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Newsletter of the IWA Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch
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Shroppie Fly PaperThe Newsletter of theShrewsbury District& North Wales BranchWinter 2010
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Feedback from members has encouraged us to think that a daytimemeeting would be more popular during the winter months. We hope thatthis one will be an enjoyable social occasion as well as a short businessmeeting. The GALLEY at Aqueduct Marina, Church Minshull on theMiddlewich Branch has agreed to "look after” us in their warm and friendlysurroundings and a recent visit makes us think that this can only be good!
The programme will be:-
12.30 A pre-booked lunch.
2.00 The AGM followed by a chance to air your views.
2.30 (approx) A talk on the Grand Canal in China by Liam D'Arcy-Brown.
Liam D'Arcy-Brown was the first Westerner in over 200 years to travel thelength of the Grand Union Canal in China — the world's oldest man-madewaterway. His book The Emperor's River has recently been publishedand will be available. The talk comes highly recommended andinformation about Liam can be found at www.liamdarcybrown.co.uk.
After the talk there will be a chance to explore the Marina. We hope thatyou will feel that this opportunity to mix pleasure with business is a dateworth keeping! To book lunch contact Janet Farmer 01270 811157 oremail [email protected]. Or, if you wish to turn up at 2.00 for theAGM you can order tea from the attractive menu after the talk.
An AGM with a Difference2.00pm Saturday 26th March 2011
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The Branch CommitteePresident Michael Limbrey, Greenfields, Weston Lane, Oswestry SY11 2BD 01691 654081 [email protected] David Aylwin, Wyndcliff, Pen y Garreg Lane, Pant, Oswestry SY10 8JS 01691 830403 [email protected] Position vacant
Region Chairman Alan Platt, Argoed, Pen y Cefn Road, Caerwys, Flintshire CH7 5BH 01352 720649 [email protected] Dawn Aylwin, Wyndcliff, Pen y Garreg Lane, Pant, Oswestry SY10 8JS 01691 830403 [email protected] Denis Farmer, 8 Kingbur Place, Audlem, Crewe CW3 0DL 01270 811157 [email protected] and Planning Officer Peter Brown, 34 Waterside Drive, Market Drayton TF9 1HU 01630 652567 [email protected] Secretary Janet Farmer, 8 Kingbur Place, Audlem, Crewe CW3 0DL 01270 811157 [email protected] Secretary Dawn Aylwin, Wyndcliff, Pen y Garreg Lane, Pant, Oswestry SY10 8JS 01691 830403 [email protected] Alan Wilding, Priory Lodge, 154 Longden Road, Shrewsbury SY3 9ED 01743 359 650 [email protected] Editor David Aylwin, Wyndcliff, Pen y Garreg Lane, Pant, Oswestry SY10 8JS 01691 830403 [email protected] Members Gerallt Hughes (General Secretary Committee for Wales) Ty’n y Coed, Arthog, Gwynedd LL39 1YS 01341 250631 [email protected]
Carolyn Theobold [email protected]
Shroppie Fly PaperThe Shroppie Fly Paper is the newsletter of the Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch of The InlandWaterways Association with a membership of about 390. Nationally the IWA has about 18,000 membersand campaigns for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the inlandwaterways. For further information contact any committee member.
Copy for the Shroppie Fly Paper is welcome in manuscript form, on disc or by email. Photographs may bein any common computer format or as prints. Please supply a stamped addressed envelope if you requirephotographs to be returned. ‘Letters to the Editor’ intended for publication are invited, as are comments forthe Editor’s private guidance.
The Inland Waterways Association may not agree with the opinions expressed in this Branch newsletter butencourages publicity as a matter of interest. Nothing printed may be construed as official policy unlessstated otherwise. The Association accepts no liability for any matter in this newsletter. Any reproductionmust be acknowledged.
The Inland Waterways Association is registered as a charity No 212342.
Next Copy Date: 19th February 2011
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Editorial
T his year the IWA national AGM, heldat Market Drayton, was hosted by
the Shrewsbury District & North WalesBranch so it was appropriate that, at themeeting, the contributions made by twoof our most hardworking and long-termsupporters was acknowledged. Janetand Denis Farmer, our social secretaryand treasurer, were both awarded theRichard Bird medal.
Also acknowledged was the tremendouswork being done by the ShropshireUnion Canal Society. They wereawarded the Christopher Power Prize fortheir contribution to the continuedrestoration of the Montgomery Canal. Anumber of SUCS members were at themeeting to promote their ‘Barrel of Boulders’ campaign and also helped with thecatering and reception.
BW has only recently completed one reorganisation but on page 7 is an openletter from Tony Hales CBE, Chairman of British Waterways, outlining theirplans for another. What was originally proposed as a plan for 2020 is nowofficial government policy for 2012. BW is to become a charity, a ‘National Trustfor the waterways’. How this will be implemented is not yet clear but there is anopportunity to learn more at the joint annual dinner on 15th January when theguest speaker will be the Deputy Chairman of British Waterways, John SBridgeman CBE.
The appeals for help and ideas have resulted in several initiatives. The nextBranch AGM will be at Aqueduct Marina on Saturday 26th March 2011 at2.00pm instead of the usual midweek evening. It is hoped that the change toSaturday will enable more members to attend. To raise funds Sue Russell hasoffered to help produce a calendar; more details on back cover. Also for fundraising, a ‘100 Club’ has been proposed. Denis Farmer has agreed toinvestigate this and his first ideas are on page 14. Please support them andany suggestions that you have will be much appreciated.
David Aylwin
Front Cover: Narrowboats PLOVER and SWAN at the Whitchurch Boat Rally
Acknowledgements: Photographs by Liam D'Arcy-Brown, Dawn Aylwin, Denis Farmer, Peter Brown Thank you to all who contributed articles.
Town Mayor, CouncillorRoger Smith welcomingdelegates to the IWA
National AGM
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INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATION
Shrewsbury District & North Wales BranchAnnual General Meeting
Notice is hereby given of the 2011 Annual General Meeting of theShrewsbury District & North Wales Branch of the Inland WaterwaysAssociation to be held at Aqueduct Marina, Church Minshall,Cheshire CW5 6DX on 26th March 2011 at 2.00 pm.
