Aegre July 2023

Aegre 166

July 2023

What’s going on by the Trent?

See page 11…

What’s going on to save all Britain’s waterways? See page 10.

From the East Midlands Region of the

Aegre is published © 2023 by the East Midlands Region Committee of the Inland Waterways Association for members in Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Branches and Groups.

Chairman DavidPullen, 43HowellRoad,Heckington,Sleaford. LincsNG349RX Tel:01529460547

Vice-Chairman

Leicestershire AndrewShephard,41RomanRoad,Birstall,Leicester, BranchChairman LE44BB.E:andrewshephard1946@gmail.com

Lincolnshire ContactDavidPullen(asabove).

BranchChairman

Nottinghamshire ContactDavidPullen(asabove).

&Derbyshire

BranchChairman

Editor for Aegre: Peter Hill, 7 Lock Keeper’s Way, Louth LN11 0GQ

E-mail: aegre.editor@waterways.org.uk

Printing: Colour Image Loudwater. Despatch: Branch Volunteers. Picture credits: Front cover; see page 11. Others; see page 31

Registered Office: 16B Chiltern Court, Asheridge Road, Chesham

HP5 2PX. Registered as a Charity No: 212342.

Tel: 01494 783453. Website:

http://www.waterways.org.uk

Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Inland Waterways Association or of the East Midlands Region. They are published as being of interest to our members and other readers. The inclusion of any advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the IWA East Midlands Region or any of its Branches. Dates and times of events may change and should be checked before travelling. Any chart fragments or related information on canal or river features will be out-of-date when published and should not be used for navigation.

Canal Societies and Trusts in the EM Region

Derby & Sandiacre Canal Society

Erewash Canal P & D Association

Foxton Inclined Plane Trust

Chris Madge, c/o 62 Broadway, Duffield, Belper, DE56 4BU Tel: 07827 946444 www.derbycanal.org.uk

Norman Cornwell, 38 Millfield Road, Kimberley, Notts. NG16 2LJ Tel: 0115 8544155 Mobile 07854 451183

www.ecpda.org.uk (note the change)

Foxton Canal Museum, Middle Lock, Gumley Road, Market Harborough LE16 7RA Tel: 0116 2792657 www.fipt.org.uk

Friends of Charnwood Forest Canal

Friends of the Cromford Canal

Mike Handford, 1 Sheepy Close, Hinckley, LE10 1JL Tel: 01455 611508 mahandford@gmail.com

Richard Handley, richard.handley@cromfordcanal.org.uk www.cromfordcanal.org.uk

Grantham Canal Society

Louth Navigation Trust

Mike Stone, 7, Crow Park Drive, Burton Joyce, Nottingham NG14 5AS; Tel: 0115 931 3375

www.granthamcanal.com

Paula Hunt, Navigation Warehouse, Riverhead, Louth LN11 0DA Tel: 01507 605496 www.louthcanal.org.uk

Melton & Oakham Waterways Society

Old Union Canals Society

Michael Clowes, tel: 01509 414140, e-mail: lindandmick@btinternet.com www.meltonwaterways.org.uk

Jean Bourne, 2 Nithsdale Crescent, Market Harborough, LE16 9HA tel: 01858 461483

https://www.old-union-canals.org/events-news

Sleaford Navigation Trust

Stamford Canal Society

Steve Hayes, 10 Chelmer Close, N. Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 8TH Tel: 01522 689460

www.sleafordnavigation.co.uk

Ken Otter, The Meadows, Church Lane, Tallington, Stamford PE9 4RU Tel: 07761 452030 www.StamfordCanal.org

Trent and Mersey Canal Society

Margaret English, 10 Long Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire CW10 0BL. Tel: 01606 834471

www.tamcs.org.uk

It seems inevitable, but with “Waterways” as a main theme, we always come back to rain, either too much or too little. Just hearing about hose-pipe bans in the South, and being threatened with thunder showers here, I come back to worrying about June 2007 on my old rainfall chart.

But to be more cheerful, we have a lot of good news for you this month, in all areas, and hopes for a successful late season. First of all is a notable example of co-operation between a number of organisations at a (somewhat) notorious black spot for groundings on the tidal Trent called Dunham Dubs. See page 11. (Our sub-editor has suggested a subheading for this piece “Dunham Dubs Desirable Direction Dutifully Defined”, but we hesitated.)

All our usual contributors report positive steps, albeit sometimes slow - did anyone mention legal processes? Their pages appear under their names, but a consistent factor in all these is a close cooperation with local authorities and land-owners. For this reason we have given a lot of space to Derby and Sandiacre and their trip boat Outram, because the story since last winter is a very instructive one, with both advances and set-backs of all

kinds, leading up to regular trips at the moment. See page 18.

Good news for Sleaford (page 26), and also for Shardlow, where a new nomination for the Inland Port sees them in very distinguished company (page 17).

