Presentation of the Brian Sheppard Award to Joyce Potts by Hannah Sterritt
South West & South Wales Region Committee:
Chair: *Hannah Sterritt Members: *Ray Alexander
Hon. Secretary: *Andrew Strawson Baz Juniper
Sou’Wester Editor: *Sandy Wright *Tony Pugh
Navigation Committee
Representative: *Andrew Strawson
Avon & Wiltshire B ranch Committee:
Chairman:
Hon. Secretary:
Hon. Treasurer:
Events Officer:
If you are interested in any of the vacant positions for this branch or the Gloucestershire & Herefordshire branch, please contact Hannah Sterritt
Gloucestershire & Herefordshire Branch Committee:
Chairman:
Hon Secretary:
Acting Treasurer:
South Wales Branch Committee:
If you are interested in any of the vacant positions for this branch or the Avon & Wilts branch, please contact Hannah Sterritt
Chairman: *Tony Pugh Members: Mike Synan
Hon. Secretary: Vacant Chris JL Yewlett
Treasurer: Henry Brown
Minutes Secretary: Vacant
Membership Officer: *Tony Pugh
Publicity Officer: Vacant
Volunteer Co-ordinator Vacant
West Country Branch Committee:
Chairman: *Ray Alexander Members: Julian Gibson
Hon. Secretary: *Phil Reilly Maurice Pinner
Hon. Treasurer & Events: Mike Aldridge Sandy Wright
Volunteer Co-ordinator: *Mike Slade
*Contact details for these appear inside the back cover.
Welcome to Sou’Wester no 194 and to our (typical!) summer! As I write this, I am still not yet back boating in our region, as I continue the grand tour of the English canals and rivers this year following moving my boat onto the Main Network this Spring. The adventures have continued and we have covered over 300 miles of canals and rivers as well as over 300 locks! The journey has taken us from Droitwich Spa, down onto the Oxford canal, onto the Thames, a long trip up the Grand Union, and we are currently moored near Leicester. It’s been quite a trip and one that I will look back fondly on for many yearstocome.
As also covered later on in this issue, the Region Committee had a very productive trip to Bristol for our in-person committee meeting in July. It waswonderfultoseeeveryoneinperson,haveawanderaroundBristolin advance of the Harbour Festival and hold the meeting aboard MV Balmoral. That alone beats a Zoom meeting! I want to extend my thanks to Joyce Potts on her final edition as Editor of Sou’Wester as well as a warmwelcometoSandyWrightonherfirstedition!
In other news, it has been fantastic to see the response from members to the Fund Britain’s Waterways campaign, a collaboration between IWA and other organisations to campaign for national and local government to act to protect the public benefit and natural capital of our waterways, especially following the DEFRA announcement on the future of Canal and River Trust (CRT) funding. Finally, I hope to see some of you at the IWA Festival of Water on the August Bank holiday weekend on the Wyrley & Essington Canal at Pelsall, Birminghamfrom26th -28th August. Withverybestwishes,
Hannah Sterritt
The Civic Hall, Martins Way, Stourport on Severn, DY13 8UJ
Following the AGM, there will be an open session where the CEO and trustees will provide an update on campaigns and there will be an opportunity to ask questions.
A free lunch will be provided at 1pm which must be booked in advance. A link to book your lunch at the AGM will be available on the IWA website https://waterways.org.uk/support/ways-to-get-involved/events/annualgeneral-meeting-2023
After the lunch, there will be a guided walk around heritage sites and the waterways of Stourport on Severn.
There will be a photographer at the event so please let us know if you do not wish to be featured in any photographs.
Members will be able to attend all sessions remotely (Zoom link), as well as attending in person. A link to attend via Zoom will be available shortly.
Timetable
The Civic Hall will be open from 10am, with refreshments available.
10.30am Presentation on “Protect our Waterways” - IWA’s campaign to protect the UK’s waterways, especially funding, and supported by Fund Britain’s Waterways.
11.30am Formal AGM
Noon Presentation of IWA National Awards
12.15pm Presentation by the CEO and an opportunity to ask questions to the CEO and Trustees before lunch at 1pm
All documentation for the AGM will be available on the website shortly.
