Is Baddesley Basin/Wharf still open?

[Andrew Denny]

Who runs Baddesley Wharf/Basin at Atherstone now. There appear to be no contact details for it. 

Thanks.

[Athy]

The internet suggests 01827 711762. There's a quick way to find out whether that number is still operational!

[Alan de Enfield]

4 minutes ago, Athy said:

The internet suggests 01827 711762. There's a quick way to find out whether that number is still operational!

What's that then ?

(Is it - Going to visit and asking them ?)

[noone]

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09352831/officers

Is this helpful?.

[Andrew Denny]

6 minutes ago, Athy said:

The internet suggests 01827 711762. There's a quick way to find out whether that number is still operational!

Thanks!  (When you say 'the internet suggests', I'm afraid you must have a different internet from me! Googling for Baddesley & various combinations of wharf/basins/moorings brought up nothing, and all my old numbers for the site & the Hawkins family seemed to be down (including that number you just gave.)

[Athy]

5 minutes ago, Andrew Denny said:

Thanks!  (When you say 'the internet suggests', I'm afraid you must have a different internet from me! Googling for Baddesley & various combinations of wharf/basins/moorings brought up nothing, and all my old numbers for the site & the Hawkins family seemed to be down (including that number you just gave.)

I searched under "Barry Hawkins boats", and that's the only number I found, sorry if it is no loner extant.

Let's hear from our members who are based in, or regularly cruise, that area.

[ditchcrawler]

Yes it is open and full of boats  

 

Did you ever find out if Jim Shead is still alive, you didn't update us on your search

 

[Andrew Denny]

Background to my question: Mancetter Marina, above Atherstone, has just opened. I know the Hawkins family bought it years ago, and last year they advertised it as 'opening soon',  but it has now been opened by the Rothen Group instead. I'm trying to find out the history of the site. Was it ever a colliery or quarry basin?  I could have sworn it was in water when I first boated past 20 years ago, but Rothen's PR people say it was only just excavated.  

[ditchcrawler]

It was in water 20 years ago, at one time there was a boat on there,

[Andrew Denny]

Just now, ditchcrawler said:

Did you ever find out if Jim Shead is still alive, you didn't update us on your search

 

Oh, sorry. Yes, through a circuitous route I was told he was still alive but not well, but I couldn't contact him directly or confirm it, and I didn't like to speak about it in detail in case the facts were wrong. I've been in hot water before about spreading rumours and invading privacy ?

1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said:

It was in water 20 years ago, at one time there was a boat on there,

Rothen's PR agency just told me it was first excavated about 5 years ago but the project stopped until they took over last year. 

Companies house gives a postal address in Whittington, but I figured there must be an easier way to contact whoever runs the Baddesley moorings now.

[Andrew Denny]

7 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

It was in water 20 years ago, at one time there was a boat on there,

The excellent historic NLS map https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=52.55880&lon=-1.53127&layers=168&b=1

shows the site near Mancetter quarries (with its wharf 1/2 mile north towards Atherstone) but the new marina site was just fields in 1903. However I can't find a more recent map with enough detail.

[Martin Nicholas]

Merevale Estates Seem to be involved - the house above Atherstone.

 

[Richard T]

Off topic but the very large barge that was on the bank at Baddesley is now floating in the marina but it can't go anywhere!! The industrial building on the site has also been completed. The basin is full of boats so someone must be running it and getting the mooring fees. Have the Hawkins family risne like a phoenix again? or are there new owners of it?

[David Mack]

According to the historical images on Google Earth, it was open fields in December 1945, excavated but dry in December 1999, in water with a boat in it in November 2006 and December 2010, the boat was absent in April 2015 and in the most recent image, April 2018. In none of the photos is there a navigable connection between the lake and the canal, so maybe that is what has just been constructed.

Edited October 14, 2020 by David Mack

[Ray T]

Picture from CRT Archive: https://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/bw192.3.2.2.5.37

 

1953

 'Hadley' and the butty "Lyra" at Baddesley Basin.  Syd Mitchell and his sister in law Lillian are stood in the hatches of "Lyra". 

[Nerka]

I have been a walk round the new marina at Mancetter and it’s very impressive and well laid out, I am new to all this and am going to be mooring at Mancetter as it’s so close to where I live. From memory it’s been dug out for many years as I have walked past it often when out dog walking. It officially opened on 12 th October looking forward to getting my little boat there and moored up 

[Grassman]

Barry Hawkins still runs Baddesley Marina and he will shortly be moving from his nb into the large Dutch Barge once he has finished the renovations. He showed me around it last month and it will be stunning inside when it's finished. As for the new marina at Mancetter, he owned it for years but never got round to developing it and now well into his 70's and with no interest from his family in developing it he decided to sell it last year. As for the industrial building it's used mainly by his son for his carpentry business, but they also still do some minor boat related work.

 

We used to moor in Baddesley and it's a nice little marina.

 

If the OP wishes to find out more, please send me a PM and I will try to help.

Edited October 21, 2020 by Grassman
spelling correction