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Towpath work in Coventry.

Mrs Tawny Owl

By Mrs Tawny Owl
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Mrs Tawny Owl Proficient

Mrs Tawny Owl

Posted
Posted

I've just seen this on the BBC News.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-31515964

 

For those that don't want to click here is the text.

 

An award-winning canal trail is to get a £470,000 upgrade to help it serve as a commuting route for cyclists.

A "missing stretch" of the Coventry canal towpath, measuring 2.5km (1.5 miles) in the Stoke Heath area will be widened and made accessible for cyclists and wheelchair users.

The council said the work, which will involve closures to existing paths, is expected to be completed by March.

The Canal and River Trust said the plan would make the route "more enjoyable".

'Missing piece'

The 5-mile-long (8km) canal trail was named as one of Britain's top urban walks in 2003 following a huge restoration project.

The council said the improved path was being created as part of a £7m Cycle Coventry project to upgrade routes across the city.

It said the path would be widened, making it more suitable for cyclists and wheelchair users, between Bridge 1 at Draper's Fields to Bridge 4 at Stoney Stanton Road and the development at Electric Wharf.

However, an "outdoor art gallery" along the trail, which has been hit by vandalism, will not be tackled "at this stage"._74607327_canalgraffiti3.jpgThe council says it will not be restoring the art trail "at this stage"

Charlotte Atkins, from the Canal and River Trust which is supporting the scheme, said: "This really is the missing piece of the jigsaw.

"We already know the towpath leading into the city is very popular but this project will make the final stretch much easier and more enjoyable for people to use."

Councillor Rachel Lancaster said: "It's an important traffic-free link between the city centre and the north of the city... as well as being an ideal recreational route for people to enjoy."

 

I think this is a good thing, this part of the canal is through some slightly dodgier parts of Coventry, so if there is more foot and cycle traffic it might well deter the more unsavoury elements of the community, and make it a nicer place to travel though.

 

From the article it says that C&RT support the project, but it doesn't say they are contributing money,so my conclusion is that is it good for the canal, but not taking C&RT money away from boating to benefit cyclists.

 

Sue

 

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Keeping Up Veteran II

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Posted
Posted

I wonder if they intend to widen the towpath under the bridges?

 

If you think that's a flippant question you may be interested to know that such a measure was seriously proposed for the Grand Union towpath between Leighton Buzzard and Milton Keynes when it was upgraded to be a cycle way. Sustrans initially demanded that the towpath be widened, thus reducing the navigation width to 7ft, to meet their Safety standards as a condition of them providing their share of the money.

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OldGoat Veteran II

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Oi - in return I wrote "the Coventry" meaning t' canal, not the City. |I'm sure you will agree that the approach is a bit drear in places.

 

As you're a local - could / would you enlighten me:-

Near the stadium (I think), there's a very long line of excellent mooring rings with nobody, but nobody using then, because there's no facilities for 'miles'. Are the winter moorings; football moorings - or as mentioned elsewhere recently, to stop folks puncturing CEGB (whatever) HV cables??

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zenataomm Veteran

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Oi - in return I wrote "the Coventry" meaning t' canal, not the City. |I'm sure you will agree that the approach is a bit drear in places.

 

As you're a local - could / would you enlighten me:-

Near the stadium (I think), there's a very long line of excellent mooring rings with nobody, but nobody using then, because there's no facilities for 'miles'. Are the winter moorings; football moorings - or as mentioned elsewhere recently, to stop folks puncturing CEGB (whatever) HV cables??

 

To my knowledge those rings were there from the days of it being a gas depot and nothing to do with pleasure boating.

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Ray T Veteran II

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Posted
Posted (edited)

Oi - in return I wrote "the Coventry" meaning t' canal, not the City. |I'm sure you will agree that the approach is a bit drear in places.

 

As you're a local - could / would you enlighten me:-

Near the stadium (I think), there's a very long line of excellent mooring rings with nobody, but nobody using then, because there's no facilities for 'miles'. Are the winter moorings; football moorings - or as mentioned elsewhere recently, to stop folks puncturing CEGB (whatever) HV cables??

 

Sorry I mis read your post, yes the canal in parts can be interesting!

 

I believe the mooring rings were put in as there is a Tesco plus other shops at the Rioch Arena site.