On the 23rd of June we were delighted to welcome Liz McIvor, the Swansea Canal Society’s (SCS) patron since 2015, to the canal as part of the many events highlighting the 225th Anniversary of the completion of the canal in 1798. Liz is a respected industrial historian who reached a wide audience with her two television series, ‘Canals: The Making of a Nation’ and ‘Railways: The Making of a Nation’ in 2015 and 2016.
The hard working Canal Society’s 225 Committee had invited Liz down from her home in Bury to speak at a special event in the National Waterfront Museum in the Swansea Marina where an exhibition showcasing the history, restoration and significance of the Swansea Canal is running from April to the 17th of September. The organisation of this multimedia exhibition has been a joint project by Glandwr Cymru, Swansea Canal Society and, of course, the Waterfront Museum itself. The National Lottery Heritage Fund Wales provided generous financial support.
Due to the pandemic and the demands of her job as curator of the Co-operative Heritage Trust Archive in Manchester, this was Liz’s first visit to the Swansea Canal for some time. As her Waterfront Museum speech was an afternoon event we had a whole morning to show her how restoration work is progressing along the Clydach stretch of the canal. Alan Tremlett, chair of the 225 committee, took her first to the refurbished Canoe Hire Store where a violent storm last year ripped off the roof. This has now been replaced and, with funding from the Canoe Foundation and Vale Europe Limited, new life jackets, canoes and kayaks have been bought and are safely stored in dry conditions. The efforts of Cont on page 6/…
…/cont from page 5
our canoe volunteers throughout this difficult time were superhuman. Mike Fuller, SCS Secretary, showed Liz the improvements in the landscaping around the Store and the preparations for the much improved new slipway which will open next year. The changes to what used to be the council’s highways depot yard 100 metres further down the canal behind St Benedicts Church were even more marked. This 120 metre section of the canal, together with one lock, was buried in the 1970s but funding, secured by John Andrew Davies, the Society’s Funding Manager, from the Welsh Government’s Brilliant Basics, Swansea Council, the Postcode Lottery, Glandwr Cymru, and the Canoe Foundation has changed all that. Our chairman, Gordon Walker, explained to Liz how the lock will eventually be restored and the water will once again run from Coed Gwilym Park into Clydach unimpeded after fifty years in a pipe below ground.
We still had time to do one last visit to the new Swansea Canal Centre site which will overlook what is at present the last section of the canal in water north of Swansea.
The Canal Centre will be a catalyst for opening up additional stretches of canal, running a trip boat, and attracting more people to the site which already boasts a stone barge monument, a wildlife garden and a mural. The building itself now has a pitched roof with solar panels while a ‘green’ roof garden will complete the building’s environmental credentials. What was once a derelict builders’ merchant’s store is coming alive again thanks to Funding from the Welsh Government’s “Transforming TownsPlacemaking” programme, the Mynydd Y Gwair Wind Farm Community Fund and Vale Europe Ltd.
Finally, we all drove into the centre of Swansea to the Waterfront Museum. Liz took a great interest in the exhibition and then spoke eloquently to the assembled dignitaries about our efforts and how canal restoration was part of a post war phenomenon that had been started by unpaid enthusiasts from the bottom up in an effort to make our canals fit for navigation once again. Canals were now busy and thriving, and a wonderful national amenity. The baton had soon been taken up, she said, by British Waterways and now the Canal and River Trust (CRT) was carrying on the great work. Both Mark Evans, Director of Glandwr Cymru, and David Morgan, Development Manager of Glandwr Cymru, echoed these sentiments and said what an active, friendly and hardworking volunteer group the SCS was.
Liz chatted to the Lord Mayor of Swansea, Graham Thomas, the Mayor and Mayoress of Neath Port Talbot, Chris Williams and Debbie Rees, and to many other canal and heritage officers present before the long car journey back to Bury necessitated an early departure. Liz’s knowledge of the South Wales Industrial Heritage is a great asset for our society. We Cont on page 8/…
…/cont from page 7
thank her for her continued support and for taking the time to visit us. We do hope she will be back with us in the very near future.
All photos courtesy of: Alan Tremlett, Martin Davies, Yun Yun Herbert, and Swansea Bay News.
