IWA Chelmsford Branch Newsletter July 2015

CHELMSFORD BR AN C H N

e

w J

s u

l

l

e

y

2

t 0

1

t

e

r

5

Underway by Dave & Nicki Iszard

Campaigning for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the Inland Waterways Disclaimer: The IWA may not agree with opinions expressed in this Newsletter but encourages publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed herein may be construed as policy or official announcement unless stated otherwise. The IWA accepts no liability for any matter in the Newsletter

1

Content From the Editor From the Chairman WRG Summer Camps Mid-Week Working Parties A Grand Day Out A Special Cruise Seen on the C & B Navigation Cotswold Canals Essex Environment Trust Help Keep WRG on the Move Readers Photos

Page 2 Page 2 Page 3 Page 3 Page 4 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 10

Wendover Arm Trust Cassion Gate Essex Waterways Update River Festival Generally Speaking IWA Holds a Waterways Triathlon The New Cut Just For Fun Social Events Branch Committee

Page 11 Page 11 Page 12 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 18 Page 18

From The Editor The weather has seemed to settled down and the opportunity to make the most of the Navigation has been taken by many. I have cycled the tow path a number of times in the last month or so and it has been good to have to get off my bike due to the number of people walking the tow path. With all the work that has been completed by the Essex WRG and the Mid-Week Working Parties the Navigation is a great place to spend some time. Please use the poster, on page 14, to advertise the River Festival We would like to increase our contributors to this Newsletter. Please make time to look out your photos, articles and ideas and send them in for our next Newsletter: Last inputs for Autumn Newsletter 21/08/2015. Tell us about your own waterway experiences, your holiday or send in Readers Photos.

For those on e-mail please send your input to chelmsford.news@waterways.org.uk Those without just give me a call to arrange for collection. 07837 576464.

From The Chairman For some years now I have stopped buying any magazines - even waterways ones, especially as I am no longer a boater. However, when an email arrived from Roy Chandler, recommending an article in July's "Canal Boat� magazine, I went out to get an early copy. Entitled "Can we do it?", the substantial article is written by Martin Ludgate, a very long-standing friend of Chelmsford Branch and EWL. In it, he puts forward all the good reasons for the Branch's proposals for a New Cut above the flood control weir, alongside the Essex Records Office, to join Springfield Basin to the River Chelmer. He gives the commercial history of the Navigation, the story of our restoration of the Basin, its lock and feeder stream and the threat to the whole Navigation when the Company of Proprietors went into administration, followed by the setting up of Essex Waterways Ltd. and the work done since then.

Now, the City council has announced that it is selling the former gas works site for re-development, but without any of its former safeguarding provisos for the proposed route of the New Cut, hence Martin's first-class contribution to the magazine.

Before it is too late, do join the campaign to keep the proposed route open for a future New Cut, which is also endorsed by the Chelmsford Society and the Chelmer Canal Trust, as well as a few of the City Councillors - this is really our last chance to save it.

On a completely different subject, may I commend to you the delightful paddle steamer "Waverley"? She will be making her annual visit to the Thames region from September 26th until October 12th, cruising from Southend, Gravesend and London to places on the Essex and Kent coasts. Book in advance on 0845 130 4647, online on waverleyexcursions.co.uk, or take a chance and turn up on the day. It's an absolute must for me, every year.

In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you all at our first meeting of the new season on September 10th.

Good sailing!

Molly Beard

2

WRG Summer Camps Are you looking for exciting ways to fill a week? Are you interested in learning new skills? Maybe you want to improve your bricklaying or hone your digger operating skills? Why not volunteer with Waterway Recovery Group's (WRG) Regional Groups and spend a week restoring a canal?

IWA’s Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) launched its 2015 working holidays at the end of January. ‘Canal Camps’ offer a unique opportunity to volunteer and learn new skills, whilst exploring amazing parts of Britain’s industrial heritage. This year we have 27 Canal Camps planned on 12 different canal restoration projects. This summer we will be travelling throughout England and Wales – offering volunteers the chance to rebuild bridges on the Ashby Canal, restore a lock on the Cotswold Canals, or repoint a lock chamber on the Monmouthshire Canal in Wales.

What’s involved?

There really is something for everyone with WRG Canal Camps! Volunteers meet on the Saturday evening, and spend the whole week working on site, before heading home tired but happy on the following Saturday morning.

Canal Camps cost £56, which covers food and accommodation for the week.

Waterway Recovery Group has kicked off the year with its February Canal Camp on the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation from14th – 21st February. Over the week 14 volunteers, ranging from DofE Gold Award students to WRG regulars carried out towpath work around the Sandford Lock area, clearing scrub and vegetation. This has enabled Essex County Council to carry out major improvement works, vastly improving the condition of the towpath. Local boaters have also commented that clearance work has opened up views from the Navigation that haven’t been seen for many years.

WRG will be back for their October Canal Camp to carry out more towpath improvement work from the 24th -31st October.

