IWA Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch newsletter – Shroppie Fly Paper – Autumn / Winter 2021 by The Inland Waterways Association

Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch Newsletter Autumn / Winter 2021

Front cover : Ellesmere Yard by Vic Smith

THE BRANCH COMMITTEE

President

Michael Limbrey 01691 654081

michael.limbrey@waterways.org.uk

Chairman

Michael Haig 07801 415573

michael.haig@waterways.org.uk

Secretary

Philippa Bursey

philippa.bursey@waterways.org.uk

Membership Sec.

Dawn Aylwin 01691 830403

dawn.aylwin@waterways.org.uk

Treasurer & Welsh Liaison Officer

Alan Platt

alan.platt@waterways.org.uk

Webmaster

Alan Wilding

alan.wilding@waterways.org.uk

Newsletter Editor

Andrew Smith

andrew.smith@waterways.org.uk

Committee Members

Susan Wilding Graham Russell

susan.wilding@waterways.org.uk graham.russell@waterways.org.uk

NW Region Chairman

Sir Robert Atkins robert.atkins@waterways.org.uk 01995 602225 or 07770 254444

Heritage & Planning

Peter Brown

iwa@peterquita.co.uk

Publicity

Phil Pickin

phil.pickin@waterways.org.uk

Branch Web pages https://waterways.org.uk/shrewsburynorthwales https://www.facebook.com/shrewsburynorthwales

If you would prefer to communicate with the branch in the traditional way, please write to the chairman c/o IWA Chesham address at foot of page Shroppie Fly Paper is the newsletter of the Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch of The Inland Waterways Association (IWA). IWA is a membership charity that works to protect and restore the country's 6,500 miles of canals and rivers. For further information contact any committee member. Copy for Shroppie Fly Paper is very welcome, preferably by email. Photographs may be in any common computer format or as prints. Please supply a stamped addressed envelope if you require photographs to be returned. ‘Letters to the Editor’ intended for publication are invited, as are comments for the Editor’s private guidance. Copy and letters submitted for publication may be edited. The Inland Waterways Association may not agree with the opinions expressed in this branch newsletter but encourages publicity as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as official policy unless stated otherwise. The Association accepts no liability for any matter in this newsletter. Any reproduction must be acknowledged. The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 612245. Registered as a charity no. 212342 Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA Tel: 01494 783 453 Web: www.waterways.org.uk

THE EDITOR'S CUT... It is hopefully a sign of some sort of normality returning that I received so much material for this issue. I was planning to include a short account of our summer cruise on the Weaver Navigation but that will have to wait for the next issue. Suffice it to say, we had a great time on what was probably the most relaxing cruise we have ever done. On our previous Weaver trip we only stayed 4 days and “did” the whole length of the navigation. This time we stayed a whole week and spent it almost entirely on the Northwich—Winsford section. It is a beautiful area with a rich history. We might have extended our stay but had to get back to Cholmondeston Lock to help with our branch lock wind. The rather changeable weather probably helped with donations due to boaters feeling sorry for us! There is a report on the event on page 26. While at the lock wind, we popped into Venetian Marina just to start looking at boats ready for our planned upgrade to a longer boat so we can do longer cruises once we have both retired next year. Well, we ended up buying one! It had always been a possibility that we would go on a cruise and come back in a different boat—just didn’t expect it to be this year! Still, it means we can get a few jobs done on the new boat over the winter and be raring to go come the Spring once the stoppages are over. Details of the winter stoppages and timetable for various locks, tunnels etc. are available on page 29. (Apologies, that was a bit of a Radio 2 link…) When you are out and about on the waterways over the winter, stay safe and take lots of pictures. We are always happy to receive them for possible use in this magazine or even our branch calendar. Andrew Smith

Next copy date: Friday, March 18, 2022

SHROPPIE FLY PAPER BACK ISSUES ONLINE!

Did you know that you can access back issues of this magazine at issuu.com? The link to find issues back to 2009 is https://issuu.com/waterwaysassoc/stacks/ ff499dbd5f2941bba5e738cf88c600d6 But if that’s too much to type in, try this shortened version! https://bit.ly/2Pn5arf

IWA SHREWSBURY DISTRICT & NORTH WALES BRANCH DIARY 2021-22 After all the cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is good to see some new dates appearing in the diary for this year and next. Obviously they will be subject to conditions at the time and it will be well worth checking before travelling to any events. To reduce travelling and cost many of the branch business meetings now take place online. If you would like to join us online, please contact our Chairman at: michael.haig@waterways.org.uk Date(s)

Event

See page

Oct 22, 2021

Shrewsbury Charity Christmas Card Shop opens (until Dec 4)

Oct 30, 2021

Oswestry Charity Christmas Card Shop opens (until Dec 11)

Dec 8, 2021

Ellesmere Yard—Regenerating Waterways Heritage (Online webinar @ 19:30)

Dec 13, 2021

Branch Committee Meeting (online)

Feb 7, 2022

Branch Annual General Meeting

Feb 14, 2022

Branch Committee Meeting (online)

April 11, 2022

Branch Committee Meeting (online)

Apr 30—May 2, 2022

Norbury Canal Festival

Apr 30—May 2, 2022

IWA Cavalcade, Little Venice, London

May 7, 2022

Montgomery Canal Triathlon

June 13, 2022

Branch Committee Meeting (online)

August 2022

Branch Committee Meeting (online)

August 2022

Branch Lock Wind

HOW DO YOU WANT YOUR COPY OF SHROPPIE FLY PAPER?

This magazine is available in a range of different forms: 

Hard copy printed magazine

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Downloadable electronic PDF file

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Electronic version accessed on-line through issuu.com

Distribution of Shroppie Fly Paper in all forms is handled by IWA headquarters staff. So, if you would like to change the way that you receive this magazine, please email membership@waterways.org.uk.

