The Melton Oakham Canal

[benfordboy]

Plans are afoot for 2012.

 

For reference the society has a new site at http://www.meltonwaterways.co.uk

 

I've recruited a small band of Urbexers, and sourced a 2nd outboard so we can use 2 dinghies to leasten the individual workload. we're looking now at getting above the 2nd weir the place where my last trip ended. (well there was a pub nearby)

 

another update, is that the new bridge is scheduled to be built later this year allowing for a 7 foot by about 7 foot navigable archway.

 

Its a fact Fuzz , but no plans to remove the old (original) bridge pilings I believe (Not the current bridge) - Ok for a dingy but you know as well as I do if a bridge is open someone will try to navigate it !

 

Sell me that Seagull you have for a fiver - It would fit on my mates Canadian Canoe at a push , then I'll race you to Melton (The town of my birth) Pork Pie anyone ?

[fuzzyduck]

Sell me that Seagull you have for a fiver

 

nope, but you are welcome to borrow it. Game On!

 

Its a fact Fuzz , but no plans to remove the old (original) bridge pilings I believe (Not the current bridge)

 

if the current centre piling is taken out, then the river will be open enough to get narrowbeam cruisers like yours up.

[Le Velocette Man]

Hi FD

Trawling the net ,I came across your post about trying to navigate the Melton Navigation and Oakham canal. You mentioned the waterways society, MOWS 0f which I am now chairman. The new address is WWW.meltonwaterways.co.uk. You are correct saying the new bridge will go in soon, the last date I was given is mid October to November (they are very vague at county hall). Meanwhile we continue to clear the Melton "ring" of river and canal around the two parks in preparation for the 2015 IWA Trailboat rally. We have work parties on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month, and you are very welcome to join us. All details on website. At Rocks by Rail (the old Rutland Railway Centre)we are continuing to clear the Oakham Canal there to show people what it used to be like. Our AGM is in November and I am doing an illustrated talk in Melton in October. Again all stuff is on the website, along with contact Nos.

You start at Syston, and we'll start at Melton, and hopefully we'll meet in the middle!

Regards

Mick

[Theo]

Hi FD

Trawling the net ,I came across your post about trying to navigate the Melton Navigation and Oakham canal. You mentioned the waterways society, MOWS 0f which I am now chairman. The new address is WWW.meltonwaterways.co.uk. You are correct saying the new bridge will go in soon, the last date I was given is mid October to November (they are very vague at county hall). Meanwhile we continue to clear the Melton "ring" of river and canal around the two parks in preparation for the 2015 IWA Trailboat rally. We have work parties on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month, and you are very welcome to join us. All details on website. At Rocks by Rail (the old Rutland Railway Centre)we are continuing to clear the Oakham Canal there to show people what it used to be like. Our AGM is in November and I am doing an illustrated talk in Melton in October. Again all stuff is on the website, along with contact Nos.

You start at Syston, and we'll start at Melton, and hopefully we'll meet in the middle!

Regards

Mick

Pleased that you have joined our gang at CWDF. You emailed me that dates and locations of the working parties so I hope to join you soon.

 

Nick

 

 

[fuzzyduck]

You start at Syston, and we'll start at Melton, and hopefully we'll meet in the middle!

 

Mick it's very kind of you to drop by to say hello. By coincidence it was only last night i was discussing the navigation with a couple of CWDF members.

 

Unfortunately as I don't drive, I am unable to attend your working parties, but if you have any at the Syston end give me a yell, I'd love to pitch in.

 

Most of the images we took on the first trip are poor, but as a small token of my best wishes, if you ever want to use any of them for MOWs, please consider this to be a licence to use them or derivatives for whatever purposes you see fit.

 

http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y232/dawncraft/Melton%20and%20Oakham/

 

If you don't mind I have a question... I understand the first lock chamber was obliterated in its entirety, can you give me a rough idea where it was situated in relation to the first weir? My team of guerrilla lock builders need somewhere to start.

[benfordboy]

 

 

If you don't mind I have a question... I understand the first lock chamber was obliterated in its entirety, can you give me a rough idea where it was situated in relation to the first weir? My team of guerrilla lock builders need somewhere to start.

 

Not sure without asking Dad again as he can remember the lock) but IIRC the weir (Just past under the bridge) is above the site of the lock, this was built as part of the lowering of the Wreake levels to stop the floods in Syston. The lock was in between the entrance to Syston Mill & the exit (The mill pond is now a shadow of its former self that I remember as a youngster when fishing & cut off)

 

Will try to find out more if I can!

[Laurence Hogg]

there is, it's called the bus.

 

However .... If I don't at least try then I'm always going to want to, and it's not opening any time soon.

 

So game on!

Definatly "Game on" this is a grossly overlooked restoration possibility, imagine taking your boat to fetch pork pies - heaven!! Nothing to stop this being a reality.

[Smelly]

Guess where this came from...

 

 

It's an old wino we found in the pub.

 

On a related note the MOWS site seems to have disappeared from beehive... They are still active i trust.

 

Nice hat! Bet it came off an old wino you found in the pub...

[Hairy-Neil]

Definatly "Game on" this is a grossly overlooked restoration possibility, imagine taking your boat to fetch pork pies - heaven!! Nothing to stop this being a reality.

 

Restore through to Oakham I say, then new build a link through to the restored Welland at Stamford....

[Richard Fairhurst]

About half of Oakham-Stamford is already in water anyway. And the boat lift at Empingham Dam would be something to behold.

