update
The latest news on IWA’s campaign to fund our waterways
P18 spotlight on Navigation committee
Annual face-to-face meeting report
P20 Profile - stuart craig
From charity worker to canal campaigner
P22 Photo contest results
Check out our winning entries in our photo competition
P24 Let's rolle
We explore the historic area around the Rolle Canal and what it has to offer visitors
P30 Branch focus
Spotlight on the Manchester branch
P32 summer fun
Important dates for your diary
EN
1. Your voice is counted when IWA speaks up for all those who enjoy the country’s canals and rivers
2. We lobby the government and work with other organisations to repair, improve and protect our waterways heritage
3. Restoration is kept high priority through funding for the Waterway Recovery Group
4. IWA campaign to defend the waterways from unwelcome development
6. IWA Canal Clean-ups led by our branches keep many waterways clear of debris
5. over 10,000 days of volunteering each year will be supported with the right training, tools and materials
7. We pass on traditional skills and work-based experience for volunteering young people
COVER PICTURE: An idyllic summer day on the water.
Our sincere apologies for not crediting Kev Maslin for our Spring issue cover.
Welcome from the NATIONAL CHAIR, Mike wills
Since my appointment as National Chair earlier this year, I have been on a very steep learning curve. My previous business and charity responsibilities were primarily involved with corporate reorganisation and strategic management. These areas of experience are, of course, very relevant to the current position of IWA but there is a lot more to the role of National Chair.
Will you do an interview with Waterways World? Why not? I have spoken with journalists before and have even had the occasional column published. I have never previously found myself as the actual subject of an article, but I was reasonably happy with how it turned out.
You need to write the introduction to Waterways, I am told. Another task somewhat outside of my comfort zone. So how do I address this? To start with, I reread the last few copies of the magazine and concluded that it was informative, very worthy, a touch old fashioned and maybe just a bit boring. Then I thought would this description also fit IWA?
In truth we have an abundance of skills and experience to offer. We have much to campaign about, and our role in Fund Britain’s Waterways helps give leadership and direction to the very real need to protect our wonderful waterways. Our restoration work and the support
that we give to the waterways community are outstanding and we really should be celebrating all restoration projects as part of campaigning in action. I really recommend that all of you reread our publication Waterways for Today (available on our website). This helps us all to identify the very many benefits that arise from the whole of the waterways environment.
Environment is perhaps the main area where I believe we need to increase our activities, and the trustees have now appointed a deputy chair to coordinate this approach. The natural and built environment on and around the waterways is something that we should cherish and enhance. Maybe this will also help us to attract new and younger members whose futures depend upon how well we protect the environment. I have recently met both the Minister and Shadow Minister for the waterways and am having regular meetings with the Chair and CEO of Canal & River Trust. I spent some time recently with Sir Michael Fabricant who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Waterways for which IWA provides the secretariat. Politics matters: in the end it is politicians who control the country’s purse strings, and we need to ensure that we encourage them to see the reasons for investing more, much more, in the waterways.
So returning to my observation of the current nature of both this magazine and IWA. How can we change things to maintain all our strengths while becoming more relevant to today? I do not pretend to have an instant answer. I will keep talking about this to as many people as possible and I hope to initiate effective change. In part misquoting John F. Kennedy, it is not what IWA can do for you; but what you, our members and potential members, can do to secure the future of our waterways.
Please come to the Canalway Cavalcade. Please attend as many festivals and events as possible. Please help with campaigning. Please keep restoring. Please help protect the environment and our heritage.
Finance committee
IWA’s Finance Committee is looking for new members. Some of the current members have served for many years and are looking to step down when replacements are found. We are looking for people with relevant skills and experience who are willing and able to contribute or comment on areas such as reviewing management information, budgets and forecasts, annual accounts, KPI’s, risk management, investment management, auditing, and insurances. A detailed description of the role can be found on the IWA website.
You do not need to be an accountant, but the role requires knowledge and understanding of management and management processes, and the role of finance in the overall running of the organisation. Experience in the charity environment would be extremely useful, including knowledge of Charity Commission compliance matters and charity law.
Please email Nick Dybeck (nick.dybeck@waterways. org.uk), enclosing your CV and a brief description of how you can help. Applications will be considered as they are received. Selected applicants will be invited to meet Finance Committee and, if successful, they will be appointed by trustees to serve on the committee for three years.
Fly-tipping in Bridgwater as prevalent as ever
Mike Slade of IWA’s West Country Branch says his group recently came across an incident of fly-tipping along the canal at the rear of Lakeside Caravan Park.
“The full extent of the quantity of items dumped was astonishing,” said Mike. “We bagged up the rubbish, took it out into the car park and put it by the dog bin. We then advised Clean Surroundings to collect it.”
Branch volunteers have spent 30,000 hours on maintaining the canal and docks over the past 10 years and say fly-tipping in Bridgwater is just as prevalent as ever. Discarded items along the canal can be of immense danger to the public.
“There are lots of bits and pieces that we’re picking up, where if someone dumps it under a canal bridge, and another comes along on a cycle or when it’s dark, it’s potentially a danger. We’re always anxious as to what we pick up, as it sometimes gets thrown back in,” he said. “A discarded jumper can easily incapacitate a boat engine. It affects wildlife – insects or small mammals can get injured by cans or trapped in bottles. We’ve also had fishing line wrapped around birds’ legs.”
Some of the most bizarre items the group has found along the canal in Bridgwater include a single bed, a double bed and a TV box, which were blocking most of the path. On another occasion, there were ten empty 4-litre milk bottles. Mike urges those who come across fly-tipping in the area to report it to Somerset Council’s Clean Surroundings division.
HS2 update report
As you will know, the government cancelled Phase 2 of HS2 in October 2023, leaving just the London to Birmingham section under active construction, and the link to the West Coast Mainline at Handsacre in Staffordshire currently largely ‘paused’ for two years.
My article in the winter issue of Waterways magazine welcomed the fact that this will enable the restoration of the Ashby Canal at Measham to proceed, and the Chesterfield Canal restoration at Staveley will no longer need to build an extra lock and a deepened lock. Several sections of canal with residentially used moorings will also no longer be subject to excessive noise during construction and operation of HS2, including Great Haywood Marina and moorings on the Middlewich Branch and on the Trent & Mersey Canal around Billinge Flash, where the threat of induced subsidence of the canal will also be avoided.
However, the announcement last October with the Network North report left many unanswered questions, including the viability of running HS2 trains north from Handsacre Junction on existing tracks to Manchester and Glasgow. The problem here is that the four existing tracks, plus the two extra HS2 tracks, funnel down within a few miles to only two tracks through Colwich Junction and Shugborough Tunnel. This major bottleneck was left unchanged when the West Coast Mainline was mostly widened two decades ago, meaning that Handsacre is the worst possible place for HS2 to join it. Running a full HS2 service to the north this way is simply impractical, which HS2 themselves recognised some years ago as they only intended to use the Handsacre Link for one train an hour via Stafford.
Although there has been no further information since October from government, a meeting of the House of Commons Transport Committee on 10th January heard evidence from Sir Jon Thompson, HS2 executive chair, which was quite revealing.
He clearly recognises that six into two won’t go, and said that building the “2a eastern stub” was still to be decided. While what was called the Manchester Spur, and its bridge over the Trent & Mersey Canal above Shade House Lock at Fradley Junction, is now superfluous with the cancellation of Phase 2a, retaining this would enable the first part of 2a to the east of Stafford to be reinstated to bypass this bottleneck and join the West Coast Mainline around Norton Bridge rather than Handsacre. A similar scheme has been considered previously by Network Rail, independent of HS2, although never publicly disclosed.
If the government’s promise that HS2 trains will still run through to Manchester and Scotland is to be fulfilled, then they will either have to tackle the tricky issue of widening the existing railway through the legally inalienable National Trust parkland and tunnel at Shugborough, which they avoided 20 years ago, or build a bypass line around Stafford, based on the first part of the Phase 2a route, or complete 2a to Crewe as originally planned and authorised. Any of these outcomes would have possible implications for the local waterways and the uncertainty may continue for some time.
If they do decide to build 2a, or at least to bypass Stafford, then it is likely that Great Haywood Marina and the Trent & Mersey Canal there will once again be threatened by the inadequate noise mitigation previously proposed. Or if they were to widen through Shugborough, then the Trent & Mersey Canal at Colwich and the Staffs & Worcs Canal along the Sow Valley would be affected, although less so as this is an existing line and trains would not be running at their full speed.
A full transcript of the Transport Committee hearing of 10th January can be seen at committees.parliament.uk/event/20066/ formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session. Phil Sharpe, HS2 Lead Representative
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF PROGRESS IN SOMERSET AND MID DEVON
IWA West Country Branch has published a new booklet to mark the many achievements over the last half century on the waterways of Somerset and Mid Devon.