By Andrew Strawson
Gloucester Docks is an historic destination beloved by many but often suffers from silting up, needing dredging every year. Last year the issue was particularly bad as the summer was so dry, but water still had to be pumped from the River Severn into the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal to provide about half of Bristol’s water supply. The low level of the river last year meant that more silt than normal was being pumped into the docks making the docks all but impassable for boats and impacting several dock-side businesses. Significant dredging has been carried out this year
already and more is due to be done in the autumn but this is very expensive. With the reduction in CRT funding already in place and with even more to come, this highlights the need for the waterways to be properly funded so that adequate maintenance can be done. (see pages 12 & 13).
This year, a number of local businesses and boat owners have come together to campaign for proper funding for the Gloucester waterways and for sufficient proper maintenance to be done to ensure the waterways remain open and an attractive destination. The group is called “Fund Gloucester’s Waterways” and is affiliated to the multi-organisation national campaign “Fund Britain’s Waterways”. The first major event they are organising is a boat gathering on Saturday, 30th September in Gloucester Docks - see page 27 for details and page 28 for the registration form for boats.
POND DIPPING by Mark Baker, Chief Ranger Grand Western Canal Country Park Having completed much of the excavation of a new pond in the garden of the Ranger’s Office during a Volunteer Day in March, we held another Volunteer Day at the start of May to finish off profiling the pond, add a marshy overflow area at the back of the pond, and then install the liners.
The bed of the pond has since been lined with some gravel; and it’s been filled with water and had some rocks, logs, plants and pond mud added from another pond in the garden added to kick start its colonisation by wildlife.
Damselflies are already ovipositing (laying eggs) and the local sparrows love their new bird bath! We will now leave it alone for the rest of the year, but hopefully next year we will be able to start using it for pond dipping activities during school visits.
By Ralph Barber, Chairman
In the last edition I updated you on our Malswick site and the land purchase and progress with planning. We now have more of our route in water. A number of the volunteers have been taking lots of pictures and videos which can be seen on the H&G YouTube site. You will gain a further view of the Malswick site and the great progress they have made. We are looking at around 600 metres in water by the end of the year.
This picture is a view continuing down to Gloucester. We own the nearby wooded area, the field that I mentioned in the last edition, and then the next bit of woodland until we get to the road. A road crossing will have to be made just about the top of the picture. The lock at this point had a rather plain name although suitable for its location - Road Lock. We would be happy to change the name should anyone want to sponsor its restoration. While the Malswick site is getting the canal in water the wildlife at Over are already using the water in the restored section. The swans have come back after a few years away. An unfortunate death of the female swan left the male without his partner. After a few years he has found a new partner - and they have produced cygnets! The new female had been ringed, and it was found that she is a grand old age of 17 and was ringed as a
yearling at the Slimbridge Wetlands.
At our Over site we also have a lot of boating activities occurring and one such group is the Sailing4Disabled or Rowing with Pirates. They have several craft which are used by many visitors. A more typical boat used by disabled people, with a wheelchairrampispicturedaboveontheright. Still on the subject of boats. The H&G Canal Trust own two Mud boats. We have one on loan to another Canal Trust and we are looking to loan the other boat to any suitable Canal Trust who could make good use of it at very, very good rates. It needs a home until we can make use of it on the H&G canal. See picture. If interested, the boat can be seen near Alvechurch on the Worcester and Birmingham canal. We would be interested in talking with any Canal Trust that could make use of it for a number of years. It is a narrow boat width and 72 feet in length.
Please contact chairman@h-g-canal.uk for further details
Drone pictures on page 10 courtesy of Steve Wright
Swan photo on page 10 and the details courtesy of Monica Bayle
Photos of the Sailing4Disabled courtesy of Pete Bisson
Photo of the Trow (mud boat) courtesy of T. Higgins
Please see pages 26 and 29 for details of our events.
From the IWA website
IWA is deeply concerned about the threat to our waterways posed by funding cuts, with for example CRT’s financial situation being especially critical. Despite being recognised in the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan, the condition of the waterways continues to deteriorate while government funding is decreasing.
Canals and rivers are valuable assets which can contribute to the country’s economic recovery, help to mitigate the impacts of climate change and enrich the lives of local communities, as highlighted in our #WaterwaysforToday Report. Ongoing funding is, therefore, critical if we are not to only save the waterways for today, but for the future too.
History tells us that without boats travelling along them, waterways silt up and become dirty rubbish tips. Without proper maintenance, reservoirs, aqueducts, and embankments will deteriorate, putting communities at risk of water damage from a failing infrastructure. The added threat of climate change will only worsen the situation as severe flooding and breaches become more commonplace.
