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New lift bridge at Lodgemoor - Cotswold Canals

PaulG

By PaulG
in Waterways News & Press

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MtB Veteran II

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Posted
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Hmm that's interesting. I was only riding me bike along there the other day (after fixing a boiler in Stroud) and thinking what an odd canal. Very nice canal but it just stops dead just after passing under some very expensive looking new bridges in the town centre.


Go through an immaculately restored lock just west (I think) of that new lift bridge site and you get 100 yds of navigation then solid undergrowth and no water!

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PaulG Experienced

PaulG

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Hmm that's interesting. I was only riding me bike along there the other day (after fixing a boiler in Stroud) and thinking what an odd canal. Very nice canal but it just stops dead just after passing under some very expensive looking new bridges in the town centre.

Go through an immaculately restored lock just west (I think) of that new lift bridge site and you get 100 yds of navigation then solid undergrowth and no water!

Yes, sections of it were filled in and in many cases, built on or used for landfill.

It won't really come to life as a canal again until the connection to the Glos & Sharpess is restored. I think the application for funding this has just been lodged with the National Lottery.

still

Tea break tongue.png

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keble Rising Star

keble

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No rush because they know no boats will be using it for decades!

Hey MtB, I am working on a nearby lock restoration (Ham Mill).

I really would like to see a boat through it in my lifetime - I'm 65!

 

We live in hope.....

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Laurie Booth Veteran

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Am I a nutter for wanting to go back? wink.png

Stroud is a very good place to come from.

:)

Hmm that's interesting. I was only riding me bike along there the other day (after fixing a boiler in Stroud) and thinking what an odd canal. Very nice canal but it just stops dead just after passing under some very expensive looking new bridges in the town centre.

Mike, do you fit new boilers?

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john6767 Veteran II

john6767

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Not much sign of a bridge there yet!

 

Something that I find interesting is the width and standard of construction that there looks to be there, it seems to be nothing like the width and standard that the Ashby restoration. I assume that the Stroudwater canal is wide beam (unlike the Ashby), it does not look wide enough.

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MtB Veteran II

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Stroud is a very good place to come from.

smile.png

Mike, do you fit new boilers?

 

I'm a frayed knot Lorry.

 

I'm a fault tracing specialist. I trace and fix faults in a very narrow set of boilers that other technicians seem unable or unwilling to fix. Fitting boilers is a completely different line of business!

 

So why do you need a new boiler? Have you been told yours can't be fixed? What make and model is it?

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Laurie Booth Veteran

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I'm a frayed knot Lorry.

 

I'm a fault tracing specialist. I trace and fix faults in a very narrow set of boilers that other technicians seem unable or unwilling to fix. Fitting boilers is a completely different line of business!

 

So why do you need a new boiler? Have you been told yours can't be fixed? What make and model is it?

Hi Mike,

 

It's a boiler I keep getting fixed about every 4 or 5 months, I can't remember the type/make. I'll find out. I was just thinking of replacing it.

:)

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john6767 Veteran II

john6767

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Stroudwater bridge hole width is 16ft

Thanks, it does mean that the canal seems rather narrow as a wide beam navigation though, I can't see two wide beams passing there.

 

Also, does anyone know why they are able to restore this to a much lower standard than the Ashby?

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john6767 Veteran II

john6767

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Is it?

I seems it by looking at that camera and comparing to what the new section of the Ashby is like. I thought that someone from the Ashby canal society said that was the standard that CRT require for to to be eligible for adoption in the future.

 

Ashby examples here https://www.waterways.org.uk/gallery/image/list_category_images?id=108#prettyPhoto[gallery]/3/

Edited by john6767
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PaulG Experienced

PaulG

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Thanks, it does mean that the canal seems rather narrow as a wide beam navigation though, I can't see two wide beams passing there.

 

Also, does anyone know why they are able to restore this to a much lower standard than the Ashby?

The Stroudwater was originally constructed for Severn Trows, and the Thames and Severn for Thames barges, although the T&S locks were later shortened to save water.

The original channel dimensions were around 12M wide and 1.5M deep, and the Project Atlas states that the restoration aims to recreate "similar" dimensions.

I don't think that this section has been dredged yet.

More information at the link below:

http://www.cotswoldcanalsproject.org/_documents/2_Cots_Project_Atlas_Page_22_and_23_Channels.pdf

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IanM Experienced

IanM

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The Stroudwater was originally constructed for Severn Trows, and the Thames and Severn for Thames barges, although the T&S locks were later shortened to save water.

The original channel dimensions were around 12M wide and 1.5M deep, and the Project Atlas states that the restoration aims to recreate "similar" dimensions.

I don't think that this section has been dredged yet.

More information at the link below:

http://www.cotswoldcanalsproject.org/_documents/2_Cots_Project_Atlas_Page_22_and_23_Channels.pdf

 

Ignore that project Atlas link, that was what was intended when BW were involved.

 

The channel below the bridge was semi-dredged a few years back but not to the max width so that will be done when the bridge works are complete.

 

As for dimensions, the minimum lock width along the whole route is 12 ft. As the section above Wallbridge lower lock needed to be quite narrow due to land and building constraints, the new channel was designed with a max width of craft using the restored canal as being 12ft. Although theoretically you could get a 16ft wide boat up to Stroud, the way the channel has changed and has been encroached over the years means that realistically the max size of boat able to use the complete route would be 68ft x 12ft. 70ft narrow boats would not have any issue although they take a bit of jiggling around to get the gates open in a Stroudwater lock (I know from experience).

 

Edited to add:

 

The canal width around the bend is a lot better :

 

7334402902_626fbdcdb8_z.jpg

Stroudwater Navigation by Ian, on Flickr

 

The bit you're looking at on the camera:

 

7334399354_992c7a3b62_z.jpg

Stroudwater Navigation by Ian, on Flickr

Edited by IanM
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