If you’d like to know more about volunteering with WRG please contact Jenny or Amber at WRG Head Office – 01494 783 453 ext 604, email enquiries@wrg.org.uk or visit the WRG website www.wrg.org.uk

Mid-Week Working Parties As is usual during the summer months much of our time has been taken up with mowing round the locks, as well as one or two other places. Mowing inevitably also means we have to have a litter pick – the British public are not good at taking their rubbish home with them!

The worst day’s work was above Ricketts Lock. There was an ash tree which was in a dangerous condition. As felling it in the normal way would put it right across the navigation, contractors were brought in to climb it and fell it in sections Our job was partly to feed the smaller branches into the chipper, but, more importantly, to stop any passers by until it was safe for them to proceed.

The trouble was that the wind got much stronger and it started to rain heavily. We had to finish the job, as the tree was now more dangerous than ever, even though we were getting very wet. I found that my waterproof trousers weren’t waterproof at all, so by the time we finished we were all very wet and very cold.

In addition to these jobs we have helped replace a rotten handrail at the Sandford moorings, we helped with some bank repairs above Rushes Lock, and we helped with some concreting at Heybridge Basin. But as I said above our main activity has been mowing.

John Gale

3

The vessel arrived, passengers departed and the relevant ramps put in place for him to gain access on to the craft.

A Grand Day Out A recent family visit to Cheshire took my wife and I to Frodsham to see my father in law, Neville Kiernan.

As many of you boaters know Cheshire has a wealth of Inland Waterways to see. Manchester Ship Canal, Bridgewater, Shropshire Union, Trent and Mersey.

Journeys to complete such as the Cheshire Ring, trip along the River Weaver. Sites to visit, National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port, Anderton Boat Lift.

After a good evening meal all agreed that a day out to the Anderton Boat Lift, trip along the river, ride on the lift, then lunch would make an enjoyable day.

Once back from the river trip we entered the boat lift to ascend from the River Weaver up to the Trent and Mersey.

Having completed the boat lift we arrived in the canal basin to disembark. Again all the ramps were put in place for him to leave the craft.

So after breakfast, the taking of pills and potions, we set off on the short road journey to arrive at 11:30 to book our tickets for the cruise and the trip on the lift.

It started with convenient parking, (Neville with his disable pass) easy of access for the motorised scooter and a group of staff happy and willing to help.

After a sandwich and cup of tea, it was back inside the Visitors Centre to catch up on the history.

Neville maximised the use of the building lift to get to the pathways to take him to the quay to join the boat trip and gave him an opportunity discuss the local area.

The lift is a two caisson lift lock and provides a 50 foot (15.2m) vertical link between the two navigable waterways of the River Weaver and the Trent and Mersey Canal.

Salt being extracted from the rock salt beds underneath the Cheshire Plain developed into a major mining industry around the Cheshire “salt Towns� of Northwich, Middlewich, Nantwich and Winsford.

Completion of the River Weaver Navigation in 1734 provided a navigable route for transporting salt from Winsford, through Northwich, to Frodsham, where the Weaver joins the River Mersey. In 1759 the second Weaver Navigation Act appointed the Trustees of the Weaver Navigation and gave them responsibility for maintaining and operating the route.

4

The opening of the Trent and Mersey Canal in 1777 provided a second route close to the Weaver Navigation for part of its length, but extended further south to the coal mining and pottery industries around Stoke-on-Trent.

Our adventures of the day did not end there. We waited to see another boat trip finish with a boat lift, from the quay side. Unfortunately as the craft started to manoeuvre to gain entry in to the lift from the Holding moorings the engine cut out and a rescue was put in place.

Rather than competing with one another, the owners of the two waterways decided it would be more profitable to work together. In 1793 a basin was excavated on the north bank of the Weaver at Anderton that took the river to the foot of the escarpment of the canal, 50 ft (15.2 m) above. The Anderton Basin was owned and operated by the Weaver Navigation Trustees. Facilities were built to trans-ship goods between the waterways, including two cranes, two salt chutes and an inclined plane that was possibly inspired by the much larger Hay Inclined Plane at Coalport. The facilities were extended when a second quay was built in 1801 and a second entrance to the basin was constructed in 1831.

After a number of attempts a larger vessel was required to return the craft to the mooring for the passengers to disembark.

Sectional drawing of lift construction

Now safely back alongside all the passengers had a big smile on their faces and the younger ones thought that it was all part of the days entertainment.

The lift was built in 1875 it was in use for over 100 years until it was closed due to corrosion in 1983.

Restoration started in 2001 and it was reopened in 2002. This is one of only two working boat lifts in the United Kingdom; the other being the Falkirk Wheel.

We can highly recommend a visit and Neville was impressed by the ease of access for someone who required a bit more time when having to use a mobility scooter to roam around the site.

With the history lesson over it was back to the quay of the River Weaver to take some photographs.

