Welcome to Boaters’ Update. Over the past month, gales and downpours have battered the country, and the waterways, on an almost weekly basis.
With the storm clear-up underway we hope you and your boat are safe. It can be easy to imagine that managing water levels and responding to storm damage has been our sole focus.
However, alongside that increasingly frequent task, we continue to also work on essential projects, as part of our winter stoppage programme, to keep canals open, safe and available for navigation. In our first article, you can find out where and when our open days are happening – a chance to see behind the scenes at some of the more-than £50million worth of work that’s going on.
Then read on to learn how a few hours of volunteering can make a big difference, how a new code is designed to improve life on the towpath and, finally, how an innovative mooring bollard design could make mooring up easier.
As ever, you’ll also find the list of current stoppages.
Stay safe, happy boating,
Damian
In this edition:
See how we’re spending your licence fee
Help care for your canal
Keeping towpaths safe and accessible
Maintenance, repair and restoration work affecting cruising this weekend
Oh bollards!
See how we’re spending your licence fee
It’s been a bumpy few weeks with storm, Isha, bringing 99mph winds, and plenty of rain, across the canal network. As you’d expect, many trees have been brought down with some of them blocking navigations.
Prior to that Storm Henk caused washed-away towpaths, failed wash walls and huge amounts of debris against booms and weirs; there’s a huge job ahead to do to repair it all.
More significant damage, such as the slip at Dunhampstead Tunnel on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, means that in some cases we’re going to be dealing with the consequences for some time to come.
The licence fee, together with other income from moorings, makes up about one fifth of our total revenue each year to help look after the network and respond to these ever more common storm events. So, in addition to the storm response, my colleagues are pushing on with our winter stoppage programme and there are still opportunities, over the next month, to see how your licence fee helps us maintain the navigation.
It starts with a rare chance to see Brent Reservoir (3 Feb) drained while we repair the sluice gates. Along with finding out more about this project, one of our experts will be on hand to take you on a guided walk. Although the event listing linked above being ‘full’ you can still just turn up on the day.
Then, towards the end of February (24 & 25), you can join us at Wolverhampton Lock where we’re preparing to replace the lock gates. Wear comfy shoes as you’ll also be able to join an expert for a heritage and nature walk along the Old Main Line Canal.
At every Open Day you’ll get the chance to talk to those carrying out the important works. But if you can’t get to an open day or would prefer to ‘visit’ from the comfort of your front room, why not take a few minutes to meet our teams online? In the video below you can hear from liveaboard boater Ellie who also happens to be one of our ecologists.
My narrow boat is a 48ft long trad stern narrowboat, and I've been living on board for nearly five years. Looking outside the window, I'm surrounded by trees. There's lots of wildlife around me, and being able to see that is just fantastic.
As an ecologist for the Canal & River Trust, I've got quite a variety of responsibilities - our vegetation works programme, towpath planting schemes - I absolutely love going out on my site visits to different parts of the network to survey for different protected species and invasive species. A lot of the time, I'm looking for poo. We focus quite a bit of our work in trying to improve habitats. So, our species, like the water voles, which need a soft bank to be able to borrow into, we're adding these onto key places in the canal so that water voles can hopefully move in and have a larger habitat size for them to grow into. When I was a kid thinking, what could I be doing in the future, I don't think I would have imagined I'd still be in my wellies, you know, looking around little cracks and crevices for creepy crawlies and other animals.
Today, we're at Meadow Lane lock. There's a big project underway to replace the lock gates, and part of my role here is to be looking out for the invasive species like floating pennywort. It grows about 20cm a day and it blocks the waterways, and also stops light reaching the bottom of the canal. We've been trialling a new biosecurity control method, which is adding these weevils, and they slowly eat away at it and stop it becoming a problem.
I think the Canal & River Trust is really important because they are the custodians of these networks. They're the reason why so many people enjoy boating and walking, and the fact that our canals and rivers are all linked across the country that enables our wildlife to move around more freely, and it's why they're so important to keep them connected and not fragmented.
You can also ‘meet’ James, a multi-skilled stonemason and labourer who’s passionate about preserving and restoring the craftmanship that’s embedded in the network. Then there’s Helen, one of our senior canal engineers. She designs restoration solutions that are rolled out across the network. Her role is very hands-on, and she works alongside other teams to manage our repair programme that keeps fragile, ageing and historic features in working condition.
Finally, Aaron, one of our business boating managers, explains the benefits for businesses afloat. If there are other trades, or disciplines, that you’d like to hear from then please drop me a line: [email protected].
Help care for your canal
Boaters are the bedrock of the waterways community and all of you already do your bit in one way or another to help care for the network. Coinciding with the aftermath of this month’s storms which shows how extreme weather events, alongside the passage of time, are increasing our task to protect our 250-year-old network, we’re asking more people, to join our boating and other volunteers, to spare a little time to help care for the nation’s historic canals and the wildlife habitats along them.