FROM THE STEERER As darker evenings draw in and wetter weather – is that possible? – prevails, it is likely that more of our boating readers will forsake trips out on their boats and turn, perhaps, to the towpath, joining hundreds if not thousands of others enjoying the benefits of being by the water. In the spring issue of Shroppie Fly Paper (pages 18 & 19) Michael Limbrey wrote, presciently, about heritage at risk on the Montgomery. He came up with some suggestions for members to record our local canal heritage as a first step in a campaign for its preservation. Well, in October, IWA announced a new campaign to do just that, with the self-explanatory hashtag #SaveWaterwaysHeritage. This dovetails so neatly into the thoughts expressed in Michael’s article regarding the Montgomery’s heritage that I almost suspect him of having several months’ prior knowledge of IWA’s national campaign! And naturally we hope that members and other supporters will take the opportunity from the towpath over the coming months to help. There is an interesting short video on IWA’s YouTube channel, introduced by historian, author and TV presenter Liz McIvor, portraying aspects of the waterways’ industrial heritage that deserve to be maintained. These include not only the physical structures – the buildings, bridges, locks, aqueducts and weirs that Michael wrote about, but also the ‘soft’ heritage: the culture, crafts and skills that the waterways have fostered. You can watch the film at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8bHHkkd3DI. It’s less than three minutes long, so do take an extra few seconds to subscribe to IWA’s YouTube channel while you are there. There is more about IWA’s #SaveWaterwaysHeritage campaign on page 18, including details of IWA’s Hidden Heritage Spotters Guide and suggestions for sharing the hidden heritage features of our local waterways. Turning to branch matters, our most recent activity involved … heritage! I mentioned in my column in the spring issue that I hoped to be able to arrange a members’ tour of CRT’s Ellesmere Yard and, on October 23, twelve of us were treated to a fascinating morning with volunteer guides Maurice and Ian. Phil Pickin gives us a flavour of the event and we have some interesting photos on page 15. I hope we can repeat the tour on a weekday in early spring 2022 for members who were unable to attend this time.

The Ellesmere Yard team is very keen to build links with IWA generally, and this local branch in particular, as they develop ideas and activities to give the Yard, the last historic yard on CRT’s network that is still operational, a sustainable future. This may present the chance for members with particular interests and skills to get more closely involved with the regeneration effort, so it is definitely something that I am keen to explore and promote.

Photo of Ellesmere Yard visit by Phil Pickin

While we were at Ellesmere, we managed to sell some more copies of Peter Brown’s book, A Shropshire Union Miscellany, so that now there is only a handful unsold of this limited-edition collection of Peter’s historical articles. We have reached the stage where publishing costs have been covered, so 100 percent of sales income is now going, thanks to Peter’s generosity, to branch funding for the Montgomery Canal restoration. If you would like one of the remaining few, there is a reminder of how to order one on page 6. On page 7, there is a reminder of how to get one or more of the remaining few copies of our 2022 branch calendar. Some of our sales outlets are already sold out, so don’t delay. Thank you to all of you who offered use of your photographs for the calendar. We look forward to seeing some more from you for next year’s production. Elsewhere in these pages Alan Platt reports on our August lock wind at Cholmondeston Lock. As our first, and, as it turns out, only physical branch event this year, we were not quite sure what to expect – apart from the inevitable deluges, perhaps! We need not have worried; the event was the usual success. And we did get the deluge. Also in this issue, you will find details of the charity Christmas card shops selling IWA cards and calendars in Shrewsbury and Oswestry, as well as formal notice of our intention to hold the branch annual general meeting in February of next year. Enjoy the read, and stay safe through the winter. Michael Haig, Branch Chairman

REGION CHAIRMAN WRITES I hope that you have been able to enjoy the waterways this autumn in a way not really open to us for the best part of two years. It has been a traumatic time recently - and not all due to COVID 19. We had a NW Regional meeting recently at which a good number of issues were discussed. Your Chairman, Mike Haig, asked us to consider what we could do - at the request of CRT North West Region - to improve their Boater Approval Ratings. Accordingly, I have invited all our Branches to sound out their members and I am sure that you will have thoughts of your own. We were also concerned about a potential threat to the Chester Graving Dock which has had some technical difficulties and somewhat bodged remedial work. We have made strong representations to CRT North West and have had our fears assuaged - so far. There was considerable anger expressed at the apparent decline in the appearance and facilities on the western part of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal poor maintenance, damaged locks, weeds, branches, collapsing banks etc. Have you used the L & L recently? If so, do you share those concerns? There are a number of quite major building developments on and around north -western canals and some fear that these will cause difficulties for boaters and those who enjoy the waterside. Do maintain a watching brief in your local area and report back if you are affected. IWA Trustees have agreed to the setting up of a Regional Chairmen’s Working Group, solely for the purpose of keeping the Trustees in the picture with regard to Members’ views and their issues. Please feel free to contact me - or, of course, your Branch Officers - if there are matters for you to communicate. I was delighted and honoured to be re-elected as a National Trustee of the IWA at the recent AGM and I have also been appointed to the NW Advisory Board of CRT. It all very well and good holding these positions but, unless I am representing your views and concerns, they are just honorific. So, as above, please keep me in the loop! As always, thank you all for your commitment and enthusiasm. Without you, nothing happens. Sir Robert Atkins—Chairman, North West Region

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS Since July, IWA Head Office has been working on a new database to record membership details and staff are now trying to learn all the facilities. Unfortunately this means that I have not had the usual monthly reports and so have not been able to welcome new members. So if you have joined the association in the last few months please get in touch. In the meantime we are pleased to welcome the following people:  Mr & Mrs Reynolds from Oakengates  Mrs Watkins from Clungunford Normally at this time of year the branch announces a date, usually in February or March, for the annual quiz which has previously been held at the Narrowboat Inn, Whittington. But because of the uncertainty caused by Covid, and the number of attendees creating a crowd at the pub, it has been decided to wait until the new year when hopefully things will be a little clearer. If booster jabs work we might be able to meet at the Narrowboat as usual but if not then somewhere with a larger room will be found. Details will be circulated by email. The quiz is part of a relaxed evening (except when teams dispute the given answer!) when members can meet, talk and eat supper before the fun starts. The winning team organises the event for the following year so there is always an interesting mix of general questions (not always boat or canal related). Dawn Aylwin