This article is dedicated to life and memory of Neville Stapleton Kiernan (1927 - 2015) who passed away a few weeks after this visit. He and his enjoyment of history combined with the local knowledge of the area are sadly missed

John G Carlaw

5

We continued to travel north through pretty countryside and past vineyards to moor the following morning at Chalon-sur-Saone which shot to fame in 1827 when the world’s first durable photograph was produced... Here again we explored the town and admired the half timbered buildings.

A Special River Cruise Roy and I thought we would treat ourselves this year and go on a river cruise in France. After a pleasant evening in London with my sister from Spain and her two daughters, we left St Pancras next morning

by Eurostar, changed at Lille and continued south by TGV to Lyon. The historic city of Lyon is on the River Rhone. We joined our floating hotel A-ROSA STELLA in the afternoon and settled in to our spacious cabin with a splendid view of the river from our balcony window.

Overnight the ship sailed south and we returned to Lyon. Here we enjoyed a guided tour of the city and admired the beautiful architecture and cultural monuments. Lyon has relished over many centuries of wealth and influence and the historic Old Town has been added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The following day we travelled down the Rhone towards Avignon and admired the captain of our ship navigating through many deep and difficult locks. We also experienced the Mistral wind which had the English passengers sitting on deck in coats whilst sipping cocktails.

Here in Avignon we moored near the famous, medieval broken bridge and then enjoyed a tour of the spectacular Palais des Papes – Palace of the Popes.

The following day, the Mistral wind had gone, and we sailed under the hot sun to Arles, the most southerly point on the trip... The locks along this stretch were incredibly deep, one being 23 metres deep, quite an experience! We watched with interest as a cruiser very similar to our own left one of the locks and thought how great it was to have floating mooring bollards so that you did not have to climb a 23 metre tall wet and slippery lock ladder!

During the evening we enjoyed a panoramic cruise through the heart of Lyon admiring the varied architecture in the old part of the town and modern waterside developments.

During the night our ship sailed north on the river Soane. Only the gentle nudging of lock walls reminded us where we were as we slept.

Our first morning was spent walking through the quiet, narrow streets of Macon. Macon is Burgundy’s southernmost town and known for its wine trade.

6

A Special River Cruise cont

Seen on the C & B Navigation

Arles boasts a glorious Roman heritage, with Mediterranean influenced houses and was the inspiration for much of Van Gogh’s work. Roy and I explored the city which again is a UNESCO cultural heritage site. The Roman Amphitheatre is amazing and is famous the world over.

A sunny June Day and the Ambulance Service training at Paper Mill Lock

So the special holiday was almost over. The journey back to Lyon was partly during the night but during the day we watched enormous, working boats pass by and beyond the river banks we could see the chestnut woods and orchards, fortified villages and farmsteads.

The locks on the Rhone were constructed as late as the 1970’s. They have a width of 12m and a length of 195m, most incorporate hydro-power generation.

We passed through 3 locks on the Saone and 12 locks on the Rhone. The A-ROSA Rhone fleet comprises two cruise ships, LUNA and STELLA. They are 11.4m wide and 125.80m long, thus having only 600mm width clearance in the locks, hence the occasional gentle nudging of the lock sides! Both take a maximum of 174 passengers. The top deck railings fold down and the wheelhouse retracts for passing under low bridges. The deepest lock that we passed through was 23m (75ft-6ins) at Bollen.

Roy Chandler

Whilst we saw several large commercial vessels and new river served industries on the banks, the Rhone was surprisingly quiet especially compared with the Rhine. There are however numerous river cruise ships on both the Saone and Rhone.

Chris Chandler.

7

to Griffins Mill Lock. These were all very impressive especially as the various sites and locks that have already been restored are often separated by unrestored sections of waterway. However seeing what has been achieved and is underway illustrates the confidence that all will eventually be restored.

A Visit to the Cotswold Canals Many Branch members know the Cotswold Canals very well having regularly volunteered to work on the several restoration sites as part of the ambitious scheme to reopen a navigable route from the River Severn to the River Thames. As Chris and I were not familiar with these waterways, we were pleased that a recent Southern Canals meeting was to be held in Stroud and after the morning conference there was to be a visit to several sites on both the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames and Severn sections.

During the afternoon I was most impressed by the Capel’s Mill diversion. Here the original route of the canal under the railway viaduct had been in-filled and used by the Stroud East-West bypass. A new route for the canal had to be designed, not only the new road (built in 1987) had to be avoided, but an old tip had to be skirted around. Concrete piles were inserted into the tip so that a route around the edge could be excavated for the canal diversion which was then built, elevated above the adjoining river and passing through a vacant arch of the railway viaduct. A park has been created on top of the remaining landfill site. This is an amazing achievement especially considering the sections of the canal either side are still derelict.

The meeting was held at Ebley Mill where the old woollen mill has been restored and converted into the offices of Stroud District Council. This is an excellent example of how a local authority can invest in a previously decaying industrial area and set an example thus creating the confidence to encourage others to invest. The subsequent Ebley Wharf housing development was required by planning consent to reopen the infilled canal and the Cotswold Canal Trust’s trip boat now regularly operates from here.