AGENDA
1 Apologies for absence2 Minutes of the 2010 AGM3 Matters arising from the minutes4 Chairman’s report5 Treasurer’s report6 Adoption of accounts7 Election of committee members8 Discussion on issues sent to the Chairman by 29th January 2011
This will be followed by a talk on the Grand Canal in China by Liam D'Arcy-Brown. (see opposite)
...........................................................................................Nomination of Committee Members
Committee members, including those current committee membersreaching the end of their 3 year term and wishing to seek re-election, willbe elected from the floor at the AGM for a term of 3 years.
We welcome any branch member who is interested in joining thecommittee. If you are unable to attend the AGM but would like to join thecommittee or would like further information, please call David Aylwin on01691 830403 or any committee member.
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Region Chairman
E lsewhere in this newsletter you will findan open letter from Tony Hales
reporting on the current state of play inBritish Waterways’ transformation into athird sector charity. I would like to give youmy thoughts on this document and on the‘official’ IWA reaction. This is a misnomer asthe IWA is a member based charity andtherefore its view is that of its members, butyou are aware that Trustees have given thismatter great thought and in some caseshave insights into the developments of theideas and therefore I ask you to read what Ihave to say before you decide to disagreewith it.
Our influence is obvious from the fourth linewhere he refers to Robert Aikman’s visionfor a National Waterways Conservancy. Ourinitiative with DEFRA has been for a newbody to replace BW and include EA navigations and potentially others as wellso that there are not only economies of scale to help offset the impending cuts,but also a coherency of policy and management over the different navigations.In this context I am well aware in our region of the significant private enterpriseplayer of Peel Holdings, owners of the Bridgewater, and if I say thatmanagement of this is currently effective enough not to arouse major worries,I am sure many will disagree. We also have members in Scotland where thefate of BW Scotland will be decided by the Scottish Government. There areScottish elections next May and I am tempted to be simplistic and say that aSNP government will be less inclined to retain BWS as part of the England andWales restructuring than a Labour one.
In his fourth paragraph Tony Hales states there is a lot of work to do. This isperhaps an understatement. There are plans for governance which indicate aparticipation by stakeholders, including ourselves, at both National and locallevels. The elephant in the room remains the funding, and the IWA have statedclearly and loudly that our support is dependant on a satisfactory funding model.
There is a matter that is not referred to but which arouses the interest and, insome cases, anger among many with which I have great sympathy. The currentDirectors of BW in some cases enjoy benefits packages which are totally out ofstep with those applying to national charities. I would ask you to considerwhether DEFRA and others with influence are aware of this problem and of the
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14 October 2010.Dear waterway supporter
GOVERNMENT GIVES THE GO AHEAD FOR A 'NATIONAL TRUST' FORTHE WATERWAYS
The Government has today made an important announcement about the futureof the inland waterways in England and Wales, in probably the biggest shakeup of our canals and rivers since nationalisation in 1948.
The plan, to move the waterways out of state control and into a newindependent national charity, builds on the proposals I launched at the Houseof Commons in May last year and on Robert Aikman's vision for a 'NationalWaterways Conservancy' half a century ago. When we called this proposal'2020', we thought it would take a while to achieve. The fact that theGovernment now wishes to adopt it as policy, replacing British Waterways withthe new charity by April 2012, is a tremendous achievement and I havecongratulated the waterways minister, Richard Benyon MP, on his imaginativeand positive response.
The waterways have been utterly transformed for the better in the time sinceBritish Waterways was established in 1962 and they are used and enjoyed bymore people, in a wider variety of ways, than ever before. This transformation
BritishWaterways
Tony Hales, C.B.E.Chairman
need to address it, just as they must address the significant pension fund deficitrevealed by BW’s accounts.
So there is much to welcome in Tony Hales’s letter, just as there are manyquestions still to be answered and much still to do. Perhaps the most importantin the long term in my opinion is the change of culture and cooperationnecessary. BW must consult and listen more than they have done in the past.I think they have started this process, and note a more listening tone to usergroup and other meetings. If this is so, and I accept it is early days, then if weare going to weather the difficult times ahead, we the users must reciprocateand come to the table prepared to work together with them to achieve what wewant, a well maintained system, our heritage and environment respected andmaintained, and a future for our waterways.
Alan Platt
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owes its success to the contribution of countless staff, volunteers andenthusiasts. Moving the waterways into a charitable body recognises the needto build on that enthusiasm and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapterin their history.
The Board and directors of British Waterways believe that this is absolutely theright next step for the nation's magnificent waterways. The move will attract newfunding for waterways maintenance, safeguard investment and give everyonewho uses and enjoys the waterways a greater role in how they are cared for. Idon't underestimate the challenges ahead in making it happen, but history hasshown that the waterway movement. when it pulls together, can achieve greatthings.
There is still a lot of work to do to: develop the new governance model; agree along-term funding contract with government and; put in place transitionalarrangements. Defra will examine the inclusion of the Environment Agency'snavigations, as part of a coherent plan for the waterways it funds in England andWales, and the Scottish Government will decide whether Scotland's waterwayswill be in the new body. British Waterways will continue to work with governmentofficials and waterway stakeholders to ensure good continuity, a smoothtransition and a successful launch for the new body.
The question for us all now is not whether we should form a new waterwayscharity, but how we can do it. Open dialogue and involvement will be vital tomaking this happen and I know that Defra intend to consult with waterwaystakeholders as they develop the content of the Public Bodies Bill, throughwhich the new charity will be set up.
I cannot overstate what an enormous opportunity this is for the waterways, andfor all those who feel passionately about their future. We must all make sure ourviews are heard and I look forward to many interesting and constructive debatesduring the next six months. With this in mind, please pass this letter on to anycolleagues, friends or members who you think will be interested and feel free toreproduce it in your own publications or websites.
Yours faithfully
TONY HALES, C.B.E.Chairman
British Waterways 64 Clarendon Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD17 1 DAT 01923 201346 F 01923 201455 E [email protected]
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The Annual DinnerSaturday 15th January 2011
T his time the annual dinner will be heldjointly with the Shropshire Union
Canal Society and the Friends of theMontgomery Canal at the Sweeney HallHotel near Morda, Oswestry, ShropshireSY10 9EU.
The guest speaker will be John S Bridgeman CBE TD DLDeputy Chairman of British Waterways and Chairman of British WaterwaysWales Advisory Board.