To temper the good news, there is still great concern about the levels of funding for waterways, mostly via CRT and EA, so do please look at the new initiative called “Fund Britain’s Waterways” on page 10.

One domestic matter. The editor has just looked back at the editions he has worked on, since a meeting with John Baylis and the then editor David Pickup in the café of Waitrose in Newark (handy to the canal) in late 2005. This resulted in an agreement to take on the job as “acting”, and here we are in 2023. I am struck, in looking at issue 113, my first, by how much could be repeated now and still be OK today. However, for various reasons, your current editor would now like to pass on the editorial pen to a new incumbent. All possible assistance offered, of course. Any volunteers, please contact David Pullen.

With best wishes for the summer season.

Nottinghamshire-Trent N-T Group

The project to improve mooring on the non-tidal Trent at Ferry Boat Inn, Stoke Bardolph, is still progressing but painfully slowly. However, we now at least have a formal response from Severn-Trent (ST) for a lease.

We had initially planned for a simple adoption arrangement, in a similar way to IWA adoptions with CRT, which simply hand over maintenance to a local group or branch. We now have to raise funds to complete the formalities. Fortunately, this will then involve only a nominal annual rental going forward.

The Severn Trent land at Stoke Bardolph is close to the ST sewage treatment works, but doesn’t fully join up with the ST estate. Many local Trent users will have noticed the treated water discharge into the Trent which is fortunately about 100m downstream of the moorings that N-T group are planning to take over.

We understand that ST used to have craft that were moored here in order to access, monitor and attend to their discharge structure. Now ST use a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) which doesn’t require a permanent mooring.

River water quality and water resources

Raw sewage discharges into our nations rivers and streams is highly topical at this moment, as are water resources and water supply in general. Although I can’t be unequivocal on this point, I am not aware of any specific incidents of raw sewage discharges directly to the navigable rivers in our region, but undoubtedly there could be increased risk due to climate change and more extreme weather events.

Nevertheless it is almost certain that there will have been raw sewage emptied into the higher levels, or tributaries of some of our rivers. Equally obvious is that treated sewage water discharge is not only vital to enable sewage works to function but is also vital in maintaining base flows through the summer months.

Philosophically, all these pressures on our water resources causes me to question whether privatisation of such a precious, and natural, resource as water was really a good idea back in Mrs Thatcher’s time in power? Perhaps one national water resource and supply agency, including ALL water uses might be the answer somewhere down the line?

It is patently absurd that our country, which clearly receives far more water from the heavens than we need to survive, should continually cycle between “famine and feast”.

Fish Mortality

Once again low rainfall causing low flows, extreme hot weather, and low atmospheric pressure has resulted in a disastrous number of fish dying from low oxygen levels in some of our canals and slow moving lowland drains. This is the opposite situation to that caused by raw sewage discharge in that sewage discharge overwhelmingly occurs during peak rainfall events where high dilution rates mitigate the effect. Properly dredged waterways are the answer, leading to deeper and cooler water with less chemically enriched sediment and less aquatic weed growth. Regrettably, as currently constituted, The Environment Agency, and other water management agencies are unable to see the bigger picture.

the Gate 3 submission to OFWAT in about a year’s time.

One significant new issue is the realization of the absolutely huge amount of water that the reservoir must be capable of discharging in the event of a possible breach of the containing bunds (banks). The Reservoirs Act requires that one metre of the stored depth of water must be able to be discharged in a 24hr period, (known as “emergency drawdown provision”).

For the SLR this is 56m³/s which is roughly equivalent to the River Witham full winter flow. I think that Anglian Water is only now coming to terms with the implication of building such a large reservoir in low lying land and relatively close to rivers and drains that are tide locked for typically 6 hours per day.

The South Lincs Reservoir (SLR) proposal is now in the detailed “system design” phase in preparation for

In this context I recently visited Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire (as you do!). Even though Farmoor can discharge into the mighty Thames the structure is constructed as two adjoining reservoirs with a common central bund. This has the huge beneficial effect of halving the rate of discharge. My opinion is that the SLR should be at least two interconnected structures.

SLR Reservoir and B2P Wetland Corridor

(Incidentally, it was the failure in the testing and design of the emergency draw-down procedures that was highly cited as a principal cause of the Toddbrook reservoir failure, so this is highly pertinent as far as canal supply reservoirs are concerned).

The other upshot for SLR is that AW’s consultants are currently inves-

tigating provision of more than one simultaneous discharge channel. The good news for B2P Wetland Corridor is that Open Channel Transfer (OCT) remains very much the preferred option for both the water transfer from the River Witham to supply the reservoir, and also the emergency drawdown channel routes.

Anglian Water’s Proposed site for the Reservoir.