Projects such as this illustrate what can be achieved and bring to mind the proposed New Cut in Chelmsford city centre where only 150 metres of new canal is required to link the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation with the Rivers Chelmer and Can and allow boats into the city centre. If only our local politicians took a little more interest in what other local authorities are achieving through enlightenment and investment in their waterways which bring benefits to the whole area!

We went on to visit Dudbridge Lock and its adjoining hydro scheme which produces electricity for the National Grid through an underground turbine. Then onto Bowbridge Lock where we found several friends from London WRG busy on the restoration and next

Roy Chandler

8

Essex Environment Trust The Essex Environment Trust is in the process of closing.

Courtesy of Lord Petre H.M, Lord Lieutenant, a celebration of 17 years of projects, funded by the Trust in Essex, was held at Ingatestone Hall on 5th June. The Chairman of the Trust, George Courtauld DL, invited Roy and I and many guests to the celebration. The funding was enabled by the Landfill Communities Fund.

On a warm, summers evening we stood in front of Ingatestone Hall drinking wine and chatting to Trustees whilst waiting for all the guests to arrive.

maintenance. It continues to emphasise that with its 13 locks on a 14 mile stretch from Chelmsford to Heybridge it is one of the most popular heritage, ecological and recreational waterways in the County.

The Trust awarded Essex Waterways Ltd. £35,000 towards repairs to Stonham’s Lock in 2009.

When we were finally seated inside, the formal part of the evening began. Lord Petre introduced The Rt Hon. Lord Deben, better known as John Gummer MP. He enlightened us with his amusing account of how he persuaded members of the Treasury to agree that The Landfill Tax should benefit the local community.

In 2010 the Trust awarded Essex Waterways Ltd £10,000 towards the piling of the banks alongside the weir at Paper Mill Lock. This extensive work was vital as the banks were weak and could collapse in flood conditions.

Consequently The Essex Environment Trust was created to allocate monies from the Landfill Communities Fund. The Chairman of the Trust, George Courtauld, then informed the guests it had been in existence for 17 years and during that time had distributed over £10 million to almost 1,000 schemes.

There were many awards for outstanding schemes and it was very humbling to see that Essex has vast numbers of people who volunteer for the benefit of their community.

Everyone was presented with a book entitled ‘An Environmental Legacy’. The chapter entitled, Exceptional Projects, included an article headed ‘The Pennywort Menace’ and showed volunteers removing the invasive floating plant on the Chelmer and Blackwater. The Trust awarded £40,000 to the Chelmer Canal Trust, aided by the Environment Agency for this project in 2004.

The evening ended with food and drinks and an opportunity for Roy to chat to the ‘great and good’ in the hopes we will receive funding from other sources in the future.

Many thanks to the Essex Environment Trust for their support for the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation and Essex Waterways Ltd over the years.

Another exceptional project was ‘Lock Repairs’. This article includes photos of an empty Stonham’s Lock and clearly shows the extent of necessary repair to the walls, floor and gates. The article explains that the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation is a prime example of a waterway needing constant

Chris Chandler.

9

Help Keep WRG on the Move Since WRG first purchased the set of vans around eight years ago, they have been driven a total of 400,000 miles. This is the equivalent of travelling around the world sixteen times! WRG’s vans play a vital role transporting volunteers, equipment and tools on WRG’s week-long Canal Camps and weekend digs across England and Wales, and without them WRG couldn’t continue to support canal restoration. The current fleet of four much-loved Transit vans needs to be retired and it is time to find new sets of wheels for the next generation of volunteers.

IWA has launched an appeal to help WRG raise £120,000 to purchase the four vans with the aim of buying two vans in 2015 and a further two in 2016.

We can’t do this without you. The appeal needs the support of people like you who are passionate about waterways restoration to help reach the target. If you would like to help WRG get the essential equipment for restoring canals then please make a donation or get involved in one or more of the many exciting events and activities that will take place throughout the appeal.

Ways to Donate Online: See www.wrg.org.uk/wrgvanappeal for how to donate via the Virgin Money Giving appeal page.

Cheque: Make cheques payable to The Inland Waterways Association and send them to WRG Van Appeal, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham, HP5 1WA. Debit/Credit Card or Direct Debit: See the appeal leaflet inside this issue of Waterways that explains how to pay by credit/debit card or set up a direct debit.

If you would like any further information on the appeal visit www.wrg.org.uk/wrgvanappeal or contact Toby Gomm at 01494 783453 ext. 611.

Readers Photos.

Paper Mill Lock and Heybridge Basin

10

Wendover Arm Trust Grand Draw 2015 The prizes include the first prize of one weeks Boating Holiday, sponsored by Wyvern Shipping of Leighton Buzzard; a second prize of a Day Boat hire, sponsored by Lee Valley Boat Centre; a third prize of a Virgin Experience Day - a visit to the Shard, with dinner for two; a fourth prize of £100 cash. There are many other valuable prizes to be won. These are shown on the Trust’s website – www.wendoverarmtrust.co.uk , along with the latest information regarding restoration.

