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| Pennine Waterways Newsletters 91 - |
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ P e n n i n e W a t e r w a y s N e w s l e t t e r # 9 1 J a n u a r y 4 t h 2 0 0 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to the latest e-mail newsletter from Pennine Waterways! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Locks and Quays Those of you who live in the Granada Television area, or who have access to Sky TV, may be interested to hear of a new series of the TV series "Locks and Quays", which starts tonight (4th January). This second series of ten programmes features Fred Talbot on a journey by narrowboat from Bugsworth Basin, by way of the Peak Forest, Ashton and Rochdale Canals to Hebden Bridge. Inserts featuring other canals, people or places of interest will appear in each programme. These include items about the Huddersfield Narrow and Hollinwood Branch Canals. The programmes are on ITV (Granada) at 7.30 pm on Thursdays. The makers, Centini Television, are hoping to make a DVD of the series available later. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Honour for Barry! One of Britain's best-known lock-keepers has been acknowledged in the New Year's Honours List for 2007. Barry Whitelock, keeper for more than 20 years of the famous Bingley 5-Rise Locks, on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, is to receive an M.B.E.! See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/leedsliverpool01.htm#barry for more details. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bridgewater Boat Fire A fierce fire has destroyed a narrowboat moored at Patricroft (Eccles) on the Bridgewater Canal. The fire, aboard the "Jack Daniels", broke out on Thursday (28th December). See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/roundup.htm#boatfire for more details and dramatic photos of the fire. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Campaign against the DEFRA cuts The Government has confirmed that funding for British Waterways in England and Wales is to be £55.5 million, rather than the original budget of £62.5 million, a shortfall of £7 million. This news was issued in a low-key announcement on the afternoon of the last working day before Christmas. Another case of the Government burying bad news? Already many maintenance schemes planned for this Winter have been scrapped. These cutbacks increase the risk of further failures of lock gates, embankments, etc. The Inland Waterways Association's John Fletcher commented "Clearly the Government is not proud of this settlement." He encourages people to write further letters to their MPs. (http://www.writetothem.com) The previous PW newsletter reported that protests were to take place at various locations at the end of November. Photos and reports of the protests at Castlefield (Manchester) and Bugsworth Basin (Peak Forest) appeared here: www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/news01.htm The next planned event protesting at the funding cutback to British Waterways and the Environment Agency will take place in London on 16th January and will include a floating protest on the River Thames outside Parliament. If you have not already added your name to the Online Petition to the Prime Minister, I would encourage you to do so now, as it is only open for a few more weeks. There are currently nearly 4000 names on the petition. Please go to http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/SaveOurWaterways/ to add yours! Visit www.saveourwaterways.org.uk for the background to the present situation, for the latest news and for information on what you can do to help, including advice on contacting your MP. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Further Problems at Marple Any boaters who were hoping to get through Marple Locks on the Peak Forest Canal over the Christmas break, when the planned waterway stoppages were suspended, will have had their plans thwarted. On 8th December, investigations at Lock 15 at Marple found subsidence and extensive voids in the ground adjacent to the lock wall . Initially it was hoped that the lock could be repaired and re-opened in time for Christmas, when there were no other works in the area, allowing boats to move freely. However, the work needed was quite extensive and the lock chamber was felt to be unstable, so the whole flight remained closed. Due the scope of the works listed building consent will be also required. Due to the 8 week time constraint on obtaining the listed consent, the on-site works will commence during the planned winter stoppage on the Marple Flight during February 2007. These works are due to be completed by 18th March 2007 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't forget that you can receive notification of news as soon as it appears on Pennine Waterways website by using the RSS news feed service. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/rss.htm for details of how to do this. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Previous newsletters can be viewed in an archive: www.penninewaterways.co.uk/pw-list If you wish to change the address to which newsletters are sent, please visit that page, cancel your old address, then join again with your new one. |
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ P e n n i n e W a t e r w a y s N e w s l e t t e r # 9 2 M a y 1 2 t h 2 0 0 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to the latest e-mail newsletter from Pennine Waterways! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My apologies for a long gap since the previous newsletter! I have been away boating in Ireland for a while and I have been extremely busy here since I got back. Some of the things mentioned are not new news but I include them for the benefit of readers here or overseas who may not have other ways of keeping up to date! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liverpool Canal Link Work is now well under way on the construction of Liverpool's Canal Link between Stanley Dock and Albert Dock. The link will extend the Leeds and Liverpool Canal through the former docks area and past the Pier Head to one of the city's most popular tourist venues. Most of the area between Princes Dock and Canning Dock is now a construction site. In addition to the canal link, the new Museum of Liverpool and a Cruise Liner Terminal are also being built. The excavation has unearthed some relics of Liverpool's past, including a Victorian sewer, a 250-year-old river wall, ornate stones from 1673 from Liverpool's old Town Hall, and remnants of Manchester Dock and Chester Basin. Two new pages of photos have been added to the web site showing work on the Liverpool Canal Link. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/ll/liverpool-link11.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Continuation of Rochdale's Tale of Woe The catalogue of problems for the Rochdale Canal continues, I'm afraid. There was a planned stoppage over the winter for the construction of a new farm access bridge at Trub, near Castleton, to replace the temporary bridge and provide better access to the farmland. Shortly before the canal was scheduled to re-open, an "incident" occurred just below the new Lock 53, to the south of the M62 tunnel. A section of bank was "vandalised" -deliberately cut through - allowing water to escape. This was at a point where the canal is retained by a fairly narrow bank, with the field sloping downwards beyond. The water level dropped by more than a foot. British Waterways carried out temporary repairs and obtained a Court injunction against certain individuals prohibiting them from causing harm to the waterway. Arrangements were made to allow boaters through this stretch within restricted hours. However, in April, the bank was damaged again, with the repair being destroyed. British Waterways decided to prevent recurrences by sinking steel piling along this stretch, working from a boat, but had to wait for consent from Natural England, as the area is within a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest. Consent has now been given and work will start shortly. Unbelievably a further act of destruction has taken place, with all four balance beams of Lock 53 being sawn off. Many boaters have had their holiday plans ruined by these actions and, with the funding cutbacks, BW can ill afford the unexpected costs involved. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/rochdale01.htm#castleton3 for photos and background. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Huddersfield Canal Lock Gates From a lock with its beams sawn off to a lock that has got its beams back! Lock 2w of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Ashton has once again got balance beams on its tail gates! When the canal was restored, a widened road left no room for traditional balance beams, so a hydraulic system was installed. Boaters will be relieved to know that the slow and heavy hydraulic gate and paddle mechanisms have been consigned to history! See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/huddersfield01.htm#lock2w for photo. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peak Forest and Macclesfield Canals Major repair work at Marple, on the Macclesfield and Peak Forest Canals has now been completed and the canals re-opened. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/news58.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't forget that you can receive notification of news as soon as it appears on Pennine Waterways website by using the RSS news feed service. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/rss.htm for details of how to do this. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Previous newsletters can be viewed in an archive: www.penninewaterways.co.uk/pw-list If you wish to change the address to which newsletters are sent, please visit that page, cancel your old address, then join again with your new one. |
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ P e n n i n e W a t e r w a y s N e w s l e t t e r # 9 3 J u n e 1 9 t h 2 0 0 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to the latest e-mail newsletter from Pennine Waterways! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rochdale Canal Damage You may recall reading of the deliberate damage that had been done to the Rochdale Canal in the vicinity of the M62 crossing, near Castleton. This included the bank being dug through, letting water out, and the balance beams of the nearby lock being sawn off. It was not possible to say too much about this, as a court case was pending. However, a local farmer has now been convicted of breaching an earlier injunction, and has been given a suspended prison sentence. It is understood that another court case is imminent relating to a different charge. British Waterways has issued a statement on the matter. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/rochdale01.htm#castleton5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ashton Canal A moment's inattention led to the Ashton Canal being closed for three days, after a boat lifted a gate out of its fixings. It is believed the bow of the boat became stuck between the gate and the balance beam as the boat rose in the lock. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/ashton01.htm#june07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Horse Boat to Liverpool The historic boat "Maria" was horse drawn to Liverpool to co-incide with the World Canals Conference. The journey from near Ashton under Lyne was done in stages. "Maria" was towed by Queenie and crewed by members of the Horseboating Society. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/leedsliverpool01.htm#horsebo at2 Further photos can be seen in the Gallery section of the Horseboating Society website www.horseboating.org.uk "Maria" has now started back on her return journey. Dates and places can be found on the Horseboating Society website. A large number of other boats also made the journey to Liverpool, many of them venturing out through Langton Lock and onto the Mersey to reach the South Docks. This is the last time that an organised flotilla will make this journey, as the Liverpool Canal Link will open next year, providing a direct route from Stanley Dock to Albert Dock, via the Pier Head. (See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/liverpoollink.htm#may07) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Huddersfield Narrow Canal To mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Telford, a plaque was unveiled at Standedge Tunnel by James Sutherland, who had travelled through the tunnel aboard Ailsa Craig in 1948. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/huddersfield01.htm#plaque ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't forget that you can usually receive notification of news as soon as it appears on Pennine Waterways website by using the RSS news feed service. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/rss.htm for details of how to do this. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ P e n n i n e W a t e r w a y s N e w s l e t t e r # 9 4 S e p t e m b e r 3 r d 2 0 0 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to the latest e-mail newsletter from Pennine Waterways! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the first Newsletter for a while because I have been away boating in Ireland for a few weeks and also because the mailing list has had to change to a new server. Because of the anti-spam precautions of the new server providers, an automated message was sent out inviting all subscribers to "confirm" their subscription to the Newsletter. This sounded rather impersonal and had only a limited response. I then sent out a message myself, in my own words, and more of you responded by confirming your subscription. Of those email addresses that have not been confirmed, a lot will have been obsolete addresses. I have waited until a large number of subscribers have responded before sending out this Newsletter. If you change your email address, please visit the link at the end of each Newsletter, where you can add your new address and cancel your old one. This will prevent a future accumulation of obsolete addresses! Most of the items on this Newsletter are no longer news, but may be new to some of you, and are included as summary of what has been happening. There is also news of a new section of Pennine Waterways! Read on.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ashton Canal In July, a second act of carelessness by a boater closed the Ashton canal once again - this time for nearly three weeks. The tail gates of Lock 10 in Clayton were so badly damaged by a boat impact that they had to be taken away to Stanley Ferry for repairs. Lock 10 is the deepest narrow lock in the country (see below) so the gates are pretty tall! See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/ashton01.htm#july07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Standedge Tunnel Due to technical problems with the tug and passenger module, passengers will be unable to be taken on the through trips in Standedge Tunnel for the time being. Boats will still be towed through the tunnel but their crews will be taken across the top by taxi. The short passenger trips into the tunnel from the Marsden end are still running. It seems that the problem is with batteries not re-charging sufficiently. Already an additional charging point has been installed inside the Diggle portal but some of the batteries are discharging too quickly. New batteries are on order at great expense. It is not known at present when "normal service" will resume and boat crews will be able to travel through the tunnel again. this has been a big disappointment to those whose boats have gone through the tunnel this Summer. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/huddersfield01.htm#passengers In August, members of the Institute of Civil Engineers marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Telford with a visit to Standedge Tunnel. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/huddersfield01.htm#telford250 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation Following the heavy rainfall in July a number of waterways were closed for a while. The last to re-open was the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation, where, once the flood waters had gone down, some of the river sections were blocked by mud and silt and some of the locks were damaged. The Sheffield to Rotherham section was re-opened on 9th August, after a month's closure, but BW had to ban boats with a draft of over 2ft 6in until more dredging is carried out. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/roundup.htm#floods3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Macclesfield Canal moorings Some boaters on the Macclesfield Canal have been upset by the closure of a popular mooring spot at Kent Green, where a fence has been erected along the water's edge. This was on the instructions of the Ombudsman apparently following a complaint from a new resident. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/news/roundup.htm#kentgreen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New on Pennine Waterways - The Sankey Canal 2007 marks the 250th anniversary of England's first industrial canal, the Sankey Canal (also known as the St Helens Canal). The Sankey opened 6 years before the first part of the nearby Bridgewater Canal. It was never connected to the main system other than via the tidal Mersey estuary, so it was designed to be used by Mersey Flats (sailing barges). To mark the anniversary, I have added a new section to the website! This includes a history of the canal, a Virtual Journey along the whole route in photographs and a new feature for Pennine Waterways - a selection of interactive satellite views using Google Maps. See www.penninewaterways.co.uk/sankey ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Deepest Locks Another new feature on the website is a table of the deepest locks in England. Tuel Lane lock in Sowerby Bridge is, of course, the deepest, but another Rochdale lock comes in third place! Lock 10 on the Ashton comes 4th and is the deepest narrow lock. Quite a few locks from the Pennines area are on the list, unsurprisingly! This list complements my lists of longest canal tunnels and highest canal summits. See the full list at: www.penninewaterways.co.uk/locks.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't forget that you can receive notification of news as soon as it appears on Pennine Waterways website by using the RSS news feed service. See /www.penninewaterways.co.uk/rss.htm for details of how to do this. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |