Macclesfield Water Point - Angry Tirade

[Jigsawged]

For general information, the water point opposite the Hovis Mill at Macclesfield has been moved to the CART yard just south of the marina.

 

Now can I say this:

 

I have to confess that I'm angry. I don't often get angry.

For about ten years I made frequent requests of BW to improve the town visitor moorings at Macclesfield. I was usually fobbed off. The 2 or 3 possible moorings have very poor access to the bank which is often overgrown; there are obstructions just below the water effectively preventing anything like reasonable short term mooring.

 

On one occasion I witnessed two incidents in one day where older boaters trying to land their boats, fell into the water between the boats and the bank. I complained to the local offices and subsequently had a meeting with the Waterways Manager for this section. Together we walked the length and discussed the problem and he agreed that the "moorings" were very poor. He assured me that something would be done along the lines of squaring off the bank and instituting a decent length of moorings, that was about 7/8 years ago and to date nothing has been done except for the occasional strimming of the bank.

 

Macclesfield is a lovely town with a vibrant town centre full of interesting shops and facilities, just the sort of place that boater's like to visit. I once suggested that I would contact our local MP and the Town Council to see if some kind of partnership effort could be mounted. I was persuaded not to do that on the grounds that it would all be dumped onto BW who simply didn't have the money "this year" but I was assured that something would be done in the following financial year. It didn't happen then and it hasn't happened to date.

 

What has happened is that a resident whose property backs onto the towpath, screened by a healthy tall hedge, complained incessantly about boats mooring on the water point below his garden with engines running.

 

What CART have done is to remove the water point and relocate it at the CART yard a little way to the south.

Great! this will provide two more badly needed moorings on the visitor length. NO!

 

Having moved the water point there is now a "No Mooring" sign to further deny visitors stopping in the town.

 

The particular resident complainer is well known for having some kind of obsession about boats and the canal - which was here long before he chose to live by the canal. Where is the justice and fairness in this? Surely a notice requesting that engines be shut down would have sufficed?

I obviously didn't complain loudly enough. I remain angry.

[Graham Davis]

Is the "No Mooring" sign official or just from the house owner?

[KenK]

We went down the Macc this summer, very pretty canal great views. The maintenance and facilities do need looking at, better at the Peak Forest end. The locks were in good condition but the facilities at the top lock were out of order. I saw the new water tap at Maccelsfield, if I remember correctly it can only be used when the C&RT gates are closed. The towpath in places, Congleton in particular, is in an appaling condition and my pet hate the bridge holes all of which seem to be obscured by overhanging vegetation.

Still the weather was good.

 

Ken

[mayalld]

Is the "No Mooring" sign official or just from the house owner?

 

Official.

 

CRT have rolled over rather than say "no, you can't ban boats from outside your house"

[Mac of Cygnet]

I spent quite a while on the Macc this summer - all of it both ways and more, and do you know? I didn't have any particular problems, or if I did, i've forgotten them. Once you get to know a canal, its difficulties seem more like lovable idiosyncrasies. NOW, the bloody HNC...................

[Machpoint005]

I'll make a point of mooring there next time I pass. Petty residents -- I have enough of them in my professional life!

[Tuscan]

Official.

 

CRT have rolled over rather than say "no, you can't ban boats from outside your house"

Did they create any new visitor moorings in their place?

[Paul C]

I reread the original post, I don't think there's been a net loss of (visitor) moorings here - the water service mooring has been changed to a "no mooring" and the water point moved to another area - that you couldn't previously moor in? Have I got the numbers right?

[FadeToScarlet]

I reread the original post, I don't think there's been a net loss of (visitor) moorings here - the water service mooring has been changed to a "no mooring" and the water point moved to another area - that you couldn't previously moor in? Have I got the numbers right?

I think that the point is that CRT have lost an opportunity for increasing the amount of visitor moorings, which it seems like is needed, by allegedly kowtowing to this house owner.

[by'eck]

I spent a night this April at the very mooring Jigsawged complains about. I have to agree with all his comments since it struck me at the time that the very town the canal is named after ought to have something better.

 

I recall the one space behind that the VM strip offered was in a marginally better position with a straighter bank, but still leaving an overgrown steep muddy bank to cross to gain the towpath proper.

[DaveP]

I moored on the ex-water point last week, the notices had been torn down (I assume they were what were previously attached to the wooden posts nearby). The bankside is indeed in very poor condition and is definitely not for the unsure of foot.

 

However, I heartily recommend The Puss in Boots for ambience, food and beer!

[Hawkmoth]

Yeah, we remember the Macc. Nice canal, but all the comments about about the title town are right. The mooring is a disgrace to the town.

Is there a local canal society who could, perhaps, talk to the council about improvements?

Bob

[Jigsawged]

Is the "No Mooring" sign official or just from the house owner?

Oh it's official all right! I wonder just how much the householder contributes to the Trust - perhaps he's a "Friend"

I reread the original post, I don't think there's been a net loss of (visitor) moorings here - the water service mooring has been changed to a "no mooring" and the water point moved to another area - that you couldn't previously moor in? Have I got the numbers right?

No nett loss of moorings as you rightly say, but on a bank where the available moorings are very limited, I thought when I first heard of the water point move, that it would free up and add two more badly needed mooring spots. That is what annoys me. We could have had an almost 50% increase at a stroke.

[Neil2]

I totally understand the sentiment - the last time we passed through Macclesfield we gave up trying to moor and left feeling quite angry that the town seemingly doesn't want canal boaters stopping there.