Hello to all IWA Chelmsford recipients. Enclosed with this edition will be two books of Grand Draw tickets which will give you the splendid opportunity to take part, not only in the prize draw, but perhaps most importantly, support the efforts of the volunteers in the restoration of more canal for your use and enjoyment.

The Trust hopes you will sell these two books of tickets, returning the counterfoils and a cheque to the Promoter. If you can sell more tickets to your friends or at your workplace, then call Michael Wright on 01727-860137. Email draw@wendoverarmtrust.co.uk Your enquiry would be most welcome. The tickets this year have been sponsored by P E Mead and Sons, Wilstone Farm Shop and are priced at £1 each.

The Draw will take place on Sunday 6th September 2015, during the Retsoration Open Day, at Drayton Beauchamp, when it is possible to see our restoration volunteers in action and the progress that is being made.

The Wendover Arm Trust Grand Draw this year is again to raise further funds for the restoration of the canal, which feeds water from Wendover to the summit level of the Grand Union canal at Bulbourne.

The restoration is carried out by a dedicated team of volunteers, who meet for seven days each month to continue restoring the route of the canal now working from Drayton Beauchamp towards Little Tring. The current cost to restore one metre of canal has been calculated at about £450.00, hence the ongoing need to raise further funds. There are no grants.

Visit www.wendoverarmtrust.co.uk for full details.

Visit us to see the new section that has just been rewatered Thank you in anticipation of your essential support.

Michael Wright

Cassion Gate Essex Waterways is pleased to be working with Essex & Suffolk Water Company to replace the Caisson Gate which is located at the sea lock in Heybridge Basin.

The gate serves a number of purposes but the benefit for EWL is that it will allow us to fit more boats in the lock during busy periods. Work on this project is due to be underway in the coming months but will not affect the lock during the summer.

There may be restrictions to access / exit into the estuary during the much quieter winter months however we will keep you up to speed with dates that may be affected once we know.

The latest photographs of the recent re-watering of the canal on 11th April 2015. All the capping is now buried below the water so there is an awful lot of 'toil' that is never seen, but it's great to see the water back in the canal after so many years.

11

Essex Waterways Update

where some structures are already up to first floor height.

Improvements Every now and then gremlins get into things electronic! This was the case with my last update where a photo of a lock gate landing platform appeared without any explanation. The gremlins had removed a paragraph which explained that all the lock gate platforms on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation had now been replaced with new boards incorporating non-slip surfacing.

The new toilet facilities at the Sandford moorings are now open for EWL customers. The new building contains two toilets, one to disabled standards, a sluice room for Elsan disposal, two caretaker stores and a store for EWL use. Thanks go to EWL staff and volunteers for their work on this new facility and especially to Bob Barron for his work on the electrical installation.

Weed lifter Following the purchase and use of a new weed cutting boat on the Navigation last year, it was realised that more effective and efficient weed removal could be undertaken if it was possible to pair this with a matching weed lifting boat to replace the elderly lifting boat inherited with the waterway.

Several applications were made for grant funding towards a new boat and we were delighted to receive a grant of £20,000 towards the purchase from the Essex County Council Community Initiatives Fund. Cllr Roger Hirst, who is the ECC Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Libraries, Planning and the Environment said: “The Community Initiatives Fund is an excellent example of how Essex County Council is supporting communities to help themselves. By increasing the opportunities for local residents, community groups and volunteers individually to shape their local facilities and undertake new ventures, we will see them make Essex an even better place to live and work than it is today”. The new Conver C420 weed lifter has been delivered in time for the summer weed cutting and is already successfully partnering the weed cutter along the Navigation. It has also proved very useful for pulling out shopping trolleys!

The vehicular access to the car park has been resurfaced in tarmac to create a more user friendly entrance. There is still some work to do on surfacing to the car park.

A new sewage treatment plant has been installed on the lock island at Paper Mill, Little Baddow to serve the island toilet.

Repairs Repairs are continuing to the wharf walls at Springfield Basin with work at Smiths Yard, adjoining Waterfront Place being enabled by Taylor Wimpey.

The repairs here have been complicated when it was found that a central section of wall had no foundations. It was therefore necessary to install new steel piling and form new foundations before this section of wall could be rebuilt. We are indebted to Roy Sutton, IWA’s Hon. Consultant Engineer for his prompt visit to the site and design advice. Meanwhile work continues apace on the redevelopment of the Waterfront Place site for residential apartments

12

Essex Waterways Update cont New Heybridge Lock keeper Mar$n Maudsley, Heybridge Lock keeper for the past seven years has recently le; Essex Waterways for a new role in the Lake District. There were around fi;y applicants for the new lock keeper and the successful applicant was Grant Everiss who has moved into the Lock House with his partner, Lisa and is busy dealing with the lockings including several in the early hours of the morning.