The menu STARTERS
Chilled melon with a medley of fruit and sorbetor chicken Caesar salad with Parmesan croutons
or tomato and roasted pepper soup
MAIN COURSES
Roast sirloin of British beef with Yorkshire puddingor fillet of smoked haddock with steamed spinach and a cheese sauce
or crusted pork loin steak with a Madeira creamor taggine of vegetables wrapped in aubergine with preserved lemon and
couscous salad
PUDDINGS
Caramelised meringues with ice cream, toasted nuts and a caramelised sauceor fresh fruit salad with a lemon and white wine syllabub
or chocolate and rum tiramisu
TO FINISH
Coffee with cream and mints
The price of the meal is £20.50, which does not include any drinks. The roomwhere the Dinner will be held takes a maximum of seventy-two people, so earlybooking is advised to avoid disappointment. For more information and to bookyour places, please contact Peter Richards at Canal House, Morton, Oswestry,Shropshire SY10 8BQ.Phone 01691 831455 or email - [email protected] wishing to stay overnight should contact the hotel , phone 01691 652 450.
Sweeney Hall Hotel
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A Marina at Queen’s Head?
M orris Leisure, a Shrewsbury-based firm specialising in touring caravan andholiday home parks, has proposed constructing a marina at Queen’s
Head, close to the Aston Nature Reserve.
In general, the IWA supports developments which give economic benefits,providing the application is reasonable in other respects, of course. Theeconomic argument for restoring canals is the principal one which will convincethe decision-makers. We cannot credibly advocate restoration, then notsupport appropriate development proposals.
So, is this one appropriate? The main issues to consider are: restrictionsbecause of water supplies; restrictions for ecological reasons; and the balancebetween boaters based on the Montgomery Canal and visiting boaters.
The Conservation Management Strategy (CMS) agreed in September 2005, towhich the IWA is a signatory, states that ‘there is sufficient water for up to 5,000boat movements a year’. There is no reason to believe that BW will reconsiderthis, so this must be taken as an absolute constraint.
The CMS also states that the agreed target level of annual boat movements is5,000 in England, and goes on: ‘Within England, navigation levels agreed withthe Partnership (currently 2,500 boat movements per year) will only be liftedafter the full area of new nature reserve is fully established.’ Navigation levelsare to be ‘reviewed annually and increased only in small increments’ in order tomaintain the conservation value of the canal. It must be remembered that theresult of monitoring could be a reduction in permitted boat movements. Therestriction on the opening hours of Frankton Locks enables the number to bekept under 2,500 without requiring further rationing. The actual numbers in2009 were 2,110 boat movements at Frankton Locks and 2,367 at Aston Locks.The CMS does not state what the increments would be if it were decided thatthe boating limits can be increased, but I guess that it would be likely to be 500extra movements a year. At this rate, it would take five years to increase to theagreed 5,000 maximum, assuming no adverse result is detected.
The CMS considers three options: maximising private permanent moorings onthe Montgomery Canal; maximising commercial moorings (that is, hire and dayboats); and maximising visiting craft. Whilst not being dogmatic, the CMSexpresses a preference for locally moored boats because: the number of boatmovements can be predicted accurately; resident boats can have additionaleco-friendly design requirements, for example, oil filters on bilge pumps; andthere are bigger gains to the local economy compared with visiting boats. Thedetailed assumptions (based on the maximum of 5,000 boat movements a year)are that there would be 130 permanent moorings in England, perhaps with 90of them at Queen’s Head. Visiting boats would be restricted to 1,500 boatsthrough Frankton Locks, that is, 3,000 boat movements. The CMS stresses
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‘These numbers are based on optimum long term conditions ... they do notrepresent current opportunity.’
There were about 16,000 annual boat movements on the Llangollen Canal pastFrankton Locks in 1994. Without restrictions, the demand for movements ontothe Montgomery Canal was thought to be about 8,000 to 9,000, which is well inexcess of the 5,000 limit. With the restrictions, people wishing to visit theMontgomery Canal know they have to spend at least a day on it, that both thepassages down and up Frankton Locks must be between 12 noon and 2pm,and that passages must be pre-booked. This must surely deter most ‘spur ofthe moment’ boaters; generally only those who specifically want to visit theMontgomery Canal do so. Unfortunately, it also probably discourages adisproportionate number of hire-boaters, who are usually more time-constrained than private boaters.
My personal view is that the number of visiting boats should not be furtherconstrained than it already is. I would not like to see the number of mooringson the canal increased to such an extent that it becomes more like a privatecanal for those mooring there. The implication is that private moorings shouldbe allowed to grow only at a pace which is commensurate with increases inpermitted boating numbers.
Now that the Aston Reserve has been extended, the permitted boatingnumbers should be reviewed in accordance with the CMS. However, we mustbe aware that we won’t necessarily like the result.
Before an application for planning permission is made, Morris Leisure will holddiscussions with British Waterways, and the latter has assured us that they willnot endorse anything which does not comply with the CMS. Then, once thedetails of any application are known, the Branch Committee will be able toformulate its response. One thing is certain: approval for a marina of 90 boatswould be premature.
Peter Brown
Dear EditorI have read Peter’s comments and think it is fair to say that there is a yet noformal application for the development at Queens Head. Morris Leisure havean illustration based on the strategy and are in discussions with BW andShropshire Council. BW is well aware of the need to balance boating use of thecanal within the constraints. The area between Frankton, Oswestry andWelshpool can benefit from further commercial activity and the canal is the idealcatalyst for this. Latest figures show that it could be difficult to justify restorationwithout further development, and only development like this, which would nothappen without restoration will help.
Michael Limbrey
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Tugboat Ted
I can't claim as long an involvement with canals as the humans. My canal lifestarted on LEO in 1996 as it was being fitted out. Even so, I feel very proud
to have been associated with so many events since then and even prouder tohear that the humans have been awarded The Richard Bird Medal for theircontribution to the IWA over a long period. They were obviously very honouredto receive such a prestigious award and somewhat humbled to rememberprevious people to whom it had been awarded and who they had held in suchesteem. They always say that the fun and friendship they have had fromworking on the committee has been a fair reward for their efforts and hope toenjoy boating and the IWA for a long time.