IWA is calling on national and local government to fund all waterways at a level that keeps them as major assets that can continue to contribute to the economy, people’s health and wellbeing, and coping with the climate crisis. IWA will:
Raise awareness of the threat through national, local, and social media
Petition to protect our waterways from the risks funding cuts will create
Ensure Members of Parliament and local politicians are fully aware of the benefits of the waterways and the threats to them
Arrange high profile events and activities including waterways festivals and towpath stalls
Be ready to work with government to offer knowledge and expertise and solutions to improve and maintain our waterways both now
Collaborate with communities and organisations that share our passion for the waterways to widen support for the #ProtectOurWaterways campaign
Continue to provide practical assistance in the maintenance and improvement of waterways
After all, the waterways of today would not exist without IWA who, over many years, ensured that they were saved and enhanced. Millions of hours of volunteer time and effort along with lottery funding have been invested in revitalising the waterway network. IWA will not let that network fall into disrepair again.
Our waterways benefit millions of people in the country, and it is essential that government continues to invest in them to ensure that these benefits can be maintained and increased.
The DEFRA offer of £400m over 10 years averages out as grant funding of £40m per year from 2028 - 2037, compared with the current £52.5m per year. At the level of spend on operating, maintaining and repairing waterways reported by CRT for 2021/22, IWA estimated that with an average grant reduction of £12.6m per year, the funding cuts would mean:
Being unable to do winter maintenance on 586 miles of waterway
Being unable to operate, maintain and repair 156 miles of waterway
That 50% of the spend on reservoirs will be unfunded.
It is estimated that 80,000 jobs are directly connected to Britain’s waterways, from canal side cafes to major housing, sporting and leisure developments, which collectively contribute £1.5 billion annually to the economy.
To join the campaign and help to #ProtectOurWaterways, visit our campaign page or contact protect@waterways.org.uk
The Somersetshire Coal Canal once stretched from Timsbury all the way to Dundas Aqueduct where it joined the Kennet and Avon. It carried coal from the pits (via tramways) up to Bath for further distribution. A southern branch from Midford to Radstock also existed but was short lived and replaced with a railway line.
The canal was very profitable in its time. It opened for business in 1805 and eventually closed in 1898 when the mines were worked out. The canal’s course is still very visible in the landscape today. The Midford Aqueduct was restored in 2002 and the remains of the lock flight at Combe Hay are also still evident. The Somersetshire Coal Canal Society carries out regular work parties at Paulton, Combe Hay and Midford to control vegetation and prevent further deterioration, with the eventual aim of restoring the canal to use. Both Paulton and Timsbury basins have water in, and the Dry Dock is believed to be the largest in the country on a narrow canal.
At the Paulton and Timsbury end of the canal, we are making good progress on the restoration of the abutment walls at Terminus Bridge. We currently have two retired stonemasons helping to rebuild the walls and the nearby sluice gate. The upper sections of the abutment walls have suffered significantly from frost damage. The damaged stonework is being removed and rebuilt. The coping stones weigh somewhere
between 300 – 400 kg! The sluice gate seals a stone-built culvert that leads from the canal to the Cam Brook. Its purpose is to drain the canal for maintenance and so replacing it is an essential step before the canal can be returned to water. The sluice gate had completely eroded over the years and will be replaced by a new frame and sluice gate very soon.
We are making good progress on the repairs to the bridge abutments and sluice gate and hope to have this work completed by the end of the calendar year. Once completed the Society intends to restore water to this length of canal and move onto the next section heading closer to Radford. There is a wide range of wildlife that lives in the canal and this work will only encourage it to flourish.
The current restoration work at Paulton has been funded by a generous grant from the Paulton Parish Council, using CIL funding, for which the society is extremely grateful. We so need your help to achieve our mission of restoring the canal to water though. There are a few vacant volunteer roles on the committee that would help to achieve more. We need some help with fundraising, a vice chairman and some more work party leaders. We would also greatly appreciate more volunteers at both the Paulton and Combe Hay work parties.
If you’d like to support us, but can’t help with the roles or work parties, please join as a society member for just £10 a year by visiting http:// www.coalcanal.org/ and click on ‘support us’ to become a member.