Editor for Aegre,

Peter Hill has edited Aegre brilliantly for nearly 18 years and it is now time for him to hang up his “Publisher” software! Thank you so much Peter for your sterling work over this time.

Please consider if you are able to become our new editor. Peter will give you plenty of support for your first edition, and IWA will pay for any additional software and training that you may need. Once the “copy” for an edition has been finalized, and a print file prepared, all of the rest of the work is done by our printer and the IWA staff at Chesham. Aegre is published 3 times a year, usually in March, July and November.

Fund Britain’s Waterways

Together with the National Association of Boat Owners (NABO), IWA initiated a meeting in early May of waterways organisations to discuss the threats to our waterways caused by a level of government funding which was already inadequate and appeared likely to be cut even further. The organisations present all agreed on the need for joint action to influence national and local government, through a new campaigning group “Fund Britain’s Waterways” (FBW)

IWA is giving its full support to FBW and is providing the secretariat and administrative functions. IWA National Chair Les

Etheridge is chairing the steering group, which comprises representatives of the Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs, British Marine, IWA, NABO and the Royal Yachting Association. FBW already represents hundreds of thousands of users and supporters of inland waterways, and membership will be broadened to include any organisation or individual with an interest in using or supporting inland waterways whether canal, river, tidal river or estuary. Plans are being made for high-profile campaign cruises and other activities, starting with a campaign cruise in Birmingham over the weekend of 12-13 August 2023. See below.

Campaign Cruise 12-13 August 2023

This date has been agreed to enable boaters to attend on their way to the IWA Festival of Water at Pelsall two weeks later. Plans have to be finalised, but in brief boats will gather on the Saturday at various locations around Birmingham city centre and progress early on Sunday to gather at the Mailbox. There will be no entry charge for boats but an application form must be completed.

Please register your interest now to fbw.birmingham@waterways.org.uk and we will keep you informed and forward an entry form in due course.

Dunham Dubs

Over the past several years there have been a number of groundings of boats of different draughts at a stretch just below a sharpish bend in the river here, about 1km. south of the toll bridge at Dunham. Normally the common sense view is to take the outside of a bend because the current scours that part of the bed deeper. However at this point the usual assumptions don’t quite work. Pictures in Nick Roberts’ Trentlink article in the last Aegre illustrated this well, showing several boats stuck for varying periods.

Of course you can’t define a correct course in water by painting a line on it, but a frequent solu-

tion is to use two transit or course markers on nearby dry land, so placed as to mark the desirable line in the water by an extension of the line on the ground. These markers can be in two pairs, to mark e.g. a measured mile (there is one of these on the lower Humber) or as one pair to define the line to follow to lead you, say, into safe harbour.

Following on from attention to this problem by Trentlink, members of the Boating Association, CRT, voluntary efforts by members of the group and others, bank markers have now been installed to give guidance on the correct course to follow to keep clear of the shallow spots either side at Dunham Dubs.

The work involved first of all the inevitable negotiations and sourcing of funds for materials; careful surveying of the site; and finally the actual digging of holes and concreting in the marker posts.

The diagram on page 11 shows the scheme as eventually installed, with the new markers to the SE, and the existing CRT “green” lollipop marker to the NW.

The two CRT “green” markers are shown in the photos on our page 4.

Hard Workers

This all involved a lot of hard labour by a few noble boaters, and our pictures include those involved on the day; Nick Roberts (Trentlink), Andrew Beardmore, Martin Savage, Nick Templeton (TBA members), Neil Ward - (CRT).

As well as this, Nick reports that you can now see the northern lollipop “red” or porthand marker at Trent Port again! It has only had a trim, and you still can't see it until quite late if coming from Gainsborough. But it’s better! It took four hours to do, of which over 1.5 hours was just reaching the post through 5ft stinging nettles! (Hurrah for the heroes who braved the jungle).

the posts seen as from a boat

the river seen from behind the markers.

Editor’s note: Really useful Facebook sites for the Trent are : Visitor Moorings on the River Trent & Associated Waterways

https://www.facebook.com/groups/26group7686390376240 and Trentlink - Safe Navigation of the Tidal River Trent

https://www.facebook.com/groups/666937220961360

The Boating Association covers the Trent up to Trent Bridge and the Ouse as far north as York. Their web site is at: https://theboatingassociation.co.uk/

Marked on the TBA Chart as little green triangles. or red squares, features of the tidal Trent are the 80 odd, largely rusted and badly maintained bank markers, with frequently missing "loo brush" top marks, these large steel posts appear to be positioned almost randomly along both banks from just above Gainsborough to Cromwell. That's an average of about 2 per mile?

