Exeter Canal

[davidwheeler]

This may be better for ShipsNostalgia, maybe a moderator will give some guidance.

My favourite canal has always been the Exeter Canal. 50 years ago this year, the last foreign-going commercial ship left the sea lock. Never to return. 

But in the few years preceding that, there was some traffic in timber, feedstuffs, glass sand and most of all, petrol. These days mostly forgotten. Many of the ships calling, usually under 200grt, were old. One still survives as a museum ship.

If it is was thought interesting, we could take a trip down the canal and out into the Exe estuary on a coastal tanker. In the 1960s.

Does this appeal? I would edit out the swear words - there were a lot of them - to avoid offence.

[Derek R.]

It almost certainly would David.

[davidwheeler]

I will start with an introduction. If, from that, it is not what the members of this site want, let me and I will stop.

The canal is 5 1/4 miles long. It has three locks: two locks into the Exe estuary, and one part way along. Three foot swing bridges and two vehicle swing bridges, set side by side. A maximum navigable depth of 12 feet. At the relevant time. Anyone interested in the Exeter Canal can find out quite a lot about it on Wikipedia, or, in greater depth in Kenneth Clew's book. I will only touch on it here.

For many people, experience of the Canal fell into several distinct categories: 1. Until the 1970s it delayed their journey on the old A38 towards summer holidays in Cornwall. Sometimes traffic backed up to Taunton, even Highbridge, through the swing bridge over the canal being opened for a ship to pass through. 2. After the opening of the M5 viaduct, for the same journeys, people remarked 'What's that ship doing in that field?' and wrote to the Council about it. What they saw was the 'SW2/Countess Wear', the Exeter sludge boat at its wharf at the sewage works by the canal. But it did look as if it was in a field. 3. It was where Exeter Maritime Museum was , in fine buildings at the Exeter Canal Basin. Otherwise most people did not and do not know the canal exists. Including many residents.

But in its day, and that was very long, Exeter was an important inland port. From Roman times and no doubt before, trade came up the River Exe to moor beneath the city, built on sandstone cliffs. Over the centuries there was trouble over land ownership and access - you can read about that - which led to the first part of the canal being built in 1566. Extended twice, by the nineteenth century much trade to and from all over the world came to or left from Exeter. But the decline was well advanced going into the middle of the twentieth, and by the 1960s, the end was in sight although few saw it. 

But first a few background facts. The dimension of the sea lock, Turf Lock, governed what size of ships could enter. The lock is 29'2.5" wide, with a length sill to sill of 112'5", a maximum, sill to closed bottom gates, of 122'. And problems did occur. In the 1960s there were two small ships called 'Tim'. One, Dutch, could enter. The other, German, could not. One day the German arrived. It failed, despite every effort, to get the bottom gates closed behind it, and it had to divert to Topsham to unload, just across the river. Topsham was itself still a port. On another occasion an Everard coaster got stuck in the A38 swing bridge. A temporary bridge of wood planks was laid across the ship's deck so that traffic could pass.  Before the last War, a three masted schooner with Newfoundland salt cod  drove hard against the canal bank in a ferocious storm. It took six horses, thee on each bank, to haul the ship off and up to the Canal Basin. Difficulty, expense and delay. One day, a National Benzole tanker, approaching the sea lock from the canal, went full ahead instead of astern and smashed the bottom gate and drained the canal. To the consternation of a vessel  which it had just passed, finding itself being swept briskly back towards the sea. Things like this happen on every canal. But on this canal problems were bigger, delayed longer, and cost more. 

Yet even though, in the 1950s/60s, ships of the size suitable to the canal were becoming more and more rare, established importers continued to use the canal. National Benzole, Regent and Esso had depots on the canal side or close by. A timber yard built a canalside wharf well after WW11. Agricultural feedstuffs were brought up to a wharehouse in the Basin. A foundry imported the occasional load of glass sand. Of non commercial vessels, Exeter was on the circuit for visits by small naval and RAF craft, the captain being assured of tea with the mayor in the old Guildhall. On one occasion, memorable for the wrong reasons, four Belgian minesweepers, similar to RN Ham class, visited, but arrangements went sadly wrong, the engines sucked up silt from the canal, and all four were towed down the canal by the Exmouth pilot boat, one after the other, after an adventure never repeated. But other events went off better. The TS Royalist  visited, as did the Appledore built Nonsuch. The Thames Barge Cabby moored in the river alongside its brewery charterer's pub. The Onedin Line was filmed on the Quay at Exeter and various interesting sailing vessels came up the canal and into the river to provide amusement and entertainment to visitors and residents alike. There seemed no reason to believe that this would go on.

