The Magazine of the Lichfield &
Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust
Issue No. 82 - Winter 2014/15
Peering out through the vegetation, a glimpse of the
David Suchet Aqueduct; our ultimate goal on the Summerhill Section, 1-Jan-15 (see pages 14-17)
LichfieLd
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Chairman’s Column
BREAKING NEWS!
There is a great deal happening at the moment. The pace of progress is ratcheting up with some dramatic activity about to happen. As ever, everything depends on
finding funding for specific projects and we have had many disappointments over the
years. Yet another occurred last summer when the prospect of an SIB Community Group grant for work on the towpath trail was dashed (see Money Matters in this issue). Then, last October this suddenly became active again and the same funding, of £336,000 was made available. This is a wonderful opportunity but it came with several stings in the tail. All the funds have to be spent by March and there are VAT
commitments which are difficult to handle. However, we have seized the opportunity and our directors and officers are working flat out to get everything in place in time.
We will publish all the details in the next CBW but in the meantime, the focus of
activity will be on the section of the Lichfield Canal between the Boat Inn and Barracks Lane just west of the aqueduct near Brownhlls. There is land to be purchased, a
demolished culvert at Crane Brook to be reinstated and contractors to be found to build the towpath trail over this whole section. There is much to be done here and a rapid transformation can be expected.
There are exciting plans to establish the Heritage Towpath Trail over this whole section. It will mean that we could start major works in addition to those at Tamworth Road and finally show that our aqueduct does have relevance and was not a wasted
effort. We recognise that only by opening up our canals to the general public can we demonstrate what a valuable asset they can be to everyone. More people will be
able to see at first hand where the canal actually is and what it can do for everyone and not just for a few privileged boaters. An exciting prospect indeed.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
I frequently and rightly, often pay tribute to our directors and officers who do so much
work for the Trust, most of it out of the public eye. To obtain funding, to get planning
permission or just keep the routine work going is infinitely more complex than it was even five years ago and we are often made to feel that swimming through sharkinfested treacle must be easier. My mind ran briefly to the annual bog-schnorkeling contests held annually in Mid-Wales. However, progress is being made on several fronts. We are now holding detailed discussions with HS2 Ltd on the engineering
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- Cut Both Ways
- Winter 2014/15
3
Chairman’s Column
requirements to construct a navigable route for the Lichfield Canal from Huddlesford
Junction to Lock 30 where the deviation has been forced on us. So far these have gone well but vigilance is essential as well as attention to detail. We are grateful for the support we are receiving from CRT and from IWA.
That said, I must again draw attention to the tremendous work done by Terry Brown
and his team at Tamworth Road. This project has turned into an extended slog which has required great dedication for all those who have turned out in all weathers to
aim at early completion. A new machine has greatly aided the puddling of the clay but it is physical labour which is at the heart of the progress made. Things are not helped when the thieves break into our works compound yet again. Work has also
gone forward on refurbishing Lock 26 where there is much underpinning and voidfilling to be done. We recognise that the locks are 200 years old, were neglected for years and then infilled. However, it is clear that construction standards were not
as high as one might have expected and that foundations were, to say the least,
skimped. However, we are on course to get Lock 26 ready to be our first restored
and fully functioning one. We are fortunate to have a team of volunteers which is so dedicated and has so many practical skills.
FUTURE PROSPECTS
We hope that when this work will come to fruition we can really “bring the boats
back to Lichfield” as we have been promising for a quarter of a century. We are in the early stages of making a bid to hold the annual IWA Trailboat Festival in 2018 or 2019. This would be a very demanding undertaking but would greatly raise the profile of L&H. If the building of HS2 goes ahead the disruption at Huddlesford
is bound to be very considerable and to last over many months if not years. For
some time now we, with Lichfield Cruising Club have held a major biennial event
at the Junction. This could well prove to be impracticable during the building of the new railway. Our team could well be redeployed to a trailboat festival and draw in
help from further afield. As always, we try to look for an opportunity even when it is
effectively disguised as a threat.
As we are now announcing, we, with Lichfield Cruising Club, will be holding another Heritage Gathering of Boats at Huddlesford for three days from Friday 18th September, open to the public over that week-end. The operating group has had
several meetings and we hope to build on the strong foundations laid in recent years. We look forward to another great event. Please put it in your diaries.
TEAMWORK
With so much work going on it is reassuring to see that we are slowly attracting
new “activists” to our team. With so many sad losses from our supporters in recent
months we need to top up our team if we are to maintain momentum. I sometimes
feel that by maintaining an “upbeat” tone to my column I give the impression that we are “ok as we are”. While we achieve a great deal we are really punching above
our weight. We need a steady supply of new people who can bring their own skills
- Cut Both Ways
- Winter 2014/15
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Chairman’s Column
to our work. In future, we intend to be fair to our new arrivals and discuss with them exactly what we mutually agree they can best do. We must not allow volunteers to drift away and must nurture them and make them feel valued.
I write this on a cold January afternoon. I have removed the Christmas tree and
taken down the cards. It can be a low time of the year but at L&H we have so many
reasons to be positive. We have achieved great things over the years, often against heavy odds but the challenges currently before us give us the opportunity to achieve even more. After so many years of steady, even slow progress I sense that there is
a head of steam building up. I am sure that by the end of 2015 we will be amazed by how much has been done. It is a new year but an old project which will need all
the energy we can pump into it. My thanks to everyone for all that has been done
in the past 12 months.
Northern Canals Association
Three Directors attended the autumn meeting of like-
minded canal restoration enthusiasts across the north half of the country which was hosted by the Bugsworth
Basin Heritage Trust at nearby Chinley, High Peak on 12th October 2014.Astimulating keynote presentation was given by Richard Parry, Chief Executive of Canal &
River Trust who compared CRT progress so far with the
way forward. Professional Archivist Heather Roberts
gave an interesting sight into “Practical archiving for
waterway restoration groups”. The main message
seemed to be to put a date on everything you hold!
Following the
usual round-
up of reports from Trusts and Societies, a visit to the site of Bugsworth Basin s h o w e d t h e
Trust’s amazing
achievement in bringing the
former major
industrial site
- b a c k
- f r o m
dereliction to a new life for all to
enjoy.
Brian Kingshott(chairman)
- Cut Both Ways
- Winter 2014/15
5
Donations to the trust
We gratefully acknowledge the following donations for amounts over £20 from 1st October to 31st December 2014.
Suchet,
Trust &
Marketing and Land
Appeals Restoration Feet of Clay
Name ( in order of receipt )
Mr M W Adlington (with sub.)
Fund
24.00 80.00
IWA North Staffordshire and South Cheshire Branch presentation Mr J W Farren (with sub.)
45.00
Mrs L K N Whitfield, legacy by the late Dr G T Whitfield
500.00
Mr A D Brookes
90.00 40.75 25.00
Mr H Eyles, Birmingham walking group Staffs. Ind. & Archaeological Soc. (talk) Mrs J Wadham (500 Club prize) Feathers Inn, Lichfield, furniture sale
Mrs P Fletcher
100.00
70.00
30.00
Mr S Ayres (sale of goods)
Sutton Coldfield Civic Society (talk)
Mr C D Gibson
50.00
60.00
100.00
Mr R T Willis (private talk fees) Dr I M Thompson
115.00
50.00
Lichfield Twinning Assoc; Quiz Night
Lloyds Bank Foundation grant
Mr R H Jennings (with sub.)
Mr J Derrick, BT Give As You Earn Easyfundraising
25.00
2,000.00
100.00 387.90
88.41