From what little I have learnedthey were installed in the 1950s to help the skippers of the then flourishing commercial craft on the river to identify where the river channel was in the event the river went into flood. (I believe this was before the elevated flood banks were built behind the original "natural banks" of the river, so the course of the river channel would have been much harder to spot than now if the natural bank was submerged)

Originally fitted with red "can" shapes, or green "cone" shapes in line with international marine convention (Red to port when going upstream) these must have been a fairly major piece of work to get in place and erected as they are bigger and heavier than they might appear from the water (which is why so many are still standing some 70 years later?) -

and even access to some of the locations by crane barge must have been problematic.

Why Are They Where They Are?

The only four of these "lollipop" markers that have really played a part in our modern day navigation of the Trent have been:

- the two "go between us" posts at

- the post "in the middle of the river" (at high tide!) that keeps you off a wall on the inside of the bend at "Bubble Rack" (upstream of Dunham) .

- the post at Fledborough (currently behind a tree) to help keep you off the sunken island.

But experienced river folk I have asked have largely said the posts were "just positioned at random". That their position at Trent Port etc has "just happened" to give useful "head here" indicators.

purpose here - or do they just happen to fit now? Don't know! ... But there are certainly others still there that don’t seem to serve that purpose.... At least - not the way the river is now.

As a professional seagoing navigator, I can't understand why a lot of these posts are where they are now. Even with modern aids, I would not want to try to find my way between these markers if that is all there was in a huge expanse of water - there's not enough! But the skippers of the day were probably up and down this river on a very regular basis. The posts were probably just a bonus on something they could probably have done "with their eyes closed"? .. Perhaps they also had additional buoyage?

But I think more of these markers did mark "head for me" positions than we presently give credit for.…

- We have "reinstated" (painted!!) two lollipop markers at Dunham Dubs to this purpose as part of the new "transit markings". Were they originally positioned for this

At Normanton Sunken Island, it is the inside silting of the sharp bend immediately above the signed "Sunken Island" channel section that catches folk. The chart shows a "Red" marker on the opposite bank, outside of this bend - which if used as a "head for me" marker would keep boats off this silt. Indeed there may be two posts that would form a "go between us" route between the bend and the channel around the

Sunken Island. Unfortunately, the red marker has collapsed onto the mud - and while it still lays there if you look very hard - most folk won't see it, or appreciate it's potential historic use.

The Future of the Lollipops

Last year - Trentlink’s first - a couple of us went to clear the vegetation obscuring the Trent Port lollipops - and crudely slapped on a coat of white paint as high as we could reach. The reinstatement of those markers we suspect limited the number of grounding issues last year, and as we have just trimmed the vegetation again, will hopefully continue to do so this year (though it is disappointing to note how many even quite large craft go round that bend with no apparent reference to the markers).

We have slapped paint on and cleared vegetation at Dunham Dubs. How many folk will take any notice of the new markers here remains to be seen! We have cleared Trent Port again.

We have asked CRT to reinstate a marker (even a poor imitation of the original "lollipop") at Normanton, and reinstate the top mark on the "Bubble Rack" post in an effort to stop folk going the wrong side of it. Maybe someone could clear the branches of the tree that obscures the Fledborough "head for me" marker?

But to reinstate all 80 odd markers to their original condition where each is clear of vegetation, with a brilliant white post, and fitted with an appropriate top mark (a scaffolding job under HSE rules today?) is not a job that even a wealthy navigation authority would take on for the very little purpose they serve today. So unless there is a desire to start a "Lollipop Club" among Trent users who might go out and "slap some paint on" next winter - I suspect the river is going to remain lined with these relics of the past, slowly corroding away.

Nick Roberts, Trentlink

Shardlow: a Heritage Harbour

As a very suitable lead-in to their Festival on September 9 and 10, there is a new nomination for Shardlow.

The Heritage Harbour concept started in northern Europe as a way of providing free or low-cost mooring to historic vessels in exchange for public display. In the UK the idea has evolved to include a wider range of local community links such as encouraging heritage skills e.g., wooden boat-building, and cultural heritage activities as well as maritime festivals and events which benefit traders and visitors.

However, there is an increasing threat across the UK maritime heritage sector through the loss of waterside buildings, businesses and facilities to unsympathetic new development which removes the water access and can destroy the historic character of a small port. Existing businesses often operate on low margins and are increasingly vulnerable to redevelopment. The aim of Heritage Harbours is to achieve a balance, retaining the key features, improving public access, creating wider cultural and arts opportunities linked to maritime heritage

and benefitting the local community.

Whilst Heritage Harbours are not a legal designation, the National Working Group of Heritage Harbours, supported by Maritime Heritage Trust, National Historic Ships UK and Historic England, has adopted criteria for schemes that are proposed and it is hoped that other locations will join the network.

Today, there are ten Heritage Harbour and Heritage Inland Port locations around the country: Bristol, Buckler’s Hard, Chester, Exeter, Faversham and Oare Creeks, Maldon and Heybridge, Sandwich, Shardlow, Stourport and Wells next the Sea.