Ray Alexander, West Country Branch Chair, said: “The area is fortunate to have a wonderful mix of rivers and canals which, while not joined to the national network, are cherished by locals and visitors alike. Indeed, many thousands of people, along with local businesses and the environment, have benefitted as sections of waterway and adjoining paths have been brought back into use during this time.”
The booklet presents the achievements in chronological order, with numerous photos, including major milestones such as the 1974 reopening of the 10.8-mile Barge Canal section of the Grand Western Canal; the 1994 reopening of 15 miles of the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal and River Tone Navigation; and the 2020 completion of an ‘access for all’ project on 7.6 miles of the Upper Parrett at Langport.
It also pays tribute to the volunteers, private investors and numerous local and national organisations, without whose support this progress would not have been made. IWA is proud to have played its part in this, not only through the West Country Branch and its work party volunteers, but also through its specialist advisers and Waterway Recovery Group.
Ray adds: “At a time of worrying funding cuts, we hope the booklet will also serve as a reminder that all the benefits to communities and the environment cannot be taken for granted. Ongoing support is vital.”
Printed copies of the booklet are available from ray.alexander@waterways.org.uk or it can be downloaded at waterways.org.uk/waterways/branches/iwa-west-countrybranch.
Volunteers needed
Volunteers are an essential part of what we do. From canal cleanups and restoration work, to campaigning and organising events, much of the work that IWA does simply would not be possible on this scale without the help of our dedicated volunteers.
These enthusiastic waterways supporters are not content with sitting back and waiting for others to do the work – they want to get stuck in and make a real difference to our canals and rivers. If this sounds like you, then please consider volunteering with us. It is great fun and helps IWA to protect, regenerate and restore our waterways.
We welcome volunteers from all walks of life and we have a range of roles to choose from including committee members, work party volunteers and event support. We are also seeking volunteers for specialist roles such as ecologists. There are plenty of opportunities to support IWA at a regional level too by volunteering with your local branch. Different branches may have different roles available at various times throughout the year so make sure to visit your branch website to browse the roles in your local area.
More volunteering opportunities will be featured in the next issue but in the meantime, please email volunteer@waterways. org.uk or visit waterways.org.uk/volunteer to learn more.
Waterways APPG hears about the importance of the waterways to rural tourism
MPs and peers of the All Party Parliamentary Group met in Westminster on 20th March, and were joined by representatives from navigation authorities, waterway organisations and government officials. Two speakers gave presentations describing ways in which inland waterways contribute to the rural tourism economy.
Rob Leigh from the Broads Authority spoke about the challenges of sustainable tourism in the UK’s largest protected wetland, explaining how the issues of climate change and economic pressure have had an impact.
Gareth Stephens from the Canal & River Trust spoke about how our waterways support rural tourism and the contribution that waterside businesses make to the economy.
The group also held its annual AGM, where officers for the following year were voted in. Timing of the next APPG meeting will depend on the date of the General Election.
Northampton Branch completes winter works
IWA Northampton Branch has some fantastic volunteers who keep the canal environment, the canal and towpath maintained in good order ready for all users to enjoy. So, since last November they’ve been busy working through their winter jobs schedule, which is now complete. Their winter works focus on clearing bypasses, keeping narrows clear, maintaining tracks and litter-picking.
Here’s a summary of the winter work done by their gallant team of volunteers:
• Clearing the bypass channel at Pineham Lock. These are the channels that carry water around the back of the lock.
Excess water in the canal should be able to go around the lock to avoid overflow over lock gates or adjacent land.
• Narrows are so called because these are where the canal tapers in. Most are the site of an old lift-bridge. As they are so narrow, the same width as locks, it is important to keep them clear for boats to get through. In order to get over to the off-side, a temporary bridge called a Youngmans Bridge is required to be set up over the narrow, allowing the volunteers to strim and lop back the vegetation.
• There are access tracks to allow vehicular access to the canal which get rutted, potholed and overgrown if not maintained. So, gravel is spread into ruts and potholes, and vegetation is cut back, for clear access.
• In addition, this year, they also installed a new bollard to assist with mooring at Lock 17. It is now much easier to use the lock, especially for a single-handed boater.
• Litter-picking is an all-year job, but winter is a good opportunity to ‘deep’ clean, as vegetation has died back and more litter is revealed or becomes accessible.
While tackling all that, volunteers had fun too! Altogether it’s a great result. Thanks to all this hard work which has made the towpath a good place for all users.
Why not come and enjoy a day or days with the team?
The volunteer work parties normally take place twice a month along the Northampton Arm as part of the adoption by IWA Northampton Branch. Contact Geoff at geoff.wood@ waterways.org.uk
Busy task party braves winter chills
Northampton Branch held a task party on Sunday 3rd March. Twenty-one volunteers attended on a sunny but cold winter’s day. They cleared vegetation from the bypass channel at Lock 16, mowed towpath and off-side grass, removed reeds and litter-picked with approximately 10 bags of rubbish collected, as well as three shopping trolleys and other assorted rubbish. At Bridge 17 they litter-picked the off-side, collecting another 10 bags of rubbish and two more shopping trolleys. At Lock 17 they litter-picked up to the step area adjacent to Bridge 17, removing vegetation and rubbish from the top gate area and clearing the bypass channel.
Northampton branch volunteers hard at work at Youngman Bridge. PIcture Gail Anscombe
Successful BCN clean –up
The annual BCN canal clean-up, a joint activity organised by the Birmingham Canal Navigation Society, Coombeswood Canal Trust, IWA/WRG and CRT, was held on the weekend of 16th-17th March. Volunteers gathered at Tipton on the Friday evening ready for the early start on Saturday. For many, it involved sleeping in the usual WRG fashion on their camp beds and bed rolls on the hall floors, while others brought along their boats and slept on board.
The local trusts supplied boats for collecting the rubbish from the banks, so the team had use of BCNS’s Pheonix, risen again from the ashes after much restoration, and Hawne from the Coombeswood Canal Trust, both making a welcome return to the clean-up.
On the Saturday morning 47 volunteers, including four new faces who were warmly welcomed, left the cook and her willing assistant back at the accommodation and headed off to the start points. Some travelling on the boats, some in the WRG vans, kitted out with grappling hooks or litter-pickers and rubbish bags to see what they could find this year.
The team was split into two groups, one working from the CRT base with the three local boats and the other to a separate destination expecting the two CRT boats along to collect their findings.
The two teams had totally different experiences. The team with the local boats didn’t find too much while the other team were kept busy. The afternoon saw both teams leaving on foot from the CRT base and working along the towpath, initially with lots of weed and plastic bags as their only treasure.
Many of the usual objects were found, with shopping trolleys, tyres and even a child’s plastic shopping trolley. This year many larger items were found, including a tractor tyre that took some pulling out, thanks to the silt and water in the rims. This year, rather than the usual bicycles, it seems that mini scooters are the thing to be used and dumped in the canal. Only a couple of bikes and a few bike parts were recovered, compared with 20 scooters and a motorbike.
The big find of the weekend was reels and reels of wire, some still rolled up, and a large what-looked-like a silo lid, as round as a person is tall. One treasure taken away for restoration by the volunteers was a brand-new wheelbarrow that just needed a new tyre.
In the evening the teams relaxed with refreshments and musical entertainment. On Sunday morning, light rain greeted the day, but the team went out as normal smiling and getting muddy and smelly as they continued to recover their ‘treasures’. What at first seemed to be a couple of crowbars turned out to be many metal fence posts. Further up was Harris fencing, then fence posts still attached to their concrete base –teamwork was needed to remove these heavy objects.
The team were really pleased with the number of locals who thanked them for their efforts as they walked past on the towpath. The clean-up finished with lunch of soup and sandwiches back at the hall before everyone headed off in different directions by boat, car or train.
Criticism over proposed aqueduct demolition
IWA has sharply criticised what it describes as a lazy proposal by government body Natural Resources Wales (NRW) in considering demolishing Aberdulais Aqueduct, which carries the Tennant Canal over the River Neath.
In a low-key consultation quietly issued by the Welsh government quango, NRW lists five options for spending millions of pounds to reduce the flood risk for 27 properties alongside the River Neath, which have a long history of flooding. Two of the options, believed to be favoured by NRW, involve complete or partial demolition of Aberdulais Aqueduct, which would forever frustrate restoration proposals to bring the Neath and Tennant canals back to life, as well as impacting the well-being, environmental and heritage benefits provided by the canal.
The Aberdulais Aqueduct is a Scheduled Ancient Monument that spans the River Neath immediately south of the A465 in Aberdulais. The structure is located approximately 2 miles northeast of Neath. It consists of a 104m-long structure comprising 10 arches with an overall length of 66m bridging over the River Neath and a retained section extending a further 28m on the east bank of the river. The condition of the masonry aqueduct structure has deteriorated significantly over the years since navigation ceased nearly 100 years ago. The aqueduct historically formed a navigable link between the Tennant and Neath canals and was constructed to also cross over an old 1750s navigable cut on the eastern side of the river. Construction of the aqueduct began in 1823, and it was formally opened in May 1824.
