Lichfield Lines Issue 22 Winter 2018

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Issue 22 www.waterways.org.uk/lichfield

Winter 2018

Lichfield Lines

New Year’s Day Walkers at Dunstall Farm (see Page 7)

The newsletter of

IWA Lichfield Branch The IWA may not agree with opinions expressed in this magazine but encourages publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as policy, or as an official pronouncement, unless specifically identified as such.

The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee.

Registered in England no. 612245. Registered as a charity no. 212342 Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA Tel: 01494 783453 Web: www.waterways.org.uk

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Branch Chairman’s Report - January 2018 I hope that you all had a merry Christmas and are now enjoying a happy New Year.

Our Lichfield Branch activities over the last quarter have included two very different but equally entertaining talks, two walks and a work party. The talk in October by Ian Fletcher on Estuary Crossings took us to some parts of the waterways system that few of us have visited, but showed that with proper preparation narrow boats can safely venture ‘off-piste’ ! The Caledonian Canal can also be a challenge but the scenery is impressive and Phil Clayton’s talk about it in November included other interesting facts and places associated with the Scottish waterways. Our walks at Great Haywood and at Hopwas are covered by articles and photos in this issue, and on the website, and we are grateful to Clive Walker for continuing to find such enjoyable excursions for us. The New Year’s Day walk was particularly well attended and I was pleased to join in this time, having been away boating at New Year for most of the past events. Our work party in November is also reported here and some of our members have since been working with CRT on their Winter offside vegetation clearance project between Great Haywood and Rugeley, which is set to continue through to the Spring.

However, this quarter has unfortunately also seen a number of cancelled events, with apologies to those who have been disappointed. The Race Night we had arranged in Whittington for October was intended to be both a social and a fund-raising event for the Branch but was always dependant on a very good attendance to make it financially worthwhile. However, ticket sales were too slow and the decision was taken to cancel it whilst our only loss was the deposit on the hall. Perhaps we were too ambitious, but we do need to raise funds for the Branch so if anyone has a more attractive idea please suggest it to us; better still, help us organise it ! We may well repeat the Lock Wind in the Summer as this was a most pleasant event and raised some funds, but at present we are largely dependent on the sterling work of Helen’s Sales Stand operations to enable us to support various waterway causes, such as the £1,000 donation which we were able to make at our November meeting towards restoring the Lichfield Canal.

The other cancelled events were due to circumstances beyond our control. The intended work party on 1st December had to be postponed at short notice due to a covering of snow and icy conditions making litter picking, strimming and planting

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impossible and other jobs dangerous. Even more snow, overnight and in the morning of 10th December, the most pre-Christmas snow we have had for many years, made many local roads impossible. After several individual cancellations and reports that you needed a 4x4 vehicle to get to Blithbury, the sad decision was taken to cancel our Christmas Lunch before the pub had committed to all the preparation work for a much depleted and uncertain number of guests. Generously, the Bull & Spectacles have not asked for any compensation and we have re-arranged a Sunday Lunch there on 4th February, weather permitting ! This will be a carvery rather than the Christmas menu but we hope it will still be an enjoyable social occasion. Thanks to Margaret, Pat and Pete for taking on the ‘phoning round at short notice to inform people, and for making the new arrangements.

I hope to see many of you at our future meetings, walks and work parties, etc. By the time the next Lichfield Lines is due we will have had our AGM and I hope that some of you may have volunteered to help the committee to continue organising activities that promote the waterways that we are all so committed to.

Finally, I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Penny Smith, wife of Mike Smith, and formerly of Brookhay Cottage with their boat Lengthsman. Penny was a lovely lady and always a most welcoming host at the many meetings we held there in the early days of Lichfield & Hatherton CRT. Sadly, this is a time of year for departures so I wish you all good health as we look forward to the return of Spring.