But it didn't. The ultimate reason. The M5 viaduct over the canal.

All being well, next time we will board a tanker for the voyage down the canal, and down the river Exe to the sea.

[Derek R.]

Great stuff David. The Exeter is a canal few will visit from the main system, and a largely forgotten canal, though not unknown as it is one of the oldest.

[davidwheeler]

This is an account of a voyage from Exeter Canal City Basin, down the Exeter Canal, the Exe Estuary, along the coast past Teignmouth, to Torbay and Brixham Harbour. it occurred on the 18th February 1967, four years before the last transit of the canal by this ship  and just six years before the end of commercial traffic on this ancient canal. It resulted from a meeting in a pub local to the Basin, and an invitation by the Captain to go along with him. The usual routes of the ship were Fawley to Exeter and Fawley to the Channel Islands. But on this occasion the ship was due for a 48hour  engine maintenance, to be carried out in Brixham. Where the captain lived.

What follows includes conversations noted verbatim. This was not an interview, it was chat between shipmates. It was not intended to be taken seriously and there was certainly no ill intent. It was just part of daily life aboard a coastal tanker. Where the crew had been together quite a long time. If some of it sounds inconsequential or prejudiced perhaps in those days people were not quite so careful to avoid any possible offence to anyone and everyone. It was just chat. It is included because it happened. Whatever you think of it, remember that these men were competent experienced and respected seamen. Theirs was a difficult and often dangerous job. However, if anything set out in this verbatim account of what took place 56 years ago gives offence then I will withdraw the whole lot. It is not my intention to give offence to anyone.

Here goes:

"Early morning in February can be very cold: the stars still shining, the dawn still lurking beneath the horizon.

Walking across the waste ground towards the dock basin, the frozen mud crackling underfoot, listening to the throb of the ship's engines, louder and louder, mounting with one's own excitement.

The skipper, Stan, up there on the bridge.

'Hullo, hop on then.'

Climb over the rail, slippery with ice, and jump for the ladder. Down the companionway on the port side, left towards the captain's cabin, then right down the passage to the officer's mess.

'Morning Scotty, how're you keeping?'

'You made it then. Come in and sit down.'

Crew's mess, 8' x 6'. Big Phillips t.v. filling one corner. Fitted radio on the table. Four or five sauce bottles. Scotty sitting beneath the porthole there, smallish, tough, hard-drinking man. Scotty stirring coffee in a mug stamped with Esso sign.

'Happy motoring, see? There's no xxxx sugar in this coffee.'

Spoons it in. Talking about last night. Skipper Stan and he had a bit'o'a disagreement last night. Called him a xxxx. 'Nobody speaks to me like that on my ship' says Stan 'Except you. You're off at Brixham you are by God you're finished in this ship'. 'Xxxxx off Stan', he says.

7 a.m. we're off.

Up to the bridge. Left out of the crew's mess and right, up the companionway past the galley and out on the port side of the boat deck. Two lifeboats, one on each side.

' They've got motors but I don't know if they xxxxx work.'

Up five steps onto the wings of the bridge. In through the door.

'Morning.'

'Morning'.

Dido the Pilot at the helm, the skipper at the Pleuger rudder-propeller.

'Works like an outboard motor. Pushes her round the bends.'

Passed Gabriels Wharf now. Fields looking whitewashed with the frost. Sky beginning to soften, pale blue above the glow of the rising sun. Dido the Pilot, big old man, very upright, wearing navy blue uniform with peaked cap. Wide weather-beaten face with lively eyes, broad grin. Skipper beside him, fortyish, shortish, getting a little fat now; portly round the middle, wearing black polo-necked sweater, pair of faded trousers with a broken zip-fly.

'Every time I sneeze the xxxxx thing comes apart!'

Got a bad head today has the skipper.

A sound like sandpaper against a steel drum comes echoing up.

' Hear that? We're on the bottom. We touch maybe eight times, that's eight times up and down. Last year they had to renew the bottom plates. This canal is dead. What it needs is traffic. Ships of a thousand tons. For that they would have to build a new canal. If they spent ten million on this one they wouldn't do it. Look, they would have to make the locks bigger and the bridges wider. The bends would have to be straightened out. The canal follows a vein of hard rock you see and its too xxxxx bendy. And of course you would have to dredge it and that would collapse the banks unless they rebuild them too. Better build on to Exmouth Docks. Money spent on this canal is wasted.'