A SHROPSHIRE UNION MISCELLANY

A new publication by Peter Brown This is a compilation of some seventy articles about the history of the Shropshire Union system, written during the last twenty years mainly for the magazines of local canal societies. Lightly edited with a few corrections made, they supplement the author’s major history of the system, The Shropshire Union Canal: from the Mersey to the Midlands and Mid-Wales, which was published in 2018. As far as possible, duplication has been avoided. 112 pages, A4, softback 48 black & white illustrations Price: £10 plus £2.50 p&p Payment by cheque to: P J Brown, 34 Waterside Drive, Market Drayton, TF9 1HU

Payment by inter-bank transfer: Send an email stating your name & address to tf9@peterquita.co.uk, and you will be sent the bank details. NOTE: All profits from sales of this book will be donated to the Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch of the Inland Waterways Association, to be used for the restoration of the Montgomery Canal.

2022 CALENDAR - STILL AVAILABLE After a break last year due to the pandemic, the branch calendar is back! The 2022 calendar features stunning pictures of the waterways in our area. It is selling well so be sure not to miss out.

How to get your copy (or copies!) The calendar is available from a range of waterside outlets and at 

Shrewsbury Charity Christmas Card Shop (St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury SY1 1DX — 22 October—4 December 10:15—16:00 daily except Sundays)

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Oswestry Charity Christmas Card Shop (St Oswalds Church, Church St, Oswestry SY11 2SY from 30 Oct—11 Dec 10:00—16:00 daily except Sundays)

Or you can receive the calendar directly in the mail for just £6.00 including post and packing. There are two payment options:

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Paypal: Send payment to the branch chairman on 07801 415573. Be sure to include your postal address so we can send the calendar!

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Cheque (payable to IWA). Send the cheque to 7 Barnton Edge, Stone, Staff, ST15 8ZR. Again be sure to let us have your address!

CRT WEST MIDLANDS USER FORUM REPORT Part of the role of IWA is to work with navigation authorities to raise concerns about the waterways they run. Our branch is large and has waterways overseen by three CRT regions— North West, Wales & South West, and West Midlands. The latter recently held an online User Forum to which branch committee member Graham Russell submitted several questions shown below with the responses. The full set of questions and answers which includes questions from other stakeholders can be downloaded from: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/refresh/media/thumbnail/44844-wm-regionalforum-october-2021-questions-and-answers.pdf As always, if you have any concerns or questions about the waterways in our branch area, please do let us know so that we might raise them with the relevant authorities. What steps will be taken this winter to address the overgrown vegetation on the Montgomery canal, especially the offside, from Rednal towards the Perry Aqueduct? Becky Whitehouse (Operations Manager): Roger Birch is our Area Manager who looks after this section and is aware that the growth this year has been more aggressive than usual. We have also received quite a few complaints and customer feedback coming through about this too. We are reviewing the current management plan because it is on a rotation that works 4 to 5 years at present, where we cut back to the waters edge. But we have realised that might not be enough in some areas, particularly the Rednal straight. We have drafted in contractors again, as we know we will need support and we are working closely with our Environmental Team as well to advise us. Having previously raised the issue of extensive vegetation outgrowth in the aqueduct over the Berrisford Road at Market Drayton, without receiving a reply, what action is CRT taking to ensure that the integrity of the asset is maintained? Becky Whitehouse (Operations Manager): The local Operations Team have been out in September, to remove all the saplings from the aqueduct and the vegetation was cleared as much as they could with the access they could get to. There is a larger root growth in the middle of the structure, they removed what they could but the roots for that will be treated this winter.

The towpath in Gnosall has been in urgent need of an upgrade for many years. Excluding designated funding, what criteria is used to determine which towpaths are upgraded and when? Richard Preston (Partnerships & External Relationship Manager):We are happy to add it to our list of towpaths, where external funding is needed. Becky Whitehouse (Operations Manager): We have upgraded the steps in this area and will be introducing some new signage soon. James Dennison, Enterprise Manager in Richard’s team is looking into funding for the signage which will be a great help to us. Jon Horsfall has confirmed to the IWA that each Region makes decisions on what seasonal staff are needed in their area. Can you please confirm the criteria that will be used next season in the West Midlands region with regard to volunteer lock keepers? Becky Whitehouse (Operations Manager): The seasonal staff predominantly work under my remit, within Operations. Each year we become more and more financially constrained, so there are restrictions on what we can do in regard to seasonal staff. Now the great thing is, our volunteer base is growing and growing, and we now have lead volunteers leading groups of volunteers on the ground, which is working really well. As our financial constraints become tighter in the years to come, seasonal headcount will further reduce, so we are thinking strategically on where we place our volunteers within the region. Why did the Region not foresee the effect of the Market Drayton towpath project on the town’s businesses during a peak trading season? What lessons have been learned from this lack of public relations Tom Freeland (Boating & Customer Service Manager): We did realise this was going to have an impact and we did have some initial conversations with some stakeholders, including the local council and others. But on reflection, more groups should have been engaged with earlier, which would have helped with getting the message across. We probably waited too long as we wanted to get the information on timings and lengths affected exact before going public. Richard Preston (Partnerships & External Relationship Manager): It was delivered as a 3-part program and needed to be completed over the summer. We needed to get the timing right and trying to avoid the Ginger & Spice Festival that takes place in September. Behind the scenes, we were working on the costs with our contractors right up to the eleventh hour. Due to this, the project manager was hesitant to put the notice out until it was finally agreed. The feedback we have received since the work has been completed is positive and boaters, visitors and local people are enjoying the new towpath surface.