Phil Sharpe Forthcoming Events Wednesday 21st February 2018 - "The Hidden Canal of Dr. Darwin”. An illustrated talk by John Parry on revelations about our local Trent & Mersey Canal and its hidden history. 7.15 for 7.30 pm at Martin Heath Hall, Christchurch Lane (off Walsall Road), Lichfield, WS13 8AY Tuesday 27th February—Work Party at Leathermill Lane 9.30 am start to 2 pm latest. Meet canal side at Leathermill Lane Canal Bridge 66 (by Tesco) on the Trent and Mersey Canal in Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 2JN. We will be: removing shopping trolleys and underwater obstructions from the canal using grappling hooks; removing offside vegetation by the bridge; replacing the top wooden step on the canal bank; litter picking down to the Mossley; strimming the canal bank and planting wild primroses. Equipment will be provided but please wear sensible clothing that won’t get snagged by brambles

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and strong footwear. IWA will provide refreshments. Contact Margaret Beardsmore, Workparty Coordinator at margaret.beardsmore@waterways.org.uk or ring 07581 794111.

Thursday 8th March 2018 – RAF Lichfield and Trent & Mersey Canal Walk. This is an easy 5 mile walk on level ground with three stiles. Heading southwest from the pub car park we leave the T&M at Shade House Lock to enter Fradley Wood and the edge of Fradley Aerodrome. With relics of the former RAF Lichfield lying partially hidden in the undergrowth we follow a footpath that takes us across the aerodrome past lorry parks and modern housing. We join the Coventry Canal briefly before entering the old village of Fradley. We visit the churchyard to learn about the human history of the former airfield. Crossing a field to Sale Farm we walk along a quiet country lane to rejoin the Coventry Canal at New Bridge and from there back to our starting point opposite Fradley Junction. Meet 10:15 for a 10:30 start at The Swan Inn, Fradley Junction, DE13 7DN. Contact Clive Walker on 07866 201873 or clive.walker@waterways.org.uk

Sunday 18th March 2018 – Canal Clean-up in Nuneaton. A joint work party with Warwickshire Branch. Meet at 9.30 for a 10.00 am start (till 1.00 pm). Park in the Recreation Ground car park by the Park entrance in Tomkinson Road, Nuneaton, CV10 8BH (or roadside if car park full). This grappling hooks and litter pick clean-up event on the Coventry Canal will start in the vicinity of Wash Lane Bridge 21. Please wear stout footwear and suitable clothes for a potentially dirty task. Contact Brian Bayston (Warwickshire Branch) 07917 157492 or brian@bayston.f9.co.uk Wednesday 21st March 2018 Annual General Meeting and Social Evening. The short formal business of the AGM will be followed by a review of our year in photos, and then a social interlude with refreshments, including home-made cakes. The evening will conclude with an address by IWA national Chairman, Ivor Caplan on the rebranding and future direction of IWA, with an opportunity to ask questions about our campaigns and priorities. 7.15 for 7.30 pm at Martin Heath Hall, Christchurch Lane (off Walsall Road), Lichfield, WS13 8AY. (See AGM Agenda Page 12) Wednesday 18th April 2018 – “Restoration of the Montgomery Canal”. An illustrated talk by Rich Hamp, Chairman of Shropshire Union Canal Society on recent restoration progress. 7.15 for 7.30 pm at Martin Heath Hall, Christchurch Lane (off Walsall Road), Lichfield, WS13 8AY.

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Thursday 10th May 2018 – Walk at Nuneaton. Details t.b.a.

Recent Activities Friday 3rd November 2017—Work Party at Brindley Bank We had a good turnout of 11 volunteers for our Brindley Bank work party clean-up on the 3rd November.

Thankfully the weather was dry and we did the usual grass cutting, undergrowth strimming and litter picking.

The ‘Bloody Steps’ were cleared of leaves and accumulated moss, excessive ivy removed from some trees and overhanging branches were trimmed back.

