River Nene Flood management

[ditch paddler]

Worth a look to see what goes on down the Nene.

[GUMPY]

This year is mild so far, it would have been better to film last year.

When the tea rooms (Mill House)  at Ringstead get flooded then you know it's been wet😯

 

[ditchcrawler]

I thought they weren't going to reverse locks any more.

 

[GUMPY]

6 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I thought they weren't going to reverse locks any more.

 

I think that idea has been binned after the EA realised what would happen if they didn't reverse locks .

[ditch paddler]

They did a costing exercise on updating the weirs to take the flood water instead of reversing the locks and clearly it worked out a tad expensive so they keep reversing locks.

On 02/01/2022 at 09:41, Loddon said:

This year is mild so far, it would have been better to film last year.

When the tea rooms (Mill House)  at Ringstead get flooded then you know it's been wet😯

 

I remember 1998 when a narrowboat went down the weir there.

 

Edited January 3, 2022 by ditch paddler
spelling

[GUMPY]

Think it was 2012 when Ringstead last had a "big" flood when the road past the Tea Rooms was impassable .

Easter floods 1998 Northampton into Google  brings up some interesting videos 

 

 

 

 

[matty40s]

2 hours ago, Loddon said:

Think it was 2012 when Ringstead last had a "big" flood when the road past the Tea Rooms was impassable .

Easter floods 1998 Northampton into Google  brings up some interesting videos 

 

 

 

 

Quite an interesting watch. The narrowboat Pipedream at about 8 minutes in was on its maiden voyage having just been completed at Stowe Hill. Roger and Margaret elected to stay on the boat once tied to the bridge, and 2 days later managed to moor up on the bank again. It was another 2 weeks before they could get back up the arm. They are still moored here and still boating.

[Scholar Gypsy]

Any theories as to why the word "reversed" is used ?   I've always found it a rather confusing term.

[David Mack]

4 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Any theories as to why the word "reversed" is used ?   I've always found it a rather confusing term.

I have always assumed that it referred to the fact that normally you have to leave the locks with the mitre gates closed and the guillotine gate fully open, whereas when used to discharge flood water, the mitre gates are chained open and the guillotine gate is most of the way down i.e. the reverse of the normal arrangement.

[Scholar Gypsy]

7 hours ago, David Mack said:

I have always assumed that it referred to the fact that normally you have to leave the locks with the mitre gates closed and the guillotine gate fully open, whereas when used to discharge flood water, the mitre gates are chained open and the guillotine gate is most of the way down i.e. the reverse of the normal arrangement.

Thanks - that's a very plausible theory! The only time I have actually seen a reversed lock, the guillotine was fully up, rather scary.

[PaulJ]

10 hours ago, David Mack said:

I have always assumed that it referred to the fact that normally you have to leave the locks with the mitre gates closed and the guillotine gate fully open, whereas when used to discharge flood water, the mitre gates are chained open and the guillotine gate is most of the way down i.e. the reverse of the normal arrangement.

Thats a very good theory for the Nene but doesnt work on the Ouse as (you know) the guillotines are on the opposite end and arent left in any particular way. So Im going to guess the Ouse just used the same term and copied it from the Nene 😀

3 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Thanks - that's a very plausible theory! The only time I have actually seen a reversed lock, the guillotine was fully up, rather scary.

I cant remember (not that means this statement is any way accurate or reliable) any locks on the Ouse having the gulliotine part way when reversed. They are up or down. 

Yarwell  I can remember being part way on one occasion I was stuck there-so maybe its location/system dependant and links in with a (Nene) system that runs water over the top gates in 'normal' conditions. 

[Scholar Gypsy]

1 minute ago, PaulJ said:

Thats a very good theory for the Nene but doesnt work on the Ouse as (you know) the guillotines are on the opposite end and arent left in any particular way. So Im going to guess the Ouse just used the same term and copied it from the Nene 😀

 

I suspect you are right. The Bedford Ouse has all four possible permutations of guillotines and mitres at each end, just to keep you on your toes.   St Neots (papermill) does have fittings to chain the gates open on the upper mitre gates ....

[PaulJ]

24 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

I suspect you are right. The Bedford Ouse has all four possible permutations of guillotines and mitres at each end, just to keep you on your toes.   St Neots (papermill) does have fittings to chain the gates open on the upper mitre gates ....

It does indeed- I spent a few weeks stuck at Paxton pits one Xmas watching that one 😃