When the M1 came to the Watford Flight

[Geoffrey Hammond]

I recently spent the night moored at the top of the Watford flight, almost opposite the lock-keeper's boat. In one direction was the flower - embellished beauty of the flight, in the other was the brutal motoway crossing.

 

It set me wondering, for I have seen motorway construction sites and know the extent of the scar that is created either side of the actual cariageways.

 

What was it like when the motorway bridge was being built over the canal so near the top lock? Was passage through the locks affected or halted? Were any photos taken showing a working boat with bridge construction in the background - the past and intended future of transportation?

[Guest]

I recently spent the night moored at the top of the Watford flight, almost opposite the lock-keeper's boat. In one direction was the flower - embellished beauty of the flight, in the other was the brutal motoway crossing.

 

It set me wondering, for I have seen motorway construction sites and know the extent of the scar that is created either side of the actual cariageways.

 

What was it like when the motorway bridge was being built over the canal so near the top lock? Was passage through the locks affected or halted? Were any photos taken showing a working boat with bridge construction in the background - the past and intended future of transportation?

 

I often wonder the same when I see similar bridges over the system, including the new West Coast mainline railway bridges we passed under recently. Thinking about it I can't see how the canal below could remain open while these huge projects are built - certainly not under our current health & safety legislation - perhaps possible when the M1 was being built past Watford mind.

 

There must of been 'stoppages' for at least part of the construction period I reckon though.

[Pluto]

I recently spent the night moored at the top of the Watford flight, almost opposite the lock-keeper's boat. In one direction was the flower - embellished beauty of the flight, in the other was the brutal motoway crossing.

 

It set me wondering, for I have seen motorway construction sites and know the extent of the scar that is created either side of the actual cariageways.

 

What was it like when the motorway bridge was being built over the canal so near the top lock? Was passage through the locks affected or halted? Were any photos taken showing a working boat with bridge construction in the background - the past and intended future of transportation?

Makes you wonder what the countryside looked like when the canal was built - was the canal another scar on the landscape!

[MoominPapa]

The summer edition of "NarrowBoat" magazine has, on page 38, a picture of the construction of the concrete arch which carries the M1 over the Northampton Arm. A pair, loaded with wheat for Wellingborough mills is passing underneath the scaffolding and form-work.

 

I looked at the last lock in the flight, which is half in the tunnel, as we came through this summer. The bottom gate recesses and the bottom half of the lock obviously date from the time of the M1 so there must have been some disruption. The photo proves that this was limited and certainly didn't span the entire period of construction.

 

MP.

[Hairy-Neil]

I remember reading a book many years ago (One of David Owen's?) that covered boating at the time the M6 was being built near Spaghetti Junction. The author described boating through the roadworks and of having to wait whilst a contractors access bridge across the canal was craned out of the way to allow passage.

[the grinch]

i remember the M40 being built over the oxford there was a scaffold bridge between the 2 supports, until they were ready to lift the bridge parts in, there were day long stoppages for that, but it was clear by the early evenings.

sorry never took a picture.

[alan_fincher]

The summer edition of "NarrowBoat" magazine has, on page 38, a picture of the construction of the concrete arch which carries the M1 over the Northampton Arm. A pair, loaded with wheat for Wellingborough mills is passing underneath the scaffolding and form-work.

 

I looked at the last lock in the flight, which is half in the tunnel, as we came through this summer. The bottom gate recesses and the bottom half of the lock obviously date from the time of the M1 so there must have been some disruption. The photo proves that this was limited and certainly didn't span the entire period of construction.

 

MP.

This Jim Payler photo is amongst may excellent ones posted at Blisworth Org Linky

 

[MoominPapa]

This Jim Payler photo is amongst may excellent ones posted at Blisworth Org Linky

 

Yes, that's the one in NarrowBoat. The whole collection looks great. Thanks Alan.

 

MP.

[tony collins]

There was of course the famous incident at Rugby, where a redundant railway bridge was being demolished. They inserted specially made inflatable cushions under the bridge to stop the brickwork falling into the canal. The cushions failed and deposited the bridge in the cut. Only this time there also some shredded air cushions to recover as well. I think the canal was closed for a while......

 

On the subject of building the motorways there must have been some element of closure, but like the country lanes that closed, some passage was possible most times. This was before I got interested enough in canals to notice.

 

When they were building the A14 across the Catthorpe/Naseby gap, they would build a ramp for the lane crossing, before taking down the old road, you would drive across the line of the new road, then they pulled down the old road and build a bridge across the lot. I can imagine that these "essential crossings" were a pain for the road builders.

[sociable_hermit]

When I was living in Stoke in the mid 1990s the big road bridge to the south (close to the incinerator) was being built. I'd regularly walk down the towpath and the walking route would be different every time, but from memory the canal was always kept open. If it did shut, it would only have been for a matter of days.

[Athy]

I have never before seen a photo of working boats negotiating the M1 works, but I have seen an almost as striking juxtaposition of ancient and modern: steam rollers being used in the motorway's construction.

[Pluto]

When the M65 was built in 1982, the L&LC was badly affected in the Hapton area. This section, including the stone overbridge, disappeared under the motorway, being replaced by a straighter section which must have shortened the canal slightly.