Whtchurch Arm

[Night Hawk]

It's the 20th august 2010 and we're moored on the lovely little Whitchurch Arm off the Llangollen section of the Shropshire Union Canal.

 

For members who have not done this delightful stretch, it branches off a 'hairpin' corner and reaches back around 500 yards towards Whitchurch town centre coming to an abrupt stop just before a restored arch bridge. There is a broad towpath and a winding point; several green 'dog poo' bins, graffiti free and not too far a walk into the medieval village...market day being Friday! The stretch of water is owned and run by the Whitchurch Waterways Trust but there is an expectation that all boaters mooring display or have a current BW license.

 

My question/comment is this...I've been coming to visit family and friends in Whitchurch since 1986 and though I've been told by the locals of great plans and visions for the restoration, nothing seems to have happened...I've moored here three times over the decades and it's been exactly the same each visit.

 

I don't wish to offend and Trust memebrs on this forum for their valiant work...but I was wondering where things were up to with the renovations?

 

Cheers,

 

Andrew

[casper ghost]

Only 1/4 mile from my boat. I've been to a few Whitchurch Arm rallies. The idea of a visitor marina or even the slightly mad idea of an inclined plane have been looked at but I never really expect anything further to be done with the arm.

Casp'

[Night Hawk]

Only 1/4 mile from my boat. I've been to a few Whitchurch Arm rallies. The idea of a visitor marina or even the slightly mad idea of an inclined plane have been looked at but I never really expect anything further to be done with the arm.

Casp'

 

A lock down to a basin to join the bit of cut still soggy and then another basin....surely an opportunity for a marina and some extra cash for the town?

 

Where are you Mr Ghost...did you see the fabulous rainbows earlier?

[casper ghost]

A lock down to a basin to join the bit of cut still soggy and then another basin....surely an opportunity for a marina and some extra cash for the town?

 

Where are you Mr Ghost...did you see the fabulous rainbows earlier?

I did hear of the usual arguments within the Trust..

 

I'm actually at home 40 mile south (it's rained here all afternoon) but my dad and brother are on their boats by mine which is up the canal abit from the arm by a lift bridge.

[Night Hawk]

I did hear of the usual arguments within the Trust..

 

I'm actually at home 40 mile south (it's rained here all afternoon) but my dad and brother are on their boats by mine which is up the canal abit from the arm by a lift bridge.

 

 

Oh I know....by the 'Yellow Perril Hire Company'?

[BlueStringPudding]

It's the 20th august 2010 and we're moored on the lovely little Whitchurch Arm off the Llangollen section of the Shropshire Union Canal.

 

For members who have not done this delightful stretch, it branches off a 'hairpin' corner and reaches back around 500 yards towards Whitchurch town centre coming to an abrupt stop just before a restored arch bridge. There is a broad towpath and a winding point; several green 'dog poo' bins, graffiti free and not too far a walk into the medieval village...

 

 

... and a plague of frogs in April.

[Night Hawk]

... and a plague of frogs in April.

 

Oh.... shouldn't the 'Forum' take over the Trust and for the fun of it....fund raise and get the work done.....

 

Go on..we should get involved in something?

 

??

[stripey]

Only 1/4 mile from my boat. I've been to a few Whitchurch Arm rallies. The idea of a visitor marina or even the slightly mad idea of an inclined plane have been looked at but I never really expect anything further to be done with the arm.

Casp'

I've been there a few times as we live quite close but although such an idea is attractive, an inclined plane would surely be a very costly way of getting a few hundred yards further into Whitchurch?

Edited August 20, 2010 by stripey

[Night Hawk]

I've been there a few times as we live quite close but although such an idea is attractive, an inclined plane would surely be a very costly way of getting a few hundred yards further into Whitchurch?

 

a couple of locks would do it....but where to send the overflow from the final basin?

 

A long pipe back to Grindley?

[NbCassie2]

The plans which I have seen have always struck me as a little unrealistic. Ignoring the cost of the incline plane (both installation and running/manning), how does one obtain permission to dam the stream to create the waterway into town? How many of the nearby residents will object? How many endangered/rare species living only along the stream must be killed before the nice natural heritage people find out and block all the plans?

Sorry to be negative - i like the plans and wish everyone welI don't see it happening in Casper's lifetime let alone in mine.

Dave

[Bobbybass]

I too...love the Whitchurch arm.

There is also that great ...'all you can eat'Indian buffet in town....for £6.95

Was there recently...and noticed that they have put orange barrier around by the bridge and excavated the original limestone 'side slabs'

 

Maybe they do this every year..?..or maybe its progress ?

 

Bob

[Josher]

Own goal? Can't help thinking that the pre-meeting lobbying and briefing did not work - obvious to me that they spent the money on drilling holes and producing a ground survey! Good that the council will not charge a fee for the application though. It would be good to see this one happen - it is worth the walk now but it would be so much better for the town if this did go ahead.

 

Setback for North Shropshire canal restoration plans Friday 27th May 2011, 6:12PM BST. Shropshire Star

 

Major plans to transform and restore a stretch of north Shropshire canal have suffered a setback after councillors refused a bid to help fund the project. The Whitchurch Waterway Trust wants to extend the canal and create a new basin with moorings in the town. But at last night’s annual meeting of Whitchurch Town Council members rejected a bid for funding from the trust.

 

Councillors said they had already given the trust money in the past and had not had any evidence of what it had been used for. The trust needs money to help the project get of the ground, including lodging a planning application. But councillors last night agreed to make the planning application to save the trust money. Ticker Harris, town councillor, said: “We have gave them money before. I don’t see why we should throw more at them.” Councillor Peggy Mullock, newly-elected mayor of Whitchurch, proposed the council ask the trust to send information on what had happened to the money previously handed out. The project, which is expected to cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to set-up, would bring canal boat users nearer to the town centre and become a tourist attraction for Whitchurch. It would leave scope for the canal to be extended further towards the town centre in the future using locks or an inclined plane.

 

Work took place earlier this year on drilling boreholes to investigate the soil conditions on an area of land just beyond Chemistry Bridge – the proposed site of the new mooring basin. Results of the survey have revealed no contamination in the area, which means trust members can now start preparing for planning permission. The scheme won the backing of trust members at a meeting held last year. Before the meeting members had five potential schemes to consider including a multi-million pound water park on the canal arm. Meanwhile, at last night’s meeting councillors agreed to put some money aside towards carrying out feasibility studies to a number of projects they are considering as part of the town’s revitalisation scheme.