So this is a reminder that many people enjoyed a week-end, or just a day, at Shardlow for their Inland Port Festival in 2022. This year it promises to be even bigger and better, with more displays and events; improved mooring and parking for visitors; and plenty of refreshments - of all kinds.

Up to date timings & events on the Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/event s/search/?q=shardlow%20inland %20port%20festival%202023&lo cale=en_GB

Outram trip boat

Chris Madge comments: that they’ve had a real transformation as the weather has improved, and trips are in progress.. The river levels have dropped almost to normal summer levels, which means that we can relax in the knowledge that a day of rain won’t require us to cancel a trip. Of course as the sun comes out more people are about and see the boat on the river, so we are getting a higher take up on trips. We are now running on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, with three trips each day and are getting close to full each time. We also offer the opportunity to charter the boat on other days.

This provides an opportunity for a group to organise themselves and we can accommodate different preferences and timings. So far we have entertained a WI group who enjoyed themselves enormously, even though they refused my offer to sing Jerusalem. Shame! We can also coordinate charter trips to fit with other attractions in the city. We now have advertising fully in place, with leaflets at 30 locations around the city and at tourist spots. We have printed advertising boards fixed to the side of the boat when not sailing and direction signs in place around the Silk Mill.

Our volunteer team also entertained a film crew and actresses who will produce a promotional video for the trips for use in digital marketing. As you can see from the photo our driver Bob hated every moment! We also took the opportunity to take Silk Mill (Museum of Making) staff on a free trip so that they can recommend us. It was useful to get to know them and discover ways we can work together in developing interest.

The Council are now not sure they have all the funds needed to build the pontoon. Whilst this is more than upsetting it has provided us with the opportunity to take more influence in the design and commissioning. The timing of installation looks like it will move on again and beyond June, which will be very disappointing as it means we still cannot take disabled passengers.

At least the Council have confirmed their commitment to the scheme, subject to any impact of a change of political control. We have also continued discussions to push the city centre and Arm developments and looked at options on some design issues. There is still a good appetite from the University and wider to have the project “shovel ready”.

However it is instructive to look back at the earlier activities, when we hoped to float the riverboat out of its winter mooring at Darley Abbey.

A small team assembled as soon as we saw the levels predicted to rise by 40mm. A bit of rocking and poling managed to get the boat clear of the river bank and into the river. Gradually teasing out the rope at the front and the

riverboat gradually backed downstream and out into deeper water. After that it was plain sailing down to the boarding platform. A beautiful sunny day with a few locals waving us on. We moored up with a sense of relief. Now we’d be in the right place to undertake the maintenance planned ready for our first sailing.

We also managed to fit the new GPS regulated commentary system. Thanks to Simon for his work over the winter. He’s programmed the system to work out where it is and control the commentary accordingly. A very pleasant trip upriver to calibrate it

ensued and a new screen was added so that we could monitor the results. I’m told it is a very cost-effective system working from a Raspberry Pi and based loosely on a system that the Cromford team programmed over the lock-down. The Cabin crew will be delighted that they don’t have to manually control the recording to take account of the varied driving speeds and water flow and can focus on customers.

Of course then snow fell and when that melted a few days later the river rose quickly. We now monitor the river for height and flow rate and we saw a gently flowing river become a raging torrent. River levels doubled and the flow rate increased tenfold in the space of 24 hours. We keep an eye on the forecast levels, but they really aren’t very reliable, so at one stage it seemed sensible to stay overnight on the riverboat as the forecast looked ominous and we wanted to be on hand. As it turned out the forecast was again far more worrying than reality and we rode out the surge quite happily.

So the last week has been spent on maintenance. We had hoped to get the motor supplier to check out our set up, but Covid had

intervened and we’ needed to fit it in during April. With six months moored under trees and within the range of wildlife there was a major cleaning exercise required. We’d experienced some leakage around the solar panel fixings, so we decided to remove them, clean

the roof, repaint it and refix them ensuring that all fixings are leakproof.

As you can see the transformation on the roof has been considerable and we’re about to start on the sides now, but that’s a much easier job. The biggest challenge with painting under the bridge has been the flock of pigeons resident there. It’s a bit off-putting hearing the cooing as you clean the paintwork - again - and hope the paint dries fast enough to prevent them damaging it when you’ve gone home.

History Book.

Thr History Book has been revised and updated. It starts the story in 1766, running through the initial campaigning, the construction and operation of the canal, the railway years, the long, slow decline and the revival led by the Retford & Worksop Boat Club.

It documents the birth of the Chesterfield Canal Society, the change to the Trust and the development of Chesterfield Canal Partnership.

Early restoration attempts feature, as well as the long list of openings in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

It is bang up to date with the full story of HS2, the development of Staveley Town Basin and Hartington Harbour, the appointment of George Rogers, our Development Manager, and the Staveley Town Deal developments.