RESTORING THE MONTGOMERY CANAL Well, what a to-do! Our distinguished editor was watching the approaching copy date and waiting for this report which was just about ready: honed and crafted to educate and inform, to stir your interest and maybe encourage you to see if there is more you could do for the waterways we all care about. Then came the Budget! It is not usual for parliamentary proceedings to disrupt the timetable for the Shroppie Fly Paper. You may have seen the news in the papers or online. The first I heard was a call from the Shropshire Star less than an hour after the announcement of a Levelling-Up Fund grant for the Montgomery. [In the interests of balance, other Levelling-Up Fund grants are also available, notably for Trefor.] The grant in the Budget is no less than £15.4 million. For the 4½ miles from Arddleen to Llanymynech. The timetable is tight and the work has to be finished by March 2024, so we shall not see the complete reopening of this section – that would need more time and cost too much – but there will be dredging and bank protection, new nature reserves so essential for the canal’s special ecology – in turn necessary for boating use – and in particular Walls and Williams Bridges, reversing the losses of 1975 and 1980. All credit to CRT Wales and to Williams Bridge Powys County Council for the work they put in for the bid (and others in the pipeline) and to MP Craig Williams for promoting it so enthusiastically: he hailed the announcement as ‘a milestone day for Montgomeryshire’, saying it would open up so many opportunities and finally see one of the UK’s most picturesque attractions returned to its former glory. He added his tribute to ‘the fantastic volunteers … who have campaigned tirelessly for decades and dedicated so much of their personal time to restoring sections of the canal’. A real Red Letter Day for the Montgomery Canal! The announcement led to some unsympathetic comments online suggesting that the canal should be left unrestored (see also the CRT/IWA Restoration Conference report on page 28). Fortunately the Montgomery restoration is fully supported by its Conservation Management Strategy, which is a carefully constructed balance, agreed between local authorities, statutory agencies, wildlife trusts and others – many of which have a statutory duty to protect the environment – that manages both the protection of habitats and the interests of those who want to enjoy the canal and its towpath for navigation, recreation, amenity or just its fantastic built heritage

Schoolhouse Bridge

Earlier we heard that DEFRA had approved CRT’s arrangements affecting the canal freehold at Schoolhouse Bridge, one of the pre-conditions for the project, which had caused concern about possible delay. Planning for the bridge is well under way and next March we shall be starting the biggest volunteer-led project in the restoration: IWA has been involved from the start as part of the Restore the Montgomery Canal! group. The Restore appeal has raised more money from individual donors and charity donations than any other volunteer-led Montgomery project – including valuable support from the branch and the Association’s Tony Harrison legacy. We have also been helped by an anonymous donor who really wants to see the bridge rebuilt to open the way up to Llanymynech. And, despite all the difficulties, there have been recent donations from Penygarreg Plant Sales, Grindley Brook locks, the funeral of a local resident and of course those valuable donors who have been making a monthly payment – a huge help. You will remember the plan: close the road, dig out the embankment, install a reinforced concrete base and abutments, crane the arch into place – the most exciting bit! – fill back around the bridge, surface the road and reopen! All within a matter of months! As we are used to working with volunteers – and as it is the only way we can afford to build the bridge – we want to use them where possible, bringing in contractors when necessary. We have the designs, we have a full-time Site Manager, and we have offers of help, notably from WRG – the North-West Group should be here in December – and members of the Wey & Arun Canal Trust and the Kent & East Sussex Canal Restoration Group. We are though looking for more help, particularly in administration, site assistance and with road signs. Road Signs? We have to close the lane to build the bridge and there have to be notices for this: warning signs in advance of the works, followed by Road Closed and Diversion signs while work is under way. We would like to recruit volunteers to take turns with regular checks along the 2-mile route round Crickheath to see the signs are properly in place – this should not take long. Helping like this could suit a local member with a little time from spring to autumn next year. No shovels will be involved! Shovels may be involved on site, though. We want to add to the volunteers who have already come forward so the work can be shared out without becoming too much of a commitment for anyone. We are looking for digger/dumper drivers, bricklayers, and a regular team of local navvies. Newly-retired, approaching retirement, self-employed but between jobs, inactive or unemployed? We will offer training if that will help. Could you help us? Do you know someone who could? Anyone who signs up will have earned the right to go back to the bridge and shout, “I helped!” Michael Limbrey

WRG MONTGOMERY CANAL CAMP – 14TH – 21ST AUGUST 2021 This article is based on one prepared for the Waterway Recovery Group magazine ‘Navvies’ and used here by kind permission from Mikk Bradley The canal camp was based at the Silver Band Hall in Porth-y-waen, with the work site at Schoolhouse Bridge in Crickheath. Schoolhouse Bridge is the last road crossing before the Montgomery canal enters midWales. The tasks for the canal camp were in preparation for the reconstruction of the bridge from March next year and consisted of building a soakaway for Schoolhouse Bridge Cottage, installing drainage across the entrance to the temporary trackway, which was built last year and caused flooding of the road, some placement of hardcore to extend the hardstanding in the compound, removal of brash cut down by WRG NW pre-pandemic and the preparation and repainting of the site welfare container. Covid restrictions meant that the camp was limited to 12 volunteers between the ages of 17 and 75 including several Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) award students, who assembled from across the country on Saturday. After the catering kit had been unloaded and the volunteers had chosen their sleeping area the two vans set off for a site visit to look at the work locations. We toured the site and Adrian got a chance to look over the excavator that he would be occupying for the next week. Then back to the hall for a hearty dinner and the safety briefing. The duty rota was prepared and volunteers assigned their duties for the week. A quiet evening followed. Everybody was keen to get to site on Sunday, One group went off to start clearing brash, another to start the preparation for painting the container and Adrian and Ian took a banksman to start digging the soakaway and trench for the connecting pipework. It quickly became clear that the brash was going to be a lot more difficult than originally envisaged because of the vegetation that had grown up around and amongst it. The container preparation was made difficult because of the lack of bristles on the wire brushes in the kit. Sunday afternoon provided an opportunity for the DofE-ers to go

