Ashby Canal - Battlefield Moorings

[Davo_Willow]

Passed the battlefield moorings and there are signs up to say they will closed forever - anyone know what's going on?

 

That was one of my favorite overnight stops!

 

Davo

[Ray T]

Are these official BW signs?

 

This is rotton news - it is one of our favourite mooring spots.

 

I wonder if mooring will be allowed on the opposite bank?

 

ETA when we were there last year there was a public notice saying that recent investgations had discovered that Richard Plantagenet was not killed at the place where the memorial was. The memorial was to be removed and the land returned to private use.

 

Could this be the reason?

Edited March 15, 2012 by Ray T

[Ray T]

As I thought.

 

Official reply from BW: Dear Mr Thorp

 

Thank you for contacting British Waterways about the Battlefield moorings.

British Waterways do not actually own the land on the offside of the canal in this location. It is owned by a farmer who leased it to the Battlefield Trust.

 

Now that the site of King Richards stone has been moved, the battlefield trust have handed the land back to the farmer who has requested we stop people from accessing his land.

Therefore British Waterways had no choice but to close this mooring down.

There are plenty of towpath side moorings available in this area.

 

I am sorry for any inconvenience that this has caused.

 

Regards

Liz

 

Enquiries

 

Central Shires Waterway

Edited March 15, 2012 by Ray T

[Nev]

As I thought.

 

Official reply from BW: Dear Mr Thorp

 

Thank you for contacting British Waterways about the Battlefield moorings.

British Waterways do not actually own the land on the offside of the canal in this location. It is owned by a farmer who leased it to the Battlefield Trust.

 

Now that the site of King Richards stone has been moved, the battlefield trust have handed the land back to the farmer who has requested we stop people from accessing his land.

Therefore British Waterways had no choice but to close this mooring down.

There are plenty of towpath side moorings available in this area.

 

I am sorry for any inconvenience that this has caused.

 

Regards

Liz

 

 

Thanks for the clarification. Big shame that as it was one of our favorites, very peaceful and atmospheric. Was it just the location of Richard taking his last breath that was wrong or the whole battle field site. There was quite some investment in this location as I recall.

 

Nev NB Waterlily

[Ray T]

I believe it was thought originally to be the site of Richard's last breath. Apparently not now.

[matty40s]

I believe it was thought originally to be the site of Richard's last breath. Apparently not now.

 

Might not have been the site of his last breath, but i bet he moored his boat there.......

 

 

 

[Keeping Up]

Might not have been the site of his last breath, but i bet he moored his boat there.......

 

 

 

 

He found it was handy for the station too

[David Schweizer]

As I thought.

 

Official reply from BW: Dear Mr Thorp

 

Thank you for contacting British Waterways about the Battlefield moorings.

British Waterways do not actually own the land on the offside of the canal in this location. It is owned by a farmer who leased it to the Battlefield Trust.

 

Now that the site of King Richards stone has been moved, the battlefield trust have handed the land back to the farmer who has requested we stop people from accessing his land.

Therefore British Waterways had no choice but to close this mooring down.

There are plenty of towpath side moorings available in this area.

 

I am sorry for any inconvenience that this has caused.

 

Regards

Liz

 

Enquiries

 

Central Shires Waterway

The cynic in me causes me to ask how long will it be before the farmer applies for BW's agreement for the site to be offside permanent moorings?

[Pickles2]

The cynic in me causes me to ask how long will it be before the farmer applies for BW's agreement for the site to be offside permanent moorings?

Never. I know the farmer.

[c c]

There seems to be a lot of changes going on around this area with the Battlefield Trust decisions affecting Waterways operation. Does anyone know the full story?

[carlt]

There seems to be a lot of changes going on around this area with the Battlefield Trust decisions affecting Waterways operation. Does anyone know the full story?

There has long been a dispute amongst historians and grave diggers about the actual location of King Richard's death.

 

Recently they have uncovered proof that it was a couple of miles away from where the memorial stone was so they have moved it to the correct site and the farmer has got his fields back making the moorings inaccessible by land.

 

I was there last week and, whilst the visitor's centre is staying where it is, negotiations with the owner of the new site, for full public access, are still ongoing.

 

A couple of the car parks around the old site have also closed, including one of my favourite dog walking locations, so it's not just boaters who are affected.

 

I blame Tony Robinson.

[churchward]

There seems to be a lot of changes going on around this area with the Battlefield Trust decisions affecting Waterways operation. Does anyone know the full story?

Other than the nice mooring spot and convenience to get to the railway station etc I am not sure they are effecting the waterway. The navigation licence we pay for doesn't give anyone the right to moor offline which is what the Battlefield moorings are.

 

If those moorings close (I enjoyed staying there too) one can just moor on the tow path side opposite.

Edited March 18, 2012 by churchward