Navvies 298

navvies volunteers restoring waterways

WRG Reunion: Report and pictures from the Uttoxeter Book now for the

BCN Clean Up

issue 298 december-january GROUP

2 0 1 8-1 9

Pictures by Martin Ludgate

Intro Reunion

Over 50 volunteers spent our Reunion weekend on the Uttoxeter Canal clearing trees and vegetation, putting up fences, installing mileposts and uncovering some interesting remains. See report on page 17 Any idea what it is? The ends are screwthreaded

Don’t worry - they’re further away from the tree than it looks

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In this issue Contents For latest news on our activities visit our website wrg.org.uk See facebook group: WRG Follow us on Twitter: @wrg_navvies Production Editor: Martin Ludgate, 35 Silvester Road, East Dulwich London SE22 9PB 020-8693 3266 martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk Subscriptions: Sue Watts, 15 Eleanor Rd., Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9FZ Printing and assembly: John Hawkins, 4 Links Way, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 3RQ 01923 448559 john.hawkins@wrg.org.uk Navvies is published by Waterway Recovery Group, Island House, Moor Rd., Chesham HP5 1WA and is available to all interested in promoting the restoration and conservation of inland waterways by voluntary effort in Great Britain. Articles may be reproduced in allied magazines provided that the source is acknowledged. WRG 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 an official announcement unless so stated - otherwise WRG and IWA accept no liability for any matter in this magazine.

Waterway Recovery Group is part of The Inland Waterways Association, (registered office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA), a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee, registered in England no 612245, and registered as a charity no 212342. VAT registration no 342 0715 89.

PLEASE NOTE: Navvies subs renewal cheques MUST be made payable to The Inland Waterways Association

Contents Chairman What you do is appreciated 4 Coming soon Chelmer camp, Clean Up, Canalway Cavalcade 5-7 Camp reports Mon & Brec, Uttoxeter family camp, Forestry on the Wey & Arun 8-16 Reunion report Uttoxeter Canal 17-18 Dig report Christmas dig on the Cotswold 19 Diary WRG, IWA, CRT, canal societies 20-25 Progress around the system 26-30 Nature What is Biodiversity Net Gain?

31 Camp cook What’s putting you off it?

32 Safety Which form to fill in - and why 33-35 News meet the new IWA Chairman 36 Infill by way of Brimscombe Port 38 Outro Cotswold Christmas party dig 39

Contributions... ...are welcome, whether by email or post.

Photos welcome: digital (as email attachments, or if you have a lot of large files please send them on CD / DVD or contact the editor first), or old-school slides / prints.

Contributions by post to the editor Martin Ludgate, 35, Silvester Road, London SE22 9PB, or by email to martin.ludgate@wrg.org.uk.

Press date for issue 299: 1 January.

Subscriptions Directors of WRG: Rick Barnes, John Baylis, George Eycott, Helen Gardner, John Hawkins, Dave Hearnden, Nigel Lee, Mike Palmer, George Rogers, Jonathan Smith, Harry Watts.

ISSN: 0953-6655

© 2019 WRG

A year's subscription (6 issues) is available for a minimum of £3.00 (cheques payable to The Inland Waterways Association) to Sue Watts, 15 Eleanor Road, Chorlton-cumHardy, Manchester M21 9FZ. This is a minimum. Please add a donation if you can.

Front cover: Replacing missing mileposts on the Uttoxeter Canal WRG Reunion - see report, page 17 (picture by Martin Ludgate) Back cover: Two for future years. We’ll be helping Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust reinstate the missing School House Bridge (top, MWRT), and helping Cotswold Canals Trust rebuild Westfield Lock and aqueduct (bottom, Tim Lewis)

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chairman’s Comment On the Canal Camps programme for 2020, IWA’s new man at the top, and why you should spend a day beside a restored canal sometime... waterway. The submissions were often not from the actual restoration society but had Did you read that news story some time ago come up from the local community themfrom the National Parks Association suggest- selves. All from people keen to make their ing that every child should spend at least one waterway special and get the most out of it. night under the stars? Which got me wonNever forget that the work you do is dering what our version of this would be. I hugely appreciated by a lot of people. think my version is that every WRG volunteer This edition of Navvies will also include should spend a day beside a restored canal. our traditional Christmas present to you – our Because actually I find we don’t do it new Canal Camps brochure. You may notice very often. We spend ages immersed in mud that rather than our normal 30 or so camps, in and muck and literally sweat blood to com2020 we only have about 18. Don’t read too plete the works and then never bother with much into this – it’s a combination of things them once they are open. that mean the local sites just don’t have work I’m as guilty as anyone about this – I’ve suitable for Camps this year. Lots of reasons – got a canal 100 yards from my front door a couple of the usual big players are in ‘planand I rarely see it. (Anybody who says that’s ning mode’ rather than ‘doing mode’, some because the Tom o’ The Wood public house sites are just needing weekends rather than full is in the way will get a punch up the conk). camps. But also there are a few sites that are But the other month a few of us went fairly sure they will need us but just can’t up to the Montgomery Canal to install the quite commit yet. So we do expect to annew Graham Palmer plaque and, as a result, nounce a few extra Camps later in the year. spent a few hours in lovely sunshine on an But in the meantime we won’t spend our actual restored canal. It was blissful – people time idle. We will continue to build our traingoing slowly past (even the joggers seem to ing offering so that when the work turns up move slower on towpaths). Dog-walkers stop- we will be ready. The Training Weekend is ping to talk and pass the time of day, boaters expanding to three days, and we are about stepping off as they went through the lock and to launch a Leadership Training programme. talking about places they have visited, what And a lot of these recent new initiatives have they are looking forward to. And all of these come from the team at IWA Head Office, I people passed on genuine and heartfelt thanks tend to spend one day a month in Chesham that much of this is down to volunteers like us. working with the staff and I always leave Even the newcomers to waterways, upon really quite excited and reassured by how learning that we have been working on the well we are understood by the people there. canal, pass on their thanks and appreciation.

Never forget that the work you do is Never forget that the work you do is hugely appreciated by a lot of people, and hugely appreciated.

WRG is here to support you.

Another thing I have been doing recently Mike Palmer is helping to judge the applications for IWA’s PS Included in this Navvies are some thoughts Waterways in Progress Grant. Our parent from IWA’s new chairman Paul Rodgers. Now organisation has allocated up to £100,000 to a lot of you will know Paul already – he been help restorations deliver their benefits early. digging with us for years and led a few Canal Now I can’t tell you who will be receiv- Camps along the way, and I’m sure it’s going ing the grants, we are still at the investigato be good to have him at the top. And here is tions phase; however I can tell you that we a shock – Paul is only about as old as the very had 28 applications in total, representing a magazine you are reading now, and that’s a glorious mix of wild and wonderful ideas of situation we haven’t had before. How do you what people wanted to do with their local all feel about that? Turn to page 36 and see.

Chairman’s Comment

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Comingsoon Dates for 2020 Final call for the Christmas Canal Camp, and then it’s on to 2020 with the first camp of the year, the BCN Cleanup, Canalway Cavalcade and more Final call: Christmas on the Cotswold Canals, 26 December - 1 January By the time you read this, Christmas will be almost upon us. And that means the Christmas Camp on the Cotswold Canals won’t be far behind. One day behind, in fact, as it starts on Boxing Day and runs through to New Year’s Day. But as we went to press there was still space for more volunteers for some scrub-bashing and bonfires and (possibly your last chance - although we’ve heard that one before) to see in the new year in the luxury Brimscombe Port accommodation before they demolish it. It will probably be a bit late to book via Head Office, so best to contact the leader Dave ‘Moose’ Hearnden on 07961 922153 or moose_dave@hotmail.com.

Chelmer & Blackwater Canal Camp, 15-22 February

Martin Ludgate

Enclosed with this magazine there should be a 2020 Canal Camps booklet - but we’d like to draw your attention to the very first of those camps, because it’s only a couple of months away. Here’s Alex Melson to tell you about it...

The Chelmer & Blackwater navigation is an unsung gem, running through a largely unspoilt part of rural Essex, connecting Chelmsford with the tidal estuary of the River Blackwater at Heybridge Basin. To help maintain this beautiful waterway, volunteers on the February Canal Camp will help clear overgrown vegetation from the towpath to keep this popular route open for all waterway users. The work will bring volunteers to different areas across the navigation, so you’ll get to know this beautiful part of Essex like the back of your hand.

Oh and did I mention there will be a beer and cider festival running in nearby Chelmsford?

Just in case bonfires and good company wasn’t enough...

Book for this camp in the usual way via head office or www.wrg.org.uk.

‘Unsung gem’ - the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation at Heybridge Basin

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BCN Clean Up, 14-15 March Over to leader Chris Morgan for the latest on the annual weekend pulling old bikes, shopping trolleys, tyres and other assorted junk out of the Birmingham Canal Navigations...

The BCN Clean Up, do you want to try it? Our estimable editor has asked me to write a few words to attract some more willing volunteers to the BCN Clean Up, so instead, just to wind him up, I’m going to try to encourage you not to come at all... why should you?

You must already enjoy getting dirty or you wouldn’t even be reading this magazine.

But BCN mud? It stays with you, it permeates through wherever you store your slowly rotting boots and water proofs. You get to the point when four or five scrub-downs after the weekend you finally think “yes its gone!” I smell normal!” Then you open your wallet to pay for something in a shop and it hits you…. Yes the fiver you had as change out of the beer money was deposited by a fellow WRGie with perhaps a not-so-eager cleanliness routine…..

Ahhh.... BCN....

I don’t want to put you off our accommodation either, nor the hot showers that you are not used to. But alas, it is by a navigable waterway with BOATS, not the tree-filled ditch you may be used to. We get woken up by boats passing and shouting cheery hellos and local liveaboard types coming along to thank us for our hard work! No, you don’t want that, do you?

You may be a connoisseur of fine wines or the latest gin, whisky or port fetish. Ah well, on the BCN we have Ma Pardoes, a famous little Black Country establishment that provides us with just enough insipid Midland ales that you can pull yourself to test your skills. When it’s gone we try the gin, the whisky, the port and the many cheeses……

Those with a sensitive demeanour should also stay away, comments abound on this camp, mostly from the deputy leader, don’t bring children they get fed to the camp dogs!

But, if I still haven’t dissuaded you...

If you want a fantastic weekend with a diverse group of people from all over the UK,

BCN Clean Up 2020 Waterway Recovery Group in association with BCNS CRT IWA DCT CCT I would like to attend the 2020 BCN Canal Clean Up on 14 - 15 March Forename:

Surname:

Address: email: Phone:

Any special dietary requirements?

I require accommodation Friday night / Saturday night / both nights I enclose payment of £

(pay 'Inland Waterways Association') for food (£13 for weekend)

Do you suffer from any allergy or illness, such as epilepsy or diabetes, about which we should know, or are you receiving treatment or under medical supervision for any condition? YES / NO (If yes, please attach details) In the unlikely event that you should be injured, who should we contact?

Name:

Phone:

Signed: Please send this form to: National Cleanup bookings, WRG, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA

You can also book online via the WRG website wrg.org.uk

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Martin Ludgate

Canalway Cavalcade at Little Venice and (inset) some of our site services team at work have a great laugh, to make new friends, meet up with old ones, have great grub and help us get a few tyres out of the Walsall canal, I’ll see you in March.

Even if you eventually forget the smell, you won’t forget the experience!

Fill in the booking form opposite or book via www.wrg.org.uk.

Canalway Cavalcade site support team, 29 April - 4 May Canalway Cavalcade is the Inland Waterways Association’s annual festival at Little Venice (near Paddington in London) which is held every May Day Bank Holiday(*) and 2020 will be its 38th year. One thing that makes it happen is a team of site services volunteers – not an official WRG Camp, but generally a bunch of mostly WRGies who set up and manage the festival infrastructure and site. (*) Yes, in 2020 UK Gov have decided to move the Bank Holiday to the following Friday. However for a number of reasons Cavalcade will still take place as a two-day event on what would normally have been the May Day Bank Holiday weekend of the 2nd & 3rd May. The camp runs from mid-morning on Wednesday 29th April (when stuff starts arriving and we build our camp) through Thursday and Friday when we build the festival. The two days of the weekend during the actual festival generally involve site management activities before the take down of the event on the Sunday evening and Monday morning with the aim to have cleared the site by mid-afternoon on Monday 4th May. To make it all happen we’d like the experienced volunteers who have helped in previous years to come again and also some new faces to join the team to ensure the future of the event. We recognise that you may not be able to attend the whole camp because it does run mid-week to mid-week but we do need people to attend on the weekdays, in particular on the Sunday evening and Monday because this is when we most need them! There will be a plan of work activities so that everyone gets chance to enjoy some of the festival and take in the amazing atmosphere of the event.

