Waterways for Today report -

• Ten years after the reopening of the Rochdale Canal in 2002, a study found that between 3.5 and 4 million visitors were spending around £18m a year.

• The Huddersfield Narrow Canal reopened in 2001 and has been receiving between 2 and 2.5 million visitors each year, spending over £10m annually.

• 70% of the local authorities designated as Category 1 for the 2022 Levelling Up Fund are on the inland waterways. This includes 3 of the 6 local authorities covered by our branch area (Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire Moorlands and East Staffs).

• For every £1 invested in the canal towpath network, there is a return of £7 in health benefits. Our branch area has benefited from much investment in the local towpaths in recent years, with the Pedal Peak project on the Caldon Canal, the Cheddleton towpath improvements as part of the Churnet Valley Living Landscape Partnership, and (slightly longer ago) the EU funded project which improved the towpaths throughout the Stoke-on-Trent city area.

And some statistics away from our branch area, but interesting nonetheless in providing reasons why the Burslem Arm and the Uttoxeter Canal should be restored:

• Every £1 spent on creating a navigable route under the M4 for the Wilts & Berks Canal will produce £1.79 in economic benefit to the local communities in Swindon and Royal Wootton Bassett.

Our waterways are free to visit and easily accessible for all. By their very nature, they are often located right in the heart of urban areas, offering a small haven of peace and tranquillity to the many millions of people who live close the them. They are a huge draw for tourism, not only attracting people from the UK to visit, but also international visitors.

In the report, IWA highlights the importance of investing in the inland waterways and the need for ongoing public funding. Not only do the existing navigable waterways need investment, but the derelict waterways that could be restored in the future need protecting from inappropriate development. If we could restore 500 miles of derelict waterways, it would provide a greatly enhanced national waterways network offering unlimited opportunities for leisure, living and business to millions more people.

To read the full IWA Waterways for Today report or to read the case studies related to the Economic benefits of the waterways see www.waterways.org.uk/ waterwaysfortoday .

Come along to the Branch AGM on 10th March to find out more, or watch out for the next instalment about Environmental benefits in the next issue of “Knobsticks”.

Alison Smedley

On 19th December 2022, a date which had been re-arranged from the original September date, representatives of IWA and CUCT hosted two members of CRT’ s national team for a “day out on the patch”. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce Jon Horsfall, who at the time was acting as interim West Midlands Region Director on secondment from his usual job of Head of Customer Service Support, along with Matthew Symonds, National Boating Manager, to the Caldon Canal and some of its issues and potential projects.

Julie Arnold, Rupert Smedley and Alison Smedley met up with Jon and Matthew at Barnfields Industrial Estate in Leek, by the scrapyard, and walked along the footpath to the aqueduct and then along the towpath for some distance. While we walked we explained IWA and CUCT’ s aspirations for improvements at the end of the Leek Arm, and told them about the proposed housing development which will potentially include a mooring basin although the developers are no longer obliged to deliver it (but £815k has been allocated towards its delivery in the future as part of the planning permission’s Section 106 Agreement).

We then drove to Cheddleton to look at the Straddle Warehouse, which is in CRT’s ownership and is now in an even more sorry state than it was when CUCT applied (and failed) to get it listed in 2010. We included the owners of Bridge

CRT national representatives visit the Caldon Cottage, which adjoins the warehouse, in the discussion, and Jon and Matthew said they would follow this up if Alison would send them the documentation around the application for listed status, which she subsequently did. We then walked down the locks in Cheddleton.

The last stop of the day was Froghall, where we walked along the canal to the tunnel and over to the other side, to discuss the potential for a study of the tunnel to establish where the low bits are and to identify whether anything can be done to create a greater headroom to allow more boats to fit through the tunnel. This is a project for which CUCT has a pot of money ring-fenced, most of which was donated by IWA NSSC specifically for such a study.

We then adjourned to Hetty’s Tea Shop where conversation continued over lunch, covering a wide range of other campaigning and navigation issues in the North Staffordshire area, including the crack in Cherry Eye Bridge, a fallen tree across the path around the basin at Froghall, and water leaking out of the stonework downstream of the gates at Lock 14 in Cheddleton.

Alison Smedley

Photos: Rupert Smedley

North Staffordshire & South Cheshire Branch

Since my last report for Knobsticks, we have held two social gatherings at the Boat Club and our annual dinner at the Crown Wharf in Stone, with encouraging numbers attending on each occasion. In fact, I was concerned that I may have accepted more bookings for the annual dinner than the room would accommodate, but we all fitted in and enjoyed excellent catering. Thank you to everyone for your patience regarding the late changes to the menu and the noise levels in this very popular venue - especially after the singer in the main bar began to perform! A very big thank you as well to everyone who helped on the night with the quiz, raffle and auction (both donors and bidders), and who helped to make the evening a success.

Before Christmas, at our December social, we enjoyed a presentation from Bob Williams and Christine Howells from Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust, looking at the Trust’s impressive progress, particularly with the restoration of the Lichfield Canal. You can see photographs of some of this work in Sonning Bear’ s article for this edition, which is all about Huddlesford’s work experience as a LHCRT mascot. Several sites along the route are now visitor attractions, walks and country parks, so do take a look at their website and pay a visit if you are in the area.

Our first social of 2023 at Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club took place on February 10th when we welcomed Bernard Lovatt from the Etruria Industrial Museum, delivering his presentation “Benson, Brindley and Watt”. This was a very enjoyable look at three key characters in the development of the Stoke-on-Trent pottery industry. While James Brindley and James Watt are well-known, poor Thomas Benson (or possibly Edward Bedson - details of his life are somewhat sketchy!) is largely unknown, yet his design for pans and paddles to grind flint in water, rather than crush it dry, may have saved many thousands of pottery workers from deadly industrial disease. Inventions and innovations by Benson, Brindley and Watt can still be seen in operation at the Etruria Industrial Museum; we may have the opportunity for a private visit when the mill is in steam later this year, so watch this space for further news.

Remember that our AGM is coming up on March 10th, when we’ll be reviewing our branch’s activities and achievements in 2022, and looking ahead. We are always looking for members willing to become more active in the branch but there is no pressure to join the committee at the AGM, so don’t be put off attending for fear of having responsibilities foisted upon you!

Friday 10th March 2023, 7:45 for 8 Annual General Meeting followed by Alison Smedley on the Inland Waterways Association’ s “Waterways for Today” report. This report demonstrates how inland waterways can contribute to the country’s economic recovery and outlines the 12 most significant benefits that the inland waterways can bring to our economy, environment, local communities and lives.

Friday 14th April 2023, 7:45 for 8

Challenges to our waterways of climate change and Ash die-back tree disease

Simon Martin (CRT Area Operations Manager, North Staffs and Harecastle Tunnel)

+ Jenny Spelling (CRT West Midlands Regional Ecologist ecologist)

Our social season ends in April, but we are planning a presence at several summer events and again, support from members is always very welcome. We would like to thank Stoke-on-Trent Boat Club for welcoming us again this season; we plan to be back there in October with a new programme of talks, so hopefully we will see you there.

Admission to AGM/talks is FREE Donations to waterway causes welcome! Refreshments available.

Non-IWA members are very welcome

Venue (unless otherwise stated): Stoke on Trent Boat Club Endon Wharf, Post Lane, Endon STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST9 9DU

For further information contact: Sarah Honeysett (01782 772295) socialsec.nssc@waterways.org.uk or visit the branch webpages at: www.waterways.org.uk