Cotswold Canals

[PaulG]

I hope no-one minds if I post a short update on progress with this project. (Information from the CCT e-news.)

 

With the approval of the major funders of the project, Stroud District Council have recently taken over as Lead Partner, and they have now formally appointed Paul Coupe as Project Manager for Phase 1A.

 

Paul spent 7 years with BW before joining a Bristol-based firm of consultants in 2007. He has already made his mark locally with the Gloucester Quays development and design of the Gloucester - Sharpness canal diversion for the A40 bypass.

 

Once the canal is restored, the newly-formed Stroud Valley Canals Company (SVCC) will take on responsibility for its operational management, maintenance and repair.

 

Interests in SVCC are held by each of the landowners who have vested their property in the company, together with Stroud District Council as lead partner and the Cotswold Canals Trust.

 

SVCC now holds a 999 year lease (from April 2005) on the 6.2 miles of the Stroudwater Navigation from Saul to Wallbridge and the freehold of approx. 5.9 acres of Brimscombe Port Industrial Estate. Negotiations are well underway to acquire the other land necessary for the restoration.

[magpie patrick]

Some of you probably know that I am the HLF monitor on this and the Droitwich Canals, which means I approve payments etc for HLF. HLF are pleased that this now seems to be working out and that the project has survived the withdrawal of BW. I would say that it would have been easy for HLF to walk away at that point and simply have their money spent on other things. We didn't do that, but there have been some tense moments in the meantime!

 

I can't (and won't) say too much because the nature of my role means I am sometimes privy to things not in the public domain, but I'm hopeful that a new grant contract will soon be signed

[stewey]

I hope no-one minds if I post a short update on progress with this project. (Information from the CCT e-news.)

Of course not, Paul. The Cotswald Canals restoration is such an important one and would make a major addition to the canal network.

 

I hope you are able to give us regular updates in the future!

 

Best wishes

 

Stewey

[Josher]

Gloucestershire canal lock's restoration almost done BBC News (with photographs) Here

 

Work to restore a historic canal lock in Gloucestershire has almost been completed. The Grade II listed Ryeford double lock on the Stroudwater Navigation is one of only seven of its type remaining on the inland waterway network. Three pairs of lock gates are currently being made for it.It is part of the Cotswold Canal restoration project which aims to reconnect the River Severn with the River Thames.In total 22 pairs of gates have been ordered from Hargreaves cast iron foundry of Halifax in a contract worth £600,000.

 

The Cotswold Canals is made up of the seven-mile (13km) Stroudwater Navigation Canal and 29-mile (46km) Thames & Severn Canal.Restoration between Brimscombe and Stonehouse is being led by Stroud District Council.They will be made to replicate, as near as possible, the original lock gates.

 

The council's cabinet member for regeneration, Keith Pearson, said the remaining gates would be made as and when they are required.He said: "You can only put the gates on when you're ready for the section of canal to be in water. "If you just hang them and leave them there and there isn't any water then they dry out, they warp and they deteriorate and therefore the length of life that we want out of them will be diminished."

 

Ryeford lock is expected to be fully finished - with the gates fitted and full of water - in the first half of 2011. A special event has been organised to see the lock without water. "They will also be made to replicate as near as possible the original lock gates that were there. We can do that by [looking at] old photographs," said Mr Pearson. "Our intention is to try and ensure the style of the lock gates that were there on the original canal will be replicated."

 

People can see the restored but still-dry lock at a special open afternoon on Friday 12 November 2010 (1pm-4pm).

[Josher]

Chance to get in early with this land sale with "potential for water related development (subject to planning)" Here

[magpie patrick]

Chance to get in early with this land sale with "potential for water related development (subject to planning)" Here

 

 

Oi, leave it alone!

 

The trust are in negotiations...

[Guest]

Would love to see this restored - my early involvement with canals started with a visit to the Tunnel Inn above ??? tunnel when we went out for a post large lunch walk we stumbled across the abandoned tunnel and canal.

 

Started to get hooked from then on….

[keble]

Would love to see this restored - my early involvement with canals started with a visit to the Tunnel Inn above ??? tunnel when we went out for a post large lunch walk we stumbled across the abandoned tunnel and canal.

 

Started to get hooked from then on….

Sapperton

[Guest]

Sapperton

 

 

That's the one..

 

and sorry all for not being bang on with the name of the Inn, Tunnel House Inn it is.....

 

 

http://www.tunnelhouse.com/

[Hairy-Neil]

Would love to see this restored - my early involvement with canals started with a visit to the Tunnel Inn above ??? tunnel when we went out for a post large lunch walk we stumbled across the abandoned tunnel and canal.

Started to get hooked from then on….

 

Had you searched a bit further you could have also discovered Thames Head, the official source of the River Thames, though there is a line of thought that the actual source of the Thames is inside Sapperton Tummel

[Max Sinclair]

 

That's the one..

 

and sorry all for not being bang on with the name of the Inn, Tunnel House Inn it is.....

 

 

http://www.tunnelhouse.com/

Surprised it wasn't dismantled and sold to the USA.

[RLWP]

 

Judging by the bloke in the yellow jumper stood on the quayside, it must be F%^%^^ng enormous!

 

Richard

[ditchcrawler]

 

That's the one..

 

and sorry all for not being bang on with the name of the Inn, Tunnel House Inn it is.....

 

 

http://www.tunnelhouse.com/

Went there one day and a scanterly dressed young lady was having her photo taken standing in one of the recesses (I don't know the proper name for them)

[tony collins]

When someone starts restoring the Sapperton Tunnel, tell them to watch out for a plaque on the wall just before the biggest roof fall. It commemorates an exploratory expedition carried out by members of the Coventry Canal Society in the 1950's.

 

The party consisted of five people with two boats, one a dinghy, the other an inflatable (appropriately named "Windbag"). Both boats were hauled over roof falls until they met one which couldn't be passed. The plaque was left as a mark of their visit, to be discovered at some later date.

 

Perhaps soon someone will find it.

 

Tony