Lord Hartington, our Honorary Patron, has very kindly written the Foreword.

It has 32 pages with lots of black & white and colour photographs and maps.

It also features a six page guide to the towpath from Chesterfield to West Stockwith.

Priced at £5, it is available in our shop at Hollingwood Hub or £7.30 (including P&P) from our website shop, click here. It will also be on sale at our Festival.

A beautiful calendar for 2024 is also now available from the same sources, at £7.

The full programme of trips and events is under way, but too complex to summarise here. See https://chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk/

Arkwright’s Mill Feed

They report a successful repair of the water feed to the canal via the “horseshoe” weir in the mill yard. A side sluice in the chamber should feed water to the canal, while other water goes to the river through a main sluice with adjustable paddles.

The paddles were found to be leaking, and a large stone was found to be stuck under the paddles, adding to the unwanted flow. A synthetic rubber sheet was found to cover the leaky paddles and this fixed the problem, giving a hope of more water in the canal for the planned trips with Birdswood this summer.

Leawood Pumphouse

There are two types of opening of the pumphouse. “Static” means the house will be open 11 to 4 but not operating. “Steam” means fully operational from 12 to 4:30.

Steam dates are Aug 6, 27, 28, Sept. 17, Oct 7,8. Static dates are Aug 3, 5, 17, 24, Sept. 16.

Birdswood Boat Trips

Regular trips take place from Cromford Wharf on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 11 and 2. Premium trips include guided visits to the Pumphouse, Aqueduct Cottage, and High Peak workshops. For dates and to book, check www.birdswood.org.

Beggarlee Extension

Busy behind all these public trips, the volunteers are still active clearing the site ready for more technical developments. After a wait of almost a year and a half, Planning Permission has finally been granted to the extension of the navigable canal north from Langley Mill, through a staircase pair of locks, under the A610 and through to its original course at Stoney Lane, Brinsley.

Grantham Canal Society

CHAIRMAN MIKE STONE WRITES …

The delightful photographs of the canal appearing on the media demonstrate that the natural world has embraced the recent weather and produced lush vegetation everywhere.

The dedicated GCS operational work parties are still busy repairing various parts of the waterway – nesting birds permitting – and continuing their targeted objectives to restore matters following the recent lock down period. All being well enhancements will be made to the landing stage near the A1 which may be usable again.

Exploratory work has taken place at Lock 13 to determine if restoration is within the capabilities of the GCS. And the feeder from Knipton Reservoir has received attention from both GCS teams and from Belvoir Castle, under whose land much of its length flows.

Thanks are due to all who visited Woolsthorpe Depot on 30th April and enjoyed the enhanced facilities and our catering. The next Depot Open Day will be on 27th August with a further opportunity to enjoy

refreshments and to have a cruise on the Three Shires – book early to avoid disappointment!

There is much going on in our active society and like every other volunteer group we would welcome additional supporters. If you could find a little time you could spare in your busy schedule please contact us. The Open Day is a good opportunity to talk with us. If you have an interest in ecology, website design, meeting and talking to visitors, education, engineering design, cake baking, construction, communications, you may be just the person who could help us. Age is no barrier –indeed I suspect today’s school pupils have great IT skills to offer.

Boat trips on the Three Shires are now in full swing, and open to all. Booking in advance is normally necessary, via the website: www.granthamcanal.org and follow the link on the Boat Trips page.

Construction Welfare Unit Equipment needed

We have just purchased a container for conversion to a welfare unit. This will be initially used for the volunteers starting works at Lock 13 in the near future.

To help us achieve this we are looking for good quality used equipment. If you are remodelling your property or have access to suitable used equipment, please let us know.

WC pan and Cistern (preferably not PINK)

Wall mounted wash hand basin

Bathroom wall cupboard

2.5m Worktop

SS single or double drainer sink

2m of Kitchen Base units

2 x 600mm Kitchen wall units

1200 ish wide single or double-glazed window frame

1 internal door & frame

Small fridge

Under sink storage water heater 240v

1 IBC unit (for water storage so must be clean)

1 IBC unit (need not be so clean)

Boot scraper brush unit

Wall mounter convector heater

Many Thanks

Please email details to Specialprojects@granthamcanal.org

Our mailing address is:

Grantham Canal Society

Woolsthorpe Depot, (Behind the Dirty Duck pub)

Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir

GRANTHAM, Lincolnshire NG32 1NY

United Kingdom

The May Rally.

The Boat Rally celebrated the 55th Anniversary of the ECP&DA, the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Great Northern basin, the 40th anniversary of the Erewash Canal being reinstated as a cruiseway, and the 30th anniversary of the restoration of the Victorian Pump House. A wonderful three days.