Ethelted and myself could hardly believe the rumours weheard about young girls dressed minimally in pink andblack making free with some very respectableIWA members (check the IWA website Fishand Chip Cruise!). When the humanorganising the event was told that anothergroup would be enjoying the trip with our 28members she hadn't envisaged it would bea Hen Party! In the event, it all added to thefun and interest of an already goodevening. Seeing the river by night was anew experience for most of us and forthe chaps it was helped by having theobvious admiration of the "hens". It wasvoted "great fun"!
Maesbury Festival must be one of the highlights of this summer and will bereported elsewhere. It was WOW in more ways than one and the good weathercompensated for its performance at Maesbury 2008. The humans reported thattheir efforts, this time from the campervan, to inform about Tom Rolt and theCRESSY Cruise with pictures and books had been well received. They had toadmit some surprise at how many people had not heard of Tom Rolt orCRESSY and were pleased to be able to rectify this!
Later, LEO and crew were at Whitchurch for their September Rally. Thehumans seem to think that they have attended every year either in their firstboat ETHEL ROSINA or LEO. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't kind and aftera reasonable day on Saturday, the rain set in fairly seriously! As alwayseveryone made the best of it and Saturday’s meal under canvas at the farm,together with a quiz on the theme of Cheese was a great success. Decoratedboats were in short supply because of the rain but our knitted friends, shelteringunder polythene were awarded the prize and LEO now sports another ribbon
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plate! A bonus for our crew was a visit from past National Chairman, RichardDrake who had just popped in to see what was happening. There was agathering on LEO for a cup of tea — it was really good to see him.
It is two or three years since LEO has been on a longish Autumn Cruise, mostlydue to house moves and boat fitting out by cruising friends. Ethelted and myselfwere quite excited particularly as soon after the start we were at MarketDrayton for the National AGM and the presentation of the awards. However,when that was over three boats GRAPEVINE, CORIOLAN and LEO set offtowards Wolverhampton for the start of the Four Counties Ring. The ring wasall CORIOLAN could spare the time for but the rest wanted to do the Ashby,Caldon and Leek branches as well. It took about 3 weeks with some days morerelaxed than others! The male human totted up that we had done around 160locks and 280 miles in that time. It required quite a lot of coffee/tea breaks andthe odd glass of wine to sustain the crew and there were occasions when thesewere enjoyed on deck in warm sunshine.
Before reaching our respective moorings, the Crews of LEO and GRAPEVINEhad a very successful final cruise meal in the Galley at Aqueduct Marina. Forthose of you who haven't been there, as well as those that have of course, weall hope that you will join us next March for the AGM and a social afternoon witha talk by Liam D'Arcy Brown on the Grand Canal of China. There are moredetails about this elsewhere in the magazine — we hope to see you there.
Tugboat Ted
Weil’s Disease
Yes we should all be aware it’s a risk but it is impossible to go boating orfishing without contact with canal water. Ropes sometimes dangle in it and
many of us wash our boats down with it, not to mention dragging Fido out of thecanal and getting sprayed with it; in fact boaters are surrounded by it and notalways on fast moving canals like the Llangollen. Fishermen have even morecontact.
Weil’s disease? What’s the problem? It will never happen to me! Or will it?Occasionally a story hits the headlines which makes us stop and think. Olympicrowing champion and gold medallist, Andy Holmes, has just died of organfailure a week after being admitted to hospital. The cause? Unfortunately it wasWeil’s disease, a severe form of leptospirosis, an infectious condition which hasa range of symptoms from mild flu to multiple organ failure, internal bleedingand death. The incubation period for the bacteria is normally one to two weeksand early use of antibiotics is imperative but how many of us resort to thedoctors every time we get a mild fever, dry cough, diarrhoea, vomiting or aheadache? I for one would blame the take-away and curl up in bed!
Dawn Aylwin
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Audlem Festival of TransportBring your historic boat!
I f you aren’t going to the IWA National Festival at Burton-upon-Trent in 2011,you and your historic boat will be made very welcome at the Audlem Festival
of Transport on the Shropshire Union main line on Sunday 31st July 2011.
It may be a smaller event, but it’s a really enjoyable day — and it’s free! Duringthe afternoon, there will be about 300 old cars, lorries and motorcycles on thevillage playing field near the canal, and a collection of historic boats by thewharf. The event attracts hundreds of people and there’s no charge to attend.Crews of the historic boats are invited to a barbeque on the Saturday eveningcourtesy of Peter and Chris Silvester at Audlem Mill, right by the wharf.
Boats already known to be attending, subject to final confirmation, are SATURN(the last of the Shroppie flyboats), VICEROY (1909 FMC ex-steamer, and sisterto PRESIDENT), THEA and PLOVER.
Although there is no charge to participate, you do need to confirm your intentionto be at the event, for catering and mooring (and of course BW riskassessment!) purposes. Please ring Peter or Chris at Audlem Mill on 01270811059 or email [email protected]
Branch 100 Club
I n recent years the Branch has tended tospend more in support of the canals and
the production of the "Shroppie Fly Paper"than it has received from the various fundraising activities. Care is needed how wespend money but demands on our resourcesare likely to increase. We are also particularlyanxious to maintain the quality of the magazine.The committee has, therefore, been looking for additional sources of income.
One suggestion is a ‘100 Club’. This would involve members contributing saythe equivalent of £2 per month in an annual donation of £24 in exchange for anopportunity to participate in a monthly or quarterly prize draw depending on thenumber of members who join. At least half the money collected would beredistributed as prizes. A cheque would be sent to the winners and the resultsreported in the next "Shroppie Fly Paper".
If you would be prepared to help in this way please complete and return theenclosed slip to me at the address shown or e-mail me [email protected].
Denis Farmer
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Gilwern, Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal
T he Brecknock & AbergavennyCanal — now usually called the
‘Mon & Brec’ — is well known for havingthe most consistently beautiful sceneryof any British canal. But it is superb foranother reason too: the tramroadsleading from the canal into and over theBrecon Beacons. From Gilwern,Llanfoist and Llangattock you can walkthe lines of the former tramroads, upinclined planes, keeping your eyesopen for stone sleepers, each piercedwith a single hole, which used to holdthe cast iron rails. These were platerails, ‘L’ shaped, because the wheels of the wagons did not have flanges.