The aqueduct lies about 80m to the south of the confluence between the River Dulais and the River Neath. Just south of the confluence of the rivers is a weir from which water is abstracted to supply the Tennant Canal. This weir has failed and NRW has been uncooperative in approving its repair, leading to the Tennant Canal being nearly dry in recent years, with damage to the environment and loss of wildlife from the canal.
In times of flooding, the Aberdulais Aqueduct is perceived as an obstruction to the flow of the river. Flooding of the adjacent land and properties has occurred on several occasions. The properties in Canal Side have a long history of
Lichfield Branch tackles towpath vegetation
IWA Lichfield Branch volunteers recently joined forces with their CRT Stoke counterparts to tackle some heavily overgrown saplings on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Weston-upon-Trent in Staffordshire. Growing on the towpath side at the water’s edge, many were over 2m high and with 10cm-thick stems.
IWA Lichfield’s Neil Barnett commented: “Thankfully we had the use of a pole chainsaw, for which I’m qualified, for the off-side vegetation cutting, otherwise it would have taken much longer using only handsaws and pruners.”
CRT is in the process of introducing an initiative it’s calling a ‘weedathon’, whereby volunteers all over the country will be encouraged to cut down any tall weeds and saplings which are growing at the water’s edge, before they grow to such an extent that they risk damaging the embankment or compromising navigation. “The majority of saplings strewn along our canals are small enough to be easily dealt with using basic loppers or pruners, so it’s important to deal with the problem as soon as possible before many more become fully fledged trees,” says Neil.
flooding, with damaging events in December 1979 and October 1998. In more recent years, climate change has worsened the situation and floods have become more regular, with resulting damage to the aqueduct. A structural inspection report commissioned by IWA’s Waterway Recovery Group in December 2021 showed that urgent works were required to prevent further damage to the Ancient Monument, but nothing has been done so far. In its consultation, NRW admits that demolition of the aqueduct would have relatively little impact in reducing floods, but the local view is that NRW would like to demolish the aqueduct so it can be seen to be doing something.
IWA deputy chair Sue O’Hare said: “While the IWA has every sympathy with the residents of Canal Side, demolishing one of Wales’s renowned historic structures would be nothing short of bureaucratic vandalism while not achieving the aim of significantly reducing the flood risk. Over the years a great deal of voluntary effort and public money have gone into bringing the Neath Canal back to life for the benefit of the community. IWA calls upon the owners of the Neath and Tennant canals (St Modwen and Port Tennant Canal Company), Neath Port Talbot Council and the government agencies concerned to work together to rescue this precious piece of heritage and amenity for the benefit of future Welsh generations.”
National Resources Wales’s consultation closed on 26th February and omits any mention that the aqueduct is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, or any historical background or its purpose. Rather, it just suggests demolition as if the aqueduct were just some pile of inconveniently discarded rubble. The consultation does admit, however, that even if the aqueduct were to be demolished, it would “unlikely to be able to remove the flood risk to the Aberdulais community entirely”. Alternative, albeit possibly more expensive, measures of making properties more flood-resilient appear not to have been considered. However, the consultation does admit that “additional measures (necessary) are likely to take a whole catchment approach and may include improved warning and informing, nature-based solutions as well as engineered defences”.
Goodbye Mr Mac and the end of an era
The death of David (Mr Mac) McCarthy, the éminence grise of IWA’s Waterway Recovery Group North West, just 40 days before his 100th birthday, truly marks the end of an era.
Brought up in Crumpsall, Manchester, he attended Stand Grammar School, and later joined Barclays Bank, staying with them until retirement. During the war he was conscripted into the Royal Signals but subsequently transferred to the Royal Artillery Corps, serving in North Africa and Italy. After the war and following marriage to Nancy and the arrival of son Ian, he moved to Woodstock, his home (and the spiritual one of WRG NW) for the next 60 years, only leaving 10 years ago when he followed Ian and daughter Jane to Rossendale.
His interest in canals was aroused by a family boating holiday in the early ’60s, and he joined the Peak Forest Canal Society, not only working himself but supplying moral support and refreshments to the younger volunteers. The appearance of him and his late wife, Nancy, bringing near infinite supplies of hot tea, and only slightly more limited ones of broken biscuits, was never more welcome than during the clearance of the Rochdale 9 in the bitter early months of 1973.
After the Cheshire Ring reopened in 1974, he helped the PFCS volunteers to move on to working on other canals, again providing that all-important backroom support until the PFCS working party morphed into WRG North West in 1977. “Typical,” was his response to inadequate washing facilities at a hall in Droitwich during work on a particularly muddy site. He bought the local hardware shop's entire stock of washing-up bowls, boiled every urn, kettle and pan he could find, and produced bowl after bowl of clean hot water for the returning Navvies. That the bowls had to be arranged on the perimeter wall of the car park in full public view was of minor importance.
As the scale of NW’s work grew, more funding was needed and, in January 1978, prompted by the experience of one of the volunteers, he started a wastepaper collection near Woodstock, his home in north Manchester. This only stopped
Invitation to enter national IWA awards
Nominations for our national awards are now open. From fundraising efforts to restoration endeavours, it is time to say thank you for the contributions that we simply could not do without.
Nominations are invited from members, branches and regions and should be sent to awards@waterways.org.uk or posted to Awards Panel, c/o IWA Head Office, Unit 16B, Chiltern Court, Asheridge Road, Chesham HP5 2PX.
The deadline for nominations is 31st May 2024. Nominations are considered by our Awards Panel nominated by trustees and recommendations made to trustees for final approval.
The winners of the awards will be announced at the national AGM on 28th September.
Visit our website waterways.org.uk/about-us/nationalawards to learn more about the awards categories and nominations process.
in 2018, 40 years and 405 collections later, because the merchant to whom the paper was sold could no longer take it.
For most of that time, with only limited help, he wrote, duplicated and delivered 1,500 newsletters three times a year, phoned 30+ volunteers each month, booked skips, claimed grants, organised lunch and often washed up after it. In the early days, most of the paper was stacked in his garden, to be taken in, a load at a time, in the NW van (which, of course, he also maintained). Collections eventually totalled about 4,000 tonnes, making it a significant environmental project in its own right.
As if that was not enough, for much of this period he and Nancy also ran the NW publicity/sales stand, helping to recruit a new generation of Navvies while raising yet more money. It’s impossible to place an exact figure on the proceeds of his labours though. The wastepaper collection raised over £60,000, but the total must exceed £80,000 and could well be £100,000.
For 60 years he was at the heart of the canal restoration movement in north-west England, remaining involved even when, at about the age of 80, he stopped travelling to digs.
His contribution to the waterway movement was recognised in 1986 with the award of the IWA's prestigious Cyril Styring Trophy, to be followed by an MBE in 2001 for ‘services to canal restoration and the environment in the North West’.
Malcolm Bridge
Sustainable boating awards
The IWA/Towpath Talk Sustainable Boating Awards are also still open for nominations. These awards recognise the individuals and organisations or businesses making the most valuable contribution to sustainable boating during the previous calendar year.
There will be two categories: one for individuals or groups representing charitable or community organisations, and one for waterways-related businesses.
Nominations may be made by individuals or organisations wishing to be considered, or by third parties, and may relate either to sustainable methods of propulsion, the reduction in the carbon footprint of domestic energy use on boats, or both.
The closing date for entries and nominations is 1st July 2024 and these should be sent to IWATTSustainable.Awards@ waterways.org.uk. The award will be judged by a panel comprising representatives of IWA, Towpath Talk and the waterways community. The winners will be announced at a presentation event later in the year.
David after he received his MBE.
Grants to promote immediate canal improvements
Following the success of the Waterways in Progress report, published in March 2019 and aimed at the waterway restoration sector, IWA’s trustees announced a new grant o ering organisations up to £100,000 to assist in funding a project or projects which promote the Waterways in Progress vision and values. The grant is made possible by legacies that have been le to the Association.
Applications for the grant opened in May 2019. At the close date, we had received 28 applications om 27 di erent groups who between them applied for over £1.1m. Seven applications were progressed to Stage 2 of the process. Judges met to consider the detailed further submissions in November 2019 and advised the successful groups of their final decision.
The thinking behind Waterways in Progress was that the scale of many restorations in terms of the funding needed, and construction skills required to deliver a complete canal restoration, can stop progress in its tracks. Firstly, if restoration groups can focus on smaller-scale projects which start delivering om day one, benefits including local awareness and communi support lead to the larger project issues feeling more surmountable. This was a key requirement for any organisation applying for the Waterways in Progress grant: that the project can start to deliver right om day one. Secondly, to be successful, judges needed to see that projects deliver on one or more of the following key themes of the Waterways in Progress report.
• CHANNELLING REGENERATION – projects which bring economic benefits to the local area.
• PROMOTING PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND WELL-BEING – encouraging people to get out and about for both physical and mental health benefits, as well as volunteering and learning new skills.
• CREATING COMMUNITY SPACES – projects which build social cohesion and instil civic pride.