The accommodation is limited and restricted to two narrow boats for sleeping on, plus a field kitchen (which needs to be built on day 1) for cooking and eating. Work activities include putting up (and taking down) marquees, market stalls and banners around the site, fencing, and general event management.

Outside of the workcamp activities the event also needs volunteers to assist with other aspects of the event such as donation collecting, giving information to the public and children’s activities – if this is of interest please let Emma Greenall (Emma.Greenall@waterways. org.uk) know.

Contact Pete Fleming on Pete.Fleming@waterways.org.uk for more information.

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camp report Mon & Brec Ralph is in melancholy mood as he reports from the final archaeological camps on the Mon & Brec, and worries about the canals’ future...

Monmouthshire & Brecon Canals 24 August - 7 September A last dig at Ty coch?

hedges overgrown, the paths we’d created vanished. If this was what just a year of inactivity created, in a few years it will almost seem as though we’d never been there.

In truth, any natural ‘rewilding’ is an environmental plus (apart from the invasive fern and an explosion of Himalayan Balsam), though a modicum of occasional mowing would encourage added diversity. However the decay of the waterway and its associated structures will eventually have to be halted and reversed if the Mon & Brec is ever to be fully navigable. I hope that the Trust will soon be reinvigorated.

Fortunately, the previous two years’ excavation of the former Ty Coch lock keeper’s cottage survived relatively intact, covered with tattered tarpaulins and mostly hidden in long grass. In June, thanks to Mike Evans and Dave Burdett, we managed to weed and protect the site, ahead of September’s camps,

Pictures by Ralph Mills

For me, the two canal camps I led this year on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canals, at Ty Coch Locks, were, as usual, exhausting, exhilarating and lots of fun. But they were also tinged with a little melancholy, because they were likely to be the last WRG camps on the Mon & Brec for the foreseeable future.

After some 35 years, the Monmouthshire, Brecon and Abergavenny Canal Trust has, it seems, reached one of those gloomy times experienced by many volunteer organisations, when a combination of lack of funding, a shrinking and ageing local volunteer force and a retiring leadership has led to a loss of momentum. At the same time the effects of neglect – vegetation growth, vandalism and the decay of canal infrastructure (much of it restored with the help of WRG volunteers) – continue apace.

It was sad to arrive on a site visit in June to find much of what had been achieved by a series of recent camps rendered invisible by rampant vegetation, the canal almost completely covered with Azolla, that pernicious invasive water fern we’d tackled in 2016, or choked with The Week One team get hard at work excavating the cottage site rushes, the

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and I was able to make some measured drawings of the structure.

So the overall aim of this year’s camps was to leave the cottage remains in a condition that would survive benign neglect, at least for a number of years. I also had some recording to complete, and some archaeological questions to answer.

Despite being late in the WRG season, both camps were fully booked, which was a great way for me to end 11 years’ involvement with the Mon & Brec. Two great teams resulted. It would take up too many words if I was to acknowledge individually each of those fantastic 35 volunteers – everyone without exception was committed to the success of the camps, worked hard and effectively to meet the deadline, learned fast, was good-humoured and was a pleasure to work with. We spanned a wide age range, from half a dozen 18 and 19 year-olds upwards to several, volunteers who, though just as energetic, were enjoying their eighth decade! The Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award candidates all earned their residential experience colours with aplomb. We also overcame, by sheer brute force, the last-minute unavailability of the Trust mini-excavator that I’d planned for: consequently all the earth moving was done by hand, and the week 1 DoE team made short work of a cubic metre block of solid concrete using just cold-chisels and hammers!

I must, of course, highlight and thank

my Assistant Leaders – Dave Burdett and Rachel Harvey, and my cooks – Ann-Marie Burdett and Bev Williams for their starring roles. And several very welcome old hands – Ben Thompson, Shifani Passap and Filippo Zaraga – were again at the centre of things.

Given that archaeological excavation only gives you a single irreversible chance to uncover and record buried evidence, it should be emphasised that to become an archaeological excavator normally takes years of training and experience (I’m still learning). So those volunteers who have taken part in the work at Ty Coch since 2016 should feel a glow of achievement in having managed to excavate effectively and safely with only a few hours training.

Once we’d tidied the previously excavated area, we extended it in two directions.

To the south we found the north-south ‘path’ constructed from huge flagstones we’d discovered last year extended almost to the edge of the east-west right of way that crosses the canal below Shop Lock. Strangely the path appeared to be heading towards the ‘passage’ next to the west wall of the cottage, but not quite lining up with it. It may instead have turned towards the front door of the cottage, but that area and almost the whole of the front wall had been destroyed by a deep, semi-circular pit filled with rubble and modern rubbish. Apart from learning that it pre-dated any of the recent canal restoration activities, the purpose of the pit remains

fact file Monmouthshire & Brecon Length under restoration: 15 miles Locks: 50 Date closed: 1930-1962 The Canal Camp project: continuation of archaeological excavation of the 5 site of a former lock cottage at Ty Coch Locks, south of Cwmbran.

Why? To find out the history of an interesting canal location, so that the information learnt can go on display by the restored locks as a local attraction.

Navigable to Brecon 35 miles Five Locks 3 Cwmbran 3 Road built 4 on canal line

r Usk Rive

The wider picture: Although as Ralph Canal Camp mentions in his report the Monmouthshire Cwmcarn site: Ty-Coch Brecon & Abergavenny Canals Trust is strugNew link gling at the moment, there are long-term proproposed posals to reopen south from the navigable limit at Five Locks into Cwmbran. If that could one day Malpas Cr be achieved, as well as opening Ty Coch locks, then um Fourteen lin there could be a will to reinstate the intervening (very Ar Locks m tricky) one mile section where a road was built on the route.

Newport This in turn could make the case for opening the Crumlin Arm Original route through to Cwmcarn and creating a new route to the River Usk. Newport obliterated

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unclear. It was not excavated further.

Beside the path, and confirming its function, we found an iron boot scraper in situ.

At the south-west corner of the cottage we found that a drain that was (presumably) connected to the glazed pipe running beneath the passage was also joined by a drain along the (destroyed) south wall created from reused land drain pipes.

To the east we excavated the extent of the brick and cement surface outside the east wall of the cottage, which ran over the bywash culvert, and were rewarded with vague indications of the position of a small structure, perhaps the cottage privy. Having run out of time, we left further investigation of this area, which was badly damaged by tree roots, to a future project.

Once the features had been planned and photographed, we chamfered the edges of the excavation to make the site safer, then laid weed control textile over the horizontal surfaces, covering it with gravel to act as both anchor and protection.

The surviving walls were consolidated where necessary, using a lime mortar incorporating a distinctly darker coloured sand than the original. This will enable any future restoration to readily differentiate between 19th century and 21st century work.

A canal-side conundrum We also looked again at the mysterious spread of material next to Lower Brake Lock, south of the cottage and separated from it by a pound. In 2016 we’d found a significant amount of domestic and other nineteenthcentury finds, and a north-south drainage pipe. We returned to this spot this year, but despite opening several trenches, failed to reach the edges of this spread. We did come away with a large amount of additional finds, including pottery, clay smoking pipes, glass and other artefacts.

For me, the most memorable find was a tiny, battered, bisque porcelain figurine of a naked child. It connected directly with my interest in 19th century miniature objects and my recent research for my PhD. These little figures have been found all over the

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Following the pathway southwards (colonised) world, including North America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, India and many European countries, and I’ve always wanted to be present when one is discovered on an archaeological site. Though manufactured in large numbers during the 19th century, there exact function remains obscure. Many explanations have been suggested as to their function, but they are still a mystery. At first sight they might appear to be a child’s toy, but they have been found in adult contexts and there are no contemporary records of their being used in play. I was overjoyed when one cropped up on our excavation.

One explanation of the spread of material could be that it was redeposited as part of the canal infrastructure. However it is limited to a thin layer below the topsoil and above a deep deposit of orange clay. The latter may have been deposited when the canal was constructed at the end of the eighteenth century, but the finds date at least a few decades later, to the early to late 19th

century. Another explanation could be that it cally exhausting, so this was another quesis redeposited “night soil” – the contents of tion left for future investigation. privies collected and used as fertiliser. This is My next task is to finish sorting the feasible, but it is an odd location, spread 30kg or so of finds we excavated this Sepacross the sloping embankment leading up tember, before photographing and recording to the canal pound and lock. This also them. Then I’ll be writing a formal report on doesn’t explain the finds of similar material our excavations and hopefully depositing the from other nearby locks. finds in a local museum (at the moment they Was the site used by canal boat people are in my cellar). as a rubbish dump? This is unlikely, because We left the site tucked up under its the crews of boats on the Mon & Brec did not blanket of weed-control fabric and gravel, live on their boats. Did the rubbish originate with some questions answered but still othin the lock-keeper’s cottage and/or the adjaers, like all archaeological sites, demanding cent workshop? The area is a fair distance further examination. The cottage was demolfrom the cottage and workshop. People ished only 70 years ago: that we have to tended to dump garbage quite close to admit that the site nevertheless still has where they were living. And the fragments of mysteries demonstrates that archaeology, material are quite small, which suggests that even of the very recent past, is about abthey had been broken before deposition sences, and about attempting to fill gaps in (something that supports the ‘night soil’ knowledge. That the WRG, through the suggestion). Yet another possible explanation efforts of its volunteers, has carried out such is that the material was dredged from the sterling work at Ty Coch and has added canal during maintenance and spread on the significantly to its story, is surely something adjacent ground surface. This could explain to be proud of. the fragmentary state of the artefacts and My sincere thanks to all the WRG voluntheir spread – perhaps the dredged-up mate- teers I’ve worked with over the past 11 rial was used as a soil improver. There was years; you have provided me with much no sign of a buried soil, the deposit is thin enjoyment and many good memories. I and churned up, with no obvious hope our collective efforts will eventually stratigraphy. The area had been a picnic area bear fruit! in the 1970s. Might the deposit have been Ralph Mills laid down then? If so, why? Where did it come from?

Was the material moved from somewhere else at Ty Coch? Why does it contain so much 19th century rubbish? The mystery remains unsolved.

We managed to rediscover the mysterious unglazed terracotta drain that we’d located in 2016, but as it was heading ever deeper into the embankment I reluctantly decided that to follow it would take too Washing the finds from Week Two long and be physi-

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family camp Wendover Another camp with a difference: this year’s third camp for youngsters and their parents / guardians visited the Grand Union Wendover Arm Wendover Arm Family Camp 25-27 October “Coloured Cane Toppers adorn the Wendover Pocket Park” The idea of the Family Camps is to encourage the youngsters to enjoy the outdoor life and get satisfaction by learning new skills through conserving our heritage waterways. [And hopefully to encourage them to one day become the next generation of WRGies ...Ed] The Family Camp on the Wendover Arm was led by Alex Melson (Volunteer Coordinator WRG) and sponsored by the Inland Waterways Association.

The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal was built as a feeder to provide much needed water to the Tring summit on the Grand Union. The canal was used for the carriage of coal, timber, straw and manure until 1904 when the canal ceased navigation due to leakage. It is currently being restored by the Wendover Arm Trust volunteers and when complete will provide a scenic and tranquil route from Bulbourne to Wendover.

Thirteen children and guardians arrived on Friday evening at Green Park with the purpose of beautifying the new parkland alongside the canal at Whitehouses. First task was to produce some modelling clay toppers for the bamboo canes, this was enthusiastically done, with the resulting multi-coloured models of – animals, boats, flowers and many other car-

fact file Wendover Arm Length: 6 miles

Locks: none (one stop-lock added)

Grand Union Main Line to Birmingham

Date closed: 1904

The Family Camp project: wildlife habitat improvements, towpath clearance and other enhancements at Whitehouses .