[Le Velocette Man]

Hi again FD

Re the location of the first lock on the Melton, well you wont be surprised to know I don't know! However it seems that the decent flat area under the railway bridge may have been used (in later years) for the mooring of boats setting the lock to go downstream. The navigation of course predated the railway, so what they did before that I'm not sure, but my best guess is that the lock wasn't far from the present "rapids". There was probably an overspill weir on the Syston side, as the towpath has always been on the Cossington side. My predesessor at MOWS, Richard Fairhurst may be able to shed more light on this than I, for he is indeed a learned man!

For info, MOWS is at present pressing County Hall rights of way officers to repair and re-align the footpath from the bridge to the pub. It is in a terrible downright dangerous state and,due to fallen trees etc has "wandered" way off it's original line (MMN towpath)at the waters edge. Survey done in August, report presented early September. Something may happen soon but don't hold your breath. By the way, MOWS applied for a grant to put this problem right and guess where from..........County Hall! Somebody then realised we were applying for money from the very people who should be doing the work. Red faces all round!

 

Regards

Mick

[Richard Fairhurst]

I believe the first lock was sited where the present-day EA bridge is - i.e. this pic. It's a while (too long) since I've been there though!

[fuzzyduck]

Thank you Mick and Richard for your replies.

[benfordboy]

Like Fuzz , The Wreake / Melton & Oakham Navigation has always held a soft spot for me - From an early age with Grandad we passed the Junction & it was explained to me all the history etc etc...

 

I recall fishing the mill ponds at Syston as a young lad (Now mostly filled in due to commercial expansion & cut off from the river). However some signs remain....

 

Using Google Earth © the following seems apparent from memories and whats now left (I have fished what seems to be the inlet & outlet over the past yrs) Well a opinion anyway !!

 

 

Based on normal river navigation (usually a inlet above the lock to the mill & an outlet below) I suspect that the lock was a little lower that Richards comments that it was situated at jsut below the new EA bridge.

 

Will be trying to find out more this weekend !!!

[fuzzyduck]

Your exit is almost certainly spot on.

 

I might have to get the dinghy out on Saturday and see if I can spot any remains.

[benfordboy]

Your exit is almost certainly spot on.

 

I might have to get the dinghy out on Saturday and see if I can spot any remains.

 

As the OH is of to see the Grandkids Sat , I will be down at the Boat on Sat afternoon - There is a planned trip aboard a mates boat to the H&A for a beer but if room for a fat one will happily join you on that trip (Maybe including the H&A for a beer !

[fuzzyduck]

I'll drop by and see if I can rescue you from that fate

[benfordboy]

Just looking at the Google earth pic again , it looks like it shallows off just below my text of the site of lock - maybe thats the one.....

[Laurence Hogg]

Is it not possible that the site of lock 1 is under the dual carriage way embankment? There is a straight cut going off south just before the modern bridge which doesnt relate to anything else you can now see?

Edited September 20, 2012 by Laurence Hogg

[Theo]

Hope you don't mind the move to History and Heritage. It would be a pity if this topic were lost in the general jumble.

 

Nick

[fuzzyduck]

Laurence if you're refering to downstream of the bridge, that's where Syston Brook joins the navigation i think.

 

However, unless something was built on the top, i'm surprised the structure was so completely removed.

Edited September 20, 2012 by fuzzyduck

[fuzzyduck]

Mystery solved

 

 

from 1884, it looks like the EA bridge is on the site of the lock tail bridge, so bonus points to Richard.

[Le Velocette Man]

Hi Melton navigation team,

Refering back to the google earth pic, in the upper left you can spot the oxbow channel where it used to run in times of high water. This doesn't happen now, since the spoilsports at the EA have lowered levels a bit. Walkers used to skirt round this on the ploughed field side due to the 100m obstruction of thick brambles atop the riverbank. MOWS had several work parties there in about 2000 and cleared the way through which, due to many walkers has now become the main path. Thankfully the brambles have died back and are no longer a problem. They were tough to cut just with sacateurs, loppers and a simple brush cutter. If you look closely you can still see the scars on my arms. Ouch!!

Mick

[fuzzyduck]

Hope you don't mind the move to History and Heritage. It would be a pity if this topic were lost in the general jumble.

 

Nick

 

Cheers Nick, stick us in the arse end of the forum with all the anoraks.

[Le Velocette Man]

Hi FD

Just for everyones information, the County Council contractors, Tomlinson, commenced work on the rebuilding of the Wreake End Footbridge last week.

They have started on the Cossington side, putting in some posts to support the ramp there. I presume they will duplicate this on the Fosse Way side ,with the main section of the bridge to be swung in after. They have gained acess through the field off meadow lane, giving a clear run to the corner nearest the bridge. When complete it should have ,according to their drawings 2.4m clearance over the middle 5m. Despite the fact that they intend (for the time being)to leave the centre pillar of the old bridge, this will mean that for the first time in over 135 years boats will be able to access the Melton Mowbray Navigation. Whether its legal to do so is another matter, but for now i'm just pleased that ten years of petitioning cajoling and pleading by MOWS has paid off. Disabled people too will benefit as wheelchairs can now cross, so everyones a winner! How long the brick pillar stands is a moot point as 15 tons of narrowboat takes some stopping! oops!

I do hope some of our readers can make the opening ceremony (details when I get them).

Regards

Mick