• ENHANCING HERITAGE AND HABITATS – the delivery of environmental benefits and/or the preservation of history and tradition for the benefit of future generations.
The intention was never that successful projects should deliver more navigable miles, but rather that they focused on the wider benefits that a waterways restoration project can bring to an area. Waterways in Progress shows the success that can be delivered when projects create partnerships, engage communities and inspire stakeholders in order to keep moving forwards to an end goal.
Waterway groups bid for grants om this pot of funds. Unfortunately, Covid restrictions caused some major delays for ge ing the work undertaken by the successful trusts. We are now pleased to report that a number of the projects have been completed.
Ashby Canal Association
Project: Ashby Canal Trail
Grant: £10,000
The project involved creating a path from the current terminus of the Ashby Canal at Snarestone on to Measham. It involved a combination of the old route of the canal, and a new route bypassing a Measham housing development. The path is easy to use and well signed. It establishes in the mind of the public the new route of the to-be-restored Ashby Canal, and apart from one easy road crossing is entirely on country paths. Numbers are difficult to quantify, but the trust has seen many groups of walkers and usually sees several people walking the trail when carrying out maintenance.
The project allowed for some good development of working relationships with the Ashby Canal Trust, Leicestershire County Council (current landowner), Waterway Recovery Group (loan of digger and driver) and the local parish council.
There have been positive outcomes, not just for the canal group but for locals, boaters and other canal users as well. The trail provides an easy route from Snarestone to Measham for shopping. For Measham village residents, it provides access to the navigable length of canal, to the Globe Inn on Snarestone Main Street and to the Ashby Canal Association shop at the terminus.
The trail provides an ideal circular walk, which is popular with locals. The group has also produced a leaflet detailing the route and facilities.
Above: Kissing gate replacing old stile at Snarestone.
right: the last post.
below: Steps down from old railway embankment – the biggest job of all.
below: the state of the railway line before and after the project work was undertaken.
Wilts & Berks Canal Trust
Project: Improvements to the Shrivenham Canal Park and the installation of a solar pump Grant: £13,500
The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust took the Waterways in Progress vision and values to heart and spent the grant money on a number of facilities:
• Installation of bird and bat boxes
• Improving the compound including new fencing and murals
• Installation of information panels and maps
• Installation of benches
• Eco-toilet
• Dog waste bin
• Bug hotels
• Solar panels, pump and pipework
Look out for details of other short-term projects that were funded under this grant in future issues of Waterways.
“Our previous facilities were rudimentary at best. This has helped increase the number of corporate volunteers we can host.”
The Shrivenham Canal Park is a public asset created and maintained by the West Vale Branch of WBCT. It is extremely well used by locals and the grant was used to enhance their experience. They estimate that there are hundreds of people passing through the park each week. Part of the project was to install an eco-toilet for volunteers.
Ian Mitchell שׁom WBCT said: “Our previous facilities were rudimentary at best. This has helped increase the number of corporate volunteers we can host.”
Panels and maps give visitors information on the flora and fauna to look out for in the park, while walking around or si ing on the benches taking in the peaceful atmosphere or admiring the views across the Ridgeway.
With the positives came some negatives. Despite the installation of a solar pump which ran for most of the summer, the canal level could not be maintained. Further investigation led to the discovery of a significant leak into a culvert under the canal. This means extra work to repair it for the future.
WBCT is currently working to temporarily redirect this brook so that it can expose the culvert and understand why it is leaking. The presence of protected great crested newts in the canal means there is very limited time to carry out this work as it can only be done outside the newts’ breeding season. The solar pump will be turned on again in the summer to see if the leak has been correctly identified.
ABOVE: The bus stop seat and notice board.
RIGHT: The eco-toilet.
BELOW: Solar panels for the solar pump.
BELOW: Canal boat murals on the new compound fence.
CAMPAIGNING WITH YOU
Fund Britain’s Waterways
Since launching at the end of June 2023, Fund Britain’s Waterways has created an impressive coalition of over 125 member organisations, representing hundreds of thousands of users and supporters of inland waterways. A public petition has a racted over 50,000 signatures while three well-reported Campaign Cruises in Birmingham, Gloucester and Westminster have substantially raised awareness of the challenges facing our waterways and the need for action.
NEWS
On 4th April, FBW issued a press release containing a statement om the group ahead of the England and Wales local and mayoral elections which are due to take place on 2nd May. On 8th April, a further press release was issued which focused on publicising the upcoming Westminster Campaign Cruise. Both press releases can be viewed on our website: waterways.org.uk/ w-news.
Events
• Visit our website to view details of upcoming FBW events: waterways.org.uk/ w-events
• Opportunities to Quiz Navigation Authorities: ongoing.
• FBW is running a series of sessions with major navigation authorities, such as Canal & River Trust, the Environment Agency and the Broads Authori . The sessions are being livestreamed, with recordings made publicly available shortly a er each one. The series started with the CRT session on 10th April. FBW members were invited to submit detailed questions, which were then submi ed to the navigation authori in advance of the meeting. FBW asked the questions in the meeting and the navigation authori provided answers. The recording and notes om the session will be made publicly available.
May Day Bank Holiday Weekend of Action, 4th-6th May
Our plans for 2024 include an important weekend of action over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend (4th-6th May) to highlight the impact of insu cient funding for Britain’s 5,000 miles of inland waterways. The weekend of action is planned to take place across the country on waterways managed by di erent inland navigation authorities. It will coincide with our annual Canalway Cavalcade event at Lile Venice in London, which this year will be themed on Fund Britain’s Waterways.
Local groups will be organising events during the weekend of action to spread the word that waterways need to be properly funded to stop them om falling into decline. Events will come in all shapes and sizes, שׁom IWA Canalway Cavalcade to a few boats gathered together at a public location where flyers can be handed out and people can ben encouraged to sign our petition or get more involved.
FWB also need to have a presence at as many events as possible throughout the rest of the year. If you can help the FBW cause at any events you are involved with please contact Hazel Owen (hazelowen.awcc@outlook.com or 07929 204811).
FBW at the Crick Boat Show, 25th-27th May
We are delighted to confirm that FBW has also secured the support of the Crick Boat Show to provide an important platform to spread our message. The show has provided us with a ee stand to profile the campaign for the entire weekend and is also devoting an hour’s session to us in one of their theatres. This is an excellent opportuni for us to engage with the thousands of visitors that the show a racts and to seek more support for the campaign. The campaign will also, as a result, enjoy the benefits of being included in the show’s promotional activities so look out for this.
If you plan to be at the show, please come along and say hello at the FBW stand in the Waterways World Boating Marquee and talk to us about how you can support us. If you have not been to the show before, then here’s a good reason to plan your first visit! While it is primarily a boat show aimed at aspiring and existing boat-owners, it has a great festival feel, with associated music and real ale, plus plen of non-boating exhibitors for a great family day out. Plus, as an IWA member, you can bring your membership card with you to get שׁee access to the VIP Marquee. We are grateful for the show’s support for FBW so head to crickboatshow.com/tickets to purchase tickets and come along to help maintain our momentum in securing adequate funding for Britain’s waterways.
Flying the flag.
Campaign
Cruise past the Houses of Parliament on 8th May
Boaters attending Cavalcade are invited to join a Campaign Cruise past the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday 8th May, as the culmination of the weekend of action. Parliamentarians will be encouraged to view the event and express their support for the continued maintenance of the waterways to enable them to keep on delivering economic, health, environmental and well-being benefits.
FBW would very much appreciate as many people as possible gathering on Westminster Bridge for 1.00pm to show their support for the campaign.
We hope that activities taking place across the country over the weekend will attract local and national media attention, building up to the Westminster Cruise on 8th May for which we will be aiming for national coverage. The event has already been publicised in an article of Conservative Group highlights which appeared on the Reuters website and in an article on the Marine Industry News website.
Membership
FBW recently welcomed Robert Wynns & Sons and the Electrika Show as the 125th and 126th members of the group. Although this represents excellent progress, it is not enough and we need more members, especially non-boating organisations. Please do email suggested contacts to membership@fundbritainswaterways.org. uk – or simply ask your contacts to email that address and we will take them through the process of joining. It only takes a few minutes to join and support the campaign and it costs nothing.
Get involved Petition
The FBW petition has reached the milestone of 50,000 signatures. We are grateful to everyone who has signed and helped us to achieve this milestone. It isn’t enough though. There are far more people who love and value our canals and rivers, and we need your help to get our message to them. Please do encourage all your contacts to sign and share the petition here: change.org/p/fund-britain-s-waterways.
Donate
Making a donation to FBW will help the group to continue campaigning for government to provide sufficient grant funding to retain the huge environmental, economic and social benefits that Britain’s inland waterways provide. All the donations raised will go into a restricted fund and will contribute towards campaign costs for Fund Britain’s Waterways. Donate here: justgiving.com/campaign/fbw
Volunteer
FBW is seeking volunteers to assist with various aspects of the campaign including fundraising, publicity and project management. Please get in touch via info@ fundbritainswaterways.org.uk for more information or visit our website to view the available roles: waterways. org.uk/fbw-volunteers.