If you have Facebook, you can keep on top of the progress being made at https://www.facebook.com/CoalCanal/
Brian Sheppard was born in Pontypridd near the Glamorganshire Canal in which he became interested at an early age. He became an IWA member and had an absorbing interest in canals - in their history and engineering and in cruising widely over our waterways system. An engineer by profession, Brian and his family lived for many years in the Bridgend area and, latterly, after retirement, they moved to Llansawel, Carmarthenshire, with Brian retaining his waterways interests.
In January 2001, Brian died suddenly whilst abroad on holiday. A substantial sum of money, donated in lieu of flowers by many people attending the funeral, was given to the IWA South Wales Branch by the family. The Branch Committee decided it would be appropriate to commemorate Brian’s life and his contribution to the waterways cause by making an annual award which takes the form of an authentic model of a Glamorganshire Canal Boat designed and made by John Burden, who is an acknowledged expert in this field.
The Brian Sheppard Award is made annually by the South West & South Wales Region Committee and given to an individual member, or member of an affiliated organisation, for exceptional and meritorious services to the waterways cause.
I am delighted to say that for 2023 the Brian Sheppard Award has been awarded to Joyce Potts, IWA Gloucestershire & Herefordshire Branch member for her dedication as Editor of Sou’Wester. Therefore, as she is stepping down from the role, this is a very well deserved time to receive it! The circulation of the Sou’Wester is such an important way we stay in touch with our members in the region and the time it takes to put it together often goes unnoticed behind the scenes. The award is well deserved and my congratulations to Joyce on this.
The Rolle Canal & Northern Devon Waterways Society was formed in 2003 to research, conserve, publicise and restore surviving features of the inland waterways in North Devon. The current membership stands at about 100.
Built by James Green on behalf of Lord John Rolle, The Rolle Canal was opened in 1827 but in 1870 it closed having been acquired by the London & South Western Railway which built over much of the route. The canal was busy throughout its short life, mainly in connection with the production of lime, though pottery, timber and agricultural products were also important cargoes.
The Canal is 71⁄2 miles long, running from the River Torridge near Bideford to beyond Great Torrington. There were no locks other than the tidal lock at the start, but at Ridd there was a water powered inclined plane, the remains of which can still be seen, to lift the tub boats some 13 metres up from the river to the summit level.
Nearby is the iconic Beam Aqueduct, which is in excellent condition and now used as an access road to an adventure centre.
Map of the route courtesy of the Rolle Canal Society
It will never be possible to restore the canal to full navigation because much of it was built over by the railway but large parts of the route are now a public footpath/cycleway that can be enjoyed by everybody. The Cont on page 18/…
Society is committed both to the restoration and preservation of those heritage assets that still remain and to providing access and information for the enjoyment of the local communities and visitors from furtherafield.
Details of the route and the work of the Society can be found on the website: www.rollecanalsociety.org
Over the years restoration has taken place at various locations along the route and currently work is concentrated at each end of the Canal; at Sealock where the canal leaves the River Torridge and at the Terminus Basin at Rosemoor. Both sites supported a small range of heritage industries such as lime production and wool processing, the associated buildings being investigated and preserved where possible. All the restoration work is being carried out by volunteers from the Society. There are weekly working parties at both sites and more volunteers are always welcome.
The whole site known as Sealock extends from the lock itself through the middle and upper basins for some 625 metres southwards to the lime kilns at Annery. This short stretch of canal was a highly industrialised area during, and for some years after, the lifetime of the canal with a ship yard, pottery, brick and lime kilns. The Sealock (technically a tidal lock) allowed boats coming up the tidal river to tie up at all states of the tide; effectively a floating harbour like Bristol albeit on a smaller scale! Trans-shipment to
and from the small tub-boats used on the canal then took place. A huge amount of work has been carried out over the years to restore the lock and its surroundings to its current condition, only requiring new gates to become fully operational.
Photos: Sealock 1966 (page 18) courtesy of Barry Hughes and (above) largely restored courtesy of Adrian Wills
Sealock opens onto the Middle and Upper Loading Basins, the restoration of which is the centre of the current restoration effort supported by a generous grant from The Association of Industrial Archaeology (AIA). Here there was a substantial stone wall on the working wharf side and on the opposite bank the towpath which was constructed of rubble and rammed earth. The construction work is nearing completion at which point dredging will be carried out to give a water depth of 1 metre.
Photos: Sealock - middle basin now and work taking place courtesy of Adrian Willis. Impression on completion courtesy of Rolle Canal Society.
