Kennet & Avon Canal: Bridge 62, West Mills Swingbrdge

[dmr]

In the Kintbury area the Kennet flows through several channels but in the last couple of years EA look to be sending a lot more water through the navigation itself at Kintbury, so the long pound below Kintbury Lock is now becoming the fist non navigable section when heading East. Probably ok going up but not so good heading down.

 

..................Dave

[Bunny]

Yes we noticed when we moored at Kintbury that even at the wettest of times the pound above Kintbury lock only came up 9 /12 inches and there were no restrictions till Newbury , but now it's not unknown for the lower section to be closed, because of the river coming in below copse lock . Have found it a bit interesting in the past stopping for the swing bridge in Newbury, maybe that's another reason for that section to be closed . The currents a bit deceptive there , dosnt pay to get too close to the mill steam weir , can give you a nasty tug and pull your stern out just as you have to stop for the bridge . Bunny

[Jim Batty]

The K&A is closed from Kintbury to Reading due to the rain and lots of water.

 

Martyn

 

Yes, curious. I picked up the CRT email yesterday evening, but Newbury lock gates still had 'yellow wraps' around them (not red) this morning. And people were cruising through yesterday.

 

That said, whereas the water in West Mills has been running very clear over the past couple of weeks, this morning it was very brown, with a lot of sediment in it and looked to be flowing pretty quickly.

 

BTW, until last winter I'd never seen yellow and red boards (or 'wraps') on a canal before. Is this something new adopted from EA rivers like the Thames? Or is it something that has been used elsewhere and just recently spread to the K&A?

[MtB]

The K&A is closed from Kintbury to Reading due to the rain and lots of water.

 

Martyn

 

Is it 'open' again yet?

 

I've had a look on the 'Stoppages' section of the CRT site and no mention of the whole stretch being closed. Just the usual maintenance stoppages listed.

 

 

Got a notice at 14.54 today from CRT.

 

How do you get those then? By text or email?

 

Can't even see how to enroll to get them now. I'll go back and look more closely.

 

 

Edit to add: Found how to turn them on now. Looks like email is the only way to get closure notices.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Mike the Boilerman

[MtB]

 

Is it 'open' again yet?

 

 

 

Answering my own post, rode me bike up to Newbury this afternoon and I wouldn't fancy passing through the town centre lock. Stream below the lock is very strong. And there are 'Closed' signs on the balance beams...

 

Quite definitive, they really don't want you cruising do they?!

[Bunny]

Grit blasting is the one process that will easily remove mill scale, not the news you want to hear, I'm afraid. You may have success with an angle grinder with a linishing disc but it's hard to get all of it off and there's a good chance of putting visible marks in the steel. Don't ask me how I know this.....

 

Dave

Just checked the ' thames river conditions' site and the yellow stream 'increasing' board from this morning at Blakes Lock , is now showing stream ' De - creasing '. So must be starting to settle down a bit . Bunny

Mm mm. Don't know how I got two posts confused but I did . Bunny

[Nightwatch]

Mike.

Just seen your posts of earlier today. Sorry I wasn't around to help out.

 

Glad you've found out what's going on.

[MtB]

Mike.

Just seen your posts of earlier today. Sorry I wasn't around to help out.

 

Glad you've found out what's going on.

 

 

No probs, I expect you were doing real life!

 

Anyway I forgot to post the photo o the artificially narrowed bridge 'ole at West Mills for Blackrose... Here it is...

 

 

The space looks about ten ft wide from the bank due to all those fenders in the water.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Mike the Boilerman

[Jim Batty]

 

 

 

Answering my own post, rode me bike up to Newbury this afternoon and I wouldn't fancy passing through the town centre lock. Stream below the lock is very strong. And there are 'Closed' signs on the balance beams...

 

IMG_01581.jpg

Quite definitive, they really don't want you cruising do they?!

 

 

 

 

No probs, I expect you were doing real life!

 

Anyway I forgot to post the photo o the artificially narrowed bridge 'ole at West Mills for Blackrose... Here it is...

 

fenders2.jpg

 

The space looks about ten ft wide from the bank due to all those fenders in the water.

 

Sorry for no quick reply. Real life intervening.

 

Not sure what the status of these 'definitive' Navigation Closed wraps are on canal lock gates. They started popping up last winter.

 

As you are probably aware, on the Thames lockkeepers cannot prevent you from cruising on red boards -- but they must issue you a strong warning that conditions are not safe to continue and that you should stop ... and check whether your insurance is valid should you continue. They WILL offer you either the layby or the lock itself to stay in until boards turn to yellow. We got stuck on reds at Bray Lock a few years ago and it turned out to be a pleasant time for three days, as boaters visited each other over dinner and wine, and the lockkeeper gave us access to a shower room there.

 

Whatever the status of red wraps, people have continued to cruise up and down through Newbury. A Canal Time share boat tied up on the West Mills swingbridge layby at the beginning of the weekend ... and has been left there since. Pretty selfish, really, when there is loads of space on the public moorings opposite.

 

Water flow on the canal seems to be slowing down again after a few sunny days. BTW all sizes of widebeam can pass through the swingbridge, whatever it might look like!

 

[Jim Batty]

Update:

 

Heavy rain over Sunday night has caused the Kennet to rise about a foot and a half ... and the canal part about 6-8 inches.

 

So we are back on red wrap alerts.