Flying the flag
There will be numerous opportunities to fly the flag to Fund Britain’s Waterways in 2024, although some of our supporters are already off to a flying start. FBW supporters have been flying the flag recently from events such as the Bingley Five Rise 250th Anniversary Gathering and Shrewsbury Canal Heritage Exhibition to locations including Fradley Junction and the Regent’s Canal. Please send photos of you flying the FBW flag to info@fundbritainswaterways.org.uk.
Resources
We’ve developed a range of free resources to help you to get involved in the campaign and show your support for our waterways. The following can be downloaded from our website here: waterways.org.uk/fbw-resources.
Window stickers
Attendees at upcoming IWA or FBW events will be able to collect a free, professionally printed window sticker from the campaign stand. In the meantime, please download, print and proudly display a temporary window sticker from the FBW website. Whether you are afloat or on dry land, these will send out a striking message.
Social media graphics
You can show your support for the campaign by sharing our social media posts. However, we also encourage you to create your own posts using the range of social media graphics available on the FBW website. Just make sure to include the hashtag #FundBritainsWaterways in your posts. You can also make a real statement by updating your cover photo on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to our FBW cover graphics.
Raising voices.
Spotlight on... Navigation Committee
Navigation Committee held its annual face-to-face meeting at the Roundhouse in Birmingham on Saturday 23rd March. It was good to be together and to discuss various areas where positive progress has been made, particularly in view of the increasingly apparent impact of inadequate funding on waterways across the country. The rationale for the Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign is becoming ever more starkly clear.
Waterway funding and condition
Starting with the Canal & River Trust, Sue O’Hare reported on her first Canal & River Trust Council meeting as IWA’s new representative, held on 20th March in Liverpool. Two sobering themes ran through the meeting. Firstly, the major storms over winter were unprecedented in both their number and their broad impact across the country, resulting in widespread damage and a knock-on effect on planned maintenance work. Secondly, the incident at Toddbrook Reservoir in 2019 has led to an unprecedented programme of work on reservoirs, which is currently taking up half of Canal & River Trust’s total infrastructure spend with clear implications for work on waterways.
Aberdulais Aqueduct
Navigation Committee members Andrew Strawson, Verna Smith, David Struckett, Jonathan Mosse, Sue O’Hare, Bowman Bradley, Ivor Caplan, Amy Tillson and John Pomfret.
The committee was concerned to see an analysis of Canal & River Trust stoppage data for the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. This showed that the canal was open end-to-end for 100 days fewer in 2023 than in 2016, and that the number of unplanned stoppages had risen from four in 2016 to about 26 in 2023. Anecdotally this substantial decline in availability appears to be causing a reduction in cruising as boaters are uncertain about being able to reach their destination. This sample data shows the scope for further analysis and discussion.
Funding-related issues are becoming evident across Environment Agency waterways. On the Thames, volunteer lock-keepers are to be removed for this summer, meaning a 30% reduction in the number of lock-keepers, with six locks having major problems. In East Anglia, the lack of dredging by EA means that Salter’s Lode Lock cannot be opened. Since this is the link between the Middle Level Navigations and the Great Ouse, 130 miles of waterway have been cut off from the rest of the network with no opening date at the time of writing. Boaters have been stranded and businesses are suffering. Lack of maintenance in adjacent areas is also calling into question the effectiveness of flood defence and alleviation plans for local communities.
The committee heard of long winter closures on Scottish canals and many other concerns there. In Wales, correspondence has continued with Neath Port Talbot Council about the proposed reduction in funding for the Neath Canal and the effect it will have on public access to the towpath.
More positively, boaters are continuing to complete the IWA Silver Propeller Challenge. The challenge has been running since 2018 and offers a plaque for everyone who visits 20 different places on the list of underused waterways by any type of boat, canoe or paddleboard.
In order to gather data about the boater experience in current conditions, Navigation Committee launched the Boaters’ User Experience Survey 2023 on 29th February, with a deadline of 29th March for responses. The results will be reported in a later issue of Waterways
Trentlink and the Tidal Trent
We were joined at our meeting by Nick Roberts of the Trentlink group as a guest speaker. Nick explained the aim of the group to increase the number of vessels using the tidal Trent and to improve the navigation. It is primarily a Facebook group which has grown to almost 2,000 members, with an associated website to store documents. There is a long way to go to realise the vision of the Trent as a generally accepted route between Midlands and northern waterways, with the benefits of greatly reduced lockage and increased speed. However, a huge amount of effort has resulted in an impressive repository of useful documents for boaters, as well as practical work to improve ease and safety of navigation. We are keen to continue working closely with Trentlink and wish them success. (trentlink.org.uk)
Inland Waterways Freight Group
The Freight Group has continued to focus on getting firm data on the inland waterways freight sector. The group is putting together documents to support the case for the use of HVO in small (gross tonnage less than 500) vessels operating on Category C and D waters, working with the Sustainable Boating Group.
Sustainable Boating Group
The HVO Joint Working Group continues to meet and now includes representation from British Marine. The premium of HVO to mineral diesel is still too high and is also very volatile. The IWA/Towpath Talk Sustainable Boating Award has been launched in both Towpath Talk and Waterways, with a closing date of 1st July. The Sustainable Boating Group will have a presence at Electrika 2024, an exhibition of electric narrowboats and boating, to be held on 3rd-4th May at Brinklow Marina. The group organised a visit to Barrus in Bicester to hear about the hydrogenpowered narrowboat it has built.
Consultation responses Navigation Committee responded to a consultation by Natural Resources Wales on reducing the flood risk for properties alongside the River Neath. Two of the five options proposed involve complete or partial demolition of Aberdulais Aqueduct, which carries the Tennant Canal over the River Neath. The aqueduct is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and its removal would frustrate restoration proposals to bring the Neath and Tennant canals back to life, as well as impacting the well-being, environmental and heritage benefits.
A response was also submitted to the River Thames Scheme consultation on proposals to reduce flood risk on the Lower Thames between Egham and Teddington. Navigation Committee supported Paddle UK (formerly British Canoeing) in stressing the need to safeguard navigation and access to the channels where the River Thames flows. Finally, an IWA representation was submitted to the Port of London Authority on a Harbour Revision Order. Also on the Thames, intensive discussions between several parties and Canal & River Trust have resulted in a safer and more workable solution than the originally proposed reduction in opening hours for Limehouse Lock between the Regent’s Canal and the tidal Thames.
Navigation
Committee chair and deputy chairs
Owing to increased commitments, John Pomfret has stepped down as Deputy Chair of Navigation Committee, although we will continue to value his expert contributions as a member. We welcome Roger Stocker as John’s successor. Roger will work alongside Ivor Caplan and Sue O’Hare, who will continue as Deputy Chair and Chair respectively. The Committee recognises John’s enormous contributions over many years and has recorded its thanks.
Sue O’Hare Chair of Navigation Committee
Aberdulais Aqueduct
From the heart of Africa to England's quiet backwaters
Since IWA trustee Stuart Craig retired from an impressive career as a charity worker he has pursued his passion
for our waterways
Stuart Craig’s election to the IWA board, at the September 2023 AGM, came just days before he headed off to fulfil a long-held dream in the Sahara Desert. The trip of a lifetime was to celebrate his retirement and ‘coming of age’ (pension age) following a 48-year career, mostly in the charity sector.
“My wife Carolyn and I have always had a thing about deserts, ever since being lucky enough to visit Namibia when we worked in South Africa for a few years,” Stuart explains. The overland trip from Marrakech to Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, looked set to tick all their boxes, and didn’t disappoint.
Three weeks and 2,500 photos later, Stuart came back down to earth, ready to get stuck into some of the problems facing IWA. Like many charities, it has the twin challenges of a declining number of donors and members, coupled with rapidly rising costs and diminishing reserves. And like many similar organisations, it has had a rapid turnover of staff in the post-Covid period, though Stuart says the high number of changes at the top (CEO) in recent years has been unusual.
“IWA does not currently have a CEO and the Trustees are exploring all options as to how best to manage the organisation in the long term. Currently, a management committee is concentrating on our key functions of campaigning and restoration.” Stuart is full of admiration for their commitment, and hopes members will remain appreciative of their efforts.
To help keep costs down and spread the load a bit, most of the other trustees are taking responsibility for certain IWA projects and Stuart has volunteered to look after the charity’s residential property, which provides a steady income of unrestricted funds –vital these days. Having been a fundraiser and manager of several charities over the years, Stuart appreciates how difficult the economic climate is for the 165,000 charities in the UK. He hopes his experience of good governance will be of use to IWA.
