Stroudwater Navigation - when?

[RichM]

Hi,

Does anyone know when the Stroudwater navigation/canal will navigable between Saul Junction and Stroud?

When Googling it, I found lots of information about the history behind it, what they're doing and what they have done thus far, but nothing in terms of timelines and completion dates. I've also checked the Cotswold Canals Trust's website and found a map (linked below) containing what appeared to be useful information, but then I noticed it was published/uploaded in 2010, over half a decade ago...

http://www.cotswoldcanals.com/media/Cotswold%20Canals%20Map%202010.1.pdf

Any info would be appreciated

 

Cheers

 

Arm

[Tim Lewis]

The canal society have just put in a lottery money bid which if successful will mean that you will be able to boat to Stroud in the foreseeable future.

 

http://www.cotswoldcanals.net/phase_1b.php

 

Tim

Edited December 23, 2015 by Tim Lewis

[RichM]

The canal society have just put in a lottery money bid which if successful will mean that you will be able to boat to Stroud in the foreseeable future.

 

http://www.cotswoldcanals.net/phase_1b.php

 

Tim

Thanks Tim. I will have a look at that website. At a glance, it looks much more insightful than the tired looking official one!

 

Cheers

 

Arm

[Rob-M]

When we took a mooring at Saul two years ago we were told it would be 5 years, I think that was slightly optimistic.

[nikvah]

The answer is still 5 years.

[Laurie Booth]

The answer is still 5 years.

I've lived in Stroud for years and I am always told in would be ten years to complete.

[cuthound]

Well the Monty was one of the first restorations started, beginning in 1987, and that's still not finished!

[IanM]

Well the Monty was one of the first restorations started, beginning in 1987, and that's still not finished!

 

We've been banging away at the Stroudwater since the early seventies!

[cuthound]

We've been banging away at the Stroudwater since the early seventies!

My understanding is that it was the BW Act of 1987 that permitted restoration of any canal. Is this not so?

[RLWP]

The canal society have just put in a lottery money bid which if successful will mean that you will be able to boat to Stroud in the foreseeable future.

 

http://www.cotswoldcanals.net/phase_1b.php

 

Tim

 

Only for the 1B section - half way to Stroud "Phase 1B: Saul Junction (Gloucester & Sharpness Canal) to Ocean Railway Bridge, Stonehouse"

 

Richard

[IanM]

 

Only for the 1B section - half way to Stroud "Phase 1B: Saul Junction (Gloucester & Sharpness Canal) to Ocean Railway Bridge, Stonehouse"

 

Richard

 

But phase 1A will be complete next year which is the bit from Stonehouse to Stroud so in effect, once the 1A bit is done (whenever that happens) Stroud will be connected to the canal system again.

My understanding is that it was the BW Act of 1987 that permitted restoration of any canal. Is this not so?

 

I'm not sure, but restoration has certainly been going on an awful lot longer than that. It might be because the Stroudwater and Thames & Severn were never part of BW so probably fall outside any Act.

[RLWP]

 

But phase 1A will be complete next year which is the bit from Stonehouse to Stroud so in effect, once the 1A bit is done (whenever that happens) Stroud will be connected to the canal system again.

 

I'm not sure, but restoration has certainly been going on an awful lot longer than that. It might be because the Stroudwater and Thames & Severn were never part of BW so probably fall outside any Act.

 

Why isn't that being trumpeted in loud fonts on the front page of the website? Making a section of canal navigable is a major achievement!

 

Richard

[IanM]

 

Why isn't that being trumpeted in loud fonts on the front page of the website? Making a section of canal navigable is a major achievement!

 

Richard

 

You do make a very good point and one I have brought up with people in the past.

 

I think as it's coming to the end of the 1A scheme all the 'major' bits have been pretty much reported on with only a few projects left outstanding.

 

I have been thinking about starting a thread on the restoration and adding bits of news as and when they happen to get information out to a wider audience as the website is fairly limited in the fact that older content quickly gets bumped off the homepage when later announcements come in.

