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Canal Ghosts


Heartland

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I have always believed that reports of Ghosts could be explained, and there are many examples to recount, I suppose. Yet some require more investigation than others. I recall taking a boat through Harecastle New Tunnel, which is said to be haunted and definitely noticing a cold, clammy place in the tunnel. It was only later that I discovered that there was a cross tunnel, which might provide a reason for the feeling.

 

A stranger account, which I read about was at Hinckley on the Ashby. A railway was constructed to link two others in the 1880's. This line was never used for regular traffic. It was a railway that crossed the Ashby Canal by a bridge. A lady was walking her dog, but the dog ran away, and trying to get the dog back, she ventured onto the bed of the railway under construction. She was said to have been knocked down and killed by a contractors locomotive. Her ghost is still said to be heard, whistling for  her dog and the sounds of a dog barking can be heard.   

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"The Marcellus" and The Old Man.

 

The year after I bought "Marcellus" 83/84 (?) Pete will know much better than me.

It all started when I put both boats on Uxbridge Dry Dock for blacking and adenoids.

"Marcellus" was on the left which was the darker side of the dock, "Rigal" was on the right, more sunlight and lamps above.

About day three and we were into blacking, I was doing "Marcellus" and Zita was blacking her clothes and the dogs over next to "Rigal".

Most of the week we were on, individuals would stroll in to have a gander at what was what, most didn't approach or say anything, probably for fear of being given a brush and told to join in.

 

I was over in the furthest dark corner sloshing coal tar around the butty's stem post when my right elbow was tugged and I heard an indistinct murmur. I started to turn I could see a dark shadow slightly behind me, but was interrupted by the person who shakily pointed out three patches I'd missed. I replied something about it being dark over here, and a couple of more places were tapped which I'd also not seen. I minute or so later my dogs appeared next to me and Zita chuckled and asked me who I was talking to. She'd heard me and wandered over to see what was up. She said I'd been on my own and nobody had entered the dock or passed her by.

Having come off dock we wanted to practice more of our buttying techniques and strewth there was a lot to learn. We went down The Paddington Arm and then back towards Jim's Stink Hole where we kept them.

 

It was upon leaving Denham Deep heading North that we made the poor decision of trying a long line. There wasn't enough ballast on the butty to stop her floating like a ping pong ball on the surface, plus there was a cross wind which was catching her side cloths like a sail. Those who know the area will appreciate how open that area is (was in the 80s). Alongside The Flashes I realised I was crabbing with "Rigal" I quickly turned to check how Zita was doing with the butty. She wasn't fairing well and was in danger of ending up on the bank. That was the point I realised there was a second figure back there. If the line was about 60 feet it meant that back of the butty was 130 feet behind me. However I could make out she had an old man dressed in a dark coat next to her, and the two of them were together rowing the elum to keep the stern out. I was busy enough keeping "Rigal" straight to look back again, plus I had to start to prepare for the upcoming lock, keep the butty moving, plan for breasting up etc. In the lock I asked Zita how she'd felt about that stretch. She said it was blowy and at first was worried she'd stem up against the bank, but she suddenly realised to use the rudder to wash the stern over and was surprised how easy it was to do.

 

Some years later we had friends stopping over and gave them the butty's cabin for the night. They were unfamiliar with a traditional cabin or its layout. However next morning they told us they'd dreamt about an old man entering the cabin. He was fiddling about with the wall where the panel with the picture of the castle's painted. Then he kind of walked through the bed and then the end of the cabin.

What intrigued me was they didn't realise the wooden panel with the castle painted on it was the drop down table behind which was of course the larder. Nor did they realise the bulkhead the other side of the bed was a door which passed into the hold.

Mainly though I was intrigued that it wasn't immediately obvious to them that two people don't share the same dream, especially at the same time.

 

Things went quiet for a while until Jan Deuchar of Paper Dasher “Hereford” commented that whenever they passed our boats (we were moored on Crocker's field at Shardlow before it was dug out) on their fortnightly jaunt up to Shardlow basin to fill, empty and return to Trent lock, Their two children (both probably pre school at the time) would wave as they passed "Marcellus", but ignore "Rigal". When she asked them why they told her they waving to the old man sitting on the back of the butty.

 

I'm not trying to convince or persuade anybody, I merely submit our experiences as they occurred at the time.

A few more years and "Marcellus" was cut and made into two boats by the late Ian Clifton. The back end was formed into a bow for the shorter boat subsequently named "Marcel". I understand both boats are now named Marcellus, I have not learnt of any subsequent owners' experiences.

 

 

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On 15/06/2020 at 14:59, Heartland said:

It is Gorsty Hill Tunnel! Must have been before the tugs were intruduced.

It was actually mid 70s? Rough synopsis - two blokes take old boat with knackered engine through tunnel, it stalls they leg the rest of the way.one bloke goes for a nosey around derelict industry whilst other fixes engine.its nearly dark and the bloke who stayed with the boat is getting a bit cheesed by the time his mate turns up, especially as his mate just drops into the hold without a word.

 

On return trip engine fails again, seething and without saying a word bloke goes to leg and his "mate" joins him, but mate legs like a professional at one heck of a speed and smells like he's been eating rat kebab and drinking battery acid. 

 

Get to far end, cry from the towpath of " do you normally abandon your crew" and the legger has vanished...

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I think old boats always seem to have a presence for some people. When I was bringing Tadworth to Braunston after purchase, at  Buckby bottom lock Henry the lock keeper said I knew it were Tadworth coming it turned up a body at Stourport and it hangs over it. Other boat people said the same but I never felt anything. On our 100 year old Dutch barge Penny always claimed that Mr De Kimpe the previous owner steered it when she got into difficulty.

one night coming home to Braunston down the hill by the boatyard entrance she said did you see that train go over a really old fashioned one. It was exactly where the old bridge was of which she knew nothing.

