"Improvements" at Anton's Gowt

[Tinally]

We were all delighted to hear that BW was to install more moorings along the length of the river Witham, where it is often difficult to find a space in the height of the season.

 

Here is the delightful new floating landing stage they have installed upstream of the lock at Anton's Gowt. They have a similar one on the downstream side.

 

 

You will note the amount of wall that has been lost for mooring to. Alright, you can now step off without climbing up a short vertical ladder, but the mooring can't accomodate as many boats now!

 

So the question is........have they actually improved facilities for boaters at this site? Your comments ladies and gentlemen.

[Jason Wilson and Family]

Doesn't seem to make any bloody sense to me. The only reason I can think of for the long ramp is for handicapped boaters, which I'd have to approve of but the ram end in a flippin length of ladders who designed this stupid thing?

[gralyn]

So the question is........have they actually improved facilities for boaters at this site? Your comments ladies and gentlemen.

Looks like they have created somewhere to get on and off for working the lock. I don't think that they intended it to be a mooring.

[MartinClark]

Looks like they have created somewhere to get on and off for working the lock. I don't think that they intended it to be a mooring.

It would have been better to have had ONE of these new landings on one side of Anton's Gowt and left the moorings on the other side ass moorings. It's a lovely spot to stop for the night.

 

Have they done anything to improve getting on or off a boat at the bottom end of Anton's Gowt lock? I seem to remember having to climb down a nasty long ladder.

[Hairy-Neil]

Have they done anything to improve getting on or off a boat at the bottom end of Anton's Gowt lock? I seem to remember having to climb down a nasty long ladder.

 

Below the lock is surely outside BW's jurisdiction so I doubt it some how.....

[Purple Fairie]

Doesn't seem to make any bloody sense to me. The only reason I can think of for the long ramp is for handicapped boaters, which I'd have to approve of but the ram end in a flippin length of ladders who designed this stupid thing?

 

It's just the angle of the photo that makes it look like the ladders are at the end of the ramp. The ladders are at the end of the pontoon so if anyone was to fall in they can climb out again.

[MartinClark]

Below the lock is surely outside BW's jurisdiction so I doubt it some how.....

That would depend on who has funded this "improvement". If the money came from the county council then it could well include below the lock.

[Purple Fairie]

It was funded by the Lincolnshire Waterways Project. The LWP consists of British Waterways, Lincolnshire County Council, the Environment Agency, Sustrans and Groundwork Lincolnshire in addition to local authorities, and national and local voluntary organisations.

I can't fault the work that they've done already. This includes new and/or extended moorings all along the Witham from Boston to Lincoln, the RailWay cycle path from Boston to Lincoln (following the old railway where possible), the new facilites at Lincoln, and the new mooring facilites at Saxilby, the visitor centre at Torksey and habitats for wading birds at Fiskerton Fen, to name a few!

They are also helping us in the Sleaford Navigation Trust to get the river Slea navigable again, there is a hell of a lot of work to do but now we've got them 'on side' we're hoping it wont drag on much longer. (touch wood! )

[Hairy-Neil]

It was funded by the Lincolnshire Waterways Project.

 

Hi Sam, do you know if they are also paying for the new lock at Black Sluice and the new bottom gates at Lower Kyme Lock?

[Purple Fairie]

Hi Sam, do you know if they are also paying for the new lock at Black Sluice and the new bottom gates at Lower Kyme Lock?

 

Hi Neil, yes, the Fens Link at Boston is funded through the LWP as are the gates on bottom lock (although most of the the 'leg work' has been done by the Trust!). We were there this weekend preparing the area, cutting the grass, putting scaffolding up, etc ready for the installation so lets hope it's not too long!

I've got dates for rallies and gatherings if you're interested (now that Smudge is on the committee! )

Edited October 13, 2008 by Purple Fairie

[Derek Porteous]

Hi Neil, yes, the Fens Link at Boston is funded through the LWP as are the gates on bottom lock (although most of the the 'leg work' has been done by the Trust!). We were there this weekend preparing the area, cutting the grass, putting scaffolding up, etc ready for the installation so lets hope it's not too long!

I've got dates for rallies and gatherings if you're interested (now that Smudge is on the committee! )

 

Good work there, Purple Fairy.

 

Last year we cruised the River Witham (between the floods) and noted that the facilities were so much better than those on our home patch of the River Ouse/Ure. Now I know why, hard work on the part of a number of individuals and organisations. Want to migrate north and do the same job on the River Ouse. There are very long stretches indeed with no opportunities to tie up for a cup of tea (or a beer even).

Edited October 13, 2008 by Derek Porteous

[Jason Wilson and Family]

It's just the angle of the photo that makes it look like the ladders are at the end of the ramp. The ladders are at the end of the pontoon so if anyone was to fall in they can climb out again.

 

Ah, yeah, I see it now, thanks for that. Of course now that I see that the ramp only takes up one side of the pontoon I'm not sure why the pontoon couldn't have been full length.

[MartinClark]

It was funded by the Lincolnshire Waterways Project. The LWP consists of British Waterways, Lincolnshire County Council, the Environment Agency, Sustrans and Groundwork Lincolnshire in addition to local authorities, and national and local voluntary organisations.

In that case there is no reason that I can see why an improved landing below the lock could not also have been created. Has this been done?