 

The fact that CRT have acceded to a (presumably?) residents request just reinforces this view. I will never understand why folk that don't like boats choose to live next to a canal.

 

(He/she must be related to the curiosity that lives at the top of Greenberfield locks on the L/L)

 

Anyway, we just pressed on to Marple which as many will know is very boat friendly.

 

I don't know what it is that makes some towns and villages embrace their canal whilst others turn their back on it. It's all the more strange with Macclesfield because the canal society appears to be very active and vibrant. We were assisted by volunteers from the MCS through the locks a few years ago and despite it being a filthy day, everyone was in great humour. I can't see them being very happy with this.

 

 

 

 

[bottle]

Was at Poynton this morning and set off for Bollington, all moorings full, tried to tag on the end, no chance to shallow.

 

Moved onto Macclesfield after four attempts in four different location and not being able to get within three feet of thetowpath and rubbing on stone/rock gave up.

 

Carried on trying to find mooring spot, am now at Gurnett aqueduct and moored up.

 

Four hours, eight miles of dragging bottom, almost coming to a standstill in all the bridge holes, having to clear prop after every bridgehole.

 

I will not be back.

 

[Ricco1]

Was at Poynton this morning and set off for Bollington, all moorings full, tried to tag on the end, no chance to shallow.

 

Moved onto Macclesfield after four attempts in four different location and not being able to get within three feet of thetowpath and rubbing on stone/rock gave up.

 

Carried on trying to find mooring spot, am now at Gurnett aqueduct and moored up.

 

Four hours, eight miles of dragging bottom, almost coming to a standstill in all the bridge holes, having to clear prop after every bridgehole.

 

I will not be back.

 

 

I did exactly the same journey today! I'm now moored at the back of the line of boats just past Clarence Mill, Bollington. I didn't have any of the problems you did, maybe your draft is more than mine?

[Bugsworth Tippler]

I totally agree with the first poster and share much of his anger. The moorings at Macclesfield are a disgrace and C&RT's actions deplorable.

The Macclesfield Canal is a wonderful canal and well worth a visit though it is shallow and can be a problem for deep drafted boats - even more so when the water levels mysteriously drop overnight. I can't recall much dredging in the last few years either. You have to know where moorings is possible as there are many places where it is a total no-no.

 

Edited to correct spelling - I must have been thinking of beer.

Edited September 20, 2013 by Bugsworth Tippler

[mrsmelly]

Is the "No Mooring" sign official or just from the house owner?

I make a point of ALWAYS mooring adjacent to No Mooring signes under such circumstances.

 

Tim

I'll make a point of mooring there next time I pass. Petty residents -- I have enough of them in my professional life!

Well done. And pleeeeeeeeeeese run your engine until precisely 8pm'

 

Tim

[furnessvale]

I totally understand the sentiment - the last time we passed through Macclesfield we gave up trying to moor and left feeling quite angry that the town seemingly doesn't want canal boaters stopping there.

 

The fact that CRT have acceded to a (presumably?) residents request just reinforces this view. I will never understand why folk that don't like boats choose to live next to a canal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The situation is slightly worse than this thread indicates.

 

The houses that are complaining are all NEW BUILD. If they don't like boats why build and live next to a canal?

 

Secondly, not only has the particularly mouthy one next to the water point been appeased by an expensive moving of the tap, but all the adjacent visitor moorings have signs "requesting" that boaters do not run engines whilst moored. Note, only a request, but failure to comply is met by abuse from the householders who have the support of CART and I for one would not leave my boat unattended after such an encounter.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Graham Davis]

Offensive language, abuse and threats of violence or damage are reportable to the Police.

So record the tirade and then report them.

[Arthur Marshall]

I do think it's fair enough to expect people to switch their engines off if there are houses adjacent. Us oldtimers tend to do this anyway, I suspect, but certainly hire boaters and others don't. Mind you, it's quite nice when boaters turn them off when adjacent to other boats, too...

But the moorings in Macc, where I live, have always been appalling, and I've complained to the Council about it a few years back with no response. The only marked visitor moorings were, in fact, on the water points, so if that's gone, then so has the visitor mooring.

That being said, you can't complain that mooring elsewhere in hard - if you do any research at all, you will find that the Macc was dug on a V section rather than a U as mooring was only expected to be done at wharves - shallow edges are in the nature of the beast.

But I should be going to the next Canal Soc meeting, so I'll mention it.

[bottle]

v section more like a flat plate at the moment, it needs dredging.


having said that we have had a good day at the bottom of the locks have moved on and found another good mooring.

[Arthur Marshall]

Anyway, I've emailed the local CART and the Macc Tourist chaps and will post what they say. If they say.

[Neil2]

....... if you do any research at all, you will find that the Macc was dug on a V section rather than a U as mooring was only expected to be done at wharves - shallow edges are in the nature of the beast.

But I should be going to the next Canal Soc meeting, so I'll mention it.

 

I didn't know that, doubtless it probably applies to some other canals as well.

 

Next time we pass through Macclesfield we'll have a couple of anchors/mudweights and a long gangplank...

[furnessvale]

Anyway, I've emailed the local CART and the Macc Tourist chaps and will post what they say. If they say.

Don't hold your breath! Remember, this is the local CART that spent £thousands of your money appeasing this man in the first place, that closed the winding hole at Bollington to lease it for commercial mooring, and that steadfastly refuses to accept that there are any depth, dredging or obstruction issues, not only on the Macc, but anywhere in their area.

 

George ex nb Alton retired