oboat

I have checked the CRT web site which says Frankton Locks are only available for access between 12 noon and 2pm but that was for March 2020 & it will be up dated in April can anybody confirm what the hours are. As the site has not been up dated?

Newport Transporter Br

Well as we seem to be having a bit of St Kilda deviation try this. Elwood Canal, St Kilda. http://www.braggaboutlife.com/winter-adventures-off-the-boat/elwood-canal-melbourne

The same question re copy, could be asked for the GU. As an identical boundary (GJ) post can be found at the Slough Arm end (1881), which was not built until the 1880's.

My reaction was as Tam's It's not the headroom, Never mind the quality feel the width. Well !!! may be.

As a kid in the 60's,I would ride my bike from Notting Dale (Paddington Arm) through Richmond Park down to the river. The Arcade was a lot longer but run down. In the 80's I worked for a firm of Surveyors who were doing the pre- redevelopment work for the large buildings in the background to which the arcades belonged. By that time it was a real mess. When I took this, it totally blew my mind. With a working boatyard and all.

The local eel catcher in the distance complete with his crew of three terriers. https://braggaboutlife.wordpress.com/2018/02/05/forty-foot-sixteen-foot-drain-new-pophams-eau-to-march/

They were all e-mails and appeared to have been computer generated and had not been reviewed by a staff member, before dispatch but then I am probably wrong about this.

Some interesting responses. As said. When we made representation to CRT all we got back was a curt list of where the boat had been. Presumably this will be fattening a file somewhere. No apology, thus little CRT credibility. Never had any recognition of the points I have made. I now do disregard them. Unfortunately when one has a boating partner who is rules based they get very upset. So basically I have to explain the nuances of the location & why we have done no wrong each time. The comments about employing somebody & costings are also interesting!

Unfortunately, this is NOT so. After crossing the L&L we moored up at Burscough and did train trips to Southport & Preston stayed about a week. We then did the Ribbal Link and were on the Lancaster for about 2 weeks, then back down to Burscough for shopping about 3 nights and then on into Liverpool for our booking. Back through Burscough, no night stop, just about 2 hours for shopping however we get a CRT threatening letter. Now CRT knew we were on the L&L we had to book locks, LC we had to book passage, moored in Liverpool had to book our stay. (We had the same in Bath after spending time in Bristol Docks the year before & we have had it in London coming in to Paddington Basin and then out the same way). CRT know all the locations are out and back stop overs and in the case of Burscough, had our booking info. When we made representation to CRT all we got back was a curt list of where the boat had been. Presumably this will be fattening a file somewhere. No apology, thus little CRT credibility. It looks very much like over-zealous CRT volunteers at work and poor CRT training.

I was thinking it could have been the foundry at the end of the New Bolingbroke Arm? Anybody know where the remainder of the series are? I seem to recall a No5 is on the Hobhole Drain.

I do like the old Bridge No's and designs. I love the No's on the Witham Navigable Drains & feel it worth replacing the missing ones. They are as important as Mile Posts. I have yet to work out the font, any suggestions ???

The more serious side of boating & shopping in Kings Cross/St Pancras

Access to old basin below bridge St PCC on left,

Had some problem posting this, above the tail of the arrow can be seen sets of parallel lines this is the yard mentioned in the vid each set had a wagon turn table where the wagons from March would be sorted, as also in the vid. The canal basin (head of arrow) has been filled and rails laid over it at this time.

Correct. My understanding was that the gasometers were Listed and were moved to make way for the new lines into St Pancras International. That pic really puts the significance of my pic into perspective.

As can be seen in the vid this is a fascinating location and very worth a visit. It also has the only supermarket I know of with a Cocktail Bar. I discovered it when in search of sustenance after a single handed assent from Regents Canal Dock. The Gasometers behind Braggabout were relocated from their site on the other side of the canal. They are also on the site of an old canal basin the access to which can still be seen below the lock. Finally, to close the economic circle a trip round the Middle Level System from where most of the produce originated is essential. The myriad of rural water to rail interchange wharfs are a fascinating insight into how London was fed. The rail yard in March was the latest in the world at one time. Check out https://braggaboutlife.wordpress.com/2018/02/05/forty-foot-sixteen-foot-drain-new-pophams-eau-to-march/

Remains of Ballina rail bridge over the 1896 North Creek Canal. Jan 2022.

As a result of your blog & other info I added your concerns to my communication with the EA. An extract of the reply is below My Waterways Assets Colleagues have looked into Cardington Lock and visited site as a result of your comments to confirm dimension measurements of the width of the lock. As well as attaching some photos (attached to this response and shown below) they also measured the lock width along its length between the copings and interestingly the lock is narrower at one end than the other. The narrowest point being 3.11m between the copings the widest being 3.28m (170mm difference). The narrowest point within published guides being advertised as 3.15 metres so a 4cm / 1.5” variation at the narrowest point of the lock. As per the below EA River guidance note update I have also suggested that the information on gov.uk page is amended accordingly. Our Assets are monitored for changes and changes in the dimensions of our structures can show variation and sometimes this can even be seasonally dependent so information is kept updated on a best endeavours basis but now that this has been checked and found to be slightly different we will make every effort to update the published dimension although this make some time to filter through to printed publications. In the 2011 R Glen Report it recommends is reconstruction. Item 16. Page 35. In 2011 this had a LOW PRIORITY. The recent EA survey and growing number of problems would suggest that the lock walls are moving inwards and that design work for a new lock (say 4.5m wide) should now become a HIGH PRIORITY item, before the lock is closed due to a lack of stability. Can you elucidate please.

Looking good

I now have a reply from the EA. Extracts from the reply are below and should be of interest. 1). "the old pre 2019 bridge headroom height being 2.14 metres / 6’11” whereas the new bridge affords 2.38 metres or 7’9” of clearance. This equates to 24cm 9.5” minimum headroom improvement at this bridge. 2). However the new Bedford Lock Footbridge is higher than the old railway footbridge level by 8cm at 2.38 metres as opposed to the 2.3 metres the old railway footbridge consists of so based on this it doesn’t appear it has been used to set the new Bedford Lock Footbridge height. I have also requested that the EA update the Bridge Schedule to include the bridges above Duck Mill Lock. This they are putting in hand some of the numbers will be of interest. This needs to be taken as a Draft. Location Headway Headway (metres) (feet) Kempston Mill Vehicular Track / Footbridge 1.0 3’3” Queens Park Footbridge 2.7 8’10” Mainline Railway Bridge I 2.0 6’6” Mainline Railway Bridge II 2.0 6’6” Footbridge between railways bridges Awaiting Data Branch Line Railway Bridge 2.0 6’6”