The well-used path from Wolseley Road, down the steps and past the moorings through to the bypass bridge is now clear, with the whole area looking tidy. It should hopefully remain so through to the spring.

We also had a team with grappling hooks to remove underwater debris and they got a really substantial metal trolley, a large scaffolding base, a length of rebar and some bricks out of the canal under the bypass bridge, which have possibly all been there since the bridge was built.

Another battered trolley was removed from the aqueduct where several passing boats had hit an obstruction, and we dragged the whole trough to make sure it was then clear.

A less usual activity for some of us was posing for a video being made for CRT about volunteer activities, although the film makers arrived after much of the work had been done, so some of the shots may look a bit staged.

All in all, a good day’s work. A big thanks to everyone involved, and especially our cake makers !

(Report and photos by Margaret Beardsmore, Work Party Coordinator)

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Thursday 9th November 2017—Great Haywood and Trent & Mersey Canal Walk This walk on a Thursday attracted a number of new non-IWA members and fourteen of us assembled in the car park of The Clifford Arms in Great Haywood.

After crossing the busy A51, the plan had been to proceed across fields north-easterly towards the hamlet of Tolldish but a fresh crop had just been sown obscuring the footpath. Moreover, it was wet underfoot and so we diverted along Tolldish Lane before turning right towards Moreton House. The path went gently uphill, Blithfield Reservoir lay two miles to our left but out of sight, and Cannock Chase loomed large on our right. Otherwise there wasn't much to see apart from farmland, cows and sheep. Like a flight of locks all the stiles came together on this walk and we crossed the first one at Moreton House. We were now facing south, and at Far Coley Farm we came across a large number of caravans which were being stored there out of season.

Heading downhill, the stiles came thick and fast, the grass too was longer here and as if on cue the rain came down. It was soon over, however, and we entered Colwich close to an old clay quarry, now a local nature reserve. Passing under the A51 we had to cross the busy railway line on a metal bridge. The lines cross-over at this point and the bridge gives a clear view of the site of the fatal crash of 19th September 1986 when the 17:20 express from Liverpool to Euston hit the 17:00 express train from London to Manchester. Remarkably only the London-bound driver, Eric Goode, was killed and there is a garden memorial to him alongside the track.

With news that the original bridge we were standing on had been swept away in the wreckage we hurried on to Colwich Lock and a group photo. We now followed the Trent & Mersey Canal back towards Great Haywood.

Beechwoods looked splendid in their Autumn colours and across

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the Trent we could catch glimpses of a folly in the grounds of Shugborough Hall.

We left the canal at bridge 73, and this time passed under the railway line to enter a row of estate houses leading back to our starting point. We had ordered our meals in advance, all the walkers stayed to eat, and we were given a table to ourselves in the restaurant where we enjoyed a plentiful and cheap meal.

(Report by Clive Walker, photos by Margaret Beardsmore)

Wednesday 15th November 2017—Presentation of Cheque At the IWA Lichfield Branch meeting on 15th November, Chairman Phil Sharpe was pleased to be able to present a cheque for £1,000 to Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Chair, Christine Bull.

This represents another good year of fundraising for Lichfield Branch, chiefly from the Sales stand run by Helen Whitehouse and helpers at meetings and at waterway events including Fradley Junction, Moira and Huddlesford. (Over the past Photo Waterway Images 30 years Lichfield Branch has Presentation of £1000 to Lichfield & Hatherton donated £44,000 to waterway Canals Restoration Trust’s Chairperson Christine restoration projects, including Bull £23,000 to Lichfield & Hatherton.)

Christine said the donation will be put towards their Tunnel Vision Appeal for the Lichfield Canal, which needs to raise £1m by early 2019 to fund a tunnel for the canal under the railway in Lichfield. The appeal has already raised £400,000 since its launch and IWA is pleased to be able to support this vital project to help secure the continuing restoration of the canal.