Stuart’s work in the charity sector has mainly centred on Africa, and he has been involved with a number of other causes including education, urban development and disability. A career highlight was his 17-year involvement with Comic Relief, which at the time was at the peak, raising hundreds of millions of pounds for charity. “This year’s Red Nose Day did well to raise £38m,” he explains, “but I was fortunate to be there when it was raising over £100m and the place was buzzing. It was full-on and we all worked incredibly hard, like a huge family. Occasionally I got to spend time with Lenny Henry and others on location in the slums of Nairobi, but Comic Relief has – quite rightly – stopped doing that now. It wasn’t justifiable to send celebrities to areas of extreme poverty and make them cry on camera. I’m glad all that’s ended now. It’s good when charities look critically at themselves, hear what others are saying and change direction.”
A quiet mooring.
Frozen in at Christmas.
There is nothing to beat that quiet, still morning dawn with a little mist hovering over the water, the calling of a moorhen and the sun’s rays breaking through. It’s so cathartic, yet so energising.
Seventeen years ago, Stuart and his wife bought their first canal boat, a 35-footer called Nearly There. “We had lots of adventures on that boat, which was so light it would blow around everywhere. People are very friendly on the cut but we got rather tired of everyone joking, ‘Are you nearly there yet?’ so we renamed it Tobymory after our dog.”
The couple later commissioned a slightly longer narrowboat from a boat-builder in Liverpool who went bust, and eventually ended up with their present pride and joy, a 57ft traditional stern boat now known as Sonto, based on the Grand Union in Hertfordshire.
The name ‘Sonto’ is more than a nod to their interest in South Africa. The Zulu word literally means ‘Sunday’, but was also the African name of their beloved housekeeper in Johannesburg.
“Most people have a housekeeper or domestic help in South Africa,” Stuart explains. “It’s a vital part of the economy and creates jobs. Carolyn and I were really fond of Sonto and completely devastated when she died several years later in mysterious circumstances. It is highly possible she was poisoned
but the police never really got to the bottom of it so we will never know for sure. We have supported her daughter ever since and decided to name the boat in our friend’s honour. As we cruise around the network, we always think of her. Occasionally people ask what the name means, and it’s nice to be able to talk about the real Sonto.”
Stuart and Carolyn share their life on board Sonto with their two dogs – one perfectly ‘boat-sized’ and the other a little ‘too big’. “They both love it, especially running between locks, and both have fallen in a few times, usually when they’re jumping on or off the boat and misjudge it,” laughs Stuart. “We all love it, actually. There is nothing to beat that quiet, still morning dawn with a little mist hovering over the water, the calling of a moorhen and the sun’s rays breaking through. It’s so cathartic, yet so energising. There’s a purity about it, which is why I get so upset if there’s anything in the water that shouldn’t be there, like plastic or an oil spill or worse. Thoughtlessness kills. Our environment is so fragile, and all of us need to work hard to safeguard it for our children and their children to enjoy as we do.”
Stuart & his wife Carolyn on their first boat Nearly There
Colourful Cape Town.
The real Sonto and her daughter July 2004.
2023 Photo competition winners
Judged by photographers
Kevin Maslin, Joe Dixey, Nicola Turner and Bobby Mackenzie
We were delighted to receive more than 150 entries in our 2023 photography competition. Amateur and professional photographers alike took part, and we received some fantastic photographs featuring Britain’s canals and rivers. Some photographs were taken using digital cameras whereas others used mobile phones. Significant advancements in technology have made photography a lot more accessible, which allows people from all walks of life to enter.
Photographs were submitted in the following four categories:
• People of the Waterways
• Urban Wildlife
• Protect Our Waterways
• Working Waterways
2023
Working Waterways –overall winner Baswich on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal
This is a great composition, with the orientation of the boat leading the eye into the photograph to focus on the man steering the boat. The subject of the photo is well framed with plenty of space around the boat and good light and colour in the photo. The colour of the surrounding vegetation contrasts well with the colours of the boat. It’s clearly a working canal boat and both the boat and the man are characterful and interesting. A really attractive photo. Although I’ve chosen this photo as the winner in the Working Waterways category, the photographer submitted several other very strong entries in this category. Nicola Turner
Our judging panel consisted of four exceptional waterways photographers, including Kevin Maslin who judged the competition in both 2022 and 2023. Kevin runs photography walks along the canal and his work has featured in BBC Wildlife and Waterways World magazines, as well as in the popular Geo Projects maps. He is a passionate supporter of the waterways and has attended a number of recent campaigning events including the Fund Britain’s Waterways Campaign Cruises in Birmingham and Westminster last year. Kevin has very kindly given us permission to use these photographs in our FBW campaigning materials and elsewhere, such as on the front cover of the Spring 2024 edition of Waterways magazine, for which we are incredibly grateful.
We were also delighted to welcome Joe Dixey to our judging panel this year. Joe is a London-based portrait and documentary photographer who has worked with award-winning photographers such as Ewen Spencer and Phil Sharp. Joe’s photography combines authenticity and artistic skills to produce images that are unique and engaging as demonstrated by the photographs Joe captures at our events. Joe regularly photographs our annual Canalway Cavalcade event in Little Venice and also photographed our 2023 Festival of Water in Pelsall.
Joe and Kevin were joined by guest judge Nicola Turner, the winner of our 2022 Photography Competition for her image of Marple on the Peak Forest Canal. After being shortlisted as the judge’s favourite from
the British Waterscapes category, Nicola’s photograph beat over 300 entries to be crowned the overall winner of the competition.
Bobby Mackenzie completed the judging panel as our firstever young photography judge. Thirteen-year-old Bobby is one of the Bluebells, a family of four who live and continuously cruise on their narrowboat named Bluebell. Bobby and his family share their adventures through social media where they have built an impressive following under the name ‘by Bike & Boat’. Bobby is a keen waterways photographer who has captured an impressive selection of images while cruising with his family. We invited Bobby to take part on the judging panel this year in the hope that it may encourage the next generation to take to the towpaths and capture the incredible beauty of our waterways in their photography. Congratulations to our category winners who each receive £25 to spend in our online shop, plus IWA goodies. Please also join us in congratulating the overall competition winner Nigel Essery, who submitted his photograph of Baswich on the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal in the Working Waterways category. Nigel will receive a print of his photo. A massive thank you to our judges: Kevin Maslin, Joe Dixey, Nicola Turner and Bobby Mackenzie, for judging the competition – and to everyone who entered. We hope you will enjoy seeing your photographs if they are used in our marketing materials, and that you are looking forward to our 2024 Photography Competition which will open later this year.
Nigel Essery
People of the Waterways
Locking into teamwork at Milby Lock, Boroughbridge Mervin Straughan
I selected this photo as it has an old-world charm to it, reminiscent of period paintings that depict people working in the landscape. It showcases the human aspect of the canal, reminding us that despite being a place for leisure, it still requires a lot of effort and dedication.
Joe Dixey
Protect Our Waterways
Hat factory at Atherstone Marilyn Farmer
This was a difficult category to judge, but I do accept that it wasn’t an easy one to interpret. Broadly speaking the entries needed to demonstrate how various man-made and natural occurrences can have an adverse effect on the appearance, safety and attractiveness of our waterways. Now I love old waterside buildings as they give a sense of history, but when they fall into disrepair and become a potential navigation hazard, such as the former hat factory at Atherstone, the outlook becomes entirely different. I like Marilyn Farmer’s image for two distinct qualities. Firstly, the reflection of the building in the water is full height. There can be a tendency to crop. Secondly, the vivid high contrast blue sky is also reflected perfectly. It was clearly taken from onboard a boat and the only thing I would have done differently would have been to lose the handrail in the bottom-left corner. But it’s a minor detail that could well have affected the composition as a whole and doesn’t detract from an otherwise excellent picture. Kevin Maslin
Urban Wildlife
River Wear Taha Tariq
Our first-ever ‘young photography judge’, Bobby Mackenzie selected this photograph from Tara Tariq as the winner in the Urban Wildlife category which attracted over 30 entries. Tara’s photograph features the River Wear which crosses the city of Durham and passes alongside Durham University.
Let's Rolle
Bideford’s recent award of Heritage Harbour status, and the significant restoration progress on the adjoining Rolle Canal, prompted us to ask Sandy Wright, editor of the region’s newsle er Sou’wester, for a tour of this popular holiday area
Many who holiday in the West Country will have come across the Bude Canal, which prominently opens out into the sea at this well-known resort. But how many of us know that a similar canal existed some 25 miles up the coast, near Bideford?
In the late 18th century, various alternative routes were under consideration for a canal to carry heavy goods inland om the port of Bideford in north Devon. Eventually, Lord Rolle engaged the engineer James Green to build his canal and work commenced in 1823. The Rolle Canal begins with a tidal lock o the River Torridge, 3 miles inland om Bideford, and takes a 7-mile route up the west side of the river valley towards Great Torrington.
Green had just completed the Bude Canal where he had successfully used water-powered inclined planes and small tub boats, so he employed similar methods on the Rolle Canal.
Transhipment of goods between river lighters and barges and the canal tub boats took place in the basins above the tidal lock (known as Sea Lock). Key features of the canal included an inclined plane at Ridd, a magnificent stone aqueduct that still stands, and a large lime kiln at its terminus in what is now the Royal Horticultural Socie ’s Rosemoor Gardens.