Of the three tramroad wharfs, the most complex is Gilwern, which is at theentrance to the Clydach Gorge, a steep-sided valley, the woods in springtimebeing carpeted with bluebells and wild garlic. Now peaceful except for the trafficon the ‘Heads of the Valleys’ (A465) road climbing from the valley of the Usk.Once the gorge was a significant industrial area, with ironworks fed from thecoal and ironstone mines and limestone quarries further up the hillside.
Having received its act in 1793, the Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal Companydid not start constructing its canal until 1796; it opened from Gilwern to Breconin 1800 but was not completed through to the Monmouthshire Canal atPontypool until 1812. Apart from the Brynich Aqueduct over the river Usk (verysimilar in appearance to the Vyrnwy Aqueduct, both being engineered by theDadford family) the largest engineering work was the 80ft high embankment atGilwern. A warehouse (now a house) and three limekilns were constructed atthe wharf; the wharfinger’s house is now the base for Castle Narrowboats,which operates the only electric hire-boats on the British canals.
Curiously, before the company started on its canal, it built a tramroad from theironworks of the Ebbw Vale at Beaufort, through Brynmawr and down the gorgeto Gilwern, then crossing the river Usk to Glangrwyne Forge. When the canalopened several years later, a tramroad branch was made to the wharf.
A few years later still a separate tramroad was built from the Clydach Ironworks,a mile up the gorge, to another wharf. Gilwern was then the busiest place onthe B&A canal, with coal and lime being carried up to Brecon and theagricultural areas of Breconshire and Radnorshire, iron products going down toNewport, and wood for pit props arriving at the wharfs from upstream.
Peter Brown
Tramroad Wagon
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8th November Cruising European Waterways
An illustrated talk by Derek R Brown7.30pm at the Narrow Boat Inn, EllesmereRoad, Whittington. See page 18
Janet Farmer01270 811157
27th November Christmas Craft Fair
Craft Fair at Aqueduct Marina, ChurchMinshall, Cheshire CW5 6DX11.00am till 4.00pm
AqueductMarina01270 525041
28th November British Waterways Open Day
Open day at Anderton Boat Liftwww.waterscape.com for details
11th - 12th
18th - 19th
December
Santa Cruise
Meet Santa aboard nb GEORGE BUCKat the Llanymynech Visitor Centre. Ticketscost £6 per person and include presents forthe children and seasonal refreshments forthe adults. Booking is essential.www.duchess-countess.org.uk
Paddy Martin01691 830506
9th January Winter Walk at Llangollen
Trains and Boats and PlanesWalk from Horseshoe Falls to Llangollen,walk or train back . . . Planes? See page 26
Peter Brown01630 652567
15th January Annual Dinner
Dinner at the Sweeney Hall Hotel, Morda,Oswestry together with the ShropshireUnion Canal Society and Friends of theMontgomery Canal.Guest speaker John S Bridgeman CBEDeputy Chairman of British WaterwaysSee page 9
Peter Richards01691 831455
29th January British Waterways Open Day
Open day at Northgate LockSee www.waterscape.com for details
Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch
Diary
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18th February Quiz
Quiz night at the Narrow Boat Inn,Ellesmere Road, Whittington.See page 29
Janet Farmer01270 811157
1st April Skittles Challenge
The annual inter-branch challenge at theBickerton Poacher. See page 29
Janet Farmer01270 811157
5th March Region Annual General Meeting
Region AGM at the Anderton Boat Liftvisitor centre. See page 21
Sue Thurstan01254 200363
26th March Branch Annual General Meeting
The Branch AGM and a talk entitledGrand Canal in China by LiamD'Arcy-Brown at Aqueduct Marina, ChurchMinshall, Cheshire CW5 6DXSee inside front cover
Janet Farmer01270 811157
29th April to8th May
Liverpool Boat Show
Albert Dock, LiverpoolSee page 18
29th - 31st July IWA National Festival & Boat Show
IWAs main event of the year will be atShobnall Fields, Burton-upon-Trent,Staffordshire.www.waterways.org.uk
31st July Audlem Festival of Transport
Historic boats and vehicles at AudlemSee page 14
Audlem Mill01270 811059
Tradition Craft Courses
Audlem Mill will be hosting a variety oftradition craft courses throughout the yearincluding Rag Rugging, Fender Making etc.
Audlem Mill01270 811059
Committee meetings are usually held at 7.30pm on the second Monday of eachmonth at the Narrow Boat Inn (Maestermyn Marina), Whittington. Members arevery welcome to join us and will not be pressured into any of our vacant jobsunwillingly. Please confirm with a committee member before attending.
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Cruising European Waterways7.30pm at the Narrow Boat Inn8th November 2010
Derek R Brown, who has recently published abook "Up the Rhine and Down the Danube",
will give an illustrated talk entitled CruisingEuropean Waterways.In a Dutch cruiser bigger than many Englishcanal boats, yet tiny compared with other boatsaround them, Derek Brown and his companiontravelled over 2,200 miles roughly the sameas the whole British Waterways' systemacross Europe to Istanbul.
Derek's experiences have been so different from those of us who enjoy ourwaterways. Where our waterways are used for pleasure, the Rhine and Danubeare mainly commercial waterways, though both in their own way make importantcontributions to the local economy. His talk will be a real opportunity for peoplewho like our canals to see what its like to travel across Europe by water.
Derek will have copies of his book Up the Rhine and Down the Danube for saleafter the talk.
The talk is at the Narrow Boat Inn, Ellesmere Road, Whittington at 7.30pm.Admission is free and all are welcome. If you would like to join us for an informalmeal at 6.30pm contact Janet Farmer 01270 811157.
Please note that this is a change to the advertised programme.Peter Brown’s talk on the Kynaston Canal will be rescheduled.
The historic Albert Dock is the perfect venue for a boat show — a gloriousdockside setting with superb facilities and hotels, less than five minutes
walk from the heart of Liverpool's rejuvenated city centre
This collection of beautifully restored nineteenth century warehouses is now aleisure destination with some 10,000 visitors a day, making it Liverpool's and,indeed, one of the UK's most visited attractions. The distinctive five-storeyterracotta-red brick buildings, which once housed trade goods from across theglobe, surround a quadrangle of water the size of Trafalgar Square.Visit www.liverpoolboatshow.com for more details.
