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Grand Western - the only BWB canal handed over LSB?


Joseph

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Afternoon everyone

 

It's now just 50 years since the isolated section of the Grand Western Canal was handed over, following a campaign of sorts, by BWB to Devon County Council. With this, as I have been discovering, went quite a few records of the Canal, transferred to Devon Archives. It seems to have been "lock stock and barrel" (LSB!!), unlike other transfers of odd lengths.

 

Now, here is the question - was the Grand Western the only such transfer - a potentially viable waterway handed over to a local authority for possible preservation? Are there other candidates? 

 

I would leave out from this the handing over of part of the Shropshire Union Newport branch to Newport council (now Gtelford & Wrekin) as a non-navigable amenity, parts of the St Helens for local mooring (Widnes and Fiddlers Ferry), a bit of the Dudley Canal No 2 to Halesowen, and a lot of waterways sold or given piecemeal for destruction or what-you-will (like the Monmouthshire, to Cwmbran NT and Caerphilly and other local authorities). And, of course the Southern Stratford, for which the freehold was transferred (but not, seemingly, records) in 1965 before being transferred back with a large endowment. 

 

Any thoughts, anyone - or was, as I suspect, the Grand Western a unique case?

 

I would be very interested in any speculations!

 

Joseph   

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If recall the Ridgacre Canal in the West Midlands has a similar portfolio, although much shorter in length

 

This isolated section was created through the making of the Black Country Spine Road and passed to the local authority. It is in water and could have been avoided if the Spine Road crossed by a bridge.

 

The loss was the moorings for boaters that could have happened, especially as a public house was built on the isolated section  

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6 hours ago, Joseph said:

Afternoon everyone

 

It's now just 50 years since the isolated section of the Grand Western Canal was handed over, following a campaign of sorts, by BWB to Devon County Council. With this, as I have been discovering, went quite a few records of the Canal, transferred to Devon Archives. It seems to have been "lock stock and barrel" (LSB!!), unlike other transfers of odd lengths.

 

Now, here is the question - was the Grand Western the only such transfer - a potentially viable waterway handed over to a local authority for possible preservation? Are there other candidates? 

 

I would leave out from this the handing over of part of the Shropshire Union Newport branch to Newport council (now Gtelford & Wrekin) as a non-navigable amenity, parts of the St Helens for local mooring (Widnes and Fiddlers Ferry), a bit of the Dudley Canal No 2 to Halesowen, and a lot of waterways sold or given piecemeal for destruction or what-you-will (like the Monmouthshire, to Cwmbran NT and Caerphilly and other local authorities). And, of course the Southern Stratford, for which the freehold was transferred (but not, seemingly, records) in 1965 before being transferred back with a large endowment. 

 

Any thoughts, anyone - or was, as I suspect, the Grand Western a unique case?

 

I would be very interested in any speculations!

 

Joseph   

 

The Basingstoke canal was taken over by Surrey and Hampshire County Councils and restored under their ownership.

 

 

Tim

Edited by Tim Lewis
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15 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

 

The Basingstoke canal was taken over by Surrey and Hampshire County Councils and restored under their ownership.

 

 

Tim

 

I have a feeling that one was never privatised and they took it over from the all but defunct proprietors. Certainly not definite though.

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19 hours ago, Joseph said:

Now, here is the question - was the Grand Western the only such transfer - a potentially viable waterway handed over to a local authority for possible preservation? Are there other candidates?

 

Ashby ?? The northern bit that is being restored under the Transport & Works Act Order (TWAO) to  Leicestershire County Council

 

L1755_20110510_0015a.jpg

(from 2011)

 

20210905_143038.jpg

 

Trip boat Joseph Wilkes at Moira Furnace, Ashby Canal. Sunday (@David Mack  photo)

Edited by PeterScott
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I have an interest in this topic, although somewhat different to that originally posted by Joseph - however the Grand Western is very pertinent. My interest is that canal restoration of far flung waterways might sometimes be better served if CRT would let go and transfer them either to a local authority or to a local trust. If the Grand Westen between Tiverton and Loudwells were to be restored today it would be such a candidate. 

I am aware that many remainder waterways have been transferred but often they weren't so much remainder as completely lost and bits ended up being sold off to non-waterway entities

So, a much simpler question - which waterways have been transferred from the nationalised waterways body, be it BTC, BW or CRT, directly to the body that then either runs them or restores them?  

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Hello again

 

Well, a good deal of head scratching has drawn up two more answers to my own query;

 

Ulverston Canal, nationalised with LMS but sold to Ulverston UDC. 

Cromford Canal (upper part) sold to Derbyshire County Council.

 

I think these were lock stock and barrel, but I may be wrong. 

 

I think many other transfers conform to Patrick's point - which were more a disposal of the site of the canal, rather than the canal as a possibly-viable entity.

 

And I do take your point, Patrick, about CRT and isolated waterways - perhaps it should control the main network and possible additions. Quite a problem if the EA waterways v=ver come in - and what about the Tees?

 

I shall refer all this to the Department of Very Odd Waterways Queries!!

 

Regards

 

Joseph 

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To add to your thoughts, the Chesterfield Canal between Stavely and Chesterfield belongs to Derbyshire County Council, is now navigable and was nationalised. Some parts may have passed through intermediate ownership. 

So canals presently navigable, nationalised but now locally run, are: 

 

Grand Western

Cromford between Cromford and Ambergate

Chesterfield between Chesterfield and Staveley

Ashby at Moira*

Monmouth Canal between bridge 46 and five locks**

Any others?

*this one was actually abandoned by the nationalised entity

**this one connects to a CRT waterway and is presently being re-restored  

1 hour ago, Joseph said:

I shall refer all this to the Department of Very Odd Waterways Queries!!

 

I suspect that is staffed by me, you and @Pluto!

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