Nice Photo - Shame About The Caption

[alan_fincher]

As many will realise, I am fascinated by canal and canal boat history, and will keenly devour any historic photos that get published for the first time. (Many well know photos get regularly recycled, and really good new material is sometimes a bit thin on the ground.)

 

The otherwise less than average (in my view!) "Canals, Rivers & Boats" magazine, has been publishing a serialised version of the diary of Evelyn Hunt, an "Idle Woman" or "Trainee" that manned the Grand Union boats in part of WWII, and is usually regarded as being from the most successful and long standing of the women crews trained up for this wartime work.

 

The series, edited by Tim Coghlan, owner of Braunston Marina, had the good fortune that once it was under-way, photographs until then unknown of were found by Evelyn's step-son, John Mornington. These are very high quality photos, apparently taken to be part of a publicity campaign about this work, but never used.

 

Some of the best photos of narrow boats at work in WWII, I have seen, and streets ahead of those published in the three books written by any of the "Idle Women".

 

So far so good.....

 

One picture clearly shows Sun and Dipper passing North over Wolverton trunk aqueduct. This is one of the most iconic structures on the Southern Grand Union, so why has the photo, (which obviously I can't reproduce here) been captioned.....

 

The Sun and Dipper heading north across the Cosgrove Aqueduct in May 1944, the Cosgrove Lock in the distance. Note how well the towpath was then maintained. A much larger aqueduct was built in modern times to allow for a major road widening scheme at Milton Keynes, making that the first major canal aqueduct built in modern times. On completion the old one was removed. This recently discovered photograph is one of the very few of the former aqueduct in the working days.

 

I have seen some real howlers when writing about canal history, but all those of us who regularly pass over the trunk aqueduct in the picture, (or indeed those currently carrying out a major renovation of it), must be a bit surprised to hear it is a former aqueduct.

 

Boat crossing the "former" aqueduct in modern times....

 

 

(Image The Iron Trunk by George Mahoney reproduced under the Creative Commons licence).

 

Sickle approaches the "former" aqueduct last July.

 

 

The new aqueduct at New Bradwell that has crept into the caption is in fact probably 2 miles to the South of the Wolverton trunk.

 

 

(Image Grafton Street Aqueduct by Mike Todd reproduced under the Creative Commons licence).

 

The only obvious example I can think of of a large aqueduct that the "Idle women" might have passed over is that over the North Circular road on the Paddington Arm. That is indeed a case where a completely different structure has replaced it since. However it is 67 miles and 69 locks from Wolverton Trunk!

 

Oh, and this is usually called "Wolverton aqueduct", not "Cosgrove aqueduct", I would say.

 

So here is a challenge..... For a really good archive photo that has been published, can you find a better piece of fiction than this which has been used as a caption ?

[Keeping Up]

Maybe some confusion with the fact that the original aqueduct, which was wooden, collapsed and was then replaced with the current iron one?

 

Inexcusable anyway!

[Laurence Hogg]

Alan. where was this caption printed? This is so typical of how history is being "changed" by those whose research is highly questionable. Strange ir doesnt mention the locks which are still clearly findable (remains of).

[alan_fincher]

Alan. where was this caption printed? This is so typical of how history is being "changed" by those whose research is highly questionable. Strange ir doesnt mention the locks which are still clearly findable (remains of).

Canals, Rivers and Boats Magazine, Feb 2012, Page 28 - item edited by Tim Cghlan, Braunston Marina.

 

I've seen history being changed where it is history.

 

Suggesting that a major canal structure no longer exists when you still can't go up the GU without passing over it seems a bit more extreme!

 

Even some of the best pictures get some poor captions. The book "A Canal People" with all those wonderful Robert Longden photos is a firm favourite, but Sonia Rolt's captions to several of the pictures are downright dodgy. You might, for example, expect a former working boatwoman to know the difference between a motor and a butty, but, even there, in one caption Sonia struggles!

[Laurence Hogg]

I have just read the article, Tim should know better, he often rings me to check on BCN detsil should have rung someone to check on the GU. Totally agree re "A Canal People", captioning is appalling in that it lacks so much detail and in cases accuracy, a prime oppurtunity lost to really get the most out of the pictures.