Aylesbury Arm

Why? For the benefit of wildlife, Infilled section: soluand also for walkers and other visitors tion needed for contami- Tringford attracted to the towath and parkland nated infill problem

Marsworth

To London

A4

The wider picture: attracting more visitors to the canal will improve its public profile and create more Little Tring support for the Wendover Arm Trust’s long-term goal of reopening the canal back to Wendover.

Bulbourne to Aston Clinton Already a short length at Little Tring has Little Tring: been reopened, and WAT’s volunteers always navigable are hard at work re-lining the two-mile dry section of canal bed (it closed because Phase 2 Little Phase 1 at Little this length wouldn’t hold water) from Tring to Aston Halton Tring: reopened there to Aston Clinton. When Clinton: under 2005 including they’ve completed that, restoration new bridge and rebuilding two small bridges winding hole Phase 3 Aston and raising the currently Clinton to low water level in the remaining Wendover: in three miles from Aston Clinton water at reduced Family Camp to Wendover will allow the level, two new site: whole canal to be reopened. bridges needed Waterhouses Wendover 1

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toon characters coming to life.

Next morning the weather was not looking good, but nevertheless the planting of the 2000 snowdrop bulbs started. Meanwhile the bonfire was lit to consume the branches left from the recent adult work party.

At one pm we made a hasty retreat by minibus back to Green Park our accommodation base. Included in our facilities was a large bubble room which we used to assemble bird boxes / bug houses. As a granny, this is not an easy task, so I left the instruction on sawing and nailing to Alex (IWA) and any other parents willing to help.

Sunday proved sunny so the rest of the snowdrop bulbs were planted, and an enormous bonfire built which enabled marsh mallows to be toasted. All six bird / bug boxes were nailed to available trees to encourage more wildlife in future. In the afternoon the scrubland along the towpath was cut or sawed back to give more room for passing.

Many walkers paused to thank us and enquire which group we were from. All this gives good publicity to the Wendover Arm Trust and WRG and its parent body the Inland Waterways Association.

Jenny Brice Wendover Arm Trust Events Team

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FORESTRYCAMPWey & Arun WRG’s chainsaw specialists get to work on some trees on the Wey & Arun Canal at Drungewick and the site for the new Tickners Bridge The “Freefrom” WRG Forestry Camp 19–26 October 2019

The Work

On the Drungewick Lock site we were brush cutting and removing diseased Ash trees and removing dead limbs from Oak trees. The trees on the Tickners Bridge site were being cut back to enable the road to be raised later to accommodate a bridge over the new route of the canal. An additional site was used as Alex and Lucas (Bibby) were being assessed

by Clive as part of getting their chainsaw ticket.

We were visited by the land owner on Sunday and Monday morning.

The Telehandler that was on site was used by myself, Paul Shaw and Dave Miller to refresh our skills on it. Besides helping to get Location the Mobile Elevated Working Platform (MEWP) onto the towpath it was used to load We were working on the Wey and Arun Canal, staying in the Kirdford Village Hall. We logs and brambles etc. onto the fire. were unable to get into the hall on the Friday The Food night so we all arrived by midday on the Saturday.

The cook Anne Lilliman was ably supported There were three sites. The primary site by Tracy and Beth Alderman. Beth kindly was at Drungewick Lock (both tow path and stood in for Tracy to allow her to go on site offside) and Tickners Bridge. for one day.

Before writing this camp report I was given a lot of advice on what to put into it. The most common theme was to keep it short as per last years report.

“For seven days we turned up on site cut down some trees and brambles. We then either burned or put them through a chipper”.

The above was very true but it would be remiss of me not to tell about the mistakes I made as the assistant leader together with what people did and didn’t do and of course some of the printable banter.

River Wey to the Thames Shalford

fact file Wey & Arun Canal Length: 23 miles

Locks: 26

Date closed: 1871

Bramley

The Canal Camp project: Removing trees and vegetation at Drungewick Lock and the site of the planned new Tickners Bridge.

Why? The work at Drungewick was maintenance work on an already restored length of canal, removing diseased trees (ash dieback) and dead tree limbs. The work at Tickners was part of preparation for the Wey & Arun Canal Trust’s next major project, reinstating the missing Tickners Road Bridge on a new site.

Birtley

Dunsfold

Site for Forestry Camp: Tickners

Summit 9 length Loxwood

Restored Loxwood Link section Site for Forestry The wider picture: A few years ago WACT began major work on the Camp: Drungewick summit length of canal near Dunsfold. There is now a mile of canal Newbridge

restored there, including the new Compasses Bridge, and the new Tickners Bridge will extend this length southwards towards the longer restored length through Loxwood. Meanwhile further north, this summer’s camps have been working on new bridges on another length through Birtley. Link these three lengths Tidal River Arun Pallingham together, and that would be getting on for half of the canal restored... to the coast

page 14

Gordon Brown

Hauling logs out of the canal bed Anne had to cater for one Vegan, one Vegetarian, and lactose and gluten intolerant self. Most of the cakes that were made for onsite consumption were gluten free. It goes to prove WRGies will eat cake even if it is gluten free. [See Dear Deirdre, issue 296 ...Ed] Very tasty they were too!

Anne produced a lot of ‘Free From’ meals for those of us that were ‘special’!! The food was very good for everybody.

I don’t particularly like chocolate pudding, I wasn’t going to have some one evening when Mick Lilliman said to me “you really don’t want to upset the cook as I hear the cook’s husband is bit of a b******”. I did have the chocolate pudding that was ‘Free From’ and it was fantastic.

The Brew Kit The Brew Kit, or to be precise two kits as were operating two sites, became my nemesis for much of the camp: Sunday: Not enough water for afternoon tea on both sites Monday: Not enough mugs or biscuits for the main site. And I forgot to light the Burco for the afternoon tea break.

Tuesday: - No coffee in kit on main site.

On the above performance I doubt if I’ll be asked to be assistant leader again.

The Challenges Getting the MEWP onto site, requiring the assistance of the Telehandler, plastic matting and numerous bodies!!

We were not permitted bonfires if smoke blew in the wrong direction, i.e. heading towards some accommodation. This was overridden later in the week because of the quantity of brush and wood we still had to burn.

Half road closure at Tickners Bridge.

Pete Flemming told me he now has a lot of respect for road workers after working within half a closed off road and how close and fast some vehicles went past the team working on the trees. There was one compensation: they had to open the road at 4pm so finished early every day they were working there… result!

The Colour Orange Most readers will know that, for most of the forestry teams orange hi-vis workwear is the norm.

Gordon Brown and I have in the past been compared to a pair of mobile oranges!

One evening it was noted that Gordon was drinking a bright orange drink. We did wonder if he was trying to get his skin colour to match his hi-vis.

Paul Ireson said he had found a pair of

page 15

orange overalls in his garage (I called it a baby grow). It didn’t stay orange for long as he retrieved a log that Nigel had felled from the cut.

A new chainsaw operative joined us for the week. Her name was Mattt (yes three Ts), even Alex at head office had put her as Matt(t) on the paperwork. Mattt stayed a B&B as she was a light sleeper. Her bedroom was furnished with antique furniture which the owner was intending to put up for sale. Unfortunately, Mattt sat on the chair provided and one of the legs broke off. It was suggested she use her chainsaw to cut off the other three legs.

Nigel became very accurate with cutting down sections of the trees from the MEWP. On one occasion a cut section of tree buried itself vertically quite deep into the tow path. I did wonder if this was a new sport of “tree felling javelin”. A picture of one of the Alexes standing beside the embedded section was posted on Facebook. It does demonstrate the need to be safe when felling trees.

The van BOB threw a wobbly on one occasion when we came back off site. Nigel contacted Bungle (who was on his way to Stansted Airport to go on holiday) for advice.

The advice was taken, and problem fixed.

This next item may be something Dear Diedre can comment on.

Tracy (being a northerner) had a difference of opinion with the southerners...

Alan Lines

Other Items / People

Putting the MEWP through its paces

“For seven days we turned up on site cut down some trees and brambles. We then either burned them or put them through a chipper”. JOB DONE! Martin Hacon

page 16

Gordon Brown

Finally

“We either burned them or put them through a chipper”

Bonfire bash Uttoxeter John Hawkins draws the short straw and gets to write about our annual major scrub-bash, which this year was held on the Uttoxeter Canal Bonfire Bash on the Uttoxeter Canal At some point during our meal on the Saturday evening, Martin, the esteemed editor of Navvies, appealed to the assembled group for a volunteer to write a report for the annual Reunion / Bonfire Bash.

There was total silence. (Was that because everybody still had their mouths full of food?) The lack of raised hands was amazing. Such a pity that I’m a fairly quick eater and stupidly said that I would write one for Martin, and leader Bex would add to it; at least as the person in charge of the printing press I could always arrange for it to “appear”, or not, on a blank page of Navvies!

The original site was to have been the section of the canal from near the old Alton station towards the weir although this was shortened, in part, because of the downturn in the number of people who booked on for the weekend. It had been decided to reduce the number of folks mainly to make it a bit more ‘comfortable’ at the accommodation – but unfortunately we didn’t even reach that figure.

There were a couple of ad-hoc jobs that were really important to complete by the end of the weekend (as well as scrub bashing and burning); cast iron mile posts had been erected (Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust has been working on a project to reinstate all the missing ones on the route) and work was needed to complete them, and some wooden fencing needed to be put up.

The main linear site was along, and in, the bed of the old canal which had been derelict for many years and was divided into various sections according to the work that needed to be carried out over the weekend.

Saturday dawned with the usual look outside to see a steady drizzle of rain, we were lucky as a few days before the site had been under quite a lot of water. The rain didn’t stop us and after a superb hearty breakfast everyone was ferried (maybe not the best word to use!) to Alton and driven along the old railway track to site, where a brew area was established. There were a few huddled groups of people listening to phones, or watching them, to keep up to date with a certain sporting

fact file Uttoxeter Canal The Bonfire Bash project: Clearing trees and vegetation from the towpath and canal between Crumpwood and Alton, and replacing missing mileposts at various sites.

Caldon Canal to Etruria

Why? In preparation for future reinstatement of the towpath as a walkable loop off the railway which runs parallel to the canal.

Length: 13 miles Locks: 17 Date closed: 1849

Froghall: 1st lock and basin restored 2005 Oakamoor

Crumpwood The wider picture: The canal having closed 180 years ago with parts of it used for building a railway line, restoration isn’t going to be quick or easy.

Alton The first section at Froghall, which might seem the obvious place to start reopening the canal (so that boats from the Caldon Canal can access it) is Bonfire Denstone going to be tricky and expensive to open, thanks to several missing locks, a Bash site: blockage where a main road crosses, and the need to share space with the Alton to Crumpwood Churnet Valley Steam Railway. So the Caldon & Uttoxeter Canals Trust Proposed looked around for a more practical place to start, and hit on the Alton to diversion Crumpwood length - bypassed by the (disused) railway, with surviving locks, the last remaining bridge, and an unusual ‘level crossing’ of the River Churnet. ending in converted Reopening the towpath and reinstating the mileposts will raise awareness and represent the first step toward making this a restored ‘showpiece’ length, with a quarrry Uttoxeter public tripboat to raise funds and support for further canal restoration work.

page 17

Martin Ludgate

fixture that was taking place on the other side Sunday’s weather was rather better in of the world - - maybe the least said about the that the rain had stopped and so everyone result the better… went to site to do some more work until The mile post gang disappeared off into about 3pm. The site doesn’t have a very the sunrise laden with pre mix mortar, congood mobile signal and leaders Bex and crete and granite setts. Everyone else went Womble couldn’t get hold of anyone to let to their chosen work areas. The work on site them know lunch had been called, so involved Tirfor winching out any stumps that Womble apprehended a couple of horse could be managed, general scrub bashing, riders who passed the message on to us cutting down some wind-blown trees and when they passed – a lovely different take also some ‘leaners’ – the general idea was to on pigeon post! create enough space for a 360o excavator to On arrival back at the hall lots of the track down the path so work could begin on clearing-up had been done (thank you!) re-establishing the towpath prior to reinstat- which then meant that vans and trailers ing the canal. The fencing job was started could be emptied, cleaned, re packed and around an old stone-built weir that had been then driven away back to regional groups. opened up some weeks back.