offsite and help the historic narrow boats Saturn and Buckden up the Aston flight of locks. For most of them it was the first time they had operated a lock. They helped Saturn through the locks and after the top lock they were given a ride. Meanwhile back on site the soakaway hole became bigger and more rust was removed from the container. A good first day on site, but a shock awaited us back at the hall…. The boiler wasn’t working so cold showers were taken….. very quickly! The building inspector was due on site on Monday to inspect the soakaway so the final dig was undertaken giving Ben and James an opportunity to learn the subtle art of ‘boning-in’ using sight boards and a traveler. They also got ‘handson’ experience with shovels and rakes. The building inspector arrived and his comment was ‘How many houses were planned for the development?’ Needless to say the inspection passed. The container had had all the rust removed, a wipe down with white spirit and the red oxide was liberally applied around the base and sides, the higher section couldn’t be reached because the only site ladder was in use in the soakaway pit. On Monday evening the volunteers had a photo shoot with the Silver Band who were having a rehearsal in the field adjoining the hall. Apparently it was a condition of using the hall and the photos were used for publicity. The requisite dress code was hard hat and hi-viz, which led to the quote of the week, if that’s all we are wearing is it ‘the FULL MONTgomerY’? Early Tuesday was spent waiting for a delivery of stone for the soakaway so more brash was removed from the channel using the excavator and dumper. The red oxide was completed to the container and the lower section was given the top coat of container paint. Eventually the stone was delivered and placed and levelled in the soakaway. Pipes were cut and laid but there was only time to level one end. Good news back at the hall, the boiler had been fixed so a hot shower for a change.

Wednesday was Adrian’s birthday so we had to let him have a drive in the excavator but it was used as a counterweight for a plate compaction test on the canal bed where the gabions would eventually be built. Adrian was seen out of the cab! The DofE-ers all got to use shovels and rakes to level the stone in the soakaway until we decided that the excavator would be able to do it much more efficiently after lunch. The afternoon was an opportunity for Adrian and RAF to use the excavator and dumper while everybody else went on an excursion to Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Back at the hall Cath made and decorated a cake for Adrian and the heat from the candles nearly set off the fire alarm. On Thursday we had a visit from head office, a highlight of which was the presentation to Adrian of his Richard Bird medal for the significant benefits he has brought to IWA. In addition to the over 70 WRG camps, training events and weekend digs, he has trained over 200 volunteers as new plant operators.

Friday was a slow day, the hired -in cooker had to be returned to Walsall by 4pm. Adrian gave James, Sam, Libby and Adam “drive a digger” training before they went off with Ian to return the cooker then back to the hall to start packing up the catering kit. James had remained on site to lay the last section of pipe and then help RAF with the timber edging to the towpath. Friday evening we all went off to Whittington for fish and chips and a walk around the castle ruins. The camp achieved everything and set the site up ready for the main work to start in March 2022.

ELLESMERE YARD Many members will have cruised or walked past CRT's yard at Ellesmere, but, chances are, few will have had an opportunity to look around inside. However, a few weeks ago, a group of branch and committee members took the opportunity to do just that. The visit formed part of a series of events held to provide members of the public, and other interested parties, an opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes. It also provided the organisers with an opportunity to gauge how locals and canal enthusiasts would like to see the site developed and restored. The current aim for the yard is for broader community involvement in the yard and the adjoining fields which are being developed with agricultural and horticultural projects in mind View from manager’s office—courtesy of Vic Smith with the help of Shropshire Wildlife Trust. They are also to become the site of a mooring for the fly-boat Saturn. The yard is said to be one of the UK's best-preserved and dates back to 1806 when it was the location of the office and workshops of the former Ellesmere Canal Company, for which Thomas Telford worked as General Agent until November 1805, after which he took on what today we would call a consultancy role. Since January 2020, work has been Photo courtesy of Vic Smith underway to develop a plan of action to extend its use. Part of this plan has been to use part of the site as a heritage crafts enterprise hub and an environmentally aware tourist destination. The major challenge for the site over the last ten years has been developing a clear strategy that recognises the operational needs of CRT as well as its potential as a UK significant heritage venue.

During our visit, we toured the workshop once used for the manufacture of lock gates. The workshop was the location of a huge overhead crane used to move equally large baulks of timber around while the lock gates were being constructed. An old tram track was also evident. Not a tram in the conventional sense but a small trolly that used to be handWorkshop— courtesy of Phil Pickin hauled around the yard carrying heavy loads. As you might expect, the workshop machinery was large, able to cope with the demands of maintaining large components used on the system. The industrial scale of the woodwork shop contrasted with the most delicate and precise quality of the patterns made and stored in an adjacent room. These patterns were used to form moulds for use in the manufacture of iron and steel components, some of which were decorative. The level of precision needed to form these patterns was surprising and the range, now carefully catalogued, was equally impressive.

Pattern room— courtesy of Phil Pickin

Undoubtedly many of these moulds would have been utilised in the forge on the ground floor. Although not open to the public, the forge is still in use today as is most of the site. It would’ve been fascinating to see the forge in action with all the heat and noise that such workshops produce. Pattern room— courtesy of Vic Smith

Blacksmith’s forge— courtesy of Mike Haig

To anyone visiting, it is evident that the site needs a considerable amount of work carried out to make it, in the first instance, watertight. It is estimated that this work would cost around £500k. The roofs on a number of the buildings need attention, and if you are expecting a typical museum-style experience this isn't the place to visit.

Across the yard from the forge and the workshops are what used to be the stables, now converted into offices. This attractive building backs onto the very sizeable dry dock. This long building has, we were told, been used by groups of singers as a venue to perform in due to its impressive acoustics—no musical accompaniment when we visited, but this is still an impressive building and a wellused facility.

Old stable block— courtesy of Phil Pickin

But the site has a considerable amount of potential. It is hoped that the funds can be raised to make this not only a site of interest to the waterways community but one of interest and of use to the wider community.