As floodwaters recede, we are highlighting the range of ways people of all ages and abilities can help to keep their local canal alive.
The appeal, championed by Ranvir Singh who is currently hosting hit ITV quiz show, Riddiculous, emphasises the vital role volunteers play in sustaining these centuries-old routes for boats and much needed spaces for both wildlife and people.
Ranvir said: “Although there has been a remarkable growth in canal volunteering over the past decade, the ever more extreme weather events brought about by climate change illustrate the fragility of our national collection of canals and the much-loved wildlife that they are home to.
“As this season passes into spring and then into summer, there is such a wide variety of volunteering opportunities to get involved with on your local canal. Last year thousands of volunteers contributed over half a million hours to the Canal & River Trust. Taking part helps you feel like you have a legacy within your local area and to be proud of the environment you live in. It’s great to think that you can improve your own wellbeing, your community and even the environment in one go, just by volunteering!”
Complementing our expert staff, volunteers will assist in a variety of roles including joining or leading teams helping to carry out basic canal maintenance and wildlife improvements, volunteer lock keeping, operating historic swing bridges, helping at our waterway museums, and going into schools to teach children about canals and staying safe by water.
Christine Mellor, head of volunteering, said: “Volunteering has gone from strength to strength over the past decade, with our dedicated volunteers working alongside our teams of experts, expanding the impact of the work we are able to carry out. With volunteers’ support, donating their time, knowledge, and skills, we are better able to keep our canals available for nature and wildlife and for communities to benefit from. The ageing canal network, coupled with the challenges of extreme weather events and recently announced future cuts in government funding, demands our call out for all hands on deck and, if you are interested and thinking of joining us, our message is ‘your canal needs you’.”
We’re also grateful to Ocean Media who’ve helped in boosting the presence of this year’s campaign – last year we won the ‘Drops in the Ocean’ fund and was awarded free advertising space from Ocean Media – such as in Liverpool, pictured below. This support from Ocean will allow us to reach more audiences while also raising awareness that we are a charity that rely on the vital support of volunteers to #KeepCanalsAlive.
Aside from making a valuable contribution to the upkeep and operation of the network, volunteering on the canals provides its own health benefits. Canals have been proven to have a positive impact on people’s mental wellbeing. A study last year by King’s College London showed positive associations between visits to canals and rivers and mental wellbeing, as well as a positive experience for feelings of safety and social inclusion relative to other environments.
According to the data, in the last four years there has been a 30 per cent increase in people using canals for a range of leisure uses including boating, angling, walking, cycling, running, paddle boarding as well as walking the dog and even commuting.
If you don’t own a boat but are one of the nine million people in England and Wales who are within a ten-minute walk of the canal network why not visit our volunteering pages to see how you can help us Keep Canals Alive.
Keeping towpaths safe and accessible
While keeping the wet stuff in the cut is essential, towpaths are also a key part of any cruise. Furthermore, there are record numbers of visitors and more people using towpaths than ever before. With this in mind, a policy document has been published setting out how our vital, historic and typically narrow routes can be sustainably used, managed, and made more accessible for the benefit of all.
Alongside the canals’ core use for boating and angling, ‘Towpaths for Everyone’ outlines the key role our 2,000-miles of towpaths play in public life, including as part of a nationwide active travel network. Developed in partnership with boaters and other representatives of the users of the canal system together with Active Travel England, Sustrans and Sport England, the policy sets out how we, partners and towpath visitors can all play a part in ensuring towpaths remain the nation’s greatest linear green spaces, providing vital access to nature through towns and cities and links to the countryside.
To help ensure people share the often limited towpath space and that they remain safe and welcoming places for all, Towpaths for Everyone has a code of conduct for visitors. This includes cyclists and runners respecting the slowest moving people on the towpath as well as boaters and others accessing the water space.
Heather Clarke, our director, comments: “Whilst our historic canals are still navigated by boats much as they were at the height of the Industrial Revolution, today’s canals and their towpaths have also been repurposed for modern society. They are increasingly popular spaces for walking, running, cycling, and angling as well as serving boaters and those accessing other on-water activities such as canoeing and paddleboarding.
“Last year saw over 800 million visits to our canals, with people experiencing the daily mental and physical benefits of spending time in nature and by the water.
“With towpaths more popular than at any time in history, we face challenges in balancing the needs of all the people who use them, whilst protecting their special waterway character, heritage and environment. As our ageing network faces increased pressures from government funding cuts and climate change-driven damage, it is more important than ever to secure investment from third parties to keep these much-loved spaces open and accessible.”
Open accessible places
As well as setting out our towpath design principles, our policy document includes examples of how we work with partners to access third party funding for improvement programmes that make the towpaths easier and safer to use year-round. This partnership working has enabled us to upgrade a quarter of the national towpath network (over 500 miles) in the past decade.