Fully operational by early 1827, the Rolle Canal functioned successfully, with be er profits than many contemporaries, until it was superseded by the railway in 1871. This success was largely due to the reliable end uses for the goods it carried. These included cargoes inward of coal and limestone for fuel and agriculture, and outward of clay for po ery, timber for shipbuilding, and farm produce to feed the industrial coastal population.
The Rolle Canal, also known as the Torrington Canal, closed in 1871, having been acquired by the London & South
Western Railway which built over much of the route. It is not thought possible to restore the canal to full navigation because of that, but the Rolle Canal & Northern Devon Waterways Socie (RCNDWS) is commi ed to restoring and preserving the heritage assets that remain and to providing access and information. RCNDWS is an IWA corporate member. Details of the canal’s route and the socie ’s work can be found at rollecanalsocie .org.
Exploring the Rolle Canal
Many of the features of the Rolle are on private land, so only accessible to the public by special arrangement or on guided walks by RCNDWS. However, large parts of the route can be followed om public paths, although sometimes at a distance. The IWA West Country Branch has produced a guide to the canal, which details all public access points and describes the full length of the canal. It can be downloaded om waterways. org.uk/waterways/branches/iwa-westcountry-branch/waterways.
The Tarka Trail is a popular public footpath and cycleway in Devon. The section of the trail between Bideford and Staple Vale provides views of several canal features including Sea Lock, the Ridd Inclined Plane and Beam Aqueduct.
Aerial view of Sea Lock and wharf, 2019. CHRIS WILEMAN
Williamson’s classic tale of Tarka the O er, which was set in this area.
Sea Lock is described below, but 1km inland om Sea Lock, white bricks laid across the Tarka Trail indicate the former line of the canal at Ridd. Its inclined plane raised the canal’s wheeled tub boats up 42 , at a gradient of about one in six, to the summit level. The boats, having been hauled along the canal in horse-drawn trains, were pulled out of the water at the plane and hauled up or down its rails using a water-powered continuous chain.
The inclined plane itself no longer exists but some features remain, such as the wheel pit, access tunnel and stables. Occasional restoration work has been carried out over the years. A recent grant om IWA’s South West Inland Waterways Regeneration Fund means that further work can begin on investigating, preserving and improving the visitor experience.
Nearby is Beam Aqueduct, which remains in excellent condition and has become an iconic symbol of the Rolle Canal. It was built in the grounds of Beam House, a Rolle family residence, to carry the canal across the Torridge valley.
A superb feat of masonry construction, it was 270 long by 22 wide, with five tall, elegant arches and a towpath either side. It is thought that the canal may have been contained in an elm trough with a clay lining, but when the canal closed, the trough was filled in so that the aqueduct could become the main driveway into Beam House. Beam Aqueduct was referred to as Canal Bridge in Henry
South of the aqueduct, an a ractive stone bridge provided access across the canal for Beam House. Built as a roving bridge, because the towpath needed to cross over om one side of the canal to the other, it is the only true canal bridge remaining on the Rolle. It was restored as a millennium project by Lord Clinton, successor to Lord Rolle. This stretch of canal has been opened to the public as a permissive footpath, thanks to RCNDWS, Clinton Devon Estates and North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beau .
At Staple Vale roads, river, railway and canal all come together. It was an important centre for the wool trade and manufacturing in the 19th and early 20th centuries. All trace of the canal is lost here, but some 110 yards up the valley, the canal route can be walked for nearly 2 miles to New Town Mills, along what is now a broad, public (but sometimes muddy) walkway known as Rolle Road.
En route, Taddiport was the site of the canal company’s headquarters and the main docks for Torrington. An original Rolle Canal Co warehouse still stands here at the foot of the hill.
At New Town Mills the canal disappears into a holiday complex but 100 yards further on it can again be made out, heading into the grounds of Rosemoor Gardens. This area has not been open to visitors, but once the current restoration of the canal’s terminus in Rosemoor is complete, hopefully this year, it is expected to form part of a new, public woodland walk.
Restoration projects
Over the years, restoration has taken place at various locations along the route. Currently, work is concentrated at
each end of the canal: at Sea Lock and Rosemoor. Both sites supported a small range of heritage industries such as lime production and wool processing, the associated buildings being investigated and preserved where possible. Most of the restoration work is being carried out by volunteers om RCNDWS. There are weekly working parties at both sites and more volunteers are always welcome.
Sea Lock
The whole site known as Sea Lock extends some 625m southwards om the lock itself, through two basins, to the lime kilns at Annery. This was a highly industrialised area during, and for some years a er, the lifetime of the canal, with a shipyard, po ery and brick and lime kilns. The Sea Lock (technically a tidal lock) allowed boats heading upriver to tie up when river levels and tides were too low to allow passage; e ectively, a floating harbour like Bristol, albeit on a smaller scale.
Transhipment to and om the canal’s small tub boats took place at the basins. A huge amount of work has been carried out over the years to restore the lock and its surroundings. The work has been supported by a generous grant om the Association for Industrial Archaeology. Construction work is ongoing and dredging is planned to give a minimum water depth of 1m inside the basin. The final, urgent need is replacement top and bo om lock gates; then the site can become fully operational again for boats and small cra .
Sea Lock and its wharf are clearly visible om a viewing platform on the Tarka Trail. The site is privately owned but individual visitors and groups are welcome to tour the site by prior arrangement. Contact adrian@therollecanal.co.uk or call 07377 904068.
Bideford Long Bridge and River Torridge looking upstream, 2014.
Since RCNDWS started work at Rosemoor in 2015, much of the canal basin has been excavated and the masonry wall rebuilt. Adjacent to the canal is a large complex of five lime kilns, which were partially dismantled soon a er the canal closed. While considerable deterioration has taken place, the high quali of the original construction means that much of the building is intact. Work is being carried out to make the structure safe and prevent further deterioration, including the repair of two arches.
The remains of an interesting water-powered tucking mill have been excavated alongside the canal here. Tucking involves pounding woollen cloth in water to create a felted surface that provides a degree of waterproofing.
A leat runs into Rosemoor basin, feeding the canal with water drawn om the River Torridge at Darkham Weir, some 2km to the south. It is believed that the tub boats could travel up this leat, re-enter the River Torridge at the weir and continue travelling upstream as far as Beaford Mill, approximately another 3½ miles inland. Currently, the basin is split in two by a temporary earth bank constructed to gain access to the river beyond. When restoration is nearly complete, it will be removed and replaced with a simple bridge. Then, once the nearby towpath has been reinstated, the whole site will be opened to the public as a feature of Rosemoor Gardens.
New heritage harbour
In January this year, Heritage Harbour status was granted to Bideford and the River Torridge. RCNDWS was one of 10 local heritage charities to campaign for this status, supported by town and district councils, local businesses, the education sector and other stakeholders.
It is currently just one of 12 Heritage Harbours across the UK. These coastal and inland ports are recognised for their contribution to Britain’s maritime history, thanks to a joint initiative by the Maritime Heritage Trust, National Historic Ships UK and Historic England (maritimeheritage.org.uk/heritageharbours/about-heritage-harbours).
The vision of Bideford and River Torridge Heritage Harbour is to see the ongoing preservation and development of buildings and in astructure along the whole water ont om Appledore, in the Torridge estuary, inland to Great Torrington (upriver or up the canal).
Today, the river is home to an active port, a thriving shipyard and maritime museum at Appledore, a developing seaweed aquaculture business and, soon, a new cleantech maritime research facili . Heritage Harbour status is seen as important not only for highlighting the area’s maritime heritage but also for developing it as an a ractive place to live, work and visit.
IWA member Adrian Wills is a trustee of the Appledore Maritime Museum and one of the RCNDWS commi ee members
involved in the Heritage Harbour. He said: “This is an exciting opportuni to promote, showcase and build on Bideford’s rich maritime history. Its shipbuilding industry and trade in goods such as tobacco, coal, limestone, fish, timber and clay a ected events across the world. They also brought in a wealth of skilled and unskilled employment to the region.
“History is not just about what has happened in the past but what has shaped our way of life. Our heritage has to be preserved, treasured and held in trust for future generations to appreciate what we are and why we are.”
The Heritage Harbour’s website brings together information about heritage vessels, museums, buildings and sites along the river: barthh.org.
With thanks to the Rolle Canal & Northern Devon Waterways Socie , IWA West Country Branch and Bideford and River Torridge Heritage Harbour
MANCHESTER has 243 memberships and 346 members making it the 5th/6th largest branch of the IWA
MANCHESTER Branch BRANCH FOCUS
We organise two pes of events in the Manchester area: social meetings and work parties.
Social meetings
Our programme of open winter talks runs om October to April with last month’s Canals Revisited, hosted by Ian McCarthy who has been involved in canal restoration for more than 50 years. The meetings are held in the Castlefield Hotel, part of the YMCA development on the corner of Liverpool Road and Potato Wharf (M3 4JR).