Liverpool Boat Show29th April - 8th May 2011
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Richard Bird Medal
R ichard Bird Medals werepresented at the National AGM to
Denis and Janet Farmer who havebeen stalwarts of the ShrewsburyDistrict & North Wales Branch sincethey moved to their previous housebeside the Prees Branch of theLlangollen Canal in 1991. This yearwill be their twentieth as very activebranch members. They jointly ranbranch sales and the records showthat in 1993 they took a branch salesstand to no less than 9 events. Whenmost people are thinking of taking it abit easier, Denis still acts as BranchTreasurer and Janet as SocialSecretary and it is no coincidence thatthe branch has both a healthy balancesheet and an active and wellsupported social calendar, no meanfeat in a branch covering a large area.National and local festivals and ralliesregularly feature them manning thebranch stand either on LEO, their narrowboat whose tug foredeck becomes ahospitable social centre, or in their camper van. The ‘sand game’ was theircreation and as a source of revenue and a generator of interest it has featuredat numerous events, attracting customers of all ages.They have also assisted with the production and distribution of the branchnewsletter, ‘The Shroppie Fly Paper’, and have cleverly trained one of theirconsiderable collection of teddy bears to write a regular column.Denis served as Branch Chairman between 1997 and 2000, and his words ofwisdom and advice are greatly valued by those who have followed him in thatrole, so that he has now graduated naturally to elder statesman status. Theyhave been at the forefront of the Montgomery Restoration movement and Denishas been a trustee of the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust for morethan 10 years.Their efforts and hard work and commitment over a long period have been ofimmeasurable value to the IWA and the award of a Richard Bird medal is a justrecognition of this.
Alan Platt
Janet and Denis Farmerwith their Richard Bird Medals
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The ChristopherPower Prize
This year the ChristopherPower Prize was awarded
jointly to the Shropshire UnionCanal Society and Colin Turner(IWA Ipswich / River GippingTrust). Terry O’Brien, Chairmanof SUCS, was presented withthis prize at the IWA NationalAGM in September for theirsignificant contribution to thecontinued restoration of theMontgomery Canal.
The Society has well over athousand members who havecontributed thousands of hoursof volunteer work. Workpartiescurrently meet one weekend amonth to restore the sectionbetween Redwith and PricesBridges. The ability toundertake a wide variety of building and logistical tasks has enabled the Societyto gain the confidence of BW and SUCS has been given the task of shaping andlining the channel in this section. A trial using a bentonite liner with anoverburden of sand and blocks has been successfully carried out. Theoverburden (including stone around the waterline on graded banks to improveboth the look and provision of a habitat for marginal plants) requires significantfunding. Funding which is difficult to get from the usual sources. To keep therestoration going the Society has launched a ‘Buy a Barrow of Boulders Appeal’which is proving very successful.
During the winter months, when mortar cannot be used due to the possibledamage from frost, Society members are not idle. For the past four wintersworkparties have been hedge laying and clearing the canal bed. This work notonly improves the state of the canal and towpath, but also provides an enhancedhabitat for breeding birds and other wildlife while providing a more attractiveplace to walk.
The Society’s current target is to extend the canal so that boats can reach thenext winding hole at Crickheath. The second goal (which is shared by all) is torestore and extend the canal to Llanymynech to reach the border with Wales.
Dawn Aylwin
Terry O’Brien receives the award fromIWA Vice President Audrey Smith OBE
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THE INLAND WATERWAYS ASSOCIATIONNORTH WEST REGION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – 2011
The Annual General Meeting of the North West Region of The InlandWaterways Association will take place on Saturday March 5th 2011
at 2.00pm at the Anderton Boat Lift, Lift Lane, Anderton, Northwich,Cheshire CW9 6FW
AGENDA
1) Apologies for absence.2) Approval of the minutes of the 2010 AGM and any matters
arising from those minutes.3) Reports from the Region Chairman and Branch Chairmen.4) Presentation of statements of income and expenditure,
assets, liabilities and commitments.5) Notice of Committee size.6) Election to fill any vacancies on Region Committee.
There will be a buffet lunch before and an opportunity to look at the restoredlift, visitor centre & surrounding canal river & country park area after themeeting.
Mrs S Thurstan, 30 Queensway, BLACKBURN BB2 4QTTel: 01254 200363 E-mail: [email protected]
The 'Lost' Canal at Market Drayton
As a result of publishing the article about the 'lost' Peatswood Canal in thelast issue of the Shroppie Fly Paper, IWA member John Parry contacted
me to say that the old canal is even more clearly visible to the south of the laneabout 50 yards before it crosses the stream. And so it is — if you climb up thebank by the roadside (beware of some barbed wire), you can see the old canalcurving on a level, with its characteristic dish-shaped cross section. When youtry to imagine how this connected up with the line of the canal in the field, youmust remember that the road has been built up in order to bridge Telford's 'new'canal.
Peter Brown
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Cressy Cruise at Audlem
When Ron & Mary Heritage with their boat HERON passed through Audlemon the Tom Rolt centenary cruise they were met by Crick Grundy, one
of the original IWA members, East Cheshire deputy MayorCllr Roger West, Chairman of Audlem Parish Council Mrs
Kate Down and BW Manager Wendy Capelle. Duringa short ceremony Mr Grundy presented Ron
and Mary with a medallion and gavea welcoming speech which isreproduced below.
Afterwards members of theShrewsbury District & North WalesBranch helped HERON up throughthe locks.
I am most grateful to Mr Farmer for having invited me to present thismedallion to Mr and Mrs Heritage. He did so because I am now one of thefairly small number of people who knew the Rolts and boated with them in1947 and 1948 when we attempted to navigate to Llangollen. I had first metthem on CRESSY at Banbury in late 1946 soon after the founding of the IWA.There is no doubt that it was his reading of Narrow Boat that inspired RobertAickman to found the Inland Waterways Association, with Tom Rolt as oneof its founding members. Sadly Tom decided to leave the IWA in 1950 andtook no further part in its campaign.However it is appropriate that CRESSY's voyage in the autumn of 1939should be remembered in the 100th anniversary year of Tom's birth, byHERON's retracing of her voyage.Before you get too bored with me. There are three other reasons why I amglad to be here. First, because I did my earliest canal boating on theShropshire Union in 1938. Secondly because my father’s boat in which weaccompanied CRESSY in 1947 in our assault on the Welsh Branch, andwhich later took part in numerous "canal bashes", was also called HERONand, finally, and most important, I first met my wife in the lock which liesimmediately uphill from the road bridge here in Audlem whilst she was acrew member of Peter Froud's hotel boats, MABEL and FORGET-ME-NOT.Mr and Mrs Heritage I am delighted to present you with this medallion andto wish you well for the remainder of your voyage.