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Just been chattin' to "my" narrow boat captain and he says there were always stories of ghosts at Black Jack's Lock, The Soulbury 3 and Napton top.

 

Also:

He was seen up at Curdworth by the old tunnel's mouth
He motored to Fazeley and then he turned south
He spoke to the keeper at Atherstone Top
But he never made it to Hawkesbury Stop

Some talk of deep holes in the Coventry's bed
And some say he went up the Ashby instead
There are stories and theories but for all that they say
Neither boat nor the boatmen has been seen to this day


On dark stormy nights round the fall of the year,
If the beat of a Bolinder distant you hear,
It's not Clayton's Stour, the Youmea or Tay;
It's the ghost of the boatman and the old Rosemary.

 

http://www.waterwaysongs.info/rosemary.htm

 

Edited by Ray T
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I had a strange experience one night when I lived aboard in Sheffield that I still haven't really got an explanation for. 

I used to moor on the towpath behind the high wall, with the now dead end Blast Lane behind. One evening I noticed an old chap wandering around next to my boat, I was about to go for a pint but I said hello and asked if he was looking for anyone in particular. 

He said he'd got a work boat on his wagon behind the wall which was being craned in early next day, so was parked up for the night. I said that was unlikely as it would be Tinsley rather than the basin, but he said that was his orders.

As often happens talk turned to boats and old engines etc, he lived on a boat on the GU with a Gardner,  etc etc. He asked to look at the Gardner in my boat which I didn't mind, ( it wasn't anywhere near last orders yet) but weirdly he knew the engine number without looking! "I can remember running that with the covers off squirting oil on the rockers when I was in the Navy" he told me without prompting.  Which is strange as it is an ex Navy engine. 

He was soon off to get his head down,  but as I locked up I wondered if he'd fancy a quick pint before retiring so I popped through the gate onto the lane. No truck, no boat and no sign of himself either. Nothing turned up in the morning,  but a week later I asked the lockies at Tinsley if they'd had something delivered there. No, and no work boats had been moved to the area by road for months either. 

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Previous thread from years ago.

 

IIRC the Margaret Cornish story was that during the war, some IW lady crews were in the Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne, having had a bad trip through the tunnel.  They were complaining to each other about the bend and being balked by a slow, heavily laden boat with dim lights.

 

After a minute or two they realised that the pub had fallen silent, everyone listening to their tale. 

 

It seems that long ago a boat had sunk in the tunnel with the loss of all hands, and of course there's no bend.............

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On 18/06/2020 at 15:51, Ray T said:

Just been chattin' to "my" narrow boat captain and he says there were always stories of ghosts at Black Jack's Lock, The Soulbury 3 and Napton top.

 

Also:

He was seen up at Curdworth by the old tunnel's mouth
He motored to Fazeley and then he turned south
He spoke to the keeper at Atherstone Top
But he never made it to Hawkesbury Stop

Some talk of deep holes in the Coventry's bed
And some say he went up the Ashby instead
There are stories and theories but for all that they say
Neither boat nor the boatmen has been seen to this day


On dark stormy nights round the fall of the year,
If the beat of a Bolinder distant you hear,
It's not Clayton's Stour, the Youmea or Tay;
It's the ghost of the boatman and the old Rosemary.

 

http://www.waterwaysongs.info/rosemary.htm

 

My Dad was born inside black jacks lock 86 years ago today whilst grandparents where waiting for the gate to be re hung so it seemed only fitting some of his ashes went in there.

Nan would not allow a bank person to step on her boat to help deliver so the lockies wife who was from old boating family ( Mercer ) was sent for & by the time gate was fixed & lock re filled Dad was born & grandad who was in the pub all the time was sent for ..

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9 hours ago, jake_crew said:

Previous thread from years ago.

 

IIRC the Margaret Cornish story was that during the war, some IW lady crews were in the Boat Inn, Stoke Bruerne, having had a bad trip through the tunnel.  They were complaining to each other about the bend and being balked by a slow, heavily laden boat with dim lights.

 

After a minute or two they realised that the pub had fallen silent, everyone listening to their tale. 

 

It seems that long ago a boat had sunk in the tunnel with the loss of all hands, and of course there's no bend.............

Thanks ? that's the one I remember

 

Correction - it is one I remember but not THE one o remember which had the tale of Gosty Hill in it

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I had an earie experiance in foulridge tunnel. it was a dank day but the sun was shining as we entered the tunnel the sun lit up a reflection of the enterence to form a circle as the water calmed down. a light mist formed and half way through I looked back to see a tunnel light behind  appearing to gain on us I called down for a torch as at the time we didnt have a light in the rear. and was concerned that the following boat would run us down. as we exited the tunnel the light disapeared. I came to the conclusion that the sunlight, mist and reflection   had chased me through the tunnel.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

We had an odd experience years ago on the Middlewich Branch. It was a pretty grim wet misty day and we could see the silhouette of a boat in the mist ahead of us on the long straight stretch between Brickyard Bridge and Cholmondeston Lock . It didn't get closer and it didn't get further away so we assumed it was a boat ahead of us just chugging along at a sensible speed. When we got to the railway bridge we got ready to pull into the side and hold the boat whilst the other boat finished working the lock and we could get it ready.

 

But there was no boat, the lock was empty (and obviously had been empty for some time) and the marina was dead calm with no sign of anyone around at all.

 

So was it a boat that went into the marina? Was it just an optical illusion? or was it something else...

 

 

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