WEIGH-HOUSE THE NEWSLETTER OF THE SOMERSETSHIRE COAL CANAL SOCIETY No 39 SPRING 2004 24 1 ******************************************************************************************* The Somersetshire Coal Canal Society was founded in January1992 with EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE the aim: ‘TO FOCUS AN INTEREST ON THE PAST, PRESENT AND CHAIRMAN – – MIKE CHAPMAN FUTURE OF THE OLD SOMERSETSHIRE COAL CANAL’ 51, Newton Road, Twerton, Bath BA2 1RW ( 01225 426948 E-mail: [email protected] The Society is aimed at those people who are interested in finding out more about the history of the canal, preserving what is still there and SECRETARY – VACANT walking the parts that are still accessible to the public. TREASURER – DAVID CHALMERS The Society does not aim to restore the canal, but to protect the remain- ‘Shalom’ 40 Greenleaze, Knowle Park, Bristol BS4 2TL ing structures (Midford Aqueduct, Combe Hay Locks etc.) and line of the ( 0117972 0423 canal from decay, dereliction and vegetation. MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY – LAURIE GIBNEY ******************************************************************************************* 1, Hillcrest Close, Bristol BS48 2HP Registered Charity No 1047303 ( & Fax: 01275 798479 E-mail: [email protected] Registered under the Data Protection Act 1984 No A2697068 Affiliated to the Inland Waterways Association No 0005276 WORK PARTY ORGANISER – BOB PARNELL 34, Wedgewood Road, Twerton, Bath BA2 1NX ******************************************************************************************* 01225 428055 ( MEMBERSHIP FEES PUBLICITY – VACANT (as at 1st June 2003) £7·50 (Family / Individual) £5·00 (Senior Citizen / Student) EVENTS ORGANISER – VACANT £150·00 (Life) payable by lump sum or four annual instalments MINUTES SECRETARY – PHILIP WEST Membership Application Forms are available from ( 0117 968 6159 the Membership Secretary at: 1, Hillcrest Close, Nailsea, Bristol BS48 2HP ( & Fax: 01275 798479 HISTORICAL ADVISOR – MIKE CHAPMAN E-mail: [email protected] 51, Newton Road, Twerton, Bath BA2 1RW ( 01225 426948 E-mail: [email protected] Society Website: http://rtjhomepages.users.btopenworld.com/SCC2.html PROJECT OFFICER – VACANT ******************************************************************************************* NEWSLETTER EDITOR – ADRIAN TUDDENHAM THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS NEWSLETTER DO NOT 88, Mount Road, Southdown, Bath BA2 1LH NECESSARILY REPRESENT OR CONVEY THOSE OF THE SOCIETY ( 01225 335974 E-mail (not HTML): [email protected] ******************************************************************************************* ARCHIVIST – ROGER HALSE 4, Westminster Gardens, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 0DF The Editor welcomes any letters, articles, photographs etc for inclusion in ( 01249 652846 E-mail: [email protected] WEIGH-HOUSE and will try to include them in full, but reserves the right to shorten them if space is limited. COMMITTEE MEMBER – DAVID FRY Please send articles and correspondence for the next edition of WEIGH-HOUSE to: 14, Monkton Road, Hanham, Bristol BS15 3JG Adrian Tuddenham 88,Mount Road, Southdown, Bath BA2 1LH ( 0117 961 4687 ( 01225 335974 E-mail (not HTML): [email protected] ******************************************************************************************* 2 23 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY WEIGH - HOUSE NO 39 WORK PARTIES Venues may change at short notice, always check with Bob Parnell before turning up. EDITORIAL .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 Sunday 25th July –– 10:30 Note: This is a week later than usual WALK – CROFTON PUMP Admission £4.50 (£3.50 seniors)) CAISSON LOCK APPEAL and TAX MATTERS Meet at Crofton Pump car park. Crofton is near Great Bedwyn, south of the A4 between West Kennett and Hungerford by David Chalmers .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 Please contact Mike Chapman ( 01225 426948 if you wish to attend (to give some idea of the NEW MEMBERS & DONATIONS .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 numbers involved). Note: Pets are not allowed inside the building. You may also wish to visit nearby NEWBURY CANAL FESTIVAL . THE RôLE OF THE HONORARY ARCHIVIST by Roger Halse.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 st Sunday 1 August –– 10:00 NAVVYING NOTES WORK PARTY –– Location to be advised Dando’s Bridge — Combe Hay Cemetery .. .. .. .. 6 For further details please contact: Bob Parnell ( 01225 428055 WALKS ALONG THE CANAL: MIDFORD — WELLOW — SINGLE HILL — RADSTOCK Sunday 15th August –– 10:00 by Mike Chapman .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8 WALK — KENNET AND AVON CANAL — Grosvenor meadows TWO RADSTOCK HERITAGE WALKS Meet by the M.O.D. premises, Warminster Road (A36), Bath by Mike Chapman .