Coventry Canal- Detritus

[Ex-Member]

Set off last Friday for a two month trip heading towards Stafford initially (as booked on an RCR Course next weekend)  but today decided to branch off and visit Coventry.  Whilst we haven't had the boat long we have done a fair bit of cruising and I have to say I have never seen so much rubbish in a canal before. There is the ubiquitous foliage and tree trunks but, if they do introduce a 'return fee' on plastic bottles you could make a fortune. There was a section of a garden shed, a baby stroller (not sure if the occupant was still in it), bags of rubbish, furniture, at least two mattresses, a huge '2 for 1 Pub Meals' sign, wrought iron railings, a TV, loads of plastic boxes, toys, balls, containers etc even a dead dog!!! (If you have lost a small black and white Jack Russel type)  and quite a few things which were obviously from Canal Boats e.g. oil containers and blue toilet liquid bottles.    There  were a lot of houses whose gardens ran down to the canal and the amount of rubbish piled up and overflowing was dreadful.  Who are these pigs who do this? We got snagged up but fortunately it was only plastic, though it took a good 20mins to clear it, and not pieces of metal. When we left our overnight moorings another boat left before us set off and just tied a few plastic bags filled with rubbish onto the 'dog bin' pole. I was going to say something but both he and his boat looked as rough as a B's A and he was built like a BS so I didn't.  Now I feel guilty not doing so.........hence the rant.  I am by no means perfect but it is a sad state of affairs.......

[Ray T]

See here: 

 

http://canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/76366-coventry-canal-trail-opens-officially/#comment-1576207

 

Those that care are, unfortunately, fighting a loosing battle with the locals. I would like to know how one educates them to look upon the canal as an asset instead of a dumping ground? The canal goes through some "interesting" areas of the City.

 

Yours a "Coventry Kid."

Edited April 29, 2017 by Ray T

[OldGoat]

I wonder what makes the Coventry special (in terms of rubbish tipping). I (as a southerner) would expect Birmingham to be worse - but it isn't.

Maybe because there's little traffic - as on the Slough arm - that locals feel the urge to fill-it-in.

The towpath is mostly in good to very good condition and visually not as dire as some of the less cruised canals.

Coventry is well worth a visit, pleasant and surprisingly quiet in the basin and the hire base accommodating with letting you use their moorings in the week. The pumpout works as well!

Once you've walked over the bridge, the centre is OK - well laid out shopping centre, great transport museum and the contrast between Basil Spence's monolith against the ruins of St. Michael's cathedral is 'interesting' (The former is better inside and his use of stained glass bricks take some getting used to - reminds me of out local University which he designed.

(please) go for it!

 

[Alan de Enfield]

2 hours ago, Numpty said:

Set off last Friday for a two month trip heading towards Stafford initially (as booked on an RCR Course next weekend)  but today decided to branch off and visit Coventry.  Whilst we haven't had the boat long we have done a fair bit of cruising and I have to say I have never seen so much rubbish in a canal before. There is the ubiquitous foliage and tree trunks but, if they do introduce a 'return fee' on plastic bottles you could make a fortune. There was a section of a garden shed, a baby stroller (not sure if the occupant was still in it), bags of rubbish, furniture, at least two mattresses, a huge '2 for 1 Pub Meals' sign, wrought iron railings, a TV, loads of plastic boxes, toys, balls, containers etc even a dead dog!!! (If you have lost a small black and white Jack Russel type)  and quite a few things which were obviously from Canal Boats e.g. oil containers and blue toilet liquid bottles.    There  were a lot of houses whose gardens ran down to the canal and the amount of rubbish piled up and overflowing was dreadful.  Who are these pigs who do this? We got snagged up but fortunately it was only plastic, though it took a good 20mins to clear it, and not pieces of metal. When we left our overnight moorings another boat left before us set off and just tied a few plastic bags filled with rubbish onto the 'dog bin' pole. I was going to say something but both he and his boat looked as rough as a B's A and he was built like a BS so I didn't.  Now I feel guilty not doing so.........hence the rant.  I am by no means perfect but it is a sad state of affairs.......

It is now some years ago that we ventured into Coventry - we found exactly as you are finding now.

To make matters even  worse the basin seemed to be the 'dog poo' centre of the universe - obviously a favourite 'exercise area' for the locals - we have never bothered to venture back.

 

There are enough 'nice' areas to visit without having to go to places such as Coventry.

[zenataomm]

Imagine what it would be like if it weren't for the volunteers of The Coventry Canal Society and Panther?