So thanks to Bex, Womble and everyThe next section along was mainly heavy body else who helped to organise the weekscrub bashing around an old stone-built cotend and to the team leaders; to Jude and her tage that had been derelict for many years – fabulous kitchen crew for the great food; all this reputedly was once a boatman’s pub. the van drivers; and of course not to forget the incredible volunteers who turned up and Meanwhile the mobile gang were driving around the countryside doing the finishdid such a lot of good work in occasionally ing work to the mileposts. These posts had grim weather! Thank you also to Steve Wood, Alison and Rupert Smedley from the been concreted in place by the local Canal Society. Wooden frames had been created Canal Trust for organising, getting materials and these were put in place around the posts and making sure the weekend went well and dug into the ground and the soil rewithout a hitch! moved. Granite setts were placed around Now is the time to look forward to the the edges and mortared into place. The next Bonfire Bash, wherever it may be (*), in remaining space was then levelled with 2020. concrete – job done x 5 over the 2 days (ace John Hawkins job – thank you!)

The rain persisted for nearly all of Satur(*) If you’re from a canal society and want day - but towards the end of the day there the next Bonfire Bash to be on your canal, were some well needed breaks in the weather get in touch with our head office ...Ed which lifted everyone’s spirit on site. Unfortunately I had to leave site (along with a few others) to attend the WRG meeting back at the accommodation. Once all of the general business of the meeting had been discussed we moved onto sift through the applications for the Canal Camps for 2020 and arrange them into some sort of order you’ll see the result of this exercise in the Canal Camps 2020 booklet hopefully enclosed with this Uncovering canal and cottage. More Bonfire Bash pics on page 2 magazine.

page 18

Christmas dig Cotswold And it came to pass... that London WRG and KESCRG managed to produce a biblical style report from their Nativity-themed Christmas party dig... of the Burco.

And then there was great wailing and gnashIn early December, KESCRG and London ing of teeth that the lunch was late.

WRG got together for their joint working And at that time the kitchen team in the party on the Cotswold Canals and Christmas east, including Mr Alan Useful Lines, did toil at party as usual. But by way of a change, the peeling sprouts and preparing a bountiful Feast of Navvies editor (who was also the master of Stephen (the leader). ceremonies for the evening entertainment) And verily, the number of the garlic cloves managed to get them to write the dig report was three. And Judith of Stanford-le-Hope searched as part of the fun and games... diligently and without cease by both day and later on The theme this year was ‘School nativin the day but the garlic she did not find. ity plays’. So people dressed as nativity play Elizabeth came to pass, and she searched characters (including a camel, a star, a couple beneath the fundament of the fridge, and the of shepherds and the odd alien!), and we had firmament of the shelves, and the depths of the a Christmsas crib-building contest, each team green boxes of the KESCRG. But garlic came got to act out a scene from the Nativity story there none. but with an added twist (these included the But Anne did bethink of the great boxes of Three Wise Men going the wrong way beKit A. And lo, she there beheld garlic, and the land cause they followed their satnav rather than rejoiced for the people who eat not the flesh of the star, and one scene that ended with the the sheep nor the milk of cattle could have food memorable words “It’s a girl!”) which tasted good.

But the editor’s masterstroke (he says, And at the same time it came to pass that modestly) was the final round where teams the tin opener of KESCRG was found to be had to write up parts of the weekend’s activi- corrupted by black and sticky unguent of unties in the style of the King James Authorised known evilness. But Nick laboured mightily with Version of the Bible, which some of us are both water and scrubbing brush. And he fought old enough to remember being used at with steel scourer and knives. And behold, the tinschool Christmas celebrations. We’ve put this opener became clean and pure once more. report together from them...

And lo, when the flames did die down, they that did toil still in the field saw that the mud was And it came to pass that London WRG and parted and the red chariot took the disciples to the KESCRG came together at Brimscombe to celsanctuary of Unit 1 in the promised land of ebrate the Yuletide. And lo, there came forth Brimscombe. And they saw that it was good. shepherds from the east – the midlands, And forsooth, much merrymaking, ribaldry, Londinium and the oriental lands. feasting and jocularity ensued at eventide. And And they did travel west by minibus to they did thank Anne and her wonderful catering Whitminster. team. And verily they were stuffed even as MarIn the beginning there was scrub. And Jon tin’s merriment beganneth. said, Bash that scrub. And ploughshares fashioned And fanciful dress did follow, and what from swords were employed with great energy on talent followed, with Christmas mummers and crib the waterside sward. building all fulfilled with plentiful food and wine.

And it came to pass that a fire was decreed.

And Sunday was a day of rest.

But the flames would not come forth.

And lo, the flames arrived at last, and small, In case you’re wondering, we cleared vegetacontrolled, towering fiery infernos did consume tion from the Stroudwater Navigation in the the wood of the land.

Whitminster area, there are pictures on the And water was plentiful in the form of tea inside back page. and we’ll be back for some and coffee, much heat erupting from the wonders more on the Christms camp. See you there?

Cotswold Christmas party dig

page 19

navvies

diary

Canal Camps cost £70 per week or as stated. Bookings for WRG Camps with Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA. Tel: 01494 783453, enquiries@wrg.org.uk. Di Dec 26-Jan 1 wrgBITM Dec 26-Jan 1 CC201923 Jan 3-10 WAT Jan 11/12 wrgFT Jan 18/19 London WRG Jan 18/19 wrgBITM Jan 18/19 wrgNW Jan 22 Wed wrgNW Jan 25/26 NWPG Feb 7-14 WAT Feb 8/9 London WRG Feb 8/9 wrgNW Feb 14-16 wrgFT Feb 15/16 wrgBITM Feb 15-22 CC202001 Feb 29/Mar 1 London WRG Mar 6-13 WAT Mar 7/8 NWPG Mar 7/8 wrgFT Mar 7/8 wrgNW Mar 14/15 London WRG Mar 14/15 BCN2020 Mar 21-24 WACT Mar 21/22 wrgBITM Mar 21 Sat IWA/CRT Mar 28/29 wrgFT Apr 3-10 WAT Apr 4/5 London WRG Apr 18/19 wrgBITM Apr 25/26 London WRG May 1-8 WAT May 2/3 NWPG May 2/3 IWA May 8/9/10 TW2019 May 15-17 wrgBITM May 16 Sat LTD2020 May 17 Sun WRG May 23-30 CC202002

Wilts & Berks Canal: Xmas Camp at Dauntsey. Leader: Rachael Banyard Cotswold Canals: WRG Christmas Camp at Whitminster Wendover Arm Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation To be arranged Basingstoke Canal: to be confirmed Hollinwood Canal Ad Hoc Meeting Wey & Arun Canal: Summit section Wendover Arm To be arranged Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal Shrewsbury & Newport Canals: (Fri, Sat, Sun) Thames & Medway Canal: to be confirmed Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Shropshire Canal, Blists Hill Museum Wendover Arm Cotswold Canals: Site to be confirmed Cotswold Canals: Joint weekend with KESCRG Shrewsbury & Newport Canals BCN Clean Up BCN Clean Up: Old Main Line, Oldbury to Tipton Wey & Arun Canal: Half working week Wendover Arm: to be confirmed Restoration Conference 2020: Wolverhampton River Parrett: Langport (for IWA West Country branch) Wendover Arm Wey & Arun Canal To be arranged Cotswold Canals Wendover Arm Wey & Arun Canal: Tickners area Canalway Cavalcade - Little Venice: (not on the bank holiday) WRG Training Weekend: Lichfield Canal Rickmansworth Festival: Site Services Leaders & Cooks Training Day: Brownhills Community Centre Committee & Board Meetings: Brownhills Community Centre River Waveney: Geldeston Lock

For details of diary dates beyond the end of this list ple

page 20

WRG and mobile groups

h number e.g. 'Camp 201901' should go to WRG Canal Camps, Island House, iary compiled by Dave Wedd. Tel: 07816-175454, dave.wedd@wrgbitm.org.uk

d

Dave Wedd Tony Bardwell Nigel Lee Tim Lewis Dave Wedd Ju Davenport Mike & Liz Chase Bill Nicholson Tony Bardwell Tim Lewis Ju Davenport Nigel Lee Dave Wedd Tim Lewis Tony Bardwell Bill Nicholson Nigel Lee Ju Davenport Tim Lewis Bill Nicholson Dave Wedd Nigel Lee Tony Bardwell Tim Lewis Dave Wedd Tim Lewis Tony Bardwell Bill Nicholson

Dave Wedd Alex Melson Mike Palmer

07816-175454 01494-783453 01296-634973 07802-854694 07802-518094 07816-175454 07808-182004

bookings@wrgbitm.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk operations@wendoverarmtrust.co.uk nigel.lee@wrg.org.uk london@wrg.org.uk bookings@wrgbitm.org.uk nw@wrg.org.uk

01844-343369 01296-634973 07802-518094 07808-182004 07802-854694 07816-175454 01494-783453 07802-518094 01296-634973 01844-343369 07802-854694 07808-182004 07802-518094 01494-783453 01844-343369 07816-175454 01494-783453 07802-854694 01296-634973 07802-518094 07816-175454 07802-518094 01296-634973 01844-343369

bill@nwpg.org.uk operations@wendoverarmtrust.co.uk london@wrg.org.uk nw@wrg.org.uk nigel.lee@wrg.org.uk bookings@wrgbitm.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk london@wrg.org.uk operations@wendoverarmtrust.co.uk bill@nwpg.org.uk nigel.lee@wrg.org.uk nw@wrg.org.uk london@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk bill@nwpg.org.uk bookings@wrgbitm.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk nigel.lee@wrg.org.uk operations@wendoverarmtrust.co.uk london@wrg.org.uk bookings@wrgbitm.org.uk london@wrg.org.uk operations@wendoverarmtrust.co.uk bill@nwpg.org.uk

01494-783453 07816-175454 01494-783453 01564-785293 01494-783453

enquiries@wrg.org.uk bookings@wrgbitm.org.uk alex.melson@waterways.org.uk mike.palmer@wrg.org.uk enquiries@wrg.org.uk

ease contact diary compiler Dave Wedd: see top of page

page 21

navvies

diary

Canal societies’ regular working parties 3rd Sunday of month Every Sunday if required Every Tuesday Once per month: pls check 2nd & 4th w/e of month Thursdays Sep-Apr 2nd Sun & alternate Thu Every Mon and Wed Every Mon am Thu pm Various dates Every Sunday Every Tue and Thu Every Tue & Wed Every Friday Most Wed and Sun Second Sun of month Every Mon to Fri Every Fri and Sat Tuesdays 3rd Wed and last Sat 2nd Sunday of month Every Wed/Thu/Sat/Sun 3rd Sunday of month 2nd full weekend of month 2nd Saturday of month Alternate Saturdays Two Sundays per month Weekly Every Wed and 1st Sat 2nd Sunday of month 1st Sunday of month Last weekend of month 2nd Sunday of month 3rd Saturday of month Every Thu & last Sat 1st Saturday of month Every Thu and Sat various dates 1st weekend of month Every Tuesday morning Most days, please contact 1st Fri - 2nd Fri (8 days) Every Sun Every Wed 2nd and last Sun of month

ACA BBHT BCA BCNS BCS BCT BuCS CCT CCT CCT ChCT CSCT C&BN ECPDA DSCT FIPT GCS GCS H&GCT K&ACT LCT LHCRT LHCRT MBBCS MSCS MWRT NWDCT PCAS RGT SCARS SCCS SCS SNT SNCT SNCT SNCT SORT SRL SUCS TMCA WACT WAT WBCT WBCT WBCT