Easing through one of the swing bridges.

'Everyone of them is on a xxxxx bend!' "

 

Right. I am going to stop here. Perhaps a moderator would look at it and let me know whether to continue. In case some of this may cause offence to somebody. There will be comments perhaps of doubtful taste and/or political correctness or whatever. I cannot see it myself but then I am getting on a bit. 

[BEngo]

I have reported the post, simply to draw the mods attention to David's request. I have no problem with the post content.

 

 

N

[johnthebridge]

Good stuff David, please keep going. I cannot imagine anyone being offended by what you've written as you've written nothing that might termed such! I visited the Exeter on a few occasions, starting in the early 70s, and found the sea-lock end a very evocative place, looking out on the estuary, especially in the Winter.

I seem to remember the small coaster, Cynthia June, visiting the canal, but I might be wrong? She used to come up the Gloucester and Sharpness on occasion, right up to the '80s.

[Athy]

1 hour ago, davidwheeler said:

 

 

Right. I am going to stop here. Perhaps a moderator would look at it and let me know whether to continue. In case some of this may cause offence to somebody. 

An eye-witness account of commercial carrying on the Exeter Canal is of great interest and is probably unique. Please do carry on I can't see how your account could offend anybody, especially as you have "bleeped" any obscenities.

[johnthebridge]

Is the pub at the sea-lock end, The Turf (?), still in business?

[Athy]

6 minutes ago, johnthebridge said:

Is the pub at the sea-lock end, The Turf (?), still in business?

According to the internet, yes, and the building is Grade 2 listed. The landlord and landlady who have run it for 33 years have just retired and sold it, according to the local paper.

[Tim Lewis]

https://www.devonlive.com/whats-on/food-drink/turf-exeter-destination-pub-open-8344882

[davidwheeler]

Right. The next stage:

"Making up towards Double Locks now. Lock-men on bicycles. Thick mist now.  Dido the Pilot searching forward, hand on the telegraph, giving quick instructions now. Touch of forward thrust on the Pleuger. Bounces her off the bank into the mouth of the lock. Just nudges one lock gate. In and making fast, gates closing, time now for breakfast.

Frank takes the orders for breakfast; Frank a little thin old man from Ireland, grey haired.

'Too early for me. Just a cup of coffee. I had an apple before I came out. I only have one meal a day you know.'

' Look at this Jimmy Jesus' getting married. xxxxx ridiculous these Roman Catholics not marrying. You'd think they'd be all for it, what with all their kids and all.' Stan very superstitious about clergymen.

'Birth control's going to be on the xxxxx NHS. What do you think about that?'

'Free French letters I hope!' Haw haw.

'The old woman made me a cup of tea this morning!'

'She must have been bloody after something.'

Diesels picking up now, easing out of Double Locks, down towards the swing bridge. Big yellow dog barking, leaping over the gate beams and barking at the ship, wagging its tail.

'There's your pal, lazy sod!'

John coming along the cat-walk with Ray, passing the canvas gas-freeing funnels, shaped rather like wind-socks, catching the wind and forcing the petrol fumes out of the tanks, one over each of the four tank hatches, hanging from two lines stretched fore and aft, one port, one starboard.

' One of the boats gas-freeing smelt so bad I couldn't get within a hundred yards of it!'

Men on the swing bridge flagging the traffic down. Bridge swinging round. People standing on the side waiting to see the ship through.

'Now you look at this bridge. Right on a xxxxx bend, too narrow and too shallow.'

Reverberating boom as she touches the bottom. Lurch as the bows ride up against the bridge. Stan grins happily, maybe apologetically, making his point. Out of the old canal now, into the middle canal. Mist clearing, eaten up by the sun. Morning sunshine spreading over the fields, frost sparkling, a beautiful morning. Nobody mentions it. Breeze beginning to smell of the sea now, coming through the open window, marked 'This window to be kept closed when loading, unloading or gas-freeing'.

Rounding the bend into Limekilns in the sunshine. Diesel engine throbbing.

'I've walked right under the canal here' says Stan 'When they were working on the development here. There was a big pipe under the canal and one of the engineers from Ruddock and Meighan took us through. There's not everyone who can say he's been right under the canal.'

' Specially as you can't xxxxx swim!'

Passing the SW2, alongside the sewage quay: light, ready for another cargo on Monday. Down on towards Topsham. Mist not quite clear yet, the haze softening each colour a little. Moving a little faster now, drawing in the bull-rushes as we go past.