For further details visit: http://www.lhcrt.org.uk/suchet.htm Monday 1st January 2018—Hopwas and the Coventry Canal Walk The customary New Year's Day walk started from The Red Lion pub in Hopwas. Although the weather was overcast and showers were likely the turnout (28) was splendid, with one walker even driving all the way from Malvern in Worcestershire, which must be something of a record for the branch.

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It had been planned to walk outbound along the towpath and return along the river Tame, but due to recent flooding, this route was abandoned and instead we returned along a tarmaced lane.

Strung out along the towpath of the Coventry Canal we proceeded in the direction of Tamworth, with fields to our right and hedging to our left. The group had been warned that the first mile or so would be muddy, and we must have been going quite slowly, because a narrowboat coming from Hopwas managed to catch up with us. The obligatory group photo was taken at Dunstall Farm bridge, just before a shower. This part of the Coventry Canal has remained surprisingly rural, wedged as it is between Tamworth and the A5. However, all could change very soon, with plans approved to build 800 houses on land between the river Tame and the Coventry Canal. Whilst the proximity of the canal will help to sell the housing, this development will dramatically change the character of the area, not to mention the fact that the developers seem to have overlooked the words "flood plain".

We left the towpath at the humpback Sutton Road Bridge and turned left to enter Ventura Park and the glitzy car showrooms of Tamworth. Like moths to a flame, one car company set up there first and their competitors had to follow suit. We walked down a short side road to enter Dunstall Lane, a designated cycle path between Tamworth and Hopwas. Although accessible at both ends for cars there is virtually no traffic on this road, not least because it is single track and there are no passing points. We were now walking parallel to the canal on our left.

The change in route added half a mile to our walk, but the easy walking meant we covered the 4½ miles in just over an hour and forty-five minutes. Having ordered our food in advance, our meals arrived in good time, most of the walkers deciding to dine in The Red Lion.

(Report by Clive Walker, photo by Margaret Beardsmore) Ongoing from 8th December An intrepid band of volunteers (along with Barry from CRT) have started tackling the offside vegetation between Great Haywood and Rugeley. This stretch has some areas that have a lot of overhanging vegetation which makes life awkward for boaters when passing other boats and also seeing round the bends.

Before the work parties could start some members of the party had training on either

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using a pole saw or the chipper. The pole saw is effectively a small chain saw on a long pole and is needed to tackle the bigger branches that loppers can’t handle and the chipper deposits the results back on the bank in a form that will quickly rot down. The chipper can handle logs up to 6 inches so it is a bit of a beast and needs careful operation.

The first work party on the 8th December was a bit haphazard as the group worked out who did what and struggled to get the work boat and the hopper containing the chipper working together. The next one worked much better and progress was made past Shugborough lock along the Cliffs in Great Haywood. By the end of January we should have completed 5 sessions and be making serious progress towards Rugeley. The IWA volunteers are working on Fridays and a separate group of CRT volunteers are doing the same job on a Tuesday.

We hope to continue (birds nesting permitting) until the end of March and then restart in October.

The hard working crew consists of Gordon, Heather, Gary, Neil, John (from Notts & Derby Branch), Keith and myself plus Barry from CRT who supplies all the equipment (and works hard as well). This is about the maximum number that can successfully work on the project as any more would get in each others way.

Report by Pete Gurney, photos by Neil Barnett, Gary Evans and Pete Gurney Planning Matters This report covers the most notable of around 50 planning matters dealt with

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between the middle of October 2017 and mid-January 2018, all of which are summarised in the monthly notes on the website Planning page.

On the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal it is proposed to replace a derelict bungalow on an overgrown site by Cross Green Bridge by a modern bungalow of acceptable design.

Alongside the Trent & Mersey Canal at Great Haywood, proposals to extend the farm shop and to replace a glasshouse with retail units were supported.

At Rugeley the replacement of 2 industrial buildings at Power Station Road has been approved, subject to landscaping; and in Brereton plans for 2 houses between the canal and Armitage Road seemed acceptable.