Crick Grundy
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The Boat Level
W hat is a canal? It's not just any man-made watercourse — it must alsohave been intended for use by boats. Does it matter if transport was only
its secondary purpose or if it was all underground? If not, then the Boat Level,in the Stiperstones lead-mining area some twelve miles south-west ofShrewsbury, is Shropshire’s unknown canal.
The earliest part may have been dug in the 1720s as a drainage adit from thePennerley mine (SO353989) to its mouth near Stiperstones village (SO358001),892 feet above sea level. By 1812 the Boat Level had been extended to reachthe Bog mine (SO356978), one of the largest and most successful of the mines.At this point the Boat Level was over 300ft below ground level, the mine itselfgoing down some 900ft further. The Boat Level followed a twisting course, justover two miles in length. The mouth is still visible, situated on private land.Later, drainage offsets were made to serve the Burgam, Tankerville, Potters Pitand Nipstones mines.
Possibly it was not originally intended to be used by boats — if it had been, thecurves would have been made less sharp. However, as well as its name, thereis definite evidence that it was so used, at least for a short period. When theBog mine was auctioned in 1830, the inventory included three wooden and oneiron boat. A visitor in 1834 described the Boat Level, calling it a natural canalused instead of a railroad, which implied it was then still in use. He added thatthe new proprietors had spent much money on improving the road from themine, so it is possible that this is about the time that it ceased to be used totransport ore.
The Boat Level was narrow, so the boats could not have been much more than3ft 6in wide. The length of the boats is now impossible to ascertain, but it wouldhave been limited by the sharpness of the curves. By the 1960s it was possibleto get less than half a mile up the Level, so a full survey could not be made.Perhaps deep under ground there are signs of grooves where boats rubbedagainst the side walls of the Level or indentations in the low roof to show whereboats were poled upstream against the current.
Peter Brown
[The information for this article has been derived from The Lead, Copper &Barytes Mines of Shropshire by Michael Shaw, published in 2009 by LogastonPress. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the industrialarchaeology of Shropshire.]
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Picture Gallery
Carolyn Theoboldand David Aylwinwith the Branchstall at AqueductMarina open day.
Members aboardthe trip boatSABRINApreparing to cruisethe River Severn
Miss Jean Evansand friends atAston Locks tosee the benchand trees thatshe donated.
Page 25
Branch membersraise funds byoperating thelock at Quoisley
Chef de cuisine at theWhitchurch Boat Rally
Steam boats atthe EllesmereFestival
Page 26
Trains and Boats and Planes
Theme for a Winter Walk
This year's walk will be on 9th January —unlike previous years' walks it will be on
the Sunday. We're going to meet at the carpark near Horseshoe Falls at 11am, walkdown to the weir, then into Llangollen forlunch. The return journey may either bedone on foot using the towpath or by theLlangollen Railway train to Berwyn (viaCarrog & back, if you like) and across theKings Bridge Viaduct.
And the plane? If you take the back road between the A542 a mile north ofValle Crusis Abbey and Llantisilio, you get a very good view of the inclinedplane on the tramroad which used to bring the slates from the Oernant quarriesto the canal.
Directions to the car park: From Llangollen take the A542 (signed to Ruthin),and after about a mile and a quarter turn left on to the B5103. About a quarterof a mile further on, the B road goes downhill left — ignore that and go straighton (an unclassified road). The parking is about 100 yards later, on the left.[SJ197433]
Peter Brown
Membership Matters
O nce again we welcome the following members who have joined the Branchsince the last edition of the Shroppie Fly Paper: Dr & Mrs Bannister from
Lincoln, Ms Brockman & Mr Meteyard from Whitchurch, Revd Bowers fromKinnerley, Mr Cooke from Bishops Castle, Mr & Mrs Davies from Audlem, MrsJohnson from Crewe, Mr & Mrs Jones from Audlem, Mr & Mrs Myers fromDerrington, Mr & Mrs Pickin from Shrewsbury, Mr Roberts from Baschurch, MrSlater from Whitchurch and Mr & Mrs Whittaker from Market Drayton. It is goodto see new people joining the association and we look forward to meeting youall so please come along to one of our events.
Unfortunately as well as gaining members we have also lost a few. Recentlyseveral members have been reported as ‘gone away’ and so membershiprenewal notices have not reached them. I know moving home can be a stressfultime but please remember to get in touch and let us know your new address.Finally the Branch sends condolences to the families of Mr Caswell fromPrestatyn and Mr Simon from Crewe who are no longer with us.
Dawn Aylwin
Horseshoe Falls
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Maesbury Canal Festival3rd to 5th September
A year and a half to plan and in just three daysit was over! But what a fantastic and glorious
three days. The sun shone, over 40 boats arrived,stalls holders set up their wares, artists anddemonstrators got ready, entertainers tuned theirinstruments or practised their craft, WendyCapelle, the local British Waterways Manager,opened the Festival and then the visitors arrived.In fact they arrived in hordes.
So what were the highlights?For some it was the boat tripsup and down the canal(sponsored by Owens Oil fromPant) for others it was themany craft demonstrations(possible because of grantsfrom Shropshire Council) withthe chance to have a go atsome of them. For the childrenthe WOW (Wild Over Water)activities were the mainattraction while others just
enjoyed the atmosphereand listened to themusic provided byPorthywaen YouthSilver Band, the BorderBeat and Wind Band,the Pepper Pots andWhalebone whoentertained on Saturdayevening. Otherattractions includedShrewsbury MorrisDancers, a magician, avery popular dog show,swing boats, guidedtours down the canal to
Wendy Capelle
Chris Stokes demonstratesblacksmith skills
Border Beat & Wind Band
Page 28
see the progress of therestoration work being carriedout by SUCS volunteers and onSunday morning Saturn washorse-drawn up to RedwithBridge along the recentlyrestored section of theMontgomery Canal. And a finalmention must go to MartinWood the Town Crier who kepteveryone informed of theprogramme and lead the paradeof the magnificent ‘MaesburyFestival Fog Horn Band’
The following comments, received from visitors, probably give a good overviewof the festival:
“It was very enjoyable, and its friendly informality did not mask the fact that ithad been organised very well indeed. There was lots to do, the stalls andactivities were very informative and the sausages (Treflach) were to die for. Itshowed that there is a wealth of interesting 'heritage' in the area and that therewas enormous amounts of community spirit too. Just right, wish all events werelike this.”
