Iwa Directory of the Inland Waterways of Great Britain

IWA DIRECTORY OF THE INLAND WATERWAYS OF GREAT BRITAIN OVERVIEW This Excel workbook lists inland waterways in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland), including those open to navigation, those under restoration and those remaining derelict. It shows navigation authorities and other bodies with a navigation management interest (such as canal restoration societies) and the status of each such body, as well as local government authorities covering each section of waterway. Other information is included as detailed below. For the purposes of this database, inland waterways have been taken to include: > all non-tidal waterways where navigation is or has been practised regularly by cargo-carrying craft, passenger craft and/or motorised recreational craft; > tidal waterways where navigation is or has been practised regularly by cargo-carrying or passenger craft on internal (non-seagoing) traffics and/or by motorised recreational vessels without open-sea capability; > tidal canals constructed to extend navigation inland; > waterways named in the Department for Transport's inventory of inland waterways used for the purposes of compiling inland waterways freight statistics. Only waterways known to have been regularly used by types of craft described above are included. Planned waterways never constructed and partially constructed waterways never brought into use are omitted. Scottish sea lochs are only included where they fulfil the criteria above and are linked to other inland waterways. There is evidence that a number of other natural waterways were used occasionally in mediaeval times and earlier, when water levels allowed, to move heavy cargoes, for example stone for construction projects, but such transport was often subject to long delays and many hazards and such waterways are not included unless later development led to regular use. Inland waterways only accessible by canoes, small punts (e.g. as traditionally used for reed cutting or wildfowling in the fens) or similar vessels are generally excluded. Similarly, waterways where recreational use by motorised craft is not permitted are excluded, unless historic use warrants their inclusion. Use by ferries across a waterway is not taken as indicating that the rest of the waterway is necessarily navigable. Some lochs in the Scottish highlands where use by motor boats is confined to small vessels hired out exclusively for fishing are omitted. Seaward limits used for tidal waterways are shown in the 'extent' column. These take into account use (current and historic) by inland waterway craft, as well as referencing limits for Category C or Category D waters (as defined in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1837 (M) dated 2013), where appropriate. However, defining the seaward limit of an inland waterway is not always a simple matter. For tidal inland waterways where the link to the sea is marked by protective piers or breakwaters or natural features creating a narrow entrance, the definition of the seaward limit is generally obvious. However, for waterways with wider estuaries, a number of factors have been taken into account and notes on the factors considered in defining limits for some major tidal waterways with inland waterway connections are given below. Thames - The normal coastal operating range of smaller Thames sailing barges was between Ipswich on the River Orwell to the north and the Medway and Swale ports to the south, although larger barges ventured much further. Modern inland waterway craft operating in the same area often have restricted load lines allowing them to work only within Category C waters (inland of Gravesend on the Thames) or Category D waters (inland of a line from Colne Point to Whitstable in winter and inland of a line from Clacton to Reculver in the summer). The winter Category D limit has therefore been used as the seaward limit of the River Thames inland waterway, as waters inland of this line were and are still used regularly by inland waterway vessels without open sea capability. Subsidiary waterways have been measured from their entrance from the Thames estuary defined above, using the seaward limit of Category C waters as the seaward boundary where this has been defined for that subsidiary estuary. Severn - While the traditional inland craft of the area, the Severn trows, were built to a variety of sizes and traded to ports well out into the Bristol Channel and beyond, more recent barge traffic has generally extended only as far seaward as Bristol. The trip from Sharpness to Bristol is also regularly undertaken by smaller inland waterway craft, including narrow boats, often using Portishead Dock en route. In order to include Bristol and Portishead, the seaward limit for the River Severn inland waterway has therefore been taken as the winter boundary of Category D waters, which is a line from Black Nore (Portishead) on the south bank to Caldicot Pill (Portskewett) on the north bank. Humber - On the Humber, inland waterway barges such as keels traditionally operated mainly from Hull but also regularly traded to Immingham and Grimsby, while modern tanker barges with a 'Humber load line' have operated from Immingham Oil Terminal for many years. In order to include the normal operating range of these craft, the seaward limit of the inland waterway has been taken as the summer limit of Category D waters, which is a line from Cleethorpes Pier on the south bank to Patrington Church on the north bank. Recreational inland waterway craft based on the local waterways navigate as far as this limit and the trip has been undertaken occasionally by narrow boats. Clyde - From the mid-19th century, the traditional inland waterway craft operating from the Forth & Clyde and Monkland Canals out onto the Clyde estuary were the 'puffers'. While the smaller 'inside' boats were confined to the canal and upper River Clyde, the 'shorehead' puffers operated both on the canals and out as far as the Kyles of Bute and Loch Fyne but not out to sea. In order to accommodate this operating range, the seaward limit of the River Clyde inland waterway has been taken as the outer limit of Category D waters, which passes from Farland Head, just to the south of Little Cumbrae Island, westwards to Skipness Point on the Mull of Kintyre. Forth - Inside and shorehead puffers (see Clyde above) capable of navigating the Forth and Clyde Canal regularly traded to ports in the Firth of Forth as far seaward as Leith and Inverkeithing. To accommodate this operating range, the seaward limit of the River Forth inland waterway has been taken to be the limit for Category D waters, which is a line from Portobello in Edinburgh, through the island of Inchkeith to Kirkcaldy. KEY TO TERMS USED IN THE DIRECTORY PRESENTED IN THE INLAND WATERWAYS WORKSHEET Waterway Waterways are split into multiple rows, showing different sections of waterway, where appropriate, to show the extent of interests of different bodies, as well as different IWA branch allocations. Where a waterway or sections of it are known by different names, these are also listed with cross-references to the main entry where details are shown. Extent Shows the geographical limits of different sections. Waterway type Waterways are classified into T-tidal; R-river; D-drain; L-lake; C-canal; UC-underground canal. These descriptors are combined as necessary. Where short reaches of river or lakes form part of a route that is essentially a canal (e.g. Oxford Canal, Caldon Canal, Caledonian Canal), the classification C is used. Similarly, tunnels on through canal routes are not classed as underground canals. MCA category Shows the category of waterway according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency categorisation of waters (MSN 1837 (M) refers). Status Indicates whether the waterway section is open to navigation by vessels larger than canoes and rowing boats, part open or closed. Distances These are given in miles and kilometres for navigable and non-navigable parts. Where responsibility of different bodies overlaps, the mileage is only counted once. Principal branches are included in mileages as indicated in the 'extent' column or are shown as separate rows. However, it has not been possble to include every short basin off a waterway in urban areas such as London and Birmingham. For tidal waterways, distances are via the principal navigation channel but note that channels may move over time, so distances on wider tidal navigations should be regarded as approximate. Body with a navigation This includes currently active navigation authorities (including statutory harbour authorities), as well as bodies which have made navigation byelaws for the waterway section and other bodies with a interest navigation interest (e.g. owners of the waterway or navigable structures, waterway restoration societies and other restoration bodies with control of the waterway). The status of each body is indicated under the following categories. Where there is no known or extant relevant body, the column is left blank. Navigation authority Indicates a body with statutory powers and duties of some sort relating to navigation conservancy or regulation of navigation specific to the waterway in question. Where the body is not a statutory navigation authority but controls navigation use through byelaws this is noted. The term 'navigation authority' has also been taken to include waterway owners who use their rights as owner to regulate boating through a licencing system that places requirements or conditions on boat owners (for example, regarding access, type or condition of vessels

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