[Pluto]

Looking at this from the other side, I once used an incorrect caption in the photo book on the A&CN. The photo came from the Waterways Archive, where it had no title at all. It could have been one of two sites, and from the negative numbering, I chose the wrong site. It was made worse by the publisher then using the photo on the front cover. It can sometimes be a problem writing captions when you didn't take the photo, are working to a tight timetable, and don't consider the expense of a site visit worthwhile. Mistakes are only human after all, and when writing a book, rather than compiling photos, I certainly wouldn't believe anything published without checking further.

 

What does annoy me is when bad research is repeated, such as all the rubbish written about the Duke of Bridgewater and Brindley. The former gets all the accolades because of his social position, while the latter was a very competent millwright, rather than a brilliant engineer.

[Derek R.]

Maybe some confusion with the fact that the original aqueduct, which was wooden, collapsed and was then replaced with the current iron one?

 

Inexcusable anyway!

 

If you are referring to Cosgrove, Wikipedia states:

 

"Initially flights of locks, four at the southeast and five at the northwest, were used to allow the canal to descend to cross the river on the level, and this arrangement came into action in 1800. However William Jessop, the canal company’s engineer, designed a three-arch brick viaduct so that the canal could cross at a higher level, reducing the water loss and delay in locking down to river level. His structure was opened on 26 August 1805, but a section of the canal embankment collapsed in January 1806; this was repaired, but the aqueduct structure itself collapsed in February 1808, severing the canal."

The original set of locks were brought back into use for the duration of the building of the present Iron Trunk.

[Keeping Up]

If you are referring to Cosgrove, Wikipedia states:

 

"Initially flights of locks, four at the southeast and five at the northwest, were used to allow the canal to descend to cross the river on the level, and this arrangement came into action in 1800. However William Jessop, the canal company's engineer, designed a three-arch brick viaduct so that the canal could cross at a higher level, reducing the water loss and delay in locking down to river level. His structure was opened on 26 August 1805, but a section of the canal embankment collapsed in January 1806; this was repaired, but the aqueduct structure itself collapsed in February 1808, severing the canal."

The original set of locks were brought back into use for the duration of the building of the present Iron Trunk.

 

I'm referring to the aqueduct that is more correctly referred to as Wolverton Aqueduct, the Cosgrove aqueduct merely carries the canal over the small foot-tunnel at Cosgrove village.

 

I had always understood that the original aqueduct was a wooden trunk on the brick viaduct. I haven't got Alan Faulkner's book to hand, for it is described in great detail there, so others can probably fill in the details and correct me if I am wrong.

 

I remember reading also that the gates of the original locks were to be re-used at Stoke Bruerne but had to be brought back into service as you say until the Iron Trunk was completed - but this didn't matter much because Blisworth tunnel was not yet open as a through route.

[Derek R.]

Ah yes! Cosgrove - Wolverton! It is Wolverton we are speaking of. My error.

 

There is in fact mention of wood in the Alan Faulkner book 'The Grand Junction Canal', though it refers to two applications: One by Jessop for the inverts for the temporary locks (the gates of which were to be re-deployed at Stoke Bruerne flight); and the other for piles placed in the embankment in an attempt to stabilise movement of same over where the original line of the river ran, and where subsidence was taking place. In January 1806 this part of the embankment did indeed collapse causing closure of the embankment, though as the locks were still in serviceable condition, they were used to maintain a through route for traffic.

 

Harrison the contractor was under pressure from the company to make good alleged bad workmanship. This dragged on for a year, when an architect was called in to inspect the aquaduct who found the piers had sunk and the whole was out of alignment. The structure seems not to have been built as per the plans, yet no plans have survived. The dispute carried on until the dramatic collapse of the aquaduct on the night of Tuesday, 18 February 1808. Timber is mentioned again as being used to prop up one of the three arches allowing river water to flow.

 

The Aquaduct as designed by Jessop was of three brick semi circular arches at river level. Puddling was the method used by the contractors of the embankment, and one might assume of the aquaduct also. However, after the February collapse Charles Martyn, a local carpenter, agreed to build a wooden trunk in March. This he did, and this trunk lasted until the stone/brick pier'd and Iron trunk was opened two years later.

 

So there was a wooden aquaduct at Wolverton!

Edited January 21, 2012 by Derek R.

[Keeping Up]

Eminently clear, Derek R, unlike certain magazine articles or even BW stoppage notices.. Thanks for that.