The policy lays the groundwork for continuing this transformative work, setting out the value of the investment to partners such as local authorities and Sustrans, as well as to wider society, with the charity’s canals bringing a £1.1 billion cost saving each year to the NHS due to people being active along its waterways and towpaths.
The policy also builds on our experience of previous towpath schemes by helping to ensure that future improvements deliver benefits for a wide range of canal and towpath users, including use of the navigation and creating more accessible moorings.
Heather Clarke continues: “Towpaths were once industrial routes used to pull boats by horse but, after the decline of waterborne freight, became forgotten and often derelict spaces. Now, thanks to the work of our charity, the towpaths are open, accessible places to spend time in nature, and more people are feeling the benefits of being by water than ever before. Our canal towpaths are perfectly placed to play a pivotal role in meeting the Government’s target to give everyone access to local quality blue and green space. Working with partners to upgrade towpaths to reflect the diverse ways they are used today will ensure they are more accessible and meet the needs of everyone who uses them.”
Maintenance, repair and restoration work this weekend
As someone who’s out on, or by, the water more often than most, you’ll know that there are times when we need to fix things that unexpectedly break. So, below, you’ll find a list of navigations that have ongoing restrictions that may affect you if you’re planning to get out on the water this weekend:
When restrictions to navigation happen, we get them up on to our website as soon as we can – always best to have a scan before you set off.
If you have any questions about a specific closure, or spot an error in our system, please get in touch.
Oh bollards!
You may remember that last November we mentioned the trailblazing ‘Towards Accessible Waterways’ conference that was to take place the following month. Reports are that it was a resounding success and, in just one of the highlights, Tracey Clarke, continuous cruiser and founder and membership secretary of the Accessible Waterways Association, shares news of a new mooring bollard that was showcased at the event:
“Dick Vincent, a boater and the Trust’s national towpath advisor, introduced a prototype of a new accessible mooring bollard.
“It was created in response to discussions on the Disabled Boaters’ Forum (on Facebook) over many months. Whilst it is acknowledged that there is no ‘one size fits all’, this bollard addresses most of the issues faced by many boaters with mobility challenges.
“The prototype was made from 3D printed pieces and some cleverly adapted sections of standard plumbing pipes. The real thing, of course, would be much more sturdy but this model was an excellent demonstration of the size, proportions and design.
“It is approximately 60cm / 2ft / just above knee-height to the average adult and has a slightly domed round top and two pairs of horizontal pegs spaced toward the top of the post. It will be painted in distinctive bright yellow and blue with the words ‘Accessible Mooring’ embossed around the base.
“The design is intended to be helpful to anyone who has difficulty bending to ground level to moor to a ring or standard low-level bollard. It was developed after much discussion with boaters who have limited mobility and would benefit enormously from the ability to ‘lasso’ the bollard from the deck of their boat. They would then be able to use this to pull their boat in to the bank, then deploy a ramp, if needed, to disembark and then complete the mooring process.
“Being tall and boldly coloured bright yellow and blue (hues proven to be the most visible against natural backgrounds), this design will be much less of a trip hazard to everybody, and will make boating a lot safer, easier and actually more doable for many disabled boaters.
“Of course, the bollards will have to be installed very firmly on a deep foundation into the ground to counter the extra leverage force that will be applied at a higher level. This needs to be factored into the final design, which has been developed by Marcus Chaloner, the Trust’s head of placemaking and design.
“The intention is to take the prototype accessible mooring bollard design ‘on tour’ to different events around the country during the spring and summer to gather more feedback before the design is finalised. There is currently no funding allocated to make or install any of the accessible mooring bollards, but once the design is finalised the plan is to secure external funding for the project.
“The prototype bollard provoked a lot of very encouraging conversation at the Towards Accessible Waterways Day. The consensus of opinion was that the concept is very much welcomed, and we all look forward to the rolling out of the real thing as and when the Trust can secure funding for the installation of accessible moorings at strategic sites around the network.
“These will be specifically signed as designated accessible moorings and will give priority to bearers of the Boaters’ Blue Card. There is a design spec under development for the whole area of these moorings. This will include the careful spacing of the bollards to cater for most lengths and designs of boat, including access to the deck/s.
“It will also recommend a specified minimum length and breadth of towpath which will be suitably surfaced. Suggestions for appropriate locations for these are invited by Matthew Symonds, the Trust’s national boating manager. If you have any proposed sites, please email [email protected].”
The prototype model of the bollard will be on display at both Boatlife Exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC in mid-February, and at Crick Boat Show over the late May bank holiday weekend. If you are visiting either of these events then please pop along to the Trust stand to view it, and to the AWA stand to chat about it.
Happy boating,
Damian
Last Edited: 26 January 2024
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