Dry dock— courtesy of Phil Pickin

With IWA having launched its Save Waterways Heritage campaign, you may be interested to know that a further visit to the site is being planned, so if you are interested, keep a lookout for your emailed invitation. Phil Pickin

UNCOVER THE HIDDEN HERITAGE ON YOUR LOCAL WATERWAYS Following the success of Part One of its Heritage Report, IWA has started work on a second part to the report, which will be filled with case studies of waterways heritage that has been lost and saved. As part of the activity surrounding this new report, IWA is asking for people to help uncover hidden heritage on their local waterways.

Larger structures such as bridges, locks, aqueducts and tunnels are all quite obvious and some of them are protected either by being Listed or as part of a wider conservation area, but smaller features can sometimes be missed both by people using the waterways and by council planners and developers. IWA feels strongly that although they might be small, these features are no less important to the history of waterways. It would like to record more of these small details but needs your help. Things like rope marks on a bridge, mason’s marks on a lock wall, canal company signage or mile posts along the towpath; each might seem like a tiny thing but they all add to the overall heritage of the waterway setting and tell the story of how the waterways were built and used in the past. IWA has long maintained that waterways should be protected from inappropriate development, through being included in a Conservation Area or by specific buildings and structures being Listed. As part of the campaign to

call for local authorities to better protect waterways heritage, we are asking members and canal enthusiasts to investigate their local canal in more detail and record items of interest. We want to make sure the quirky features of the waterways are retained, ideally in working order, and are not forgotten in the future.

How can you help? Do you already have a camera roll full of photos of interesting heritage features you have found as you spend time on the waterways? If so, IWA would love to hear from you. Or next time you go down to your local waterway, why not see if you can spot forgotten historic features from the days of the working boats, or something that dates from when the canal was first built? If you have something relevant, IWA would like you to send the photo to hiddenheritage@waterways.org.uk. If you already know what it is, please let us know, otherwise one of IWA’s resident Heritage experts will try and identify the feature and upload it into the IWA Hidden Heritage Gallery. The gallery can be found on the charity’s website www.waterways.org.uk. The aim is to record as many important historical features as possible as a resource for future generations.

Please include the exact location, ideally using the ‘what3words’ app. If you could send a close-up picture of the feature and also a photo of the overall setting, that will help with the identification. Please also grant permission for IWA to use your photographs Not all of the following are present on our Shropshire Union system while some, such as mile posts or rope marks on bridges, are there in abundance, but the sort of things you might look out for, says IWA, are: starting pins, rope marks, rollers, mile posts or milestones, balance beam spikes and date stones. If you are interested in downloading IWA’s free Hidden Heritage Spotters Guide, please visit https://www.waterways.org.uk/campaigns/canal-heritage/ hidden-heritage.

Starting pins This small curved metal pin can sometimes be found on locks. It could easily be overlooked by future generations, and maybe not always be retained when major works take place. Its purpose was to help get a horse drawn (or bow hauled) boat out of a lock by using a rope and a pulley block against this pin to create momentum to propel the boat forward.

Rope marks Grooves cut into metal, masonry and wood are lasting reminders of the number of boats that would have been towed by a horse along the waterways, with the rope always finding the same slot to carve out the gouges still seen today. The towpath side of bridge arches is a common place to find rope marks, but you can also find them on bollards, railings, and even sometimes on paddle gear.

Mileposts/Milestones

Cast iron mileposts and stone milestones are features of many waterways, with some even having ½ and ¼ mile markers in between the mileposts. Not all waterways had them, but those that do each had their own unique design. Mileposts were used to work out tolls for boats carrying cargo.

Balance beam spikes

Some waterways have lock gates with specially designed spikes to keep them in the open or closed position.

Date stones Date stones can be found in many places – often on bridges or aqueducts. Michael Haig

BRECON CANAL - THEN AND NOW The sound of gunfire, as we were driving over the wonderfully scenic Brecon Beacons in September, made us wonder if we’d picked the wrong day to re-visit Brecon and the Mon & Brec Canal. There were even more doubts when we had to stop abruptly to make way for a huge military troop carrier approaching over a narrow bridge on its way to the day’s ‘battle’. But Brecon and the canal itself were entirely peaceful and we thought back to our first visit to that isolated waterway, 40 years previously. Researching the history of any canal always adds to its interest. An Act was passed in 1793 to connect Brecon with the River Usk at Caerleon in order to link the tramways with the Usk navigation. Directors of the Monmouth Canal persuaded the company to link the Brecon with the Monmouth waterway and Thomas Dadford was appointed as engineer. Construction took 15 years before opening in 1812 (some 15 years after the Shrewsbury Canal opened).

Launching Tatla at Govilon slipway 1981

Cargoes were iron, coal and limestone, but as railways became more efficient the Monmouth Canal was closed. The Brecon Canal was kept open as a water supply channel before it was officially abandoned in 1962. During the development of the Brecon Beacons National Park the amenity potential of the Brecon line was realised, and restoration began in 1964 by the British Waterways Board. In 1970 the low bridge at Talybont was replaced by a lift bridge which allowed full navigation of the old Brecon and Abergavenny section. But that restoration was closely followed by a massive breach and a sixyear closure, so we were very pleased to be able to use it in 1981 after yet more restoration. We had trailed our cruiser, Tatla, to Govilon and our subsequent cruise took us up to Brecon at the northern end of the canal. We remembered finding the end of the navigation very disappointing because the canal water just ended with a wall across it and dilapidated buildings all around. The contrast with the scene in 2021 is huge. Today the terminus basin is vibrant both on the water and on the shore.

Brecon Theatre

The whole area had been transformed with the Brycheiniog Theatre on one side of the wide canal basin; there were active trip and hire boats as well as visiting holiday narrowboats, and on the other side, the picturesque restored cottages boasted brightly coloured front doors and flowery canalside gardens. The Theatre’s café was busy and its canalside tables were full.

Brecon basin cottages

The re-development means the canal is now slightly shorter than the old line; the end we’d encountered in 1981 has been buried beneath the car park but the town centre is still easily accessed on foot, albeit involving a steep climb.

