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Elvington lock


Kieron G

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On the lock wall at Elvington on the Yorks Derwent there used to be a plaque to ER ( i think ) who was " A true gentleman " this is mentioned in the Nicholsons guide for the area. It was there in April but has now gone. EA own one set of the gates and the lock keeper at Barmby knows nothing of the plaque being removed. Have reported it to local commitee for Elvington. The lower set of gates is condemned and chained open. Now even getting a boat into the lock is reminiscent of the African Queen, having to cut through the branches to get to the entrance.

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We cruised up the Derwent in 1995 on a hire boat from Dougie Banks at Selby. It cost us £12. The instructions for Sutton/Ellington Lock said to unlock the black cabinet, take out the windlass and wind the sluice open on the far side of the lock and then wind the gate up on the other side. The only problem was the spindle for the sluice was padlocked! After a lot of phone calls we eventually wound the guillotine gate open an inch or two and watched the waterfall fill the lock and we continued up to Stamford Bridge.

 

I guess we cruised just at that time when the navigation rights on the Derwent were being discussed in court. The case was lost and ownership of the bottom gates passed to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust in lieu of costs. I guess the only way of getting the lock usable again would be by public subscription. Left too long and the river will become un-navigable again due to tree growth.

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I am assured that the plaque is being restored and it will be returned in due course. I think E L stood for edward Lord of lord line shipping who used to keep a pleasure boat on the upper derwent.

Edited by egret
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I guess we cruised just at that time when the navigation rights on the Derwent were being discussed in court. The case was lost and ownership of the bottom gates passed to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust in lieu of costs.

Actually there are many of us who consider that the case was won.

 

The case was finally won in 1991, btw, following a string of appeals leading all the way to the House of Lords.

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Actually there are many of us who consider that the case was won.

 

The case was finally won in 1991, btw, following a string of appeals leading all the way to the House of Lords.

 

Could you expand on that?

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In what way?

 

There are two sides to every argument and, on that occasion, I wasn't on the side of the boater.

 

Carl,

 

this is a case that I have vaguely heard of in the past, but never really seen the arguments rehearsed. I am genuinely interested in the situation, and why you aren't on the side of the boater.

 

It will make a change from discussing the same old stuff!

 

I believe that the situation is that YWT own one set of gates, and can therefore control access to and from a stretch of water that has neither a PRN nor a navigation authority, but which does have a small number of boats on it.

 

From what I can gather, their gates are in a parlous state, but it has, even after the court decision, been possible to pass the lock with permission from YWT.

 

I understand that the present situation is that the EA guilotine was closed in February, due to corrosion issues for at least a couple of months, and that it is now likely that during that closure the YWT gates have deteriorated further and are unlikely to be usable.

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