Editor’s Note: The final part of this article will be in issue 195.
Joyce Potts
It’s a bit late to say welcome to this 194th bumper edition of Sou’Wester as you’ve read most of it by now, just this piece, the Branch reports and, for the first time since the May issue of 2022, we have Forthcoming Events, to go. This is my final edition as we have a new Editor, in the form of Sandy Wright, a member of the IWA West Country Branch. Her contact details for items of interest for Sou’Wester 195 can be found on page 31.
I’m really proud to have been awarded the Brian Sheppard Award at the recent Regional committee meeting in Bristol, details of which were on page 16.
I’d like to take this opportunity to say “Thank you” to you, the readers, and all of the contributors to Sou’Wester for the past 8 years which I have been the Editor and to the Region Committee for all their help and support, it has been really appreciated.
I am sure that they and you will give Sandy the same support and may long she reign over Sou’Wester. We have been working together closely over the last couple of months so that she will be able to carry on.
From l - r: Tony
Pugh, Baz Juniper, Joyce Potts, Sandy
Wright, Andrew
Strawson, Hannah
Sterritt & Ray
Alexander Photo by Mike Potts
Branch Team I am delighted to report that since the Branch AGM took place last March we have gained two additional team members, Phil Reilly who has taken the Branch Secretary role off my shoulders and Sandy Wright who has taken on responsibility for the West Country Waterway Guides. Both Phil and Sandy have been made very welcome and are already getting involved in various issues over and above what their roles entail, which is good.
Sandy has just completed dealing with a number of updates to the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal Waterway Guides. If anyone would like a copy please either visit the Branch Website or contact Sandy (her email address is on page 23) who will be pleased to send you a copy.
Bridgwater Docks It has recently become general knowledge that the Government’s Towns Fund award of £4.2m for regenerating the Docks has been confirmed, although at the time of writing there has been no formal announcement. There are indications that a public consultation on the Docks is to be held in the next few months and we await details of this.
Events Members who are on email were circulated the poster for the events at Exeter Quay over the end of May bank holiday weekend. The good weather no doubt helped the weekend go extremely well, with crowds around both the Quay and Canal Basin throughout the day.
A second event is being held on the weekend of 23/24 September, this time at the Exeter Canal Basin. This will coincide with the proposed launch of the heritage class 1 smack Britannia, which is due to arrive by low-loader on Saturday, 23rd September and to be craned into the basin the next day, following which it will be subject to an 8-month internal Cont on page 22/...
…/cont from page 21 refit before leaving via the canal. Details of this can be found on pages 24 and 25.
The Branch team took the decision a while back to publish a book, the principal purpose of which is to celebrate everything that has been achieved on the Somerset and Mid Devon waterways over the last 50 years and to briefly look forward to the next 50 years. This will run to 16 pages and will include a map of the waterways, timeline of the achievements and many photographs. It will be circulated to members of the West Country Branch together with local councillors and many others. The target date for publication is September.
As chairman of the South Wales Branch I have attended several functions this quarter both on line and in person
The IWA South Wales Branch held their AGM at 2pm Saturday, 13th May, 2023 at the Fourteen Locks Canal Centre, Cwm Lane, Rogerstone, Newport NP10 9GN and via Zoom. The Committee were re-elected but the Branch Committee still require more hands-on support to survive.
The Regional Committee was held on Thursday, 13th July, 2023 at 13:30, in person aboard the MV Balmoral docked in Bristol Harbour, with lunch at the Watershed Cafe. It was great to meet in person instead of staring into a TV screen.
Other News A report is still awaited from National Resources Wales (NRW) before the repairs to the Aberdulais Aqueduct can be progressed. NRW are to complete an additional hydraulic modelling,
which will recommend a preferred option and will be available in September. We will see.
The single most important issue on the Tennant Canal is that it has no water supply, the owners will not invest in repairs, and actively prevent others from doing any work - the canal is deteriorating badly. The IWA has been asked by the Tennant Canal Association to consider how it can engage and support moving the Canal to Charitable status. We need to find ways to persuade the family to change their minds and restore the Aqueduct, lock and canal and allow navigation. On a more positive note, Newport City Council is to spend £1.9 million on restoring Lock 21 and the water supply to further up the Crumlin arm of the canal.