Snarestone Peter Oakden Bugsworth Basin Ian Edgar Basingstoke Canal Chris Healy BCN waterways Mike Rolfe Basingstoke Canal Duncan Paine Aqueduct section Tim Dingle Buckingham area Athina Beckett Cotswold (W depot) Reg Gregory Cotswold (E end) John Maxted Cotswold Phase 1a Jon Pontefract Chesterfield Canal Mick Hodgetts Chichester Canal Malcolm Maddison Chelmer & Blackwater John Gale Langley Mill John Baylis Derby Canal Keith Johnson Foxton Inclined Plane Mike Beech Grantham Lock 14 Ian Wakefield Woolsthorpe depot Ian Wakefield Oxenhall Brian Fox East Kennet & Avon Mike Bennett Lancaster N. Reaches Robin Yates Lichfield Hugh Millington Hatherton Denis Cooper Nob End Ian Astbury Stockport Branch Roger Bravey Maidenhead w/ways Ian Caird N Walsham Canal David Revill Pocklington Canal Richard Harker Stowmarket Navigtn. Martin Bird Sankey Canal John Hughes Combe Hay Locks Mark Sherrey Stover Canal George Whitehead Sleaford Navigation Mel Sowerby Wappenshall Philip Jones Shrewsbury Alistair Price Newport John Myers Sussex Ouse Ted Lintott Baswich, Stafford John Potter Montgomery Canal David Carter Thames & Medway Les Schwieso Wey & Arun Canal Northern office Little Tring Tony Bardwell Swindon Oliver Gardiner Wootton Bassett John Bower Pewsham Ray Canter

01827-880667 0161-427 7402 01252-370073 07763-171735 01252-614125 01288-361356 01908-661217 01452-614362 01285-861011 07986-351412 01246-620695 01243-775201 01376-334896 01623-621208 07845-466721 0116-279-2657 0115-989-2128 0115-989-2128 01432-358628 0118-969-9861 01539-733252 01543-251747 01543-374370 07855-471117 0161-442-9087 07581-092001 01603-738648 07702-741211 01394-380765 01744-600656 07973-918467 01626-775498 01522-856810 07580-160497 07980-123444 07711-858986 01444-414413 01785-226662 01244-661440 01634-847118 01483-505566 01296-634973 07785-775993 01793 636297 01249 659111

Please send updates to Navvies diary compiler Dave Wedd (see previous page)

page 22

Canal societies and CRT Canal & River Trust ‘Towpath Taskforce’ regular working parties 2nd Saturday of month Audlem Shropshire Union Jason Watts 07824 356556 Every Thursday Bath Kennet & Avon Steve Manzi 07710175278 07917 585838 1st Wednesday of month Birmingham B’ham & Fazeley/BCN Sue Blocksidge Alternate Thursdays Blackburn Leeds & Liverpool Alice Kay 07825 196 365 Burnley Leeds & Liverpool Alice Kay 07825 196 365 1st Sunday of month 2nd Wednesday of month Chadderton Rochdale Jason Watts 07824 356556 Last Saturday of month Chester Shropshire Union Jason Watts 07824 356556 Colne/Nelson Leeds & Liverpool Alice Kay 07825 196 365 1st Saturday of month Alternate Thursdays Coventry Coventry Sue Blocksidge 07917 585838 Devizes Kennet & Avon Steve Manzi 07710175278 3rd Thursday of month Drakeholes Chesterfield Becca Dent 0113 2816811 2nd Friday of month 1st Saturday & next Tue Fradley Coventry/ T&M Sue Blocksidge 07917 585838 Gailey Staffs & Worcs Sue Blocksidge 07917 585838 4th Thursday of month Every Wednesday Gloucester Glos & Sharpness Caroline Kendall 01452 318028 Last Sunday of month Hawkesbury Coventry/Oxford Sue Blocksidge 07917 585838 Huddersfield Huddersfield Broad Becca Dent 0113 2816811 2nd Friday of month Knottingley Aire & Calder Becca Dent 0113 2816811 1st Thursday of month Alternate Thursdays Lancaster Lancaster Canal Alice Kay 07825 196 365 Alternate Tuesdays Leicester Soar/Grand Union Wayne Ball 01636 675704 Jason Watts 07824 356556 1st Wednesday of month Littleborough Rochdale Llangollen Andy Whitehouse 07789 982392 2nd and 4th Wednesdays Llangollen 2nd Sat & 4th Wed of month London Cent. Regents/Docklands Linzi-Joy MacDonald 07484 912884 Linzi-Joy MacDonald 07484 912884 1st Wed & 3rd Sat of month London East Lee & Stort 1st Sat & 3rd Wed of month London West Paddington/ GU Linzi-Joy MacDonald 07484 912884 Alternate Wednesdays LoughboroughSoar Wayne Ball 01636 675704 Mexborough Sheffield & S Yorks Becca Dent 0113 2816811 3rd Thursday of month Last Tuesday of month Mirfield Calder & Hebble Becca Dent 0113 2816811 Every Tuesday Mon & Brec Monmouth & Brecon Caroline Kendall 01452 318028 Newbury Kennet & Avon Steve Manzi 07710175278 2nd Thursday of month Alternate Thursdays North Warks Coventry/Ashby Sue Blocksidge 07917 585838 Oxford Oxford Sonny King 07876 217059 1st Friday of month 2nd Wednesday of month Preston Lancaster Canal Alice Kay 07825 196 365 Retford Chesterfield Becca Dent 0113 2816811 2nd Sunday of month 4th Friday of month Rotherham Sheffield & S Yorks Becca Dent 0113 2816811 Every Friday Sefton Leeds & Liverpool Alice Kay 07825 196 365 Selby Selby Canal Becca Dent 0113 2816811 3rd Saturday of month Sheffield & S Yorks Becca Dent 0113 2816811 2nd Friday & 4th Tuesday Sheffield Alternate Wednesdays Tamworth Coventry/ Fazeley Sue Blocksidge 07917 585838 Last Thursfay of month Tees Barrage Tees Becca Dent 0113 2816811 Every Tuesday Wigan Leeds & Liverpool Alice Kay 07825 196 365 Every Thursday Worcester Worcester & B’ham Caroline Kendall 01452 318028 Alternate Wednesdays Worksop Chesterfield Wayne Ball 01636 675704

Abbreviations used in Diary: ACA BBHT BCNS BuCS BCS BCT ChCT CBN CCT ECPDA FIPT GCS H&GCT KACT KESCRG LCT LHCRT

Ashby Canal Association Bugsworth Basin Heritage Trust Birmingham Canal Navigations Soc. Buckingham Canal Society Basingstoke Canal Society Bude Canal Trust Chesterfield Canal Trust Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Cotswolds Canals Trust Erewash Canal Pres. & Devt. Assoc.

Foxton Inclined Plane Trust Grantham Canal Society Hereford & Gloucester Canal Trust Kennet & Avon Canal Trust Kent & E Sussex Canal Rest. Group Lancaster Canal Trust Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Rest'n Trust

MBBCS MSCS MWRS NWPG NWDCT PCAS RGT SCARS SCCS SCS SNT SRL SORT SUCS TMCA WACT WAT WBCT

Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Society Manchester & Stockport Canal Society Maidenhead Waterways Restoration Society Newbury Working Party Group North Walsham & Dilham Canal Trust Pocklington Canal Amenity Society River Gipping Trust Sankey Canal Restoration Society Somersetshire Coal Canal Society Stover Canal Society Sleaford Navigation Trust Stafford Riverway Link Sussex Ouse Restoration Trust Shropshire Union Canal Society Thames & Medway Canal Association Wey & Arun Canal Trust Wendover Arm Trust Wilts & Berks Canal Trust

page 23

navvies

diary

Inland Waterways Association and other one-day working parties Every Tue/Sat Every Fri Every Sat Dec 8 Sun Dec 12 Thu Dec 17 Tue Dec 17 Tue Dec 21 Sat Dec 24 Tue Dec 28 Sat Dec 31 Tue Every Fri Every Sat Jan 5 Sun Jan 9 Thu Jan 12 Sun Jan 16 Thu Jan 18 Sat Jan 18 Sat Jan 21 Tue Jan 21 Tue Jan 28 Tue Jan 28 Tue Every Sat Feb 2 Sun Every Fri Feb 9 Sun Feb 11 Tue Feb 13 Thu Feb 15 Sat Feb 15 Sat Feb 18 Tue

IWA West Country Bridgwater & Taunton Canal: Bridgwater area 10am-1:30pm IWA Lichfield Coventry Canal: Offside Veg with boat & chipper 9:30-3:30 IWA West Country Bridgwater & Taunton Canal: Taunton area 10am-1:30pm IWA Lincs/SNT Sleaford Navigation: Various work on navigable section IWA NSSC/CUCT Uttoxeter Canal: Work party at Bridge 70, Crumpwood. 10am-3pm BCP/IWA Oxford Oxford Canal: Banbury Canal Partnership, 9am-1pm IWA Northants Northampton Arm: 10am-2pm. Painting, vegetation & litter IWA Manchester Venue T.B.C.: Greater Manchester area. Veg clearance, etc. 10amBCP/IWA Oxford Oxford Canal: Banbury Canal Partnership, 9am-1pm IWA Chester Shropshire Union Canal: Chester area, painting & veg clearance. 10amIWA NSSC/BPT Burslem Arm: Luke St, Middleport, Stoke on Trent. 10am-3pm IWA Lichfield Coventry Canal: Offside Veg with boat & chipper 9:30-3:30 IWA West Country Bridgwater & Taunton Canal: Taunton area 10am-1:30pm IWA Northants Northampton Arm: 10am-2pm. Painting, vegetation & litter IWA NSSC/CUCT Uttoxeter Canal: Work party at Bridge 70, Crumpwood. 10am-3pm IWA Lincs/SNT Sleaford Navigation: Various work on navigable section IWA NSSC/TMCS Trent & Mersey Canal: Cheshire Locks. 10am-3pm. Refurbish Locks IWA Chester Shropshire Union Canal: Chester area, painting & veg clearance. 10amIWA Manchester Venue T.B.C.: Greater Manchester area. Veg clearance, etc. 10amBCP/IWA Oxford Oxford Canal: Banbury Canal Partnership, 9am-1pm IWA Northants Northampton Arm: 10am-2pm. Painting, vegetation & litter BCP/IWA Oxford Oxford Canal: Banbury Canal Partnership, 9am-1pm IWA NSSC/BPT Burslem Arm: Luke St, Middleport, Stoke on Trent. 10am-3pm IWA West Country Bridgwater & Taunton Canal: Taunton area 10am-1:30pm IWA Northants Northampton Arm: 10am-2pm. Painting, vegetation & litter IWA Lichfield Coventry Canal: Offside Veg with boat & chipper 9:30-3:30 IWA Lincs/SNT Sleaford Navigation: Various work on navigable section BCP/IWA Oxford Oxford Canal: Banbury Canal Partnership, 9am-1pm IWA NSSC/CUCT Uttoxeter Canal: Work party at Bridge 70, Crumpwood. 10am-3pm IWA Chester Shropshire Union Canal: Chester area, painting & veg clearance. 10amIWA Manchester Venue T.B.C.: Greater Manchester area. Veg clearance, etc. 10amBCP/IWA Oxford Oxford Canal: Banbury Canal Partnership, 9am-1pm

IWA branch abbreviations BBCW = Birmingham, Black Country & Worcestershire; Other abbreviations: BCN = Banbury Canal Partnership BPT = Burslem Port trust; CUCT = Caldon TMCS = Trent & Mersey Canal Society; CRT = Canal & River Trust

Mobile groups' socials:

The following groups hold regular social gatherings

London WRG: 7:30pm on Wed 10 days before dig at the 'Rose & Crown' Colombo Street, London NWPG: 7:30pm on 3rd Tue of month at the 'Hope Tap', West end of Friar St. Reading.