The larger of the white roofs is Tesco.

 

16383347968_108505bff4_o.jpgRioch

 

Before the shops and arena were there the site was Coventry Gas Works. Barlow & SE Barlow boats feature in Rolt's "A Canal People" delivering coal and taking away coke from that site.

 

The coal pits at Nuneaton and "The Coventry Light" were not far away.

Edited by Ray T
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OldGoat Veteran II

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Posted
Posted

From what I can remember, the rings were quite a bit further back from Sutton's Stop than either Tesco or the stadium - hence my query (so I'll buy the Gas works suggestion - although they looked quite new and spaced tightly).

I agree up by Tesco it is grim.

Where the rings are is almost in a cutting, but as there were no boats at all when we passed - I'd be tempted to give it a miss!

 

There were a gaggle of boats where the Bedworth Road crosses the canal - have a look on Google.

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matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

Posted
Posted (edited)

Do you think this will stop the spread of dog poo bag trees (a new species) - I have seen them elsewhere on the system, but nowhere as brightly coloured and full of fruit as in that section of the Coventry.


http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/revealed-flytippers-dump-sofas-microwaves-8660720 Its really sad that this is in Cov Telegraph tonight. With so much being dumped, i would have thought someone might have seen something

It might help if they locked the gate to that car park occasionally, the caravan has been there for years on and off.

Edited by matty40s
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nipper Proficient

nipper

Posted
Posted

Do you think this will stop the spread of dog poo bag trees (a new species) - I have seen them elsewhere on the system, but nowhere as brightly coloured and full of fruit as in that section of the Coventry.

It might help if they locked the gate to that car park occasionally, the caravan has been there for years on and off.

 

Are these in addition to the steel railing that are delightfully decorated with plastic bags of differing colours?

 

It's always a joy to see how many colours there are, and, of coarse, the blue bag trees add a certain ambiance also!

 

Having said that, I've always enjoyed a cruise down to Coventry and into the Basin.

 

It is a section that has to be done slowly, so as to not stir up whatever is lurking down below.

 

The basin still has quite a lot of room even with the hire base there!

 

Nipper

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Maffi Rising Star

Maffi

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http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/revealed-flytippers-dump-sofas-microwaves-8660720 Its really sad that this is in Cov Telegraph tonight. With so much being dumped, i would have thought someone might have seen something

That pile of wood has been there for sometime. I was going to remove it, but couldn't find anyone ask if it belonged to a boater.

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Maffi Rising Star

Maffi

Posted
Posted (edited)

Do you think this will stop the spread of dog poo bag trees (a new species) - I have seen them elsewhere on the system, but nowhere as brightly coloured and full of fruit as in that section of the Coventry.

The tow path itself is full of the biggest shits in the country.

Edited by Maffi
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zenataomm Veteran

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It was explained to me thus: -

The public were emptying their dogs on the towpath.

To shame them into picking up after their dogs "dog poo bins" were installed.

The bin men wouldn't empty them so "Dog poo bin men" were employed.

Due to cut backs they were the first to go.

Then the bins were overflowing because the regular bin men still wouldn't empty them.

So they removed the bins.

Back to square one except by now we have educated the dog walkers to pick up.

 

Yes I know they could/should take it home with them however a little education can be a dangerous thing.

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matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

Posted
Posted

It was explained to me thus: -

The public were emptying their dogs on the towpath.

To shame them into picking up after their dogs "dog poo bins" were installed.

The bin men wouldn't empty them so "Dog poo bin men" were employed.

Due to cut backs they were the first to go.

Then the bins were overflowing because the regular bin men still wouldn't empty them.

So they removed the bins.

Back to square one except by now we have educated the dog walkers to pick up.

 

Yes I know they could/should take it home with them however a little education can be a dangerous thing.

educashun and coventry could be a whole website.clapping.gif

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Rose Narrowboats Community Regular

Rose Narrowboats

Posted
Posted

Oh yes, all the way, and all the way down the (dug up) towing path, and for the next hour and a half down the weedhatch :)

 

Mind you, compared to the impenetrable ball of chain link fence, barbed wire and razor wire one of our other tugs tooks a shine to on the Northampton Arm three weeks ago it was a nice little trip out!

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