Grant has been in and around boats for his en$re life and has spent the last fi;een years working on Thames sailing barges with regular visits to Heybridge Basin. Grant has already found that he is an important part of the wider Heybridge community as everybody knows the Lock keeper and he is the face of Essex Waterways.

Tesco li8er pick A sunny day early in June saw a group of volunteers from Tesco Fullbridge busy with a liJer pick along the Naviga$on banks adjoining their store. This was their first $me out and one was overheard saying ‘we should do this more o;en!’ They collected a considerable amount of rubbish and were also presented with a very weed encrusted shopping trolley courtesy of the new EWL weed li;er.

WRG Weekend The first weekend in June saw London Waterway Recovery Group volunteers at Heybridge Basin. During a similar visit last year they constructed a new concrete path alongside the south quay at Heybridge Basin. This proved very popular with visi$ng boats and our customers regularly requested that it be extended towards the crane area. During the weekend the path was excavated, shuJering laid and all but two bays of the extended path concreted. Some feat considering the excavated spoil had to be moved and all the concrete mixed and wheel barrowed across the lock gates. The final two bays were concreted three days later by four of our regular volunteers.

Roy Chandler

13

14

Generally Speaking Having bought our own cruiser last August and it being our first boat ever, some things were going to be a surprise - a leaning curve. We were ready for it like a dry sponge everything was going to be soaked up. We learnt the locks and their different vices, we learnt about fast water and high levels and the problems of the wind steering the boat. Everything was falling into place and even parking (excuse me mooring) the boat without colliding with the others .We were lucky enough to retain the mooring from which the boat was bought. It was on the tow path side, quite near the car park which made it easy to load and unload from the car. Lovely setting, grass nicely mowed by the caretaker, idyllic really.

The most amusing question was recently asked. I was engaged with a wiring improvement and Nicki was on our mooring scrubbing the fenders when a dog walker stopped by for a chat. The conversation was about how badly his dog was behaved. After some minutes when the subject of his dog was exhausted he asked, "do you have a boat here". He must have thought we were the domestic help.

Moorings manager Hugh looked favorably upon our request to move to the opposite bank, peace prevails, ahem !

When I go to check on the boat I also check the neighbours boats just to make sure all is well. One particular boat I would check and send the owner 'Dave' a text message, " All is well". Dave sold his boat but didn't tell me so when I checked and found a stranger on board., all was well as he was the new owner. I texted Dave, " Found an intruder on your boat, wrestled him to the ground, tied him up and threw him in the water, was that ok. "After some time a text came back, " I hope not, I think it was the boat mechanic".

Speaking of intruders, my neighbour on the canal returned to his boat to find someone had nearly removed the wind screen from his "Norman 20".

Only two stubborn bolts saved the day as they were difficult to undo. He was very pleased to have not lost the screen as replacement for an obsolete craft would need to be custom made at great expense.

Some low life was restoring a Norman and thought they would help them selves. It is difficult to secure a boat that spends many a lonely hour in a remote place. We need to look out for each others property and getting to know your neighbours is always a bonus toward added security.

Boats need maintaining and we spent quite a lot of time getting things clean. Finding mouse bait we imediately started looking for the mouse which was eventualy found. Having eaten the bait he was just a shadow of his former self and was given a decent burial at sea, well actually chucked in the canal.

Being present on boat and adjacent to the tow path had a side effect, exaggerated by the presence of the tea room one hundred yards down the tow path.

On any given day there were walkers, kids and dogs by the score. I generally like people but the questions started. How often do you use your boat ? Have you been up the Thames / over to France / up the Nile ? No but I did go up to Chelmsford once. Then there are the kids and they think that when the canopy is open it's an invite to come aboard. I warn them “don't come on there's a monster in the cabin�, which usually does the trick but doesn't go down well with Nicki - - - who 'is' actually in the cabin.

As I write this on the longest day, summer seems a long time arriving, the water level in the canal has reduced to just a trickle over the weir. The eagerly anticipated fishing season saw all our resident fish pack their bags and move out to somewhere no one knows, or is it just my inability to catch them?

The dog owners pose their own problems. I like dogs, some more than others but generally I like them. I like most of the owners too, except the ones that allow their dogs to foul the tow path and wander on. They get challenged and it is never a pleasant exchange.

Dave and Nicki Iszard

15

IWA Holds a Waterways Triathlon - Marshals Wanted On Sunday 20th September IWA is holding a Waterways Triathlon at Hoe Mill Lock near Maldon in Essex, on the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. The event is raising money for both Essex Waterways, who maintain and improve the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, and The Susan Trust which is carrying out a historic Chelmer lighter boat restoration project.

The event will involve canoeing, cycling and running and a choice of 50km and 30km routes. Places are £35 per person and more information can be found at www.waterways.org.uk/triathlon.

Marshals As the triathlon consists of three routes (for cycling, running and canoeing) and two lengths of courses (30km and 50km) we will need a significant number of marshals for the event to help out both at the event HQ and along the routes themselves.