The Monmouthshire, Brecon & Abergavenny Canals Trust (MBACT) has been asked to provide support in building the modular canal gates. Further up the Crumlin of the arm canal, Caerphilly County Council are renewing the slipway at Pontywaun https://mbact.org.uk/2023/workstarts-on-rebuilding-the-slipway-at-pontywaun/ Boats and Helmsmen carrying passengers, (on non CRT canals ) have to be registered under the 1907 health amendment act with the local council. My boat master number in Caerphilly is 001
There has been a renewal of Community activities on South Wales Canals with boat trips on the Mon & Brec from Goytre Wharf, the Edith Elizabeth and the Lord Raglan. https://mbact.org.uk/events/categories/ boat-trip/
On the Swansea Canal, there are boating activities at https://www.swanseacanalsociety.com/events/categories/boats/ Pontardawe Road, Clydach. Swansea. SA6 5NS.
Something to watch this year is a new group called Save Newport Canals
https://www.facebook.com/photo/? fbid=10160398061420873&set=gm.960407191833337
We, as Members of the South Wales Branch of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), will assist any local organization that promotes the restoration and preservation of our navigable rivers and canals in Great Britain. cont on page 24/...
…/cont from page 23
To all Members, I ask you to be vigilant and report any incidents, planning applications on or near our canals and navigable waterways.
For up to date information on the local South Wales Canal activities - see: The Fourteen Locks Canal Centre
http://fourteenlocks.mbact.org.uk/
The Monmouthshire, Brecon & Abergavenny Canals Trust
http://www.mbact.org.uk for the boat trips, go to the website then click on “our boats”
The Neath & Tennant Canals Trust: http://www.neath-tennant-canals.org.uk/
The Swansea Canal Society http://www.swanseacanalsociety.com
The Swansea Bay Inland Waterways Partnership
Swansea Marina http://www.swanseamarina.org.uk/
The Torfaen Canal Volunteers Contact: Hugh Woodford 01663 862481 heatherhugh@hotmail.com
The group hold regular meetings.
The Cardiff Bay Harbour Authority http://www.cardiffharbour.com
The Steamboat Association of Great Britain
Exeter Redcoat tour of Historic Quay
In the Transit Shed: Premiere of “Onedin Line Redux” (Lottery funded event developed by Art Work Exeter to recreate the filming of the BBC TV series “The Onedin Line”, much of which happened at Exeter Quay
Sunday - Canal Basin and Piazza Terracina
Snark moves to canal basin
Re-launch and arrival in the basin of the fishing smack “Britannia” after a major 4-year restoration, hauled by Sea Cadets
Aargh! - musical pirates on “galleon” rollerblades!
Maritime Market
The Steamboat Association of Great Britain
Cannon firing by Trafalgar Gun Company
Historic Transport event in Piazza with contributions from Devon Crash Box Club, Winkleigh Transport Museum and Steam Traction Engines
Shanty singing from Mariners Away and Exmouth Shanty Crew
Exeter Red Coat tours
Children’s activities
The Liberty Sisters - 1940’s style close harmony singers
Burn The Curtain Theatre present, Captain Peacock and the Swan Boats of Exe
AGM of the South West Martime History Society + talks and lectures. (Custom House)
All weekend: Get Afloat tester sessions with Haven Banks Centre and Saddles & Paddles
And in the Custom House - “Parker’s Harbour” - 5 amazing drawings by archaeological illustrator Richard Parker showing the historical development of Exeter harbour over 5 centuries
Saturday, 30th September: Field trip to the Putnal Tunnel
A field trip to the eastern portal of the Putnal Tunnel and southern edge of Wyson Common to survey feeder and pilot channels, culverts as well as having a poke around for clues to other structures.
Meeting point: TBA 10.30am Directions: TBA
Thursday, 28th December: Christmas Walk. To be announced
Hopefully the sun will shine and we can walk off the indulgences of the Christmas holiday, (please note that this is usually a social walk and not a guided canal walk).
Meeting point: TBA 10.30am Directions: TBA
For more details of the walks, times and meeting points, please contact FoLC at: leominstercanal@gmail.com
3rd Thursday of every month
The Royal Oak Inn, Much Marcle, Herefordshire, HR8 2ND 7.30 for 8pm start Admission charge £2.00pp
Contact Janet Moult 01432 264366
21st September Stephen Ballard - Dick Skeet will tell us about the man behind the construction of the Hereford and Gloucester Canal. Plus, this year's Grand Holiday Draw.