' I once nudged the bank, you know, along here and a couple of workmen jumped  out of a trench they were digging. Didn't do any damage, mind, but they wrote to the Company. Superintendent came down and asked for the Damage Report. 'Course I hadn't made a xxxxx damage report. The silly effer said that every time I caused damage to someone's property I must make a damage report. Well, I'd need a bloody barge to put all the reports in. Anyway, after that every time I touched the bank I made a report: 'Damage to three bullrushes' 'Collision with a piece of mud (no damage to ship)'. After a couple of weeks the superintendent rang me up and said 'okay that's enough''.

Well past Topsham, running alongside the estuary stretching away in front of us into the haze. On the last straight now, down to Turf Lock.

' We might not make Brixham this tide. Better put the bets on at Turf'

Talking about the cargo: she carries about 280 tons but sometimes if the weather has been dry for some time, and the river is low, she can only carry 170 tons.

'We're fifty tons short now. They say the canal is dredged to twelve feet. Well, we draw eleven fully laden, and we don't xxxxxx carry a full load. The canal may be fifteen in places but it is a bloody site less than eleven in others. But even if they did dredge it, they wouldn't get bigger ships up, because they would have to deepen the Exe estuary, and if they started that, they'd never xxxxx stop! Look at the Manchester Ship Canal, the Westminster Dredging Company must have made millions out of that!'

Nearly down at Turf. Slowly through the pound gate, grazing one side.

' They close that gate if a ship goes over the lock. One did that - the Ben Johnson. Skipper rang full astern and the xxxxx  engineer gave him full ahead. Went right over the lock gate and crushed it. There was an Everard boat going up at the time. The skipper got a hell of a shock when he saw that he was going backwards down the canal, the water was going out so fast. Great company National Benzole, though. Skipper used to be his own boss then. Used to keep his ship in dock for a week for engine repairs. Never touched the xxxxx engines of course. Taken over by Shell they are now. Right bastards they are. The Ben Johnson smashed up now. The Jersey must be the only tanker in England which could use this canal.

Dido the Pilot standing there quiet, listening to the conversation, now and again chipping in with a remark. Keeping his eyes on the lock entrance. Takes her in quite fast, hardly touches the locks wall.

'Coming ashore for a couple?' "

 

That will do for now. Any complaints so far about content? It is exactly as I noted at the time. I was just a researcher - it was for others to alter things appropriately. In accordance with the times. Anyway, all being well, we will have a shortish break at the Turf Hotel and then go on down the estuary to the sea.

 

[Derek R.]

No complaints from me David.

[cuthound]

3 hours ago, Athy said:

According to the internet, yes, and the building is Grade 2 listed. The landlord and landlady who have run it for 33 years have just retired and sold it, according to the local paper.

 

I had a couple of pints in there in 1999 when I was running a project to test all of BT's standby generators to see if they would be affected by the millennium bug. They weren't but it must have cost BT a small fortune to prove it, despite them being told by myself and others that most generators were not in any way computer controlled.

[davidwheeler]

" Turf Hotel bitterly cold; no fire because no customers at this time usually. Stan, Dido, Scotty, Frank and Ray drinking. Us with them. Placing bets by telephone for the day's racing at Newbury. Ray giving his forecast - he won twenty eight pounds yesterday. Telephone call for the Pilot: pilot boat skipper wants to know if he should come up to Turf, get in a couple of pints. No time, he says, we are just off.

Soon after 10.30 a.m. now; we have been here an hour and more. Back on board and casting off, moving the telegraph up to the maximum revs, beginning to get a bone in her teeth. Decca radar on, picking up the channel buoys as we go down. One or two fishing boats anchored.

' You can't rely on these buoys you know; they're not all that accurate.' No echo sounder on this ship. Sky now clouding over; high cloud which heralds, they say, a gale at about ten this evening. Sun looking oily.

'They chopped twenty seven tons of steel off this ship, you know, she was that unstable. I remember some trips back from Jersey when I'd swore we'd not make it back. She still rolls 40 degrees but she was xxxxx terrible then. The weight's too high.'

Slipping down the estuary quite swiftly now, passed Starcross Yacht Club, passed the blue fibreglass launch anchored off there. Getting bearings on the radio compass, marking them on the Portland -Berry Head chart, just for fun. The chart  overmarked with red, green and purple lines, each with a letter and a number; the dials on the instrument correspond with the figures on the chart. The letter and number of each dial is read and plotted on the chart. Magnificent piece of equipment.