[url=http://covcanalsoc.org.uk/?page_id=68]Clearance Days[/url]

On Facebook too

 

Edited April 29, 2017 by zenataomm

[Sea Dog]

We were chatting with the CRT bloke based at Delph last week. He'd had a report of a sofa in the Dudley canal and was asking if we'd seen it, which we had. I asked whether they would prefer such sitings to be phoned in and he said they absolutely would because they do act on these reports and a boater can give a pretty close location by navigation features (adjacent bridge numbers, lock numbers, etc) when they may otherwise be on a wild goose chase. With this in mind I phoned in a couple of full wheelie bins floating in the W&B earlier this week (no prizes for guessing where if you're familiar with the stretch just below Worcester Warriors!), which were beginning to discharge their contents across the canal - unsightly and a threat to wildlife. The CRT operator was both grateful and, when she was unable to connect me to the right crew, insistent that she would get the message through.

[Lily Rose]

The few times we've been at Hawkesbury Junction I´ve fancied doing that detour but its reputation has put me off. Last time we were at HJ, a couple of weeks ago, I walked the 2 miles down to Tesco and was very pleasantly surprised by the state of the canal. Only at the bridge by Tesco did I see any significant rubbish and that was only small floating stuff like bottles, no worse than we´d seen on the last mile or so of the Oxford. I was almost tempted to do the detour but decided against it on the basis that perhaps it gets a lot worse in the last 3 miles.

From the original post it sounds like it does so I´ll continue to resist.

[Ange]

It's a great shame because Coventry is well worth a visit - particularly the transport museum which is the best I've ever visited.

The first couple of times we went there it was indeed dreadful, but we were pleasantly surprised the last time. It's a pity to hear that it's declined again. The Coventry Canal Society do sterling work but they're fighting a losing battle against locals who have no respect for the canal and just use it as a dumping ground.

 

[Sea Dog]

6 hours ago, Numpty said:

Whilst we haven't had the boat long...

No, but we do remember your deliberations at the time of purchase!  How did it all work out? Are you pleased with the boat? Hope so, and it certainly sounds like you're using it!

[ditchcrawler]

So do we not go to places because there is somewhere prettier and let places like the Coventry arm which is still easy get like the Chemical Arm of Ridgeacre canal on the BCN  

[WotEver]

10 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

So do we not go to places because there is somewhere prettier and let places like the Coventry arm which is still easy get like the Chemical Arm of Ridgeacre canal on the BCN  

That won't happen for the foreseeable because of Valley Cruises having their base in the basin. All their boats must travel along that section. 

[Alan de Enfield]

40 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

So do we not go to places because there is somewhere prettier and let places like the Coventry arm which is still easy get like the Chemical Arm of Ridgeacre canal on the BCN

We can all make our own choices in life - for me I can do without the 'complications' and prefer the easy life.

It is for this reason that we have now also got a 23 foot beam blue-water cruising catamaran. Just 'up and off' & the world is your oyster.

Our 'other boat' will also not fit the canals (being 14 foot beam and a draft of 4' 6") so its goodbye to 'ditchcrawling' and hello Rivers, Estuaries and coastal cruising.

[Ex-Member]

52 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

No, but we do remember your deliberations at the time of purchase!  How did it all work out? Are you pleased with the boat? Hope so, and it certainly sounds like you're using it!

Yes thanks, Thanks to the previous owners, who commissioned it, it is really good condition and we have no regrets. We have repainted the roof and it is booked in for blacking in July so it will brilliant after that.   We are lucky in that we can use it whenever we want to for as long as we want so at the first sign of good weather, off we go!!!

[Sea Dog]

41 minutes ago, Numpty said:

Yes thanks, Thanks to the previous owners, who commissioned it, it is really good condition and we have no regrets. We have repainted the roof and it is booked in for blacking in July so it will brilliant after that.   We are lucky in that we can use it whenever we want to for as long as we want so at the first sign of good weather, off we go!!!

Glad to hear it! Enjoy! 

[D. W. Walker]

We visited the Coventry Basin a while back, we were the only boat seen on this part of the canal, which is a shame, because Coventry is well worth a visit, and the basin is a good place to moor as it is pleasant and fairly secure, see pic, unlike the rest which is a bit "colourful". The bronze statue is of James Brindley. There was a lot of rubbish in the canal, as described above. However, both inbound and outbound we got rubbish entangled around the prop, which was unpleasant to remove in such a dirty canal. Around bridge 3 seems to be the worst area.

However, if we don't use these "less travelled" parts of the network, they will only get worse not better - use it or lose it!