At Handsacre the proposal for 88 houses and a shop opposite The Crown Inn which was refused a year ago went to an Appeal hearing, but the outcome is not yet known.

At Barton Marina the stationing of 20 “tourist accommodation pods”, essentially posh sheds on wheels, has been approved in woodland behind the recently consented shop units, subject to their being for short stay use only. Also at the Marina, a new toilet and shower block for moorers was supported.

Close to both the Trent & Mersey and Coventry canals at Fradley Junction, a preapplication proposal for 250 houses on part of the old airfield site would be largely screened by existing woodland belts from the canals, but would increase visitor pressures on Fradley Junction. The site is not allocated in the Local Plan, may be an unsustainable location for housing, and will be badly affected by HS2 construction and operational noise.

Near the Coventry Canal the application for ‘holiday lodges’ at Huddlesford behind Kings Orchard Marina, that looked more like a permanent high density housing estate, has been reduced from 139 to 118 units but still has major access, traffic, design, facilities and location objections.

At Amington we felt that a proposed detached two storey “granny annex” in a rear garden should be set further back from the canal edge. But further south at Polesworth a proposed bungalow on allotments is set back from the canal and was acceptable. Meanwhile, at Atherstone, re-use of the former boatyard and hire base south of Atherstone Locks

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the top lock as an outdoor recreation area and classroom with a residential boat mooring has been approved.

The Submission version of the North Warwickshire Local Plan includes the very large housing site surrounding Atherstone Locks, as in the draft Plan. We have again objected to this, although also asked for inclusion of a broad green space corridor along the canal if it does go ahead.

By contrast, a green corridor along the canal is proposed from the start in preapplication plans for housing with a canalside pub on the Judkins Quarry site in Nuneaton. We have welcomed this in principle as an opportunity to clear up this derelict eyesore of a site and improve the canal environment. Where development is needed it is clearly better to use such ‘brownfield’ sites rather than canalside green fields in the countryside.

On the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal at Curdworth Tunnel a Listed Building consent application by CRT for repairs to the iron handrail and the brick setts on the towpath in the tunnel was supported.

On the Wyley & Essington Canal at Blakenhall previous proposals to redevelop the former British Lion Works with flats came to nothing but have now been revived with 3½ storey housing by the canal, but at a lower level and set back behind gardens.

Curdworth Tunnel

The Lichfield Canal restoration route needs a tunnel under the Cross City railway line near Birmingham Road and an application for an adjacent underbridge for the Lichfield Southern Bypass extension should provide a railway closure ‘window’ for its construction in late 2019. However, the working areas overlap so the design of the two projects and their construction programmes need close co-operation between Staffordshire County Council Highways, the Canal Trust and the housing developers to co-ordinate this.

There is no separate HS2 High Speed Rail report this time as matters have been comparatively quiet. The second reading of the Phase 2A Bill for the Fradley to Crewe section which was expected in November has yet to take place, perhaps due to Parliament being pre-occupied with Brexit. When this does happen it will trigger a petitioning period and it has been agreed by IWA Trustees that we will again request better noise protection for the affected canals and moorings.

Phil Sharpe, Planning Officer

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IWA LICHFIELD BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING WEDNESDAY 21st MARCH 2018, at 7.30 PM To be held at Martin Heath Hall, Christchurch Lane (off Walsall Road), Lichfield, WS13 8AY

AGENDA 1) Apologies for absence 2) Approval of the minutes of the 2017 AGM and any matters arising from these minutes 3) Report from the Branch Chairman 4) Financial Report from the Treasurer 5) Elections to the Committee Members completing 3 years in post and eligible for re-election.

Pete Gurney Members co-opted since last AGM and willing to stand for election.