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 For further details please contact: Mike Chapman ( 01225 426948 AN ACCIDENTAL REDISCOVERY — A PERSONAL STORY by Daniel Brown with additional comment from Hugh Torrens.. .. 14 Sunday 5th September –– 10:00 WORK PARTY –– Location to be advised FROM THE ARCHIVES For further details please contact: by Roger Halse.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 Bob Parnell ( 01225 428055 THE S.C.C. CONSERVATION AND ACCESS STRATEGY Sunday 26th September –– 10:00 Note: This is a week later than usual by Roger Halse.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18 WALK – CLAVERTON PUMP Admission £3.00 For further details please contact: FUSSELL’S BALANCE LOCK TRIAL SITE DISCOVERED Mike Chapman ( 01225 426948 First photograph of lock pit .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 Sunday 3rd October –– 10:00 WORK PARTY –– Location to be advised For further details please contact: Bob Parnell ( 01225 428055 EDITORIAL Sunday 17th October –– 10:00 WALK – DEVIZES LOCK FLIGHT We thought we understood most of what there was to be gleaned from William Smith’s maps of the canal For further details please contact: and its surroundings, but two recent events have sent us scurrying back for a closer look at the originals: the work Mike Chapman ( 01225 426948 party’s investigation of Dando’s Swivel Bridge site [P6] and Daniel Brown’s high-quality photographic record of the maps of the Combe Hay area [P15]. The latter sheds light on the proposed location of all three Caisson Locks in a way which no other maps or plans have done. The theme of putting the canal into context, which was one of the cornerstones of the recent WALKS: Conservation and Access Strategy continues this issue. Mike Chapman rounds-off his series of walks based on These are all circular walks unless otherwise noted. You only need to arrange your transport to and Niall Allsop’s book “The Somersetshire Coal Canal Rediscovered” and moves on to the Radstock Heritage Trail, from the meeting point. They tend to be in the form of detailed explanations of short sections of the taking a wider view of the sort of industrial landscape in which the canal operated. canal and its relationship with the locality; and, as such, are less suitable for young children. The Dorset and Somerset Canal had been the subject of several archæological investigations in which this Dogs are normally welcome (except where indicated) and must be kept on leads at all times. Society played a key part. Now it has finally begun to yield some of its secrets and the photograph on Page 21, of the stunning sight which greeted the latest work party, shows what happens when you are lucky enough to find an A collection will be made at the end of each walk to help raise funds for interpretation boards almost-intact boat lift chamber. 22 ADRIAN TUDDENHAM – Editor June 2004 3 A NOTE FROM THE CHAIRMAN Details have been included in this issue from the recently published SCC Conservation and Access Study, the final stage of the HLF project which started with the restoration of Midford Aqueduct. Although less spectacular than the works on the Aqueduct, the results of the Study are just as far-reaching. Behind the report lies the Structures Audit (a weighty document which itemises every surviving structure along the canal), together with a detailed update of the local Sites & Monuments Record. More importantly however, the canal has now been put into its rightful place as a significant regional amenity, and the public response to the Study draft, together with the photographic survey, has shown that there is a growing interest in the canal from communities in the neighbourhood. This change of status will lead to further projects in which the Society will play an important role. Already the project partners are looking at some of the proposals identified in the Study which need to be tackled soon, such as the preservation of Midford Accommodation Bridge and the appointment of a Countryside or Canal Officer to co-ordinate further work. MIKE CHAPMAN — Chairman __________ CAISSON LOCK APPEAL In the last Issue of Weigh Hose we included an appeal to help pay for the costs of our special investigation of the Caisson Lock. We had a great response from members and we would like to say a big ‘Thank You’ to all who sent a donation. We received donations from 31 members totalling £560. In addition we were able to recover tax on most of the donations. So we more than reached our target. As the appeal said if the response exceeded the target then any additional funds would be put towards the work of the Society which is what has happened. A further bonus for the Society was that a number of you who made a donation had not previously signed forms enabling us to recover tax on your subscription and we are now able to do so. So there will be on-going benefit to the Society. Thanks once again to all who supported this appeal. DAVID CHALMERS — Treasurer __________