| YOUR LETTERS

The Summer 2015 issue of Waterways will be published in May 2015. Editorial closing date is 29th inbox March 2015. Do you have something to say about IWA or Waterways? It’s your magazine so please write and tell us your views. We will aim to publish responses to letters that ask questions about any aspect of IWA policy or decision-making. Please write to The Editor, Waterways, c/o IWA, Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA or e-mail [email protected]. More on Welches Dam I am writing to support Ralph Knowles’ letter disuse. The list is impressive and we probably in the Winter edition of Waterways. My boat all have our favourites. Examples include the is shown in the magazine as I reversed into Southern Stratford, the Upper and Lower Avon Horseways Lock with Jonathan Chambers on Navigations, the Kennet & Avon Canal, the 5th April last year. I was one of the last boaters , Huddersfield Narrow Canal, the to use Horseways Channel and Welches Dam and the Droitwich Canals. The Lock before the route was severed in 2006 Falkirk Wheel has been built, the Anderton when the Environment Agency deliberately Lift has been restored, Standedge and Leek piled the entrance to the lock. That was nearly tunnels have been reopened, the nine years ago. established and a new route into Liverpool The present Peterborough Branch created. Many other restoration schemes have Committee and their predecessors have tried been completed or are well under way. and tried to get some restoration work started I think that the main problem in restoring but the Environment Agency seems to have Welches Dam Lock and Horseways Channel blocked all attempts to make any progress. is not finance (or lack of it) but of will. The You might say this doesn’t matter when an technical difficulties involved in restoring the alternative route along Well Creek is possible. short stretch of leaking Horseways Channel The Well Creek Trust (all volunteers) and the appear to be similar to the leaking canal bed Middle Level Commissioners (who receive no at Limpley Stoke that was fixed as just a small income at all from boat licences) have done part of the complete restoration of the Kennet a really good job but Well Creek is shallow & Avon Canal. Rebuilding Welches Dam Lock long had it occurred on the main canal system in parts with some very low bridges. What is not rocket science; staff at the Canal & River or had it involved the Canal & River Trust/ if the Mullicourt Aqueduct or a section of Trust (formerly ) and IWA’s British Waterways. Would not IWA (nationally) embankment failed? Waterway Recovery Group do this all the time. have sorted this out by now? Many canal and waterways routes have been I cannot believe that this state of affairs Why was IWA set up many years ago? restored to full navigation after falling into would have been allowed to continue for so Surely it was founded to deal with this sort of seemingly intractable problem? John Revell, Navigation Corrections Via email I’ve just finished reading the article about William gave special dispensation for the the waterways of (Winter stone to be carried toll free. Caen stone Les Etheridge IWA national chairman Waterways) and I have to say I’m somewhat would have been carried by water round responds: disappointed about the part headed the coast, into the Wash and then down I was at Horseways Lock, along with members & Stowmarket Navigation. It the , not by horse and cart of IWA Peterborough and Great Ouse contains a number of errors, not the least overland from Stowmarket. branches last year, when John reversed his of which is the title. It wasn’t the Ipswich & The navigation was not transferred to the boat into the lock; I was keen to support Stowmarket Navigation – it’s actual name East Rivers Catchment Board – it just the initiative taken by Peterborough Branch. was the Stowmarket Navigation. closed and navigation rights were lost. Resolving the issue requires action both locally The stone for the abbey at Bury St All of that information appears on the and nationally, and I was recently updated on Edmunds was not carried up the river River Gipping Trust website – progress being made by Peterborough Branch. from Caen. Most of the stone came www.rivergippingtrust.org.uk. Nationally, we are putting pressure on the EA from in (now to address all its navigation assets that are Cambridgeshire). That quarry was owned Spencer Greystrong, currently out of action, and that will remain by the Bishop of Peterborough and King IWA Ipswich Branch the case.

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