Heartland

Surely BWML is as asset to CRT, that should accrue revenue. Selling it off is like leasing off, or franchising, the more profitable canals ! Ye gods what a thought.

I noticed on the north side of the A46 after passing the Windmill and heading west, a wooden boats hull, off the road, near Hykeham, which may be a keel. Has anybody seen that boat lying there whilst on their travels

There was a plan for a link from the Great Ouse to the Nar. Progress on this scheme appears to have slowed down. Is there a future, I wonder.

Yes two Gargraves, one must be the chippy, which I have always found closed. Still the water issues at Gargrave is not new, i believe.

Cyclists on towpaths have been discussed in other threads. I personally am unsure about the statement that "Sustrans are an integral part of towpath strategy, and importantly they have been in the charity/funding sector for years". Cyclist are one of a group of others (walkers, fishermen and boaters) who use the towpath. Allowing cyclists the freedom to do as their please can be viewed as positive discrimination. If they, as a group, followed the CRT code, then there would be no issue. Regrettably there are a hard core of cyclists who do not. It may be a negative statement to say they are driving others off the waterways, but a positive approach would be to reinstate the barriers and restrict where cyclists can go. Waterways are about leisure these days and the ability to explore, look at the heritage and appreciate the diverse ecology found on the waters edge. Those that do, cannot enjoy the people who pass them at speed and make any visit to the navigation a potential misery.

There was a time when some Kennet & Avon locks were somewhat disused and there was no chance, like now, to assist a boat through as this 1968 view shows:

Well at least campanology is ap pealing- glad your boat is ok. A few years ago Steve and myself hired a boat from Anderton we had a problem with that craft as it was leaking water into the inside from the heating system. It had an automatic pump that was working overtime-after having it checked out, we returned to the boatyard at Anderton for repair and a a replacement part.

As one aim of the logo change was to make the more public aware of the CRT, especially as an appeal to the younger person, I do wonder if the expense of changing all signs on the waterways owned by the CRT has been worth it. The figures quoted for new volunteers do not indicate an age profile nor if the volunteer numbers have increased since the change of logo.

It seems the Trent & Mersey continues to have operational problems. It must also be a concern for the hireboat companies, which now have limited choice options for their customers.

May be the Government can invent "OFCAN" to regulate the canal operators.....

System 4-50 has raised an important issue, which is should the inexperienced be allowed to work locks. In this modern world of health and safety requirements, there is a case for the canal owners, be it CRT, Peel Ports, IWA etc to have rules and regulations in place and maybe the signage might be more prominent where it exists. Canal guides such as Nicholsons do provide instructions for lock procedure. Hire boaters are generally briefed by the boat yard and there are now much more information available on the internet which modern phones can access.

Thanks, I must have encountered more that one volunteer on my travels in recent times. Still having one person may still be enough for the novice boaters like those who hire boats, or come onto the waterway for the first time on schemes such as time share. I am sure experienced boaters like Mike, have no need of the attentions of volunteers, and the challenges of going from lock to lock are part of the enjoyment of being on the waterway. Yet being old enough, I can remember times of when locks were not kept in the best repair, where some paddle gears were faulty and gates leaks so bad it took an age to pass through.

A key point of these discussions has been the dangerous nature of the lock. Those who look at canal history will agree that accidents and fatalities happen on the waterway and especially at locks. The boating community has lost some very experienced members in this regard. Setting locks for boaters through opening gates is often a kindness, as well as closing them as the boaters proceed on their way. Working paddle gear is a skill that has to be learnt. For heritage reasons canals regularly retain types of paddle gearing that have that heritage link. A case in point is the Calder & Hebble where a spike is needed to work the gear rather than a windlass. Those that volunteer at Locks, should have the appropriate training and know what to do when for example a boat drifts towards the cill whilst the lock is emptying or conversely on the rise when the tiller is caught under parts of the gate. I note with the CRT, correct me if I am wrong, volunteers also work as a team, and there are more than one there, in case there is a problem. I believe that it is a credit to the CRT for having this service. Whilst the primary role is to assist passage through the locks, there are the ancilliary roles that are just as important.

The pound below Middlewich Kings Lock is, as said, where the Wardle Branch joins. There is also a basin that once served the Mid Cheshire Alkali Works. If there was a historic and agreed extraction of water there is it possible that this might be a reason for the low pound. This attached section of the 25 in 1898 O/S shows the end of that basin:

Also, the horse boating society need access for their tow ropes should they come into Manchester. They have enough problems as it is with infrastructure change.