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IWA and partners For WRG, canal societies and CRT working parties see previous pages

4pm 4pm

66 & 65 4pm 4pm

4pm 4pm

Mike Slade Neil Barnett Steve Bulgin Mel Sowerby Steve Wood Colin Garnham-Edge Geoff Wood Barry McGuinness Colin Garnham-Edge Jason Watts Steve Wood Neil Barnett Steve Bulgin Geoff Wood Steve Wood Mel Sowerby John Lawson Jason Watts Barry McGuinness Colin Garnham-Edge Geoff Wood Colin Garnham-Edge Steve Wood Steve Bulgin Geoff Wood Neil Barnett Mel Sowerby Colin Garnham-Edge Steve Wood Jason Watts Barry McGuinness Colin Garnham-Edge

07977-263840 07808-846434 07855-794256 01522-856810 07976-805858

07875-999825

07976-805858 07808-846434 07855-794256 07976-805858 01522-856810 07940-878923 07875-999825

07976-805858 07855-794256 07808-846434 01522-856810 07976-805858 07875-999825

mike.slade@waterways.org.uk neil.barnett@waterways.org.uk stevebulgin@icloud.com workparty@sleafordnavigation.co.uk steve.wood@team.waterways.org.uk bcpontheoxford@gmail.com geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk barry_m@manchester-iwa.co.uk bcpontheoxford@gmail.com jason.watts@canalrivertrust.org.uk steve.wood@team.waterways.org.uk neil.barnett@waterways.org.uk stevebulgin@icloud.com geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk steve.wood@team.waterways.org.uk workparty@sleafordnavigation.co.uk john.lawson@waterways.org.uk jason.watts@canalrivertrust.org.uk barry_m@manchester-iwa.co.uk bcpontheoxford@gmail.com geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk bcpontheoxford@gmail.com steve.wood@team.waterways.org.uk stevebulgin@icloud.com geoff.wood@waterways.org.uk neil.barnett@waterways.org.uk workparty@sleafordnavigation.co.uk bcpontheoxford@gmail.com steve.wood@team.waterways.org.uk jason.watts@canalrivertrust.org.uk barry_m@manchester-iwa.co.uk bcpontheoxford@gmail.com

MK = Milton Keynes; Mcr= Manchester; NSSC = North Staffs & South Cheshire & Uttoxeter Canal Society;

RGT= River Gipping Trust; SNT = Sleaford Navigation Trust;

in pubs.

Please phone to confirm dates and times

SE1 8DP.

Contact Tim Lewis 07802-518094 Contact Phil Dray 07956-185305

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progress Wendover Arm Our regular roundup of progress begins on the Grand Union Wendover Arm, where they’ve been battling the wet weather and making ‘policemen’... to the existing bed mat. This mat join coincided with the start of the mooring wall October working party: It had been rain- blockwork so was an ideal point to make our ing! There was water in front of the wall of first reinforced concrete ‘policeman’ (sothe mooring bay near Bridge 4. So the first called because they’re similar to ‘sleeping job on Friday was to pump it out. This took policeman’ speed bumps.The bank formwork most of the day but whilst that was going was used to hold the side planks at 45 deon, three more Bentomat (bentonite watergrees. proof channel lining) bank mats were cut and As can be seen in the picture, we were the bank vegetation from the length between able to cut two planks to fit between the Bridge 4 and Little Tring was further cleared. bank blocks and support them with the This is the view from the mooring wall formwork we generally use on the bank looking towards Whitehouses hollow block concreting. This arrangement During the rest of the week the last part allowed us to use the vibrating poker to deof the blockwork forming the bed of the aerate the concrete and get a 45 degree mooring bay was completed (with reinforced slope on each side. The concrete needs to be concrete strip beam to hold it in place), the de-aerated to give the reinforcing a longer last part of the offside bank was hollow life and the concrete a higher strength. blocked, concreted and solid blocked and Several other reinforced concrete ‘pothen the join between the bank and mooring licemen’ would be needed along the front of wall was finished off with a concrete infill. the mooring wall blockwork. This is to brace After all that excitement we carried on the blockwork floor of the mooring bay with uncovering the Bentomat that was against the towpath side blocks, and ensure already laid in the bed of the main canal channel from some months ago and starting a new roll.

This area was backfilled with spoil, the mat gradually unrolled more and so on. At this point we were able to backfill the offside bank with spoil.

Shortly after that was completed, another 40m Bentomat roll was brought to the work site Bentomat waterproof matting being cut to fit the end of the mooring bay and connected Pictures by WAT

Grand Union Wendover Arm

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the mooring blockwork does not move away from the mooring wall.

The reinforced concrete ‘policeman’ was completed on Thursday and the afternoon was taken up with cleaning the tools and tidying the site.

A few ‘happy’ hours were expended on getting the mud from the excavators and dumpers. This was difficult, and we may Creating a ‘policeman’ to brace the mooring bay against the towpath blocks have to start using a pressure washer to shift the worst of onto the bed. it next time.

Once everything was dry enough some Whitehouses: We now have a CRT Bentonite powder could be placed on the approved set of drawings for the former bank Bentomat matting to form a seal and Whitehouses pumping station site restorathe roll was rolled out by the excavator. This tion/build. The special bricks required have process was repeated over and over because been identified and are due to be ordered the water in the spoil on the bed continued soon. We also have method statements and to flow round the bed Bentomat roll. risk assessments due to be completed soon.

With enough bed mat rolled out it was We will be appointing a Temporary works possible to assemble the formwork for the supervisor and Temporary Works conext reinforced concrete ‘policeman’. ordinator. I am now the Designated IndiThe whole process was repeated over vidual who will oversee the Temporary Works successive days to end up with six of the team. We now have two volunteers who have seven ‘policemen’ being finished (they are been on the CRT provided training courses 7.6m apart). who will guide us through the requirements The background tasks were hard work of the CDM Legislation. with much of the equipment and blocks etc. out of reach of an excavator meaning everyNovember working party: It had been thing had to be carried by hand/wheelbarraining yet again and once again the first job row. The heaviest items turned out to be the was to pump the water away. Pumping out black plastic sheeting which had got covered generally goes well if the water has not been by mud. It was heavy enough to counterbaldisturbed. The trouble starts when trying to ance the plastic tubes in the dumper! shift the last 6mm or so of water because it Tidy Friday: On Friday(!) the Tidy Fristarts to carry soil and organic debris that day group worked on the offside bank above blocks the pump filter very quickly. the Mooring wall to finish off pulling the Once most of the water was pumped stumps of old elder trees and generally away fresh spoil was brought from the banks tidying up the area. on the other side of bridge 4. This spoil was Tony Bardwell placed into the remaining water in order to WAT Operations Director ‘sponge’ it up. The resulting sludge was scraped up and placed over the bed mat roll See also the WRG Family Camp report, p12

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progress Gipping and Mont Both the River Gipping Trust and the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust are planning to build bridges, albeit of rather different sizes...

River Gipping (or Stowmarket Navigation) The River Gipping Trust has recently applied for full planning permission for a new footbridge across the River Gipping just upstream of Baylham. With approved planning permission the Trust can then apply for funding to pay for the bridge; we have found that without planning permission, full funding applications have not been possible.

This new bridge, which will sit on top of existing 230 year old brick abutments, will restore the footpath at Baylham to its original position along the river’s towpath. The primary objective is to improve the walking experience of those that use the Gipping Way. Through most of November the current footpath, alongside the railway line, was underwater and not passable without Wellington boots, the new path over the bridge will not be so susceptible to flooding The Trust’s volunteer workforce meet up every Wednesday at 9am, normally at Pipps Ford or Baylham and we welcome new

volunteers and members. Further details on our website at rivergippingtrust.org.uk where you can download a membership application form, find out more about volunteering and more about the Trust. Full membership is just £10 per year.

Ian Petchey, Restoration manager River Gipping Trust

Montgomery Canal

The latest good news on the plans to reinstate the missing Schoolhouse Bridge is that the construction of the replacement structure has been given planning permission - and thanks to the recent Montgomery Triathlon its funding has just received another boost.

This bridge is the last physical blockage on the English length of canal, so its replacement will mean that once the current project to reopen the canal from the existing limit of navigation at Gronwen Bridge to Crickheath Wharf is complete, there will be no obstructions to continuing through from there to Llanynymynech and on into Wales (although there will be a certain amount of channel lining work).

Following the same general principles as Compasses Bridge on the Wey & Arun, rebuilt a couple of years ago, reconstruction of Schoolhouse Bridge will involve building contractors erecting the basic concrete bridge structure, but volunteers doing almost everything else - earthworks, towpath work, brick facing, parapets an so on.

It is likely that WRG will be providing part of this volunteer effort in support of the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust, so look out for some Canal RGT volunteers at work at Baylham Camps there in 2021.

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progress Swansea Canal Meanwhile on the Swansea, the length below Trebanos Locks (worksite for our recent Canal Camps) is finaly getting dredged for a trip-boat...

Swansea Canal: The Dredging Begins been such a success in 2019 due to the

amazing work of Ronnie and Mike Fuller and At last we are close to lift off, or should I all the numerous volunteers who help out at say, ‘lift out’. Silt has been clogging the wathe canoe store from Easter to October. ters of our wonderful Swansea Canal for When dredging is finished, a summer pasmany years. Now, with grants awarded by senger trip boat will hopefully be added to the Rural Communities Develthe canoes and kayaks already The fish rescued: opment Fund and the Landfill available to the public here.

Disposal Communities Fund, Naturally, the life in the Minnows 637 the Canal & River Trust and canal must be protected while Gudgeon 140 the Swansea Canal Society the dredging is in progress Brook Lamprey 81 have sufficient money to and a professional fish rescue Brown Trout: 67 dredge a one-mile section team has already completed a Eels 58 between Coed Gwilym Park humane and temporary rePike 12 and the Lower Trebanos Lock. siting of all the numerous fish The dredging started on in this section of canal. The list Monday 11 November and should be finished of fish species relocated shows how healthy in early January 2020. It is an important the canal is. step forward for the canal, because the Over 6,700 cubic metres of silt will be dredged section is the delightful setting for removed from the channel – the equivalent our summer canoe and kayak hire. This has of more than 8,300 bath-tubs full of water – which will enable Swansea Canal Society to operate the new trip boat, in addition to improving the canoe hire experience. In anticipation, the volunteers of the SCS have already been busy repairing long sections of the eroded banks in the section to be dredged.

Jon Horsfall, Director, Glandwr Cymru (The Canal & River Trust in Wales), said “This is a massive undertaking and requires expert engineering, ecology and heritage work, as well as a lot of hard graft. A special thanks go to the partners on this project, particularly the Swansea Canal Society who are working tirelessly, and with massive dedication, to keep the canal open. We look forward to getting the work underway.”

Martin Davies Swansea Canal Society swanseacanalsociety.com

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progress Buckingham, W&A ...and yet more bridges! The Buckingham Canal and the Wey & Arun Canal are nearing completion with two rather different bridge-building projects Buckingham Canal Work has continued apace on the rebuilding of the demolished Bridge No 1 at Cosgrove, the first bridge from the junction where the Buckingham Canal meets the Grand Union Main Line. In August, Buckingham Canal Society’s regular volunteer group was joined by group from Network Rail, enabling our team to progress nicely with various aspects of the project, including the concrete pours, parapet and wing wall work.

As October drew to a close, all of the structural concrete pouring was complete, and we were planning to progress with the parapet wall brickwork until the frosts arrived. Depending on progress with the ramps on either side of the bridge, we would then be able to plan on a date to divert the farm traffic over the bridge, thus setting the target for the ramps to be completed.

A further wearing deck of 50mm of concrete will top off the bridge deck in the spring, weather permitting. There is also a balustrade to be put in place, along with poles with signage as agreed with the Canal & River Trust.

Terry Cavender (from the Buckingham Navigator)

Wey & Arun Canal Navvies readers will be familiar with the Birtley liftbridge site, where three weeks of camps this summer (by WRG, NWPG and KESCRG) did the bulk of the work of builiding the structure for the new bridge.

As you can see from the picture, since then the Wey & Arun Canal Trust has completed the structure ready for the steel deck (and in due course, lifting gear) to be added. WACT is now raising funds for the second liftbridge needed on this length of canal.

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Another landmark at Bridge 1: the towpath opens

Biodiversity Net Gain Biodiversity Net Gain is a new buzz-phrase in environmental considerations when building new developments. Alex Melson explains what it is...

Biodiversity Net Gain Biodiversity Net Gain might be a new expression that you haven’t heard before, but in some ways it’s a formalisation and a quantification of something that we’ve been doing at least since the 1990s. Longstanding navvies will remember when we built the Aston Nature Reserve on the Montgomery Canal.

The idea was that because some of the delicate and rare aquatic plants present in vulnerable habitats in the disused canal channel were likely to suffer once the canal was navigable and being used by boats, we would build an alternative wetland habitat alongside the canal which would more than make up for the loss of biodiversity in the actual canal.

Biodiversity Net Gain goes further than this, actually measuring the gain, and - canal societies note - it’s becoming a legal requirement for developments, although you’ll need to seek advice about when and where it might apply to canal restoration. Is restoring a lock a ‘development’? What about digging out an infilled canal? If it’s farm land to start with, a canal with water could be seen as a major net gain in its own right. I’m sure the IWA Restoration Hub can help with this, but in the meantime over to Alex to explain it...

The Environment Bill Policy Statement (15th October 2019) introduces Biodiversity Net Gain, to ensure that new developments enhance biodiversity and deliver thriving natural spaces. Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) shifts developers away from just mitigating environmental impacts (although that’s still important) and into actually offsetting habitat loss. But there has to be a significant increase, and it needs to be appropriate - iit doesn’t mean trading one type of habitat for another. For example – if a development that has had a net loss of 2.4 hectares of Acid Grassland, then adding an additional 2.6 hectares of woodland elsewhere would not be considered net gain.

At the very minimum, developers

would be required to provide at least 10% net gain to biodiversity for their projects.

However, it would be strongly encouraged to incorporate higher net gain aims.

BNG should be considered at all stages of the project and adhere to the ten principles set out in the Biodiversity Net Gain good practice principles for development: (1) (2)

Apply the Mitigation Hierarchy Avoid losing biodiversity that cannot be offset by gains elsewhere (3) Be inclusive and equitable (4) Address risks (5) Make a measurable Net Gain contribution (6) Achieve the best outcomes for biodiversity (7) Be additional (8) Create a Net Gain legacy (9) Optimise sustainability (10) Be transparent Full guidance on the principles can be found online on the Chartered Institute of Ecological and Environmental Management website: https://cieem.net/resource/biodiversity-netgain-good-practice-principles-for-development Over the coming years (possibly as early as Spring 2020) Biodiversity Net Gains will become mandatory to developers and construction organisations, and developments will need to incorporate Net Gains in order to receive planning permission from local authorities.

Local authorities will have published targets for biodiversity, and successful BNG projects should aim to support and contribute to local plans. And its a good idea to start talking to aithorities,statutory nature conservation bodies and other stakeholders early. And for SSSI areas (like Aston Locks) there are more issues to consider.

The Restoration Hub will be creating Guidance Notes on Biodiversity Net Gains in Early 2020, to sign up for updates contact alex.melson@waterways.org.uk to receive the Restoration Hub Newsletter.

Alex Melson

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WRG cook Why not try it?

Perhaps you’ve thought about cooking for a canal camp but never actually volunteered? What’s putting you off? How can we help you? to help overcome these barriers - whether that’s rewriting the cook’s guidance notes, Have you ever thought about cooking writing articles for Navvies, arranging opportufor a camp but not been sure what nities to shadow established cooks, or somewould be involved? Have you cooked thing else entirely. once or twice but something has put To let us know your thoughts and sugyou off doing it again? Maybe you’ve gestions please email harri.barnes@hotmail. never really thought about it, but you co.uk. As well as people who have never spend your weekends when you’re not cooked, we’re also keen to hear from people in the bottom of a muddy ditch rustling who do cook but have things they’d like help up five course banquets for your friends? with. That might be menu planning, shopWRG has a long history of providing ping lists, dealing with special diets, getting fabulous food for its volunteers but in recent to grips with the paperwork, budgeting, or years we think there are fewer people willing the practicalities of village hall kitchens. to take on cooking for a weekend or summer If responses could reach us by the end of camp. So we’d like to find out a bit more January, that will give us time to make plans to about what might be putting people off. help ensure we have enough cooks for next A quick poll of a few people around at the year’s exciting canal camps schedule. And just recent Bonfire Bash suggested a to be clear, we’re interested in cooks for any number of possible reasons: WRG activities:weekends and week-long camps.

While we’re here, this is also a good There’s too much paperwork chance to remind you that WRG is happy to I don’t want to spend all day on my pay for a basic food hygiene certificate qualifiown in the kitchen cation for anyone who is cooking for camp or There are so many allergies these days dig volunteers, and that it is good practice if that I’m petrified of poisoning someone these are renewed every three years. They can No one has asked me be done online and take no more than a couple All the current WRG cooks are so good I’m of hours. Contact Alex at head office for further worried about living up to expectations details, including about recommended providers.

I have no idea where to start turning my Harri Barnes cooking for two into cooking for 18

Why not be a WRG cook?

. . . . . .

We can think of things we could do to help address all of these challenges but they won’t all be solved by a single solution. When we’ve offered training sessions for cooks at recent leaders’ training days we’ve had very low take up, which suggests that probably isn’t the right way to tackle this. And we obviously want to make sure that we’re doing something that will really help.

So we’d like to collect some feedback on what is actually putting people off, and then we can prioritise what we do

Martin Ludgate

...and there are undoubtedly many others.

The next generation of camp cooks?

Safety Accident? Near miss?

‘Moose’ explains about the different actions to take on the rare occasion something goes wrong - and how it improves WRG’s long-term safety Reporting of accidents, incidents Board believed that in the interests of trying to reduce accidents this was the way to go and near misses

forward. The following year and since, I do not believe we have had an instance of an ...and what the difference is accident or incident lighting a Burco. (But we Hi All, I have been asked by the WRG Comhave had report of people lifting the lid and mittee to do a brief (OK, it was going to be getting steam in the face or on the arm, as brief!) article on the difference between an people forget to always lift the lid and angle it accident and an incident from the point of away from yourself, or even reports of them view of reporting when something goes boiling dry, as they do need topping up). wrong. This may be on a WRG Canal Camp, Eye protection: this is another easy Family Camp or on a weekend dig. I also example of how the reporting works. Going explain what we call a near miss, and the through the reports over the years it was importance of all three. But first some backnoticed that we were getting more comments ground information... about volunteers getting something in their For those who do not know, every year eyes: this could be cement dust or a twig etc. someone (me for the last few years), goes WRG had been looking at what was through all the accidents, incidents and near happening on building sites around the misses that have been reported, and an country, some of which were making it comoverall summary is produced for the WRG pulsory to wear eye protection. The WRG Board and taken forward to the Leader Train- Board knew we had to take steps and so they ing Day. But a big part of this is to look looked at types of eye protection that were towards trends in accidents, for example: available, and whether they would meet our Gas Burcos: a very simple piece of kit, needs. The first camp that was to test the every kit has one. Who can remember the old design and make of the eye protection was a ones? To light the Burco, you’d first put water Christmas Camp that I led, which was a in, connect the gas supply, turn on the gas scrub bash (cutting, slashing trees and bottle, turn the thermostat tap on and press bushes and having bonfires). I had already in whilst holding a flame (lighter or match) thought about having eye protection on a at the hole on the side of the Burco. Most of scrub bash because there are always bits of the time it would go ‘whoosh’ and light: very twig and ash flying around, so I agreed with simple, but every year we were getting accithe Board that the camp would be used as dents and incidents reported through their use. the ‘guinea pig’ and we would try the differPeople had a thing about looking through ent designs that WRG were thinking of using. the hole where the flame goes and when it This was useful: I could report back went ‘whoosh’, which was the gas lighting, comments from the users, such that they surprisingly enough it is a very quick very hot were awkward to wear over prescription flame, and they would burn their eyebrows, glasses: even though we had what are called but some even managed to put other parts of overspecs, some still struggled. But overall the body too close such as arms and the accino eye accidents or incidents on the camp. dents would show hairs burnt off arms etc.

So WRG took that information and So due to the number of reports, we looked at other designs, and now you know opted to change to the new self-igniting why on nearly all our sites, wearing eye Burcos in the camp kits. But it went further: protection is enforced. the WRG Board decided that to buy replaceThe reports for the year after this was ments for the old style Burcos including the introduced included just two accidents with ones used by the weekend groups, such as eyes. One of them had failed to put eye London WRG, at a large cost. The WRG protection back on after tea break. The other

caused. These forms are in the flight case (the large orange case that goes on site and goes back to the accommodation daily). Nearly always it’s insurance issues. If you fill this form in, the incident must be reported as soon as possible by the camp leader to George Eycott and your duty director.

Any incidents that are not vehicle related must be recorded on a safety reporting card, which are found in the flight case.

Tim Lewis

Near miss: These can be reported on a safety reporting card. These are in the camps flight case. So what is a near miss?

It’s not an accident or an incident, but an occurrence which could have possibly led to one or other. For instance, a Tirfor hand winch has been set up properly, using the correct strops and chains and everything has been certificated. But then, before any accident or incident has taken happened, somebody spots that place where the person is standing to operate the Tirfor has not been Lessons learnt: eye protection and Burcos cleared so they are standing on broken bricks (or even worse standing on a pallet of happened in the shower after work: cement bricks). Remember the health and safety talk dust was in his hair and as he washed his hair, it flowed into his eyes. (So be careful, a at the start of a camp: “a tidy site is a safe site”. Fortunately no accident or incident has shower’s a dangerous place!) happened, but somebody has spotted that it’s These two case studies show why reports of accidents, incidents and near misses not the best or suitable location, so it’s an are needed, beyond the legal requirement for accident or incident waiting to happen - or in other words a near miss.

WRG to maintain Health and Safety records.

Another example of this is working at Accident, incident or near miss? heights. Would you stand on the edge of a lock chamber, without scaffolding? I hope everyone says “no of course not, that’s stupid Accident: WRG define it as an accident if and dangerous”. Or what about climbing a tree any first aid has been administered: a sticky plaster, eye wash or a trip to the hospital. All unaided, 10-12ft high to cut a branch or two?

Here’s an actual example of a near accidents must have an accident report form completed. This need not be written by miss. There was a trunk of an old crack the person injured, nor by the Camp Leader, willow tree about 12ft high: the top had but a report needs to be completed. Accident gone but several branches had come down to either touch the ground or get very close books are kept in each first aid kit (site or to it, A recognised chainsaw operator decided accommodation). to cut one of the limbs hanging down, so he spent couple of minutes putting a slice through Incident: This is where something has occurred but there hasn’t been an injury. It is the limb: nothing moved so he walked off. often related to vehicles such as vans and About 30 minutes later there was an almighty crack: the limb that had been cut fell, swung trailers on site, at the accommodation or beaway from the trunk and landed on the ground tween the two. This could be where a fence post has been damaged by a van or trailer that several feet away. Volunteers who didn’t know that the limb had been cut had been working has touched it. Any accident involving vans, in the area a few minutes earlier. The operatrailers and any plant, on or off road, must be tor should not have cut the limb unless they reported, especially if the accident might were ready to actually take the limb and result in an insurance claim, and the correct trunk down. This cut had weakened the insurance incident report form filled in, tree’s structure and this was the result. and supported by photos of the damage

page 34

I must stress that this is very much a one off and suitable words were said. Our chainsaw operators (in this case) and the WRG Forestry Team work to the highest standards. From the information that comes through on the Near Miss forms, this seemed to be an isolated incident, but a reminder that can put things in focus.

Remember the Health and Safety briefing again: you are all responsible for your own safety and the safety of others. It’s about being aware of what’s happening around and near you. When you pass the dumper, has the driver seen you? When you put tools down, are they on a track? Will they be in the way? Will someone stand on the rake where the tines are sticking up? If so, turn it over: if you land on a rake that is the wrong way up, you might be lucky, it could really hurt, but it could also be fatal.

When completing whichever form, it can only be one form. If someone is hurt, then it’s too late for a near miss. Using a rake again as an example:

. . . .

If you tread on the upturned tines and the rake flips up and hits your head, and you are taken to hospital because it is a head injury, then this is an accident.

If the rake flips up and breaks a light lens on a van, then this is an insurance incident.

If the rake flips up and gives you a graze on your ear as it whizzes past your head then this is an incident If the rake was spotted by you and picked up or turned over with the tines into ground then this is a near miss

When you have decided which form to use, if you have spider-walked-across-a-page handwriting (perhaps you’re a doctor!) please remember that a later date someone has got to decipher your writing.