In terms of dog poo, there was a lot - we have a dog (see pic) and always clean up after her. However, there is no point providing poo bins if the local council don't bother emptying them!

[Dave Payne]

heading down tomorrow, I like to go down a couple of times a year, just to do my bit and keep boats moving down the five and half.

 

[Ex-Member]

We are moored in the basin and no complaints. Coventry itself is a mixture of historic buildings, St Mary's Guild Hall is stunning (free entrance and they let dogs in!!) and the ubiquitous shopping 'malls' but the centre is actually very clean and tidy, as were the towpaths along the canal, it is just the amount of rubbish actually in the canal which is impossible to avoid. When we moored last night I checked the weed hatch and the prop was again snagged, mainly with plastic bags, but there was also a certain item of ladies clothing which took more effort to untwine

[Dave Payne]

only managed to get half way down today as ran out time as had to be at ansty tonight, didnt think the half I did was that bad, to be fair though I know the second half is usually worse, more so near the hungry horse pub.

biggest annoyance today though was boats being dumped on the water point at hawkesbury and ansty!

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, Dave Payne said:

 

biggest annoyance today though was boats being dumped on the water point at hawkesbury and ansty!

You mean moored with no-one aboard? Did you consider untying them and shifting them off the wp? Hard to think that wouldn't be acceptable. 

[WotEver]

2 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

You mean moored with no-one aboard? Did you consider untying them and shifting them off the wp? Hard to think that wouldn't be acceptable. 

I've seen it many times at Hawkesbury and with there being nowhere to shift them TO, boats sometimes breast up to them to access the tap. 

[Dave Payne]

On 2017-4-30 at 22:52, Sea Dog said:

You mean moored with no-one aboard? Did you consider untying them and shifting them off the wp? Hard to think that wouldn't be acceptable. 

The one at Ansty you cant move it, unless you walk it all the way back to the visitor moorings, which is a bit far, might drop CRT a mail as its taking the p**s where they have left it.

The two at hawkesbury to be fair are not blocking the tap, but only space for one boat really, they are not on the main taps but on the single tap after the junction heading into Coventry.

[Sea Dog]

2 minutes ago, Dave Payne said:

The one at Ansty you cant move it, unless you walk it all the way back to the visitor moorings, which is a bit far, might drop CRT a mail as its taking the p**s where they have left it.

The two at hawkesbury to be fair are not blocking the tap, but only space for one boat really, they are not on the main taps but on the single tap after the junction heading into Coventry.

Maybe a hose pipe into the body of the boat will encourage them not to be so cavalier about mooring on a water point in future! I wouldn't, of course, but one can fantasise!

[OldGoat]

8 minutes ago, Dave Payne said:

The one at Ansty you cant move it, unless you walk it all the way back to the visitor moorings, which is a bit far, might drop CRT a mail as its taking the p**s where they have left it.

The two at hawkesbury to be fair are not blocking the tap, but only space for one boat really, they are not on the main taps but on the single tap after the junction heading into Coventry.

It's still a tap - if I were on the Coventry and going down in to the city I might want to use it so I'd be 'upset' . Actually  that happened to us two years ago - so we 'struggled down into the basin and used the taps there.

[cheshire~rose]

On 4/29/2017 at 20:40, D. W. Walker said:

We visited the Coventry Basin a while back, we were the only boat seen on this part of the canal, which is a shame, because Coventry is well worth a visit, and the basin is a good place to moor as it is pleasant and fairly secure, see pic, unlike the rest which is a bit "colourful". The bronze statue is of James Brindley. There was a lot of rubbish in the canal, as described above. However, both inbound and outbound we got rubbish entangled around the prop, which was unpleasant to remove in such a dirty canal. Around bridge 3 seems to be the worst area.

However, if we don't use these "less travelled" parts of the network, they will only get worse not better - use it or lose it!

In terms of dog poo, there was a lot - we have a dog (see pic) and always clean up after her. However, there is no point providing poo bins if the local council don't bother emptying them!

I used to be a much more regular visitor than I am now and while I remember there being quite a bit of rubbish on that last section into the basin I do not think it is much different to any other canal that goes through a densely populated and fairly poor urban area. (it is not always the poorer areas either!)

What surprises me is that there were no other boats seen? Where were the hire fleet and day boats? Where was Panther? Panther does a regular canal clean up trip - maybe a few local folks ought to get involved and help get it cleaned up? 

[D. W. Walker]

Nope , never saw a soul! And as you can see, at the basin we had the entire place to ourselves - along with Mr Brindley!