'One day we were anchored off Exmouth, waiting to go up on the tide next morning. We dropped the boat and went ashore at Exmouth for a few pints. Got a bit tanked up on the urdy-gurdy, see, and went back to the boat. Dido says aim for the point on Dawlish Warren. We set off with I at the helm. Going for bloody hours. Still aiming for this point. Then I realised that we were on the  xxxxx mud! Stayed there 'til 5 next morning, then Dido rowed out and towed us back to the ship.'

' You should have seen them. All curled up with little red noses.'

'Xxxxx cold that night!'

Pilot boat alongside. Dido the Pilot stepping off. Two white linen bags thrown down onto the boat. Dido handing up a letter.

Orders to sail to Brixham for 48 hour repairs.

''Bye Stan. Goodbye you young gentlemen.' A wave.

Now in the channel, passing between the buoys. John taking her out, taking her close by the black conical buoys. The waves pounding the sandbanks close to the starboard side . Making full speed now, eight or nine knots. Ship pitching slightly in the calm seas. Round the Bell Buoy and change course for Brixham."

 

Up to this point, this would have been a standard return voyage, unladen.  Instead of changing course for Brixham, the ship would have headed out and up channel to Fawley refinery. The ship made 608 visits to Exeter Basin, the last return voyage being made on 28th July 1971. Shortly after that, the ship was sold.

However, I think that, having started the trip, I will go on to Brixham. Those whose interests lie with canals alone, can therefore ignore the next  bit which has nothing to do with canals. 

 

 

[davidwheeler]

On reflection, it seems I have misjudged the interest in this subject so I will stop here. No harm done, I hope.

The last foreign going commercial ship, the Dutch 'Jenjo' left Exeter Canal Basin on the 17th December 1973, and locked out of the canal into the Exe estuary later that day. The last commercial voyage by any ship, from Countess Wear works, was on the 31st December 1998. The last coaster to visit the Basin was the m/v Countess Wear, a courtesy visit on the 28th January 1999. After a short reception the mayor and Council representatives paid a  visit and were carried on the ship the length of the basin, before disembarking at the swing bridge. The few of us left travelled down the canal to the sewage works, where the ship docked for the last time. Later that year, the ship was sold and left the canal, ostensibly bound for Penzance but in reality, for the West Indies. What happened to the ship, I do not know. I have been unable to find out its fate.

Apologies to those who have found this rather boring or, even worse, offensive. Not my intention at all.

[Derek R.]

"The weight's too high".

I look at the cross channel ferries and cruise ships of today, and that thought is predominant.

 

'No harm done' - None whatsoever. Not a fan of 'lumpy' water, though it has always held a fascination, but even less so tidal rivers - they give me the shivers! Especially the Trent. It's been an instructive and interesting recounting. Thank you.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Derek R.

[Athy]

39 minutes ago, davidwheeler said:

On reflection, it seems I have misjudged the interest in this subject

How can you tell?

I for one have found it highly atmospheric and was looking forward to the rest of your log.

[Pluto]

A couple of photos taken at Exeter in 1982, showing the canal wharf and some of the boats in the Exeter Maritime Museum. The fate of the museum can be read in http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/maritime_museum.php

[magpie patrick]

4 hours ago, davidwheeler said:

On reflection, it seems I have misjudged the interest in this subject so I will stop here. No harm done, I hope.

 

Eh? How do you work that out? 

 

Many of us are reading without comment, because other than "wow, fascinating" there is no comment to be made.

 

Don't feel obliged to continue but as someone who is not only interested in the Exeter Canal but has navigated it I am enthralled!  

[Tony Brooks]

Ditto, much more interesting and informative than many topics here.

[Chris Lowe]

I've been reading it as well, please carry on.

[Guest]

7 hours ago, davidwheeler said:

Apologies to those who have found this rather boring or, even worse, offensive. Not my intention at all.

 

I take it the posts from folks that found the content 'offensive' have been hidden? Coz I sure can't see any.

[Tony Brooks]

23 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

I take it the posts from folks that found the content 'offensive' have been hidden? Coz I sure can't see any.

 

If this has happened, then I would have given the complainer a shove off answer. The OP reproduced what looked like a verbatim report, taking care to "beep out" any words that some might find offensive.

[Athy]

41 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

I take it the posts from folks that found the content 'offensive' have been hidden? Coz I sure can't see any.

Do you know what, I haven't seen any either.