“Just thought I'd let you know how much I enjoyed my day at Maesburyyesterday. Of course the weather helped, but I was very impressed by thenumber and variety of craft stalls, and by the obvious enthusiasm of thecraftworkers. I came home the richer by 30 seeds of woad, a beautiful littlecarved elephant from Kenya, and a handful of glass beads (not to mention twohorse brasses: one of the Festival and one of the Montgomery Canal).”
“Thanks for a thoroughly enjoyable weekend - so that's how it's done, is it?”
“The whole family (3 generations) enjoyed the day, especially all the crafts. Thegrandchildren took their work into school for ‘show and tell’ and nobody wouldbelieve they had actually had a go at blacksmithing!”
“A big THANK YOU for all the work you put into the rally. It was a splendidweekend. The field was full of interesting stalls and the group Whalebone weresuperb. However my lasting memory has to be the mushroom stroganovserved by Fiona and Iain. Can’t wait for 2012 !!”
In fact a lot of people can’t wait for the next festival at Maesbury and havestarted booking in already. For more details of this and the next event pleasesee www.canalfestival.co.uk
Dawn Aylwin
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Quiz Night
Usually the winners of the previous year’s quiz set the questions for the nextbut as two teams tied in January 2010, it was decided to have a complete
change. Janet and Denis Farmer have stepped into the breach and volunteeredto take on the task of keeping the evening fun rather than challenging. Sobeware there could be a few teddy-bear related questions.
Once again the other canal societies in the branch area will be invited to pit theirwits against us; so come along and join in this social evening at the Narrow BoatInn, Whittington on Friday 18th February 2011 at 7.30pm. If you would like tojoin us for supper from 6.30pm please contact Janet Farmer.
Skittles Challenge
L ast year’s skittles evening was postponed at the last minute but the newearly summer date seemed to be very popular. Some members were able
to camp in the grounds of the pub and did not have a long dark foggy trek home.So it has been decided to set the date when the weather is likely to be warmerand the evenings lighter - that is if we ever get warmer weather!
Support the branch and join us at the Bickerton Poacher on Friday 1st April 2011for a great evening. Skittling skills are not required — just a sense of fun and ofcourse the desire to keep up our winning streak against Chester and Stoke-on-Trent branches. More details will be posted in the Spring edition.
"Sage and OnionStuffing!" ......."Lets go"
CaptionCompetition
The winning captionwas sent in by DenisFarmer.
As there were only twoentries I have decided not todo another competition butplease continue to send youramusing pictures.
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Tyrley Tattle
T he boating season is coming to an end as I write this on a beautifully sunnyday. There seem to have been fewer boats passing Tyrley this summer,
even into the school holidays but since the beginning of September we haveseen the locks very busy at times. I was talking to the keepers at the Bratchabout this recently but they assured me that the boat numbers through the locksthere had been quite normal. Perhaps the problems at Shebdon last year madepeople investigate other routes and migrate from the Shroppie?
The locks never cease to provide incidents. The oddest one this year was whena hire boat was caught on the cill when going down the top lock. They eventuallymanaged to get out into the pound below but the rudder was disabled and theyhad to send for assistance. When the boatyard mechanic came out he foundthat they had bent the skeg upwards and he proceeded to bend it back downagain using a crowbar through the weed hatch. Trouble was he was overenthusiastic and bent it too far and had to put the boat back in the lock and lowerit gently on to the cill again to get the skeg straight! It worked though and thehirers went happily on their way.
The locks continue to get damaged by careless boat handling. Several timeshire boats have appeared at the top lock without realising that they had to stopto set the lock and open the gate. On at least two occasions they have stoppedthe boat by hitting the top gate, no wonder the gates get damaged. All toofrequently we hear paddles being dropped without control which has been amajor cause of paddle failure again this year. It all costs money which BW canill afford.
The good news is that BW have spent time improving the access to the locksover the last two or three months. The lock landing at the bottom of the lockflight has finally been cleaned up so that you don’t have to jump into a leafy bogwhen stopping to work the locks and they have done a wonderful vegetationclearance job between the bottom lock and Bridge 61 where it was getting soovergrown that there was barely room for a single boat to pass.
On the wildlife front we have been sorry to see a mink around the locks and inour garden. The otters had cleared them off but this one appeared in latesummer and our neighbouring farmer is trying to trap it. The good news here isthat kingfishers have finally returned, having been absent since the severewinter. The local foxes have also started to visit again and we found that oneof them was actually stealing mirabelle plums off the low tree which we have.The grey squirrels continue to be a menace and although there are feweraround they still managed to clear our walnut tree for the 12th year insuccession. One new avian visitor this year was a chiffchaff which I foundcaught in the greenhouse in September. The first time we’ve seen one at Tyrley.
Richard Hall
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Waterway Recovery Group at Crickheath
This summer the Waterway RecoveryGroup spent two weeks on the MontgomeryCanal at Crickheath. A further work partyis planned for this November.
Week one
Clearingthe site
Week two
Rebuildingthe wharf
wall
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2012 Calendar
T he Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch is hoping to produce a 2012calendar next year and this is just a warning in advance to GET
SNAPPING!! We'll be looking for all sorts of interesting photos of boats andcanal life, especially pertaining to the seasons and local area. Images shouldbe submitted as printed photos but to be included in the calendar they musteventually be supplied in digital format at 300 dpi minimum. Anyone can enterand photos will not be judged necessarily on technical merit, we are just tryingto capture the fun and enjoyment of the waterways. Pictures must be in alandscape format.
An entry form and details will be included in the Spring 2011 edition of ShroppieFly Paper. The illustrations are only suggestions; I’m sure that you can dobetter.
Susan Russell