Complete the entire form: it does help to know which camp it is. Exactly where in the accommodation, or on site, or even in the car park, did the occurrence take place?

Include the name of the injured person, the how and why, and always state facts. (I know trees cannot jump!)

Seriously, too many forms I receive say very little. I have had one that had no dates or camp details, I think there was a name, under what happened, it said ‘I got a blister’, was he or she working?

If it’s an eye injury, say if were they

wearing safety specs - and if so, which type make or model. That way if there’s a trend, we can hopefully spot if the users are all using the same type, or (say) their own prescription safety specs, and it will help us to monitor what’s going on.

When reporting what happened, will drawing a sketch help? This applies especially for vehicle damage / incidents, where we might have to inform our insurers. Photos: everyone has newfangled phones that take pictures - see if you can operate it. (By the way my phone is steam-powered and has no camera, but makes good phone calls and I do not do texts.)

Send the forms off: Most importantly, at the end of the camp or weekend dig, all the forms and cards must be sent in to head office. Take the accident forms out of the books, don’t send them on around the rest of the camps circuit!

So what happens to the forms? They will go via Head Office and then be sent on to me. I will have a look at what has happened and quickly assess if we need to go into ‘panic mode’ and act urgently.

Otherwise they are put to one side, and (when I feel brave and have exhausted all my excuses), I will sit down and go through every single form that has come through.

And sometimes I’ll swear and curse when I realise I have just been writing up exactly the same report that was on another form (the wrong form) - remember, JUST ONE FORM! Oh, and trying to decipher handwriting can actually take a long time...

Sometimes I might have to phone a person about what has been reported, it could be that what happened is not clear, or it might be a follow-up on injuries suffered.

So, if you do get a call from Moose, could be a bad hair day, but it could also be I am trying to confirm details with you.

Sorry this is so long winded. But although to you it may be just about another form or piece of paper, to us the WRG Board and Head Office, it is important.

Remember back to replacing the Burcos with self-ignition ones, and making eye protection mandatory on nearly all sites. As an organisation, WRG does get asked by other agencies about the above. And we can say with hand on heart that we have a process; we do report; we monitor; when need be, we act; and we review the effectiveness of those actions.

Dave ‘Moose’ Hearnden

page 35

navvies Oi you, close that bonnet, step away from the vehicle!

There have been a number of incidents relating to van maintenance this year. Firstly, one of the vans has had its entire bottle of “spare” oil used and then replaced with some from a supermarket. Now, it seems unlikely that the oil was used in the van so presumably it was used on site either in some plant or to light a bonfire. Secondly, all our vans have had the coolant contaminated with a blue fluid which is either screenwash or blue antifreeze (which is not compatible with the modern coolant used by Iveco). This means they all need to be flushed out and have fresh coolant, this is a very time consuming job as I can now tell you from experience of doing the first one.

Given the vans are designed to go upwards of 20k miles between services, and we service them annually at a far lower mileage than this, in practice they will not need the coolant or oil topping up during the year anyway. Not only that, but the van checks the oil level each time you start the engine (you may have noticed the oil level display coming up occasionally to re-assure you that it has done it) and there is a sensor which will put a message on the dashboard long before the coolant drops to a dangerous level.

Now, the problems we have had were no doubt caused by someone with good intentions, but that does not get away from the fact that it has led to costs and time being incurred that could have been spent doing something more useful. So, we are making some changes.

(1) We are no longer asking volunteers to check oil and water in the vans: it will be removed from the camp checklists. So unless you have a very good reason you should no longer need to open the bonnet of the van.

(2) We will no longer be supplying Iveco oil with the vans, it seems that what little has been used has not actually gone into the vans, so you should be buying the correct (probably much cheaper) oil for the kit that needs it. If the van does need oil, or indeed coolant, it is an indication of a bigger problem and you should contact the transport

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News team before proceeding any further so we can arrange for the van to be swapped out.

(3) We will be adding labelling under the bonnet directing people to the screenwash (the only thing that MAY need topping up between services) and telling them not to touch anything else.

Restoration Conference 2020 WRG’s parent body the Inland Waterways Association and the Canal & River Trust run the conference every year to support waterway restoration projects. For 2020 it will focus on building resilience and creating connections to strenghthen our sector for the future.

They have Dan Francis from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations as a keynote speaker on Governance, the Heritage Volunteering Group to speak on unlocking your heritage volunteering potential and Liz Shaw from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to run a session on funding projects.

There will be topics on diversity, engaging your local council and community engagement.

There will be three or four main keynote speakers and six breakout sessions to choose from. More details on the full agenda will be on the IWA website shortly - or contact Head Office for details. The date is Saturday 21 March, it takes place at Ormiston SWB Academy, Wolverhampton, and it’s free.

New from IWA restoration hub CITB approved Site Supervisor’s Safety Training Scheme course (1-2 Feb), Canal Societies Funding Workshop (4 Feb), PASMA mobile access towers / working at heights training (25 April). Contact head office for details.

...and on the subject of training...

Two dates for your diary: the WRG Skills Training Weekend on 9-10 May and the Leader Training Day on 16 May. More next time.

...and on the subject of leaders...

WRG is busy appointing leadership teams for the 2020 Canal Camps programme but still has spaces to fill - including, as we went to press,

Meet the new man at the top...

I was all set to start this by saying that WRG’s parent body IWA had a new National Chairman... but I realised that by the end of the first sentence most of the readers would have lost interest, and turned the page over to read the Infill column...

But this time it’s a little bit different. Not that I’m saying the role of IWA Chairman isn’t important to us, nor that the recent holders of that position have done a bad job, nor that we don’t appreciate all the ways that IWA and its officers support us (including financially, for our insurance, and for Head Office services). It’s just that to the average WRGie, they manage to do this in the background, letting us get on with what we do.

So what’s different this time? Well, the new Chairman is none other than our very own Paul Rodgers, recruited to IWA via WRG just five years ago (his wife bought him a Canal Camp on the Cotswold Canals). He doesn’t have a lifetime of boating and IWA committee work under his belt, he’s still in gainful employment rather than retired and able to do the IWA role as a full time job, and he’s (gulp!) younger than the Navvies editor! So while he happily accepts that he’s going to have to rely on his deputies and others in IWA for their experience, their in-depth knowledge of IWA and the waterways and their availability, he might just have some new thinking to help the Association and the canal movement.

We’ll ask him to write for Navvies in due course, but in the meantime we asked him for some initial thoughts, which I’ll paraphrase here...

So what IWA’s got going for it? It has a wealth of experience, a great capability, a good track record of doing stuff - whether it’s WRG and the IWA Restoration Hub, local campaigning by its branches, planning expertise, political campaigning, or the wellinformed reports it’s produced. It covers all aspects (albeit with boating at the heart), it’s independent and it can take an objective, long-term view.

What does it need to change? It needs to rediscover some of the activism of the early days - but at the same time it needs to do this by working in collaboration with other organisations, not falling out with them. At the moment, it sometimes even suffers from internal disagreements and perhaps not enough communication within its own organisation. The job of campaigning to maintain the waterways we’ve got, restore the rest of them, and build new ones is too big for any one organisation, and IWA is going to have to work with others - yes, even the Canal & River Trust. And yes, he’s chatted to enough boaters passing his home on the South Oxford to realise there’s perhaps some way to go...

What are the big issues? In the long term, the environmental threat. And how it impacts the waterways, whether it’s water supplies (and can this be turned to the canals’ advantage by using waterways such as the Cotswold Canals for domestic water transfer schemes, thereby helping get them restored?), or the possible demise of diesel (electrify the canals, anyone?) And in the shorter term, persuading the Government to carry on funding the canals after the current 15 year CRT funding contract runs out in 2027. And as part of this, making the public more aware of waterways (and the fact that they need maintaining) - whether it’s CRT’s open days, IWA’s Festival of Water, or some mad bunch of celebs crashing around the canals on TV. That’s it for now: we’ll no doubt hear from Paul himself in a future issue. the February camp on the Chelmer & Blackwater. If you are interested in supporting a Camp in 2020 as leader or assistant on the C&B or elsewhere, please get in touch with Alex Melson on alex.melson@waterways.org.uk.

Thank you... ...from the editor to all Navvies contributors during 2019, to John Hawkins of WRG Print, Sue Watts for subscriptions, Robert Goundry for sourcing progress reports, Dave Wedd for

the diary, to the envelope-stuffing volunteer team, to all at Head Office, to Lesley for proofreading, to Chris Griffiths of Stroudprint for assistance with printing the covers and to anyone else who’s helped. Christmas greetings to all the readers, and if I don’t see you on the New Year camp then all good wishes for 2020.

Congratulations... ...to Jenny and Adam ‘Digger’ Morris on the arrival of a daughter on 29 October.

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infill by way of Brimcombe Port More letters to Santa from well-known WRGies, plus an ode to Brimscombe Port in what might (ha ha) be its last year of existence...

Dear Father Christmas Please can we have a new sledgehammer. It More WRGies have sent off Christmas letters... will be very useful for breaking up old brickwork and knocking in pegs for shuttering, Dear Father Christmas Please could you bring me a camera that floats when but what we really want it for is to break biscuits up because we can’t get ready-broyou drop it in the canal, doesn’t burn when you ken ones any more, and whole ones just throw it on a bonfire, and is safe to drive a dumper truck over. And a phone to take pictures with when I aren’t the same.

Love, WRG NorthWest can’t find the camera. And another phone to ring it with when I lose the first phone. And some skeleton Dear Father Christmas keys for when the second phone is locked in the car... Just bring me the Navvies artwork on time,just once!

Yours, Tim, London With heartfelt thanks, John, WRG Print Dear Father Christmas, Dear Father Christmas All I want for Xmas is just lots and lots of mud. Please bring me a nut-grabber Love Ju, Cheshire Yours, Moose, New Year Camp leader Dear Father Christmas Dear Father Christmas Please could you send us a big flamethrower. It Please could you bring us some high-vis trousers, and will be very useful for lighting bonfires on scrubsome high-vis jackets, and some high-vis helmets, bashing digs, but what we really want it for is to and a high-vis teapot, and some high-vis tea-mugs, deal with any WRG T-shirts with the old logo on. and some high-vis toothbrushes Regards, the IWA Marketing Committee Love, WRG Forestry

The WRG Logistics Plan Before Mike Palmer packed a kit, or drove a Transit van A bunch of drunken navvies made the WRG Logistics Plan A fiendish plan, a baffling plan, that roams through time and space Three times past Bungle’s, twice to Tom’s and once through Palmer’s place A bonkers plan, a crazy plan, or that’s what we all thought The night we went to Inglesham by way of Brimscombe Port The camp kits went from left to right, not knowing which was which And then they went from right to left, and landed in the ditch We watched as RFB passed EHP near Aston Locks And then they passed again the other side of Gloucester Docks “Let’s have another pint” we said, “on second thoughts a quart” The night we went to the Punchbowl Inn by way of Brimscombe Port Their sins they were forgiven them, we bear them no ill will For sending us through Droitwich on the way to Griffin Mill And no-one really minds when someone says as they depart “You’ll have to go to drop by Rowington – it says on Bungle’s chart And can you pick the trailer up? I really think you ought…

You’ll need to go to Woolsthorpe Locks by way of Brimscombe Port” My friends, we may not live for ever (or till the Mont is open) But we may last our threescore years and ten – at least here’s hopin’ And see with clearer eyes and ears this plan so baffling And with our final breath at last we’ll understand the thing Our ashes will be scattered near the kit we used to sort And we’ll all go to paradise by way of Brimscombe Port

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Written (and performed at Brimscombe Port) by the editor. Apologies to GK Chesterton.

Our agony aunt Deirdre is otherwise occupied right now. She will be back soon...

Dear Father Christmas...

outro Cotswold Christmas As reported on page 19, London WRG and KESCRG spent a weekend clearing the Cotswold Canals near Whitminster and celebrating Christmas with a ‘School Nativity Play’ themed party with costumes, cardboard cribs and lots of food. Pics: Tim Lewis, Ian Stewart and the editor

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Coming soon: a road bridge here...

...and a lock and aqueduct here

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