Heartland

Associated Carriers boats had a similar livery- did they simply retain the BW livery? Comet is shown here descending Anderton

Whilst, it remains recent history, the launch of the Inland Marina Investment Guide by British Waterways in 2006 opened a path for marina investment. The BW launch was held at the St Pancras Cruising Club in March 2006 and guidelines were laid out for suggested new marinas across the UK network. That BW was keen to become involved and support such schemes was due to the rise in boating on the waterways and need to provide suitable moorings for craft as well as facilities and general services. It was a scheme that grew and with the Canal and River Trust taking over the former BW waterways in England & Wales, a now separate British Waterways Marinas Ltd, took over the running of a group of new marinas as well as arranging for the construction of more. Their website indicates they have 20 separate establishments, I can find 17 so far: Apsley Dickensons Quay, Grand Union Dickenson owned paper mills on the canal and river, that were served by narrowboats bringing coal Bath Bath, River Avon Cowroast Tring, Grand Union Canal Diglis Worcester & Birmingham Canal Wharves and basin built for the carrying trade soon after canal was opened (1815) Galgate Moorings and Basin beside Lancaster Canal Glasson Glasson Dock, Glasson Dock Branch, Lancaster Canal Hull Humber Dock, Hull, built 1807-1809 Kings Newark, River Trent Lemonroyd Aire & Calder Canal Portavon Keynsham, River Avon Packet Boat Cowley, Grand Junction Pennington Wharf Plank Lane, Leigh Branch, Leeds & Liverpool Under construction, Taylor Woodrow Poplar Dock London, River Thames Opened 1999 Priory River Ouse, Bedford Ripon Racecourse Ripon Canal Sawley River Trent White Bear Adlington, Leeds & Liverpool Canal From a history perspective it is a facet of how BW in later years looked to maximise revenue and certainly this aspect was initially achieved, although now, I suppose the benefits for CRT, Peel Ports and the Environment Agency are the increased numbers of boaters on the UK network.

I suppose they were part of the general BW program for modernisation of the waterways, I have mixed views myself on using them, but believe traditional paddle gear is in keeping with the image. Yet the range of previous paddle gear was diverse. Is it known who supplied the hydraulic gear. I recall that it may be on them.

Canal restoration societies have to start somewhere and amongst the most creditable success stories is that of the Chesterfield Canal whose progress continues and this is reflected by all the hard work done by those involved in the restoration. An early phase of this restoration employed a rather interesting craft, the NORWOOD PACKET. Is this boat still around?- This February 1982 image was taken by Kevin Gardiner (RCHS collection)

Yes, Camp Hill Top Lock has those moorings behind the fence and next to the facility block. If Garrison Locks are closed, I suppose the route via Digbeth is open where there is the 6 lock climb to Aston Junction after passing underneath the railway tracks, and also passing the heritage Proof House building. Then you have Farmers Bridge and at the top, Cambrian Wharf is still popular with the boaters. Further round by the ICC, mooring close to the Fiddle & Bone used to be an option, but since it has been adapted as gin palace, the stop is not the same, in my opinion. Also there one encounters the kamikaze cyclist, who make any walk along this stretch of the towpath difficult. Whilst the Flapper at Cambrian Wharf, is popular with the young and often has bands on there, it is also not far to walk to Broad Street where there are many more drinking establishments. For the real ale people the nearby Prince of Wales in Cambridge Street remains popular.

I suppose the Irwell Navigation belongs to Peel Ports, perhaps somebody can confirm. The old warehouses seen in the 1988 view have undergone some transformation now. I also suppose the building of the Chord railway may have an impact nearby. Yet mooring in this area. How practical is the lock up to the basin on the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal?

Our waterway network is composed of four types : (1) The navigation in use, be it canal or river (2) The navigation under restoration (3) Those waterways that have little or no hope of restoration (4) Those new projects where a navigation has not previously existed In the third case examples include the Grand Western Canal in Somerset, whose incline plane and boat lifts are worth a visit. The boat lifts were designed for tub boats that carried about 7 tons at a time and worked between Taunton and the present navigation. There was the Dorset & Somerset Canal, which was only partly finished. The Leominster Canal was another in this category, which was a working waterway for a section that was opened to Leominster and used for coal traffic for coal carried by boat from the Mamble Coalfield. There is still a group active in recording the remaining features of the features of this canal. Studying a researching such waterways continues and in the last Journal of the Railway & Canal Historical Society, David Slater has reported on the modern technique of LIDAR. The Enviroment Agency has been developing a use of this technique, which uses a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The use of this technique has been able to show that Southnet Tunnel never extended under the present A456 as has been speculated about, as the new procedure has shown that the ground is undisturbed for up to 100 ft there. Interpretation of the LIDAR data requires a visualising software package QGIS (Quantum Geographic Information Systems) and such information can down loaded (www.qgis,org) for certain subjects now on line. This of course included data on the Leominster, which has brought new insight into understanding this waterway. Copies of Mr Slater article are available from the RCHS

This craft does deserve a better comment as does my previous image on the Barnsley. Simply dismissing the Milton Creek wooden boat as one of many dumped in this coastal graveyard is perhaps not the best view. (1) With the Keel, there are different types, from the shape it should be possible to decide which category, it might fall into. It is quite likely that this and the other craft left there were associated with the carrying of coal from the various mines beside that canal. (2) With the craft on Milton Creek, this linked with the Swale and it is likely that it may have been a type of craft used on the Medway. With the visible blunt ends the implication is that it was used on inland navigation in addition to the coastal trade.

Some people tend to hide behind word meanings, for example. It is the words Invasive Species Control. A look on the Montgomery Canal restoration project will illustrate this. Not to say this is an admirable thing to do, but it is time consuming especially the search for newts. Whilst the volunteers give their time freely the CRT staff overseeing the operation, I assume are paid. It may be a cynical thing to state, it is in their interest to keep their workload high as it keeps them in a job. Another set of words- weed management and dredging- again a wonderful interpretation to ensure the diversity of plants on the waterway, yet too less control would result in the channel being blocked or weeds entagling boat propellors. Reducing dredging would also handicap navigation. Now, the Grantham is under restoration and hopefully some day boats will be able to pass through to Grantham itself, whatever the new terminus will prove to be. Grantham Canal Leicestershire Many species of breeding birds, water insects and rare aquatic plants. Invasive species control, weed management and dredging carried out by volunteers and contractors.

The above image was from the K Gardiner Collection RCHS. Another image is of a wooden boat at Milton Creek near Sittingbourne. This from Hugh Compton Slide Collection RCHS

Thank you Magnetman for the identification of the lock image. Again this is part of the RCHS Weaver Collection.

The concern for Nature is an important facet of the CRT spectrum, however, such concern should not prohibit boat movements on the canal or interfere with restoration projects, as it has. Whilst everything possible should be done to protect the environment, there are times when the working of nature changes that environment and a balanced approach should be adopted. Sadly there are those amongst the environmentlist community who demand the un-achievable. Concepts that lead to the canal infrastructure being destabled for the protection of plants, invertebrates, fish and animals needs to be carefully thought through in order to meet that balance. Costly features that enable such protection can prevent restoration or maintenance.

Well thank you Peter, that aids with captioning these Weaver images. Any idea of where they are in this next image?

I am saying working down (and yes there are certain practices when mooring for the night on rivers) but not sure as am trying to discover what they were doing. It would appear with two motors and butty's it was a worthwhile traffic. Thinking about access to the Thames, it is possible they came up from Brentford.

The accompanying image shows two pairs of motor and butty on the Thames, they look like Willow Wren, but is is the traffic that is of interest, they were working down the Thames, but is is known what was the purpose.