Rally 2018

Great weather, lots of visitors who seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. On Sunday the Lancaster fly past, and on Monday the Spitfire fly past (both doing multiple circuits) were witnessed by what seemed like the whole population of the East Midlands, there were so many people on site.

Thank You to our visiting boat traders, historic narrowboats, land based traders and exhibitors, and Langley Mill Boat Yard with their display of stationary engines and for allowing visitors to access their boat yard. You all provided the focus for our visitors to enjoy.

Last, but no means least, our Volunteers, without them the rally would not have taken place. They include:

● our regular Erewash Canal Preservation & Development Association Friday work party volunteers who worked tirelessly in the weeks before, during and after the rally with site preparation, management and dismantling

● all the visiting volunteers who helped before and during the rally weekend to ensure that the best experience possible was provided to our visitors.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL

And just a reminder that the regular activities based at Sandiacre Lock Cottages continue, visitors welcome.

Sleaford Navigation Trust

Exciting times for Sleaford Navigation Trust (SNT), who in partnership with North Kesteven District Council, are set to be awarded around £50,000 from the government’s Shared Prosperity Fund towards purchasing a trip boat to be located in Sleaford. The funding will also help to clear weeds and silt on the length between Cogglesford Lock and the winding hole and slipway next to the Hub at Eastgate Green. A new landing jetty will also be constructed at Cogglesford so that visitors can stop off to visit Cogglesford Mill or alternatively start their journey at Cogglesford.

Michael Portillo and BBC “Great Railway Journeys”

In early May, IWA at Chesham were contacted by the TV production company that produces BBC’s Great Railway Journeys programme about filming an edition of the show in Lincoln. This opportunity to discuss Lincoln’s Brayford Pool and the Fossdyke Canal, and also to fly the flag for our national waterway network was too good an opportunity to miss.

So in early June David Pullen was interviewed by Michael Portillo with Brayford Pool as the backdrop. The director had suggested a list of points for discussion, evidently backed up by their own research. This included:

What does the Inland

Waterways Association do?

When was it formed? Where are we?

Brayford pool.

The trip boat will be built in the county at Long Bennington and the fit-out will be completed by SNT members after delivery to Sleaford.

The Fossdyke is the oldest canal in England. In about 120AD Romans built the Fossdyke to connect the River Witham to the River Trent. It was bought by the Manchester Railway in the 19th century (1846), and was operated by them. Unlike many waterways, the Fossdyke never

closed, and continued to carry grain traffic until 1972.

How did IWA help saving the Brayford pool?

• The pool had been left derelict. There were 35 sunken boats and the water had silted up. Lincoln Council planned to concrete it over and create a car-park. The IWA led a campaign to save it and develop it for leisure. Today it is a huge success story for Lincoln and a focus of the town centre regeneration.

How important are our waterways?

• They are hugely important. They contribute to the economy, are important to the protection of our natural environment, connect communities, and improve physical/mental health.

Barbara Castle and the 1968 transport act were integral to saving the waterways. Government cuts mean the waterways could do with help again.

Trip on Wigford Tug

The director also requested a trip along the Fossdyke Canal, and IWA members Mel and Sue Sowerby kindly obliged with their narrow-boat “Wigford Tug”. We also suggested that it would be good

for the future of the waterways to include an interview with someone representing the next generation of waterway supporters. Ellie Sowerby (Sue and Mel’s daughter) volunteered and very effectively charmed both Michael Portillo and the production team with her knowledge and enthusiasm for the waterways. (Undoubtedly the fact that Ellie is a “Bradshaw’s” railway timetable fan and had brought along her personal copy for Michael to sign was a key factor in the chemistry?).

The programme probably won’t be scheduled for broadcast until sometime in 2024 so don’t hold your breath and watch this space!

River Witham Weed

IWA has supported pressure, mainly from Boston Rowing Club but also other Boston based users, on CRT and EA to actively address

the, now annual, navigation and environmental crisis caused by invasive weeds, particularly on the lower Witham between Bardney and Boston.

The main outcome so far is that EA and CRT now have a (legal) agreement for CRT staff, i.e. the lock keepers at Boston, to operate the Grand Sluice flood relief sluices to flush floating weed out into the Tidal Witham outfall (aka “The Haven”). This will only be possible when there is sufficient water and natural flow in the river to avoid creating low water levels and further environmental problems and fish kill.

Flushing out the weed is therefore not a sustainable long-term solution and many other supporting actions, both short and long term, will be required. To this end an action plan involving all parties, and led by CRT and EA, is being created. IWA member Andy Jee has agreed to draft the initial plan.

(incidentally, congratulations also to Andy who has recently joined the CRT East Midlands Regional Advisory Board).

Lincoln Visitors

In Lincoln this year there are already noticeably more visiting boats from across the waterway network. We believe this is collectively due to:

· Improved national “profile” of Lincoln as a destination –Castle, Cathedral, night time economy etc.