Around 27 marshals are needed in total, with some swapping roles during the day. We will need help with registration, directing parking, monitoring along the route, announcing names and start times over the PA system, helping participants enter/exit canoes and kayaks and manning the barbecue.

Marshals will receive free food from the barbecue and free water/hot drinks and there is plenty of parking nearby.

The event won’t be able to take place without the generous help of volunteers so if anyone would like to help out with some of the above roles or would like more information then please let IWA’s Fundraising Officer Toby Gomm know at toby.gomm@waterways.org.uk or 01494 783453 ext. 611.

- ~~~~?,?~(;f

'~E ,,~'

Notation

New bridge

;\(

Sewers rerouted easements

or development

New canal cut with urban 'square'

Focal building

IIIII~

kept clear of •..

I

,

Public and commercial development block incorporating hotel and residential uses

Existing buildings

•

Suggested trees

----,

Urban space

•••••••••

ERO extensions

Prefered access

I

• -

S

Footpath Footpath cycleway Service

P

Parking

5

Number of storeys

Spinal route footpath cycleway Bus' link and bridge

New bridge

Restricted vehicular access Visitor

Public uses

moorings

linear canal side park Possible lockside restaurant

New Canoe facilities and water feature Automatic

sluice

New footpath

cycleway bridge

Route for possible future bus link

• »

'0;;::

I

Mixed uses including residential with private amenity and parking concealed

'....

I

'Green' public frontages Marina basin to serve new development

Area 7 Plan 5

Chelmer Waterside Development Principles

(!)

Crown Copyright.

All rights reserved.

20

See article on Chelmsford Waterways - The New Cut

Chelmsford

Borough Council.

LA 077496.

2000.

A

e~~

2002 Planning Guidance 16

Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation to recreational craft. They were successful and moorings were provided at Paper Mill Lock and Hoe Mill Lock and leisure craft were welcomed on the Navigation.

Chelmsford’s Waterways - The New Cut The Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation which opened in 1797 is a river navigation running from Heybridge Basin, near Maldon almost 14 miles inland to Springfield Basin in Chelmsford, just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre.

The River Can and the River Chelmer run through the centre and these provide the water supply for the Navigation but an automatic weir which controls the water levels throughout the city centre prevents nearly 300 boats on the Navigation from using and enlivening these city centre rivers. The automatic weir retains the water levels throughout the city at an almost constant level such as seen on canals rather than flood prone rivers.

1985 IWA Chelmsford Branch produced ‘Springfield Basin ...and Beyond, a report on Chelmsford’s Waterways’. This well received publication highlighted the potential of the town’s waterways at a time when most development turned its back on the rivers and it promoted a revitalisation and restoration of Springfield Basin. It highlighted the opportunity for redevelopment of the Council owned former gas works land for town centre residential uses and proposed a new navigable cut be constructed as part of the development to connect Springfield Basin to the River Chelmer above the automatic weir. This would allow boats to enter right into the centre of Chelmsford providing added interest and character and encouraging tourism. Furthermore it would add value and recreational potential to the new development and provide an improved water supply to Springfield Basin, overcoming the water shortage caused by the restrictions of the current piped feeder.

BASlN

--

- --..:- .... --~...... .--....•.•.....

SPRINGFIELD ~ASIN REDEVELOPMENT

•••

Chelmer Canal Trust promotes the New

NEW CUT

1991 Chelmsford Borough Council designates the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation within the Borough as a Conservation Area. This was followed by similar actions from Maldon District Council and Braintree District Council, resulting in a 14 mile linear Conservation Area. Subsequently a ‘Town Scheme’ was established by Essex County Council which was to provide funding for repairs to the Navigation structures and assistance for the Springfield Basin restoration.

Springfield Basin....and beyond report It was only twenty years ago that boats were again able to navigate into Springfield Basin in Chelmsford thanks to the efforts of the Inland Waterways Association Chelmsford Branch.

Recent Timeline on Chelmsford’s waterways: 1972 Lighters on the Navigation ceased bringing timber from Heybridge Basin to Chelmsford and subsequently Springfield Lock became derelict and Springfield Basin silted and unusable.

1973 and ensuing years IWA held a series of boat rallies in Chelmsford to encourage the opening of the

17

Chelmsford’s Waterways - The New Cut 2012 Chelmsford becomes a city.

1992 Frustrated by the lack of progress, IWA Chelmsford Branch arranged a series of partnerships and spearheaded the restoration of Springfield Basin. This involved the Navigation owners with National Rivers Authority dredging the basin, Chelmsford Borough Council allowing use of its land, Essex County Council repairing the lock bridge, adjoining owners repairing wharfs and IWA and WRG volunteers restoring Springfield Lock and the basin feeder stream.

