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Worcestshire's latest waterways


Laurence Hogg

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I've heard that a certain contractor didn't remove the coffer dam from the middle of the tunnel correctly before it was opened. Hence the problems deep boats are experiencing in there is lessening with each one that passes through and erodes some of it away!

Its not the coffer dam entirly, I can assure you that its when someone draws the lock off behind you and drops the level, then the problems start. We spent 25 minutes stuck approx 25ft from the Eastern exit.

 

We're hoping to do this ring from Tewkesbury in the next couple of weeks, with too many people to sleep - anyone have any advice about overnight moorings with somewhere to pitch a tent nearby? (or possibly B&Bs?)

http://www.bedbreakfastavailability.co.uk/droitwich.php

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I was asking the locals at Hanbury the other day, and apart from the Droitwich basin there are no mooring spots apart from pin and gangplank at the side.

 

They also said that there was no guide that they knew of. There had been leaflets - A4 type - handed out at the opening w/e, but nothing to buy. Does the Droitwich Canal Trust have any plans for a guide does anyone know?

There was a pull out guide to the Droitwich Canals in last months Waterways World.

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We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to the designer on the M5 project 40 odd years ago, who calculated that the Body Brook needed a culvert under the motorway just over 7 feet wide and about 10 feet tall. This looks like such an unlikely dimension for a stream culvert, that I have long assumed that the designer responsible was a closet canal enthusiast!

 

David

Boaters can give credit to my son Ian for the M5 Culvert dimensions. When the M5 was being widened and salt subsidence repaired Ian had just joined Wychavons Engineering dept from school.He saw the drawing for the proposed Body Brook culvert as an Armco round tube with no hope of navigation and informed me. I arranged a meeting with Mr Thomson Chief Engineer Worcs. County Council and Nick Grazebrook the Trusts Secretary. We explained our plans for restoring the Junction canal and asked for a concrete culvert with dimensions to pass Canal boats.

Mt Thompson explained the cost restrictions for a proper tunnel and we reluctantly agreed to minimum dimensions. A few weeks later Ian saw the finalised drawing which had a bend leading to Bodybrook.I telephoned Mr Thompson and explained although some of our boats were like bananas we now had straight steel ones. He went off to study the drawing and came back saying he had instructed the tunnel be straightened. So perhaps this should be called IANS TUNNEL!as at least restoration has been possible.

 

I think the locked gate is the result of a boundary dispute with the owner of the lock cottage. There also seems to be an issue with someone mooring their day boat on the lock mooring on the last lock before Droitwich, apparently he has always moored it there and refuses to move. I think the bridge referred to is the M5 crossing, no depth gauge for the A449 crossing.

Great weekend though and many congratulations to all concerned.

The cottage owner has no right to lock the gate as his deeds clearly show Droitwich owns the Lock and both banks Fortunately the 1939 Act of Abandonement required the water channel to be maintained by Droitwich Council.The Canals Trust has always advised Lock Cottage owners and told them to stop discharging their sewage into the Lock.

Edited by Max Sinclair
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Boaters can give credit to my son Ian for the M5 Culvert dimensions. When the M5 was being widened and salt subsidence repaired Ian had just joined Wychavons Engineering dept from school.He saw the drawing for the proposed Body Brook culvert as an Armco round tube with no hope of navigation and informed me. I arranged a meeting with Mr Thomson Chief Engineer Worcs. County Council and Nick Grazebrook the Trusts Secretary. We explained our plans for restoring the Junction canal and asked for a concrete culvert with dimensions to pass Canal boats.

Mt Thompson explained the cost restrictions for a proper tunnel and we reluctantly agreed to minimum dimensions. A few weeks later Ian saw the finalised drawing which had a bend leading to Bodybrook.I telephoned Mr Thompson and explained although some of our boats were like bananas we now had straight steel ones. He went off to study the drawing and came back saying he had instructed the tunnel be straightened. So perhaps this should be called IANS TUNNEL!as at least restoration has been possible.

 

 

The cottage owner has no right to lock the gate as his deeds clearly show Droitwich owns the Lock and both banks Fortunately the 1939 Act of Abandonement required the water channel to be maintained by Droitwich Council.The Canals Trust has always advised Lock Cottage owners and told them to stop discharging their sewage into the Lock.