Pat Barton Derek Beardsmore Any other candidates 6) Any resolutions requested by members of the Branch (provided the Branch Chairman was notified in writing of the item at least 6 weeks prior to the AGM)* 7) Any Other Business

Notes: Candidates for election to the committee must be current members of the Lichfield Branch and should indicate their willingness to stand.

The Branch committee officers (Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer) are elected by the committee from its members at their first meeting after the AGM. Current members of the Committee are: Phil Sharpe (Chairman and Acting Secretary), Pete Gurney (Acting Treasurer), Margaret Beardsmore, Pat Barton, Derek Beardsmore. *Item 6: Please put any resolutions in writing and address them to the Chairman at 34 Old Eaton Road, Rugeley, Staffs, WS15 2EZ or by email to lichfield@waterways.org.uk by 7th February 2018.

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Editorial Notice Lichfield Lines is the newsletter of IWA Lichfield Branch, it is produced 4 times a year to keep members informed about our forthcoming public meetings, walks, work parties and other activities, to provide reports on recent meetings and events, and to include articles of general interest to our members.

The editor, Peter Gurney, welcomes articles, letters or photographs of waterway activities in our Branch area which can be emailed to pete.gurney@waterways.org.uk (Please note there is a 10MB limit for emails with attachments sent via this address).

The copy date for the next newsletter will be 15th April 2018, for publication in May. Advertising Lichfield Lines is posted or emailed to about 300 addresses covering around 400 Branch members. It can also be read and downloaded by anyone from the Branch website pages.

If you would like to publicise your waterway related business to our members, and others that read the newsletter online, we can offer advertising space at the following rates: Full Page - £20 per issue

Half Page - £10 per issue

Please contact the editor to discuss artwork and layout.

By advertising you will help to sponsor IWA's charitable activities and reach potential customers who are all committed to the waterways.

The IWA has a range of corporate members some of whom offer discounts to members. The discount details can be found on the IWA website at www.waterways.org.uk/support_us/corporates.

Corporate members in our area are— Lichfield Cruising Club Stafford Boat Club Ltd Truman Enterprise Narrowboat Trust Ashby Canal Trust Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Canal Transport Services Ltd Waterways World Ltd Fingerpost pub Pelsall Clifford Arms Great Haywood

Longwood Boat Club Ashby Canal Association Tamworth Cruising Club Ash Tree Boat Club Countywide Cruisers (Brewood) Ltd Elite Furnishings Birmingham and Midland Marine Services River Canal Rescue Ltd Midland Chandlers Glascote Basin Boatyard (Norton Canes Boatbuilders)

Please mention the IWA when contacting any of these Corporate Members.

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Your Committee Chairman Tel: 01889 583330 Email: phil.sharpe@waterways.org.uk

Philip Sharpe

Acting Secretary

Philip Sharpe

Acting Treasurer Tel: 01785 255101 Email: pete.gurney@waterways.org.uk Planning & Website Tel: 01889 583330 Email: phil.sharpe@waterways.org.uk

Pete Gurney

Newsletter Editor, Publicity and Membership Tel: 01785 255101 Email: pete.gurney@waterways.org.uk

Pete Gurney

Volunteer Coordinator Tel: 07581 794111 Email: margaret.beardsmore@waterways.org.uk

Margaret Beardsmore

Speakers Secretary Tel: 07947 337491 Email: pat.barton@waterways.org.uk

Pat Barton

Minutes Secretary

Position Vacant

Navigation Officer 07847 470112

Derek Beardsmore

Ex Officio: Region Chairman Branch Sales and External Talks (non-committee posts) Email: helen.whitehouse@waterways.org.uk

Helen Whitehouse

Walks Coordinator (non-committee post) Tel: 07866 201873 Email: clive.walker@waterways.org.uk

Clive Walker

Branch Contact Address Email: lichfield@waterways.org.uk

IWA Lichfield Branch 34 Old Eaton Road Rugeley, Staffs WS15 2EZ

Philip Sharpe

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