Dragonfly under way near Usk

On our latest visit we were immediately attracted by the trip boat, Dragonfly, and booked onto their noon cruise for two and a half hours to the Usk aqueduct and back. As we settled in our Covid-resistant, screened seating, the cheerful ‘captain’ welcomed us with a brief history of the waterway and its associated tramways (one bridge has a tram arch alongside the navigation) while his ‘first mate’ boiled the kettle for tea and coffee.

We navigated down Brynich Lock (10ft deep and is 425 ft above sea level) and reached Brynich Aqueduct (crossing the River Usk) where we disembarked to stretch our legs whilst the boat continued to the winding hole to turn. We fondly remembered our 1981 visit when we clambered down from this aqueduct to the river in order to take a refreshing dip - the weather was extremely hot that August. There’s a lot of recreation possible at this canal today. The towpath is in good condition and provides excellent walking; it now stretches as far south as Cwmbran, some 35 miles. There are colourful interpretive boards and carved structures including ‘mapped’ seats. Self-drive dayboats are available at Brecon basin and there’s a choice of holiday hire bases in various locations. We look forward to similar facilities being created nearer home but meanwhile the Mon and Brec is well worth a visit. Alan and Susan Wilding

Notice is hereby given that we intend to hold our next Annual General Meeting on 7 February 2022 at 7.00pm by Zoom video conference. The membership team at IWA Chesham will send members an email with an invitation to register for the meeting closer to the time. If you have not yet provided IWA with your email address but would like to attend the meeting, please email the membership team at membership@waterways.org.uk. The Annual General Meeting will open with a presentation by a guest speaker at 7.00pm. Details will be confirmed as soon as possible.

BUSINESS AGENDA     

Apologies for absence Approval of the minutes of the AGM held on 8 February 2021 Treasurer’s report for 2021 Chairman’s report for 2021 Election of committee members 1

1 The following committee members are standing down at the meeting, having served three-year terms. Both offer themselves for re-election:  

Andrew Smith Alan Wilding

We welcome other nominations from members willing and able to help out on our team. Please send expressions of interest to the chairman, Michael Haig.

MONTGOMERY CANAL TRIATHLON After much agonising over the “dos” and “don’ts” which were issued by both the English and Welsh Governments, we finally decided to go ahead and organise a much reduced Triathlon on September 4th. When I say ‘reduced’, that related to the number of entrants we thought we could safely deal with in order to comply with the advice. It certainly didn’t relate to the amount of work the Committee had to deal with in a much shorter time frame. We were also aware that we couldn’t use the whole length of the Montgomery Canal as we usually do, due to the restoration work at Crickheath (could we have a better reason!!). So meetings were held, heads were scratched and we came up with a solution. We would change the running order – cycling from Newtown to Belan, canoeing from Belan to Pool Quay and walking from Pool Quay to School House Bridge. That gave us 26 ½ miles, hence we called it the Marathon Triathlon. So we set to work contacting all the people who we had had to stand down from the original date in May due to the pandemic and we were delighted when lots of them said ‘yes’ and the number of entrants who eventually took part was 117, coming from as far North as Falkirk, as far South as Uxbridge as far East as Suffolk and as far West as Llandeilo. Our volunteers came up trumps as well and on the day we had just short of 100 volunteers up and down the length of the canal, seeing the participants safely across roads, helping with any issues and clapping and cheering them on to the end. However, it wasn’t just on the day that the volunteers appeared! Because of the time of year, the vegetation was much more vigorous than we usually experience in May and our thanks must go to TRAMPS – The Welshpool Canal Adoption Group –who put in over 500 hours cutting back vegetation, preparing the towpath, setting up the change-over stations and building bike racks and then clearing up when it was all over. Also thanks to Canal and River Trust who provided a weed cutter to deal with the Soldier Weed which choked the section of the canal from Abbey Lift Bridge to Pool Quay.

The day was dry and from 7.30 am the participants started assembling in Newtown. The MP for Montgomeryshire, Mr Craig Williams and the Mayor of Newtown, Cllr Richard Williams were in attendance to give encouragement and to wave them off under starters orders at 9.00 am. So off they went on a wide variety of cycles, including a tandem and also a cycle which had a puppy in a cage on the back, eventually arriving at Belan, some sooner than others. There was a quick change over into buoyancy aids before getting into the canoes and off again to Pool Quay. There were a couple of duckings but all took it in good spirit and hopped back in their vessels and carried on. The Mayor of Welshpool, Cllr Alison Davies was at Welshpool Town Lock to cheer them on and Welshpool Canoe Club members were also present to assist with getting them around and through the lock. Those that were doing it for the fun of it enjoyed the experience of being locked down in the traditional manner. Many took their arrival at Pool Quay as an opportunity to rest and eat before starting the final leg which was the walking section. On arrival at Llanymynech, participants had the opportunity to have the moment of their border crossing from Wales into England recorded with a photograph (thank you Vic and Sandra for organising this). On their arrival at School House Bridge, they were cheered and awarded with their medal and given some much welcome refreshment. They were then whisked away by bus to be reunited with their vehicles.

Our grateful thanks go to all who participated and made it such a fun event but also to all the volunteers who came up trumps – we couldn’t have done it without you. Our next Triathlon is set for 7th May 2022 so fingers crossed that the current situation allows us to go ahead. Make a note of the date. Chris Palin Friends of the Montgomery Canal

SUMMER LOCK WIND

As a first branch activity where human beings actually got to see each other in person for some time the lockwind at Cholmondeston held on August 6th and 7th was eagerly anticipated by the regular participants, and this was only slightly dampened by the weather forecast. The meteorological reality was if anything worse than forecast, but in the true spirit of bravery or foolhardiness we persisted on. The lock wind is almost as much a social event as a fundraiser, and there has traditionally been a barbecue on the evening before after the gazebo has been erected; this year the weather put a stop to that but a party of 5 substituted a meal and a pint or three at The Barbridge Inn on the Friday night. The enhanced Risk Assessment necessitated by Covid meant there were no impromptu tea parties during the two days, and instead people sought the facilities of the café at Venetian Marina. There was a core of half a dozen who stayed on site for the whole event and these were augmented by very welcome volunteers who came along for the Friday; there were a few promised attendees who on the Saturday were either seduced by the final day of the Olympics or looked out of the window and decided that only a fool would stand around in that weather. The fools that did managed quite well and were augmented by our esteemed Chairman who timed his arrival for the heaviest downpour of all.

