1880 Boat Uncovered

[cheshire~rose]

Many of you will remember the fabulous "Last Cuckoo" archaeological dig at Bellhouse Lane, Staveley in 2017.

 

Here is a link to the report on that:

http://www.chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk/the-last-cuckoo-project/

 

On the last day of the latter dig, we discovered the end of a third boat, but never had time to investigate further. The area where the dig took place used to be a basin at the end of a short arm to a gas works (for those who remember town gas the coal to create the gas was delivered by boat from local collieries) Inevitably as the canal went into decline the basin was a place where boats that were no longer being used ended up dumped. The area became dangerous as the canal silted up and it was a bog on the edge of the town so the powers that be simply bulldozed earth over the boats (probably with as much spoil or rubbish they could get from the surrounding area)

 

 

The boat at the top of the photo is the third boat as seen in 2017.

 

Since then the local authorities realise that they might be missing a trick if the restored canal simply passes by the old basin and if a new basin is created in this area it will provide moorings for visiting boats and a useful winding hole too and so the outline plan for that area has changed and Chesterfield Canal Trust's Work Party have been digging a few test holes here and there in readiness for when they dig out the entire basin (which will hopefully not be long now) The problem with digging test holes in an area which is potentially rich in canal history is that you are always likely to turn up something and so, at very short notice the archaeological group that had been involved 2 years ago were able to visit at the weekend to uncover the boat and take a better look at the narrows that were the entrance to the Gas Works arm.

 

This is what they found:

 

This is not a Chesterfield Boat (often referred to as a Cuckoo) but a maintenance boat or hopper, believed to date from around 1880.

 

They also uncovered half of the narrow entrance to the arm

 

 

And of course a stack of interesting artefacts:

 

 

You can read the full report with more photos here:

 

http://www.chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk/archaeologiocal-dig-part-3/

 

I was really pleased to be one of the few in "the know" that this was happening at such short notice and was able to go down and see it before it was all covered over again.

Hopefully it won't be too long before we are sharing pictures of current day boats moored in that area if HS2 get their lives sorted out!

[Athy]

That's quite remarkable. If I remember rightly the canal closed in 1907, so I guess this arm would have been filled in not long afterwards, hence the boat has been buried for at least a century. That so much of it has survived is incredible.

 

I remember going past Staveley Works in my parents' Hillman Minx when I was a boy. It was the last stronghold of some ancient Midland Railway tank engines and I always tried to "spot" one or two.

Edited April 8, 2019 by Athy

[cheshire~rose]

9 minutes ago, Athy said:

That's quite remarkable. If I remember rightly the canal close din 1907, so I guess this arm would have been filled in not long afterwards, hence the boat has been buried for at least a century. That so much of it has survived is incredible.

 

I remember going past Staveley Works in my parents' Hillman Minx when I was a boy. It was the last stronghold of some ancient Midland Railway tank engines and I always tried to "spot" one or two.

My goodness! You can remember the canal closing in 1907? I had no idea you were that old ?

 

When the Norwood Tunnel collapsed in 1907 it did cut off this end of the canal but, as this was a mining area and the gas works needed coal to operate local boat traffic would have continued for a good many years. I don't know any dates but I can try and find out

[Athy]

2 minutes ago, cheshire~rose said:

My goodness! You can remember the canal closing in 1907? I had no idea you were that old ?

 

 

I meant that I remembered from what I had read about it, yer cheeky munky.

[cheshire~rose]

I have found this:

Quote

Andy Robinson had researched the project for many years and had lots of testimony from local people that there had been at least one boat, possibly two or even three, left rotting as the basin silted up in the 1950s and 60s, before being buried when the whole site was bulldozed in 1972.

I think during the 20's and 30's coal would have continued to be supplied to the gas works - I will try and find a date for when that stopped.

 

I also found this taken in 1970 which is likely to be how you remeber it?

:

 

 

The uncovered boat would be lying across the left hand side of this image, possibly around the area where the reeds look a bit higher;

 

I also found this:

 

 

This photo, courtesy Keith Gascoyne, bears the legend “Maintenance barge by the Old Work House, Killamarsh. Mr Kemp, who lived there, and Sam Spencer.” upon its reverse. Could this be the same boat? There would not have been many this size west of the Norwood Tunnel.

[Athy]

This is more how I remember it. I think the Company had leased some of these engines from B.R., hence their survival when most of their classmates had been scrapped.

I didn't know that part of the canal stayed open for so long. My late mother (born 1918 and brought up in Bole Hill, near Chesterfirls) had no recollection of it when I asked her.

....and yes, it could well be the same boat. A discovery worthy of Tony Robinson and his team!

 

Edited April 8, 2019 by Athy

[cheshire~rose]

2 minutes ago, Athy said:

This is more how I remember it. I think the Company had leased some of these engines from B.R., hence their survival when most of their classmates had been scrapped.

I didn't know that part of the canal stayed open for so long. My late mother (born 1918 and brought up in Bole Hill, near Chesterfirls) had no recollection of it when I asked her.

I can't be sure but will see if Andy can shed some light on it.

 

Bole Hill is just a stones throw from where we now live in Calow. In fairness to your mum there are people who live in Chesterfield who have no knowledge of there being a canal there and their surprise at stumbling across it when they have lived there x number of years is no longer a surpise to me! I do think that in bygone times people were far more familir with their area though, exploring on foot and by bicycle meant they were more in touch with their surroundings rather than speeding past and glimpsing out of the car window.

 

Looking in the other direction this was the view in 1970:

 

[Athy]

Do the real locals still pronounce it "Caler"? Dad used to, to annoy Mum who considered herself rather refained: "Tha's from Caler".

Edited April 8, 2019 by Athy

[cheshire~rose]

I am not sure, I will have a chat with my octegenarian neighbour and see if I can listen closer

[Pluto]

A 108 page report has just been published on the keel remains found in the Aire when the St Aidans opencast site flooded in 1995. They were mostly clinker built keels, probably sunk 100 years ago. Copies can be obtained from John Buglass for, I think, £12. His contact details are on www.jbasarchaeology.co.uk for current price including postage.

[Derek R.]

Fantastic photos in the link Rose. What several 'grand days out'!