 

Edited to add: Just a bit of background, the reason for the separate 1A, 1B phases is that originally the Lottery bid was for a 'Phase 1' section from Saul to just beyond Stroud. However this bid was rejected but the HLF suggested splitting it into two with the first phase being the one which would benefit the community the most which is why the first part to be done is around the Stroud/Stonehouse area. Phase 1B mostly goes through fields and has a couple of large engineering hurdles to overcome.

Edited December 24, 2015 by IanM

[RLWP]

If you had asked me about your project, I would have said you'd done the isolated bit you got cash for and stopped. I hadn't realised how much more had been achieved

 

Well done!

 

Richard

[IanM]

The Cotswold Canals Trust do have a Flickr account where they upload pictures quite regularly but be warned, the photographer likes to upload every picture he takes so there are hundreds. Also there are no captions so it's all a bit confusing unless you use the Album view no matter how often I volunteer to batch-rename the whole lot.

 

https://flic.kr/ps/2uEtuA

[keble]

I agree with the comments about CCT's web site. I have mentioned this once or twice in the appropriate ear; to be told that it was in hand but the appearance is still rather dull.

I volunteer at Ham Mill lock where restoration is very close to completion, but a bank collapse will delay full opening. That's me in the photo on the right.

IanM, that's a great idea about starting a thread!

[john6767]

I have also looked at the CCT web site a few times to try and work out what has actually been achieved so far, and they certainly don't promote what has been achieved to date.

 

So is it actually fact that the funding they have put in for, should it be forthcoming, would connect up with the currently restored section. Presumably the funding bid will be dependent on achieving that restoration is a fixed time-scale, do we know what that is stated as being?

[IanM]

Phase 1B will indeed connect up with the 1A restored section.

 

This document gives a little more info link

 

The timescales seem to be a bit off but you get the idea.

Edited December 24, 2015 by IanM

[David Mack]

Why isn't that being trumpeted in loud fonts on the front page of the website? Making a section of canal navigable is a major achievement!

 

Richard

The same is true of some other restoration society websites. I have looked at a few over the years, and sometimes it is difficult to find basic stuff like:

• a brief history of the canal concerned
• a route map showing where it goes, which bits are restored or under restoration, proposed diversions etc.
• details of current initiatives
• information about events taking place in the near future that I might wish to support
• encouragement to join the society and details of membership etc.
• opportunities for volunteering

I know most groups rely on volunteer webmasters, who may lack skills in web design or in marketing/promotion/communications, but some groups do need to look at the view of their activities they present to outsiders - both interested enthusiasts like those of us here and the wider public.

Edited December 24, 2015 by David Mack

[john6767]

Phase 1B will indeed connect up with the 1A restored section.

 

This document gives a little more info link

 

The timescales seem to be a bit off but you get the idea.

Thanks for that. It looks like they are a year behind in the bid so those time-scales make it 5 to 6 years from now.

[churchward]

 

Why isn't that being trumpeted in loud fonts on the front page of the website? Making a section of canal navigable is a major achievement!

 

Richard

It may well be that the society for one reason or another lacks the funds or technical ability to update/maintain a website fully. Perhaps the person who used to do it has left and moved elsewhere.

 

They could possibly use the services of a volunteer?

Edited December 24, 2015 by churchward

[keble]

It may well be that the society for one reason or another lacks the funds or technical ability to update/maintain a website fully. Pehaps the person who sued to do it has left and moved elsewhere.

 

They could possibly use the services of a volunteer?

See my post #16

[churchward]

See my post #16

Still sounds like they could use a web techie volunteer to me.

[RichM]

So we've learned that they have put in a HLF bid to complete the next phase. However, they put in a bid back in 2012 and it was rejected. - So what's to suggest that the current bid will be accepted? Does anyone know what their plan B/contingency plan is?

Surely the HLT assessors will take a look at the CCT website, where they're likely to draw similar opinions expressed within this thread and surely this poses a risk of losing the bid in itself? Their website should play a very important role, especially if they want to win bids, attract media attention, encourage more volunteers, increase revenue from memberships and equally; to provide information, particularly key milestones as mentioned by others in this thread. - It is after all, the face of the project.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Armitage Shanks

[Sea Dog]

^^^ He may have a point.