· Trentlink encouraging normally “canal centric” narrowboaters to confidently and safely explore the mighty River Trent as a way to the Fossdyke.

· Increased traffic and subsequent mooring and facilities pressure on the inland canals encouraging boaters to venture further afield.

· New demographic of younger boaters with fewer preconceived concepts of where it is safe and rewarding to visit.

IWA will continue to encourage and support Trentlink in particular, and will monitor CRT’s management and control of the various visitor moorings on our part of the network.

Social Events:

We hope to arrange a series of social gatherings for the autumn and winter months, and we will be contacting branch members shortly to attempt to establish the level of support for these. If any of our branch members have any thoughts on this, please do contact me - I would be very pleased to hear from you.

2025 Harborough Festival of Boats & Arts:

As many of you will be aware, 2025 will be the 75th anniversary of the Festival of Boats & Arts held in Market Harborough in 1950. This was the first such IWA event, and was a huge success for both the IWA and the town. The marking of the 75th anniversary has for some time been high on our agenda, and I can confirm that we will be organising what we hope will be a major IWA festival during 2025. There will be further details in the next issue of Aegre.

Memory Lane Wharf:

I’m afraid to report that this project is bogged down by the Leicester City Council legal department, and the consequential delay will undoubtedly mean that previous project costs will now have increased due to inflation. This will probably mean that current financial approvals will be exceeded and new additional funding will be required. Given the current financial issues of CRT, it does not look too good.

Andrew Shephard, Chairman

M: 07710 362952, or E:

andrewshephard1946@gmail.com

CRT report that the towpath work at Loughborough reported on by Andrew last time, has now been completed. See below, the work in progress. 2km of towpath has been resurfaced and 24 new mooring bollards installed.

The base tarmac layer is open and available for use with a final stone chip top surface being laid later this summer as it requires warmer temperatures to bond with the tarmac. The project has been made possible thanks to a £885,000 grant from Loughborough Town Deal

In Market Harborough works have started to resurface 2km of towpath, improving mooring points near Union Wharf canal

basin and resetting the surrounding block-work to stop pools of water forming and improving drainage at the water points. The visitor moorings are currently closed but we hope to reopen them as soon as possible.

Funding for the project has come from the Department for Transport through Sustrans’ Paths For Everyone programme as well as a Section 106 contribution from a local housing development.

Old Union Canals Society

The Old Union Canals Society have their monthly open meetings at Great Bowden Village Hall (LE16 7EU, near Market Harborough) at 7.30 on the last Friday of the month. A donation of £2 per person is requested to help cover costs. Visitors are welcome. Details from Mary Matts on 0116 2792188 or 07813 599323.

Next events are:

Friday 29th Sept., 7.30 p.m. The Grantham Canal, History and Restoration presented by Chris Weston

Friday 20th October, 7.30 p.m.

Movie Night

Friday 24th Nov. , 7.30 p.m. Social and Quiz

Friday 26th Jan. 2024, 7.30 p.m. AGM

Forthcoming events and meetings

12th -19th August 2023

WRG camp. Louth Navigation Trust has restored the historic Navigation Warehouse in Louth, improved the towpath, and carried out remedial work on some of the surviving locks. We will be continuing this work, returning Ticklepenny lock to a restored state.

Folk on the water 2023 - Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th September at the Navigation Warehouse

Sunday 3rd December Louth Christmas Market, Eastgate.

Picture Credits

We are most grateful to all of the following, who have contributed photographs or other illustrations to enhance this edition of Aegre: Andrew Shephard; Chris Madge; Michelle Hill; Eddie Case; Archie Roberts; Dave Carnell; David Collin; Robert Aspey; Rod Auton; Phil May; Mel and Sue Sowerby; David Pullen; Jane Pollard; Mick Clowes; Alan Leather; J.Hannan-Briggs; David Pit; Malcolm Fielding; Keith Bown; Steve Kitt; Paula Hunt, Nick Roberts, and as noted for specific articles.

Work at Ticklepenny

Journals Received

We are very pleased to acknowledge copies of journals, sometimes in PDF format, from various canal and river societies and trusts. They include “The Portal” from Friends of the Cromford Canal; “The Packet” from the Derby & Sandiacre Canal Society; “The Cuckoo”, from the Chesterfield Canal Trust; “Sleaford Navigation Trust” journal; the “Melton and Oakham Newsletter”; “The Wharfinger” from Louth Navigation Trust; “The Bridge” from Grantham Canal Society; “Grand Trunk” from the Trent and Mersey Canal Society; and “Union” from the Old Union Canal Society.

Anyone interested in receiving a copy of one of these journals should contact the relevant address given on page 4. For “The Cuckoo” contact the editor at 22 Works Road, Hollingwood, Chesterfield S43 2PF.