2015 Thirty years since IWA Chelmsford suggested the Council owned former gas works land be redeveloped for waterside residential uses, the Council announces its sale for this purpose. The sale includes part of the route for the New Cut but there does not seem to be any requirement that this is built or the route safeguarded. This has resulted in several interest groups including Chelmsford Civic Society, Chelmer Canal Trust, Liberal Democrat Councillors and IWA Chelmsford campaigning once again for it to be incorporated in the redevelopment or at least the route safeguarded.

1993 Springfield Basin re-opened with an IWA Rally of Boats and much publicity.

1994 Chelmsford Borough Council adopts its Planning Brief: Springfield Basin and Chelmer Waterside. This brief promoted the immediate potential to create a series of new retail, commercial business, leisure and residential uses around the canal and rivers. It proposed that the various ownerships around Springfield Basin could be developed independently but related to overall planning guidance. The proposals included the new navigable cut from the IWA Report.

Chelmsford City Council seems to have lost its previous commitment to the city’s waterways that only a decade ago saw it awarded the prestigious Waterways Renaissance Award. It needs a new Waterways Champion to ensure this one time opportunity is not lost forever.

In view of the sale of this large redevelopment site, known as the ‘Peninsula’, IWA has in collaboration with Chelmer Canal Trust and Chelmsford Civic Society been promoting the New Cut once again so that this one time opportunity to see it realised is not lost. This has resulted in front page coverage in the Essex Chronicle headed: ‘Will Chelmsford be the Venice of East Anglia?’ Canal Boat magazine (July 2015) has also featured a four page article on the New Cut entitled: ’Can we do it?’

Subsequently residential and restaurant redevelopment took place around the head of Springfield Basin including Coates Quay and Waterfront Place which also provided public access which was previously not possible.

2002 Chelmsford Borough Council adopts Supplementary Planning Guidance incorporating a Strategy for Chelmer Waterside and a series of Development Briefs for the areas comprising Chelmer Waterside. The New Cut becomes a requirement funded by the redevelopment.

We have also met the developers, Taylor Wimpey and their agents to discuss the New Cut proposal with the aim of either incorporating it within the redevelopment or at least protecting the route. We now await their draft proposals for the area.

2003 Chelmsford Borough Council receives Waterways Renaissance Award for its work on redeveloping Chelmsford’s waterways. Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Company goes into Administration.

It is really disappointing that after the previous council commitment to see the New Cut constructed as part of Chelmsford’s expanded public open space, that at this crucial time the current council leadership is no longer promoting it and seems to have lost its earlier enlightened approach when it was maximising the potential of the city’s waterways.

2005 IWA takes responsibility for maintaining and operating the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation through its subsidiary Essex Waterways Ltd., in order to prevent its closure.

We can see what is being achieved with other waterway restorations such as the Cotswold Canals and a complete new canal being built to link Bedford with Milton Keynes, both being achieved with full combined support from their local authorities, so what do we have to do to re-enlighten our local politicians about the potential of Chelmsford’s waterways?

2006 – 2008 Chelmsford Local Development Framework and Town Centre Area Action Plan Public Examination. IWA Chelmsford is unable to convince the Inspector that the New Cut is essential infrastructure and a policy requirement. It becomes an ‘Aspiration’ within the approved policy documents.

The Town Centre Area Action Plan still however refers to the 2002 Development Briefs and shows the cut as a proposed new public space.

Roy Chandler

18

Social Events

Just For Fun SUDOKU Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3 x 3 block contains the numbers one to nine (1 - 9) 7

4

8 4

4

6

9

2

6

3 8

12th Nov Ten Years of Essex Waterways - Roy Chandler 10th Dec Christmas Social Event

8

5

3

8 2

3

1 9

9

1

7 5

5 4

8th Oct Awaiting Speaker Confirmation

3

3

5

6

10th Sept What Makes the Brent Special Janet Hall of the Steam Tug Brent Restoration Trust The Brent is moored on Maldon Quay

Meetings are held at Moulsham Mill, Parkway, Chelmsford (between Tesco Homestore and the Army & Navy roundabout). 7:45pm for an 8:00pm start. Plenty of parking.

5

Branch Committee If you have any topics or subject that you wish to bring to the committees attention please use the contact details below Molly Beard:

Chairman

molly.beard@waterways.org.uk

John Gale:

Vice Chairman & Treasurer.

24 Longleaf Drive, Braintree CM7 1XS

Paul Strudwick:

London Region Chairman.

Paul.strudwick@waterways.org.uk

Chris Chandler:

Secretary.

Chris.chandler@waterways.org.uk

Roy Chandler:

Planning and Conservation.

Roy.chandler@waterways.org.uk

John Carlaw:

Newsletter and Membership.

Chelmsford.news@waterways.org.uk John.carlaw@waterways.org.uk

Mike Huggett:

Publicity.

Mike.huggett@waterways.org.uk

Stephanie Mason:

Refreshments.

None

Kirsten Smith:

Youth.

None

Rebecca Loader

Social Secretary

None

Adam Wyllie:

Branch Web Editor.

Adam.wyllie@waterways.org.uk

IWA Chelmsford Web Address

http://www.waterways.org.uk/chelmsford

19