These meetings have been arranged for many years, always in a waterside location, such as where we currently meet or even on the water when Ci Centre Cruises kindly lets us use Emmeline Pankhurst moored on the Bridgewater Canal at Castlefield. Talks cover a range of subjects om archaeology, such as the excavations of the ‘new’ Bridgewater Hall (now the site of the RHS Bridgewater Gardens), to the role of canals in the growth of the cooperative movement, and the Warrington Transporter Bridge, the only rail transporter bridge in the world.
If you fancy coming to one of our talks, why not make a day of it and, if dry, check out the local canal in astructure? The entrance to the Manchester & Salford Junction Canal (the underground canal) om the River Irwell is just a short distance om Castlefield. Commi ee member Stephen Broadhead is campaigning for access to the underground section, which is listed because of its use as an air raid shelter during World War II. It is hoped the developers can be persuaded to agree to the eventual restoration of the canal. Stephen would be pleased to receive any support in his endeavour.
On the opposite bank of the river is the entrance to the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal. This is accessible once again, following removal of a sandbank that had built up when the locks were closed for the building of the Ordsall Chord, via the Margaret Fletcher (Middlewood Development) locks. The branch is currently planning to organise a cruise into the canal in May. Contact Branch Chair phil.broughton@ waterways.org.uk for details. Any boater visiting these locks can tick o a Silver Propeller Challenge destination.
If you are in the area, don’t just se le for the one though – head on to West Summit Lock on the Rochdale Canal/Standedge Tunnel on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.Of course if the weather is wet, the Museum of Science & Industry is but a few yards om the talk venue.
Commi ee member and Publici O cer, Maarja Kaaristo, is happy to give historical talks to other branches or organisations on pleasure boating in the UK, the canals in Manchester (focus on Bridgewater, Ashton and Rochdale canals) and Pomona Island.
Work party in action.
Vegetation clearance, overflow.
work parties, CAMPAIGNS AND EVENTS
We hold regular work parties, generally on the third Saturday of each month, to help improve local waterways, working mostly on our adopted stretch of the Ashton Canal close to the Etihad Stadium. We also work elsewhere, including Hollinwood Canal and Manchester & Stockport Branch Canal. The la er has a feasibili plan to restore the canal om its junction with the Ashton Canal as far as Debdale Park.
Our branch was instrumental in campaigning for the reopening of the Ashton, Rochdale and Huddersfield Narrow canals, with members joining voluntary work parties on all. We also co-organised work parties to commemorate two seminal events in canal restoration history: Operation Ashton and Ashtac. This brought together current, new and veteran volunteers, several of whom had been in the original work parties.
So far this year we have worked with the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Socie at Prestolee to prepare for the two WRG Canal Camps that will be held here om 6th to 20th July.
The branch also cooperates with Canal & River Trust on local Towpath Tidy events, primarily on the Rochdale Canal but also helping with oside vegetation management, working om a boat on the Ashton and Huddersfield Narrow canals.
Our branch also keeps a careful eye on planning applications within Greater Manchester. These are checked by a member for any adverse e ects on our local canals – a time-consuming task and not an easy one. Dealing with other bodies, such as the ci council, and individuals on planning and other waterway ma ers, not always Canal & River Trust-managed waterways, takes up time but is undertaken to try to win public support for the retention and development of our local and national waterways.
publicity
We have a range of publici material which we take to waterways events and the biennial Manchester Histories Festivals. As always, we could do more, and more quickly, if we had more active commi ee members so any help is appreciated. A good time to o er such support is at our annual general meeting where you will be warmly welcomed. manchester.org.uk
‘Incredible Edibles’ with Canal & River Trust staff and volunteers from Liverpool.
A very welcome touch, tea from a nearby resident, Lock 7.
Pyramid garden, Stockport Branch.
2024 summer events
IWA Canalway Cavalcade
4th-6th May
The annual IWA Canalway Cavalcade returns to London’s Li le Venice on the early May Bank Holiday weekend, celebrating the best of life on the waterways in London and its communi .
There’s something for everyone at the vibrant festival in the heart of London’s waterways, which kicks o on Saturday 4th May. Whether visiting by boat or on foot, it’s a splendid outing for all the family. Soak up the atmosphere surrounded by colourful cra of all shapes and sizes, alongside a multitude of unique stalls, a real ale bar, and delicious foods catering to all tastes. Fund Britain’s waterways will be the theme for the event.
The weekend features live music and special boating activities such as the iconic illuminated procession on Sunday night. Along with kids’ entertainment and fun for all the family, you’ll also find amazing art om local schools on display, as well as plen of activities in which to get involved.
Event opening times: Saturday and Sunday 10am until 6pm (illuminated boat procession om 9pm Sunday) and Monday 10am until 5pm.
National Trailboat Festival
18th-19th May
The 2024 IWA National Trailboat Festival will be held at Moira on the Ashby Canal over the weekend of 18th-19th May, and will be hosted and organised by Ashby Canal Trust. The event is the largest annual gathering of trailable boats in the UK and has been held since the first gathering in 1989 on the Lancaster Canal, although, owing to the pandemic, there has been a gap of five years since the previous event, held in 2019, also on the Lancaster Canal. The festival was previously held on the Ashby Canal in 2000, 2009 and 2017.
The 2024 event will take place at the historic Moira Furnace, on the restored length of the Ashby Canal in north-west Leicestershire (DE12 6AT). As well as a large gathering of trailable boats on this northernmost and isolated section of the Ashby Canal, there will be a wide range of activities and a ractions. A Beatles tribute band will perform songs om the Fab Four’s heyday, right up to their final days, with costume changes to reflect this during their twice-daily performances. There will also be a trad jazz band and Morris dancing to liven things up. Other entertainment includes children’s activities, train rides, a varie of stalls and demonstrations, classic cars, historic engines, boats, a bar and re eshments. The organisers hope to have a visit om the Ba le of Britain Memorial Flight, and Mother Duck will be there with her ducklings to encourage visitors to enter the duck race along the Ashby Canal. The organisers have also invited the Military Wives Choirs om No ingham and Co esmore. The choirs gained fame under the tutelage of Gareth Malone on BBC television, and have now formed groups up and down the country. An illuminated boat parade will take place on the Saturday evening. All these activities will be based around the banks of the Ashby Canal at the Grade II-listed Moira Furnace at the heart of the National Forest.
For more details visit moiracanalfestival.com
Trailboat Festival, Moira.
Canalway Cavalcade 40th celebrations.
Canalway Cavalcade.
Brentford Canal Festival
22nd June
Brentford Canal Festival returns to West London on Saturday 22nd June. Along with four stages featuring live music, there will be dancing performances, together with charity and retail stalls, including one from the IWA. A line of trading boats moored along the canal will offer a wide range of items, and food and refreshments will be on sale from stalls and the cafes, restaurants and pubs in Brentford. A designated children’s area will also offer face painting and games.
The Canal and River Trust will suspend moorings along the 700ft section of the Grand Union Canal between the rail bridge and the Brentford Gauging Lock from Thursday 20th to Sunday 23rd June to allow trade boats to set up. Instagram.com/ brentford_canal_festival
Ware Boat Festival
5th-7th July
Join IWA Lee & Stort Branch at the beautiful and historic market town of Ware on the upper reaches of the River Lee. Here you’ll find a host of activities as part of the boat festival weekend, starting with a Friday evening riverside barbecue. On Saturday afternoon there is a themed boat parade and boat-handling competition followed by Haslam’s hijinks quiz in the evening. On Sunday there will be a riverside boaters’ service offering coffee and cakes. Visitors will have plenty to see and do as the boat festival runs alongside the wider Ware Festival. The river has played a key part in the development of the town, in particular providing a means of transport for agricultural products, especially malted grains from the 140 malthouses of the 19th century, into the heart of London. Before then, the town acted as a boundary between the Danelaw and Anglo Saxon lands, and even further back in time provided a crossing point of the River Lea for the Roman Ermine Street.
Crick Boat Show
25th-27th May
Britain’s biggest inland waterways boat show returns to Crick Marina during the late May Bank Holiday weekend. While trade visitors can visit Crick Boat Show on Friday 24th, the show is open to all ticket holders from 25th – 27th May.
As detailed in this issue of Waterways (see page 16), Fund Britain’s Waterways has secured the support of the Crick Boat Show and the event will provide an important opportunity for the group to spread its message. FBW has not only been given a free stand to profile the campaign for the entire weekend, but it has also secured an hour-long session in one of the Theatres.
If you plan on coming along to the Show, please do visit the FBW stand in the Waterways World Boating Marquee to learn more about the campaign. If you have not been to the Show before then here’s a good reason to plan your first visit. While it is primarily a boat show aimed at aspiring and existing boat owners, it has a great festival feel – with associated music and real ale, plus plenty of non-boating exhibitors for a great family day out. Plus, as an IWA member you can bring your membership card to gain free access to the VIP Marquee. (crickboatshow.com)