19th October Speaker to be confirmed
16th November More Tales from South America by Harold Armitage.
30th SEPTEMBER 11.30am - 1.30pm
We need as many boats as possible, so please bring your boat along Fund Gloucester’s Waterways is a member of Fund Britain’s Waterways (FBW) action group.
Join Fund Gloucester’s Waterways in our campaign rally and cruise and help us to get the message across to government that increased funding for Britain’s waterways really matters.
Of course, Fund Gloucester’s Waterways is not just about boating; the risk to our waterways is equally important for all docks and towpath users. Please show your support for this campaign by coming along. As well as enjoying the varied boats attending, there will be an online presentation explaining the importance of the campaign. A link will be provided nearer the time, or via a QR code displayed at the event.
The date has been arranged for the last day of the Summer season to give boaters the only chance this year to express their deep concern on the proposed funding of Britain’s Waterways. Plans have still to be finalised but in brief, boats will gather on the Saturday from various locations along the Gloucester & Sharpness canal, and from the River Severn and gather at the Gloucester Docks Main Basin on Saturday morning. There will be no entry charge for boat but an application form must be completed. Can be found on page 28.
Boaters - Please complete the Boat Registration Form on page 28 to book your boat space and send this to info@fundgloswaterways.co.uk any queries, please email us here too.
Fund Gloucester’s Waterways (a member of the Fund Britain’s Waterways Action Group) has organised a campaign rally at Gloucester Docks on Saturday, 30th September.
Join the campaign rally and help us to get the message across to government that increased funding for Britain’s waterways really matters to us. Bringing your boat? - Then please complete the following form and return it to info@fundgloswateways.co.uk
FIRST NAME
CONTACT DETAILS
EMAIL ADDRESS
(required)
PHONE (required)
BOAT DETAILS
Boat Name
Type: N/B; W/B; Cruiser; Other (please state)
Length
Draft
Any requirements (eg accessible mooring)
Rivers Avon & Severn: Tidal navigation that is the responsibility of the Bristol Haven Conservancy, downstream of the second Severn crossing
Avon Navigation: Hanham to Avonmouth, including River Avon & Bristol Docks
Kennet & Avon Canal: Hanham Lock to Froxfield Bridge
North Wilts Canal
Somersetshire Coal Canal
Wilts & Berks Canal: Kennet & Avon Canal to County Boundary 1m West of Shrivenham
Gloucestershire and Herefordshire Branch
Coombe Hill Canal Gloucester & Sharpness Canal
Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal Leominster Canal
Lydney Canal
River Severn: from Mythe Bridge, Tewkesbury to a point on the tidal navigation which is the seaward extent of responsibility of the Gloucester Harbour Trustees, downstream of the Second Severn Crossing
Stroudwater Navigation Thames & Severn Canal
River Wye: Hay-on-Wye to Severn Estuary
South Wales Branch
Brecon & Abergavenny Canal Glamorganshire and Aberdare Canals
Monmouthshire Canal Neath & Tennant Canals
Swansea Canal River Usk
River Wye - Hay-on-Wye to source
West Country Branch
Bridgwater & Taunton Canal Bude Canal
Chard Canal Exeter Ship Canal
Grand Western Canal Liskeard & Looe Canal
North Somerset Waterways River Parrett
Rolle Canal Stover Canal
Tavistock Canal River Tone
Ray Alexander
rayalexander01@gmail.com
Tony Pugh
tony.pugh@waterways.org.uk
Phil Reilly
Tel. 07708 829293
phill_reilly@hotmail.com
Mike Slade
mdslade8@gmail.com
Hannah Sterritt
hannah.sterritt@waterways.org.uk
Andrew Strawson
andrew.strawson@waterways. org.uk
Sandy Wright
sandy.wright@waterways.org.uk
The next issue of Sou’Wester is due out in January, 2024. Please send all copy to the Editor at sandy.wright@waterways.org.uk by Tuesday, 1st December, 2023
The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of IWA. The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) is a non-profit distribution company limited by guarantee. Registered Office: Unit 16B, Chiltern Court, Asheridge Road, Chesham, Bucks, HP5 2PX. Tel. 01494 783453 Registered in England no. 612245. Registered as a Charity no 212343. www.waterways.org.uk