Customers consisted of the usual mixture of owners and hirers, some of whom must have doubted the virtues of a staycation, and a few who surprised us for a variety of reasons. No one fell in or crashed a boat, and we locked 38 boats up and 33 down and it probably would have been more if the weather had been better. Overall we raised just over £433, much of it from sales of cakes and jams made by members, for which many thanks; thanks are also due to those who did come and help out. As the cliché has it a good time was had by all, even if a few of us felt by the end that maybe the years are catching up with us. I was lucky, I just had to drive home, and could have a hot shower, an early night and a lie in the next day. Alan Platt

CANAL & RAILWAYS EXHIBITION—OCT 2021 There’s always been a genuine thirst for knowledge about the ‘hidden’ world of canals but, since the pandemic’s lockdowns this has increased because more people have been exploring canal towpaths. That was part of our reflection at the end of a hectic day answering non-stop questions at the Abbey Heritage Railway Station’s exhibition featuring canal and railway groups in Shrewsbury on 30 October 2021. A young ecologist, who’d spent time analysing the first Aston Nature Reserve and a media expert who’d recorded Mal Edwards’ canal songs at Norbury were just two of the dozens of visitors who popped in to see us. – not forgetting the two guys whom Alan had not seen since sharing a grammar school class, way back in the 1950s. Fred Barrett of the Shropshire Union Canal Society excites visitors about restoration work at Crickheath on the Montgomery

Once again, we were very grateful to IWA member Frank Sarre who, with his other hat on as a director of the Shrewsbury Railway Heritage Trust, invited the IWA and other groups to take part in their station Open Day. Positive responses from Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust, Shropshire Union Canal Society and the Friends of the Montgomery Canal meant that we were jointly able to show a comprehensive representation of local waterways, both navigable and those still under restoration. Hopefully, the current generally increased awareness, the conversations at the event and the leaflets taken home will result in additional help and donations to our various projects. We think many people are missing out on their possible enjoyment of the canal and river network because they know little about it and we find that being able to satisfy their curiosity is very rewarding - although somewhat exhausting, come the end of a busy day. Alan and Susan Wilding

RESTORING CANALS No reports of anyone gluing themselves to the Cheshire Ring yet? Whatever you think of COP 26 – presumably over by the time you read this – or what is or is not being done for climate change and ecological decline, these are issues that will affect us all. So what do these issues have to do with restoring canals? Quite a lot, we learned at this year’s delayed CRT/IWA Restoration Conference, summarised in CRT CEO Richard Parry’s closing remarks. The greener way forward brings opportunities and challenges, he said: environmental issues should be embraced as integral to restoration because of the need to comply with ever-stricter regulations, because that will be expected by funders and indeed because it should be part of the inheritance to our children. The Heritage and Biodiversity presentation was eye-opening on how the countryside will have to change – neat hedgerows replaced with wooded margins connecting across the countryside, upland areas reverting to peat bogs inaccessible to walkers, with biodiversity and water resources more important in the face of challenges from invasive species and flooding. Is restoration always the way to treat a derelict canal asked the panellist from Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust? In reply IWA‘s John Pomfret and Stuart Moodie of CRT – both familiar with the Montgomery Canal and our Conservation Management Strategy – pointed out that a neglected canal will decline to muddy swamp and then revert to scrub. Is boating an environmental issue? We heard about the IWA group looking at the alternatives to diesel for narrowboats. A few years ago the branch had a presentation about electric boating; a solar powered boat has visited Welshpool too. The IWA has too been considering stove and water pollution. Discussions for the Montgomery Strategy covered eco-boats and of course its limitations on boating numbers are for environmental – specifically ecological – protection. IWA members can be very pleased that their membership supports work on these important issues and that this is done alongside CRT. You can see the conference on https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=e6ZqlNgbBE4. There are presentations from the Environment Agency, Heritage and Biodiversity for Historic England, John Pomfret, current IWA Volunteer of the Year (‘How green is our Sector?’), finishing with a panel session, The Big Green Conversation. You can see the presentations, silently, on https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19mlDgzfWz93s1AFJwRf-Bf68PfzpBPq. Do have a look: your thoughts will be provoked. Michael Limbrey

PLANNING A CRUISE? The information below from CRT may be useful if you are planning a cruise in or near our branch area.

Winter stoppages

CRT has published a full list of the planned winter stoppages. Some of them do affect canals in our branch area so well worth checking if you are planning a cruise. Some have already started as we finalise this issue of Shroppie Fly Paper. You can download the full list at: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/report/winter-notices.pdf

Frankton Locks

Winter 2021/22 (8 Nov 2021—4 April 2022) Opening Times: 09:00—12:00 daily Booking is required 48 hours prior to passage during winter period. Please book before 10am Thursday 23rd Dec for passages over the festive season.. A return passage must be booked a maximum of 14 days after entry on to the Montgomery Canal. The locks will be closed 25-27 Dec 2021 and 1-2 Jan 2022.

Harecastle Tunnel

Winter 2021/22 (1 Nov 2021—28 Feb 2022) Opening Times: 08:00—12:00 daily

Booking required for all passages. Booking slots available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays only North to South: 08:00 and 10:00 South to North: 09:00 and 11:00 Tunnel will be closed 25-28 Dec 2021 and 1-2 Jan 2022.

Anderton Boat Lift

Winter 2021/22 (1 Nov 2021—31 March 2022) Operating Times: Monday and Friday only 10:00-14:00 both days. The lift will be closed for the festive period from Friday 24th December 2021 until Monday 3rd January 2022 (inclusive) and for 2 winter stoppages (6-19 Dec 2021 and 14 Feb - 4th March 2022).

The 2022 branch calendar is still available. See how to get yours on page 7!