Many thanks to both you and your son for all your work.

Sue

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Its not the coffer dam entirly, I can assure you that its when someone draws the lock off behind you and drops the level, then the problems start. We spent 25 minutes stuck approx 25ft from the Eastern exit.

 

 

http://www.bedbreakfastavailability.co.uk/droitwich.php

 

Laurence, I don't like to pull you up, you are very well respected in the waterway movement, but

 

The link you post does not list one single B and B in Droitwich, some are as far away as Kidderminster and...

 

The M5 tunnel has a level concrete floor, your experience would suggest an obstruction on the floor. The ambient waterflow way exceeds the demands of lock 7, that's why the canal base flow is piped to the barge canal and does not enter the Salwarpe

 

Boaters can give credit to my son Ian for the M5 Culvert dimensions. When the M5 was being widened and salt subsidence repaired Ian had just joined Wychavons Engineering dept from school.He saw the drawing for the proposed Body Brook culvert as an Armco round tube with no hope of navigation and informed me. I arranged a meeting with Mr Thomson Chief Engineer Worcs. County Council and Nick Grazebrook the Trusts Secretary. We explained our plans for restoring the Junction canal and asked for a concrete culvert with dimensions to pass Canal boats.

Mt Thompson explained the cost restrictions for a proper tunnel and we reluctantly agreed to minimum dimensions. A few weeks later Ian saw the finalised drawing which had a bend leading to Bodybrook.I telephoned Mr Thompson and explained although some of our boats were like bananas we now had straight steel ones. He went off to study the drawing and came back saying he had instructed the tunnel be straightened. So perhaps this should be called IANS TUNNEL!as at least restoration has been possible.

 

 

Max and Ian, a good job well done I think. It's one of those tales that can now come out.

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i have just seen elsewhere that there is a stoppage at Diglis plus a shutdown of the droitwich during Sept so anyone thinking of visiting would be advised to check the details beforehand.

 

The stoppage at Diglis is the river locks, below Worcester, so it won't affect the Worc & Birm canal entrance; dispite the various stories on Narrowboatworld! The only people affected are those navigating between Worcester and Tewksbury.

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Laurence, I don't like to pull you up, you are very well respected in the waterway movement, but

 

The link you post does not list one single B and B in Droitwich, some are as far away as Kidderminster and...

 

The M5 tunnel has a level concrete floor, your experience would suggest an obstruction on the floor. The ambient waterflow way exceeds the demands of lock 7, that's why the canal base flow is piped to the barge canal and does not enter the Salwarpe

 

 

 

Max and Ian, a good job well done I think. It's one of those tales that can now come out.

There is another and ecological reason for the piping. The Salwarpe is saline and the canal is not, so mixing is thereby minimised. Species in the river such as herring, oarweed and bladder-wrack are thus not threatened.

 

Last week we took a loaded BW mud-hopper and tug (70 ft total) through the Sinclair Tunnel with no difficulty. There is now an air-draught indicator at both ends.

Edited by Giggetty
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  • 1 month later...

There is another and ecological reason for the piping. The Salwarpe is saline and the canal is not, so mixing is thereby minimised. Species in the river such as herring, oarweed and bladder-wrack are thus not threatened.

 

Last week we took a loaded BW mud-hopper and tug (70 ft total) through the Sinclair Tunnel with no difficulty. There is now an air-draught indicator at both ends.

 

Just come back from doing the 'Droitwich Ring' (nothing to do with iffy curries!) last week. We had no troubles with water depth in the tunnel, but another boat who went through the day after did have to 'self-dredge' their way through by their report.

 

I would also say it is fair to warn others that the water level on this section is variable, so both water & air draught are going to vary. I suspect that at higher water levels (and the spill weir just to the west of the tunnel had a good 3-4" showing spare when we went through) some boats just wont fit through.

 

We enjoyed the Severn to Droitwich stretch but were underwhelmed by the Droitwich to Hanbury leg. Still, rather it was open than not, so well done all!

 

Callum

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