Canal News – 21-11-2014, Gloucester Quays Victorian Christmas Market, Chesterfield Canal Santa Cruises

Canal News – 21-11-2014

Gloucester Quays Victorian Christmas Market

http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk

20 – 23 Nov 2014
11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Address
Gloucester Quays
Gloucester
Gloucester’s impressive, historic docks are the backdrop to a very Victorian Christmas shopping experience.
As well as an authentic Victorian market you will find a choir, street entertainers, colourful historic characters and plenty of festive food and drink.
Gloucester Waterways Museum, at the heart of the Victorian market, will be running an authentic Victorian tearooms during the event and keeping the museum shop open for Christmas shoppers to stock up on seasonal gifts for children and adults alike.

Santa Cruise at Chesterfield Canal

22 Nov – 24 Dec 2014
12:00 pm – 12:00 pm
Don’t miss your chance to see Santa! He’ll be visiting Chesterfield Canal this Christmas.
Watch out people of Chesterfield….Santa Cruise is coming to town.
A present for every child, a mince pie and drink for every adult. £6 per person.
Places are filling up quickly, so don’t delay in booking! For times, ring or email each location contact for more details.
Chesterfield
Our tripboat, John Varley, will be doing Santa Special trips every Saturday and Sunday from 22 November to 21 December.
All leave from Tapton Lock on the A61 at the Tesco roundabout, S41 7JB.
For bookings, ring 01629 533020.
Retford
Our tripboat, Seth Ellis, will be doing Santa Special trips every Saturday and Sunday from 29 November to 21 December and on Monday 22, Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 December.
All leave from the Hop Pole on the A620, Welham Road, DN22 6UG. There is plenty of car parking or catch buses 95, 96 or 97.
For bookings, ring 07925 851569 or email sethellis@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk .
Worksop
Our tripboat, Hugh Henshall, will be doing Santa Special trips on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December from the Lock Keeper pub off the Sainsbury’s roundabout on the Worksop ring road, S80 1TJ .
For bookings, ring 01246 477569 or email hughhenshall@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk .
Shireoaks
Our tripboat, Hugh Henshall, will be doing Santa Special trips on Saturdays 13 and 20 and Sundays 14 and 21 December from Laura’s Coffee Shop at Shireoaks, S81 8LP.
For bookings, ring 01246 477569 or email hughhenshall@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk .
Hollingwood Hub
Our tripboat, John Varley, will be doing Santa Special trips on Monday 22, Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 December.
All leave from Hollingwood Hub on Works Road, S43 2JP.
For bookings, ring 01629 533020.

Canal News – Sept 20th & 21st

Tipton Canal Festival

20 – 21 Sep 2014
11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Address
Tipton,
West Midlands,
DY4

A two day festival on the canal in Tipton.
A two day festival in Tipton with events such as:
• Static narrowboat parade
• Working boat interaction sessions
• Boat Trips
• Small animals from Dudley Zoo
• Birds of prey
• Model railway exhibition
• Car boot
• Black Country Classic Car Club exhibition
• Wolverhampton & Birmingham Triumph Club motorbike display
• Hog roast
• Live entertainment on and off stage
• Children’s rides
• Children’s interactive entertainers
• Trade & charity stalls/boats
• Local artists
• Tipton Camera Club photo display
• Water taxi service to Barge & Barrel

Tapton Lock celebration weekend

20 – 21 Sep 2014
11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Address
Lockoford Lane
Chesterfield
S41 7JB

The second Tapton Lock celebration weekend is taking place on the Chesterfield Canal on the 20 and 21 September.
Last year was so successful, they’re doing it all again this year!
Junction Arts and the Derbyshire Countryside Service are offering two days of free activities including art workshops, nature walks, adventure activities and music.
Free parking also.

Whitchurch Waterway Trust Boat Rally

Whitchurch Arm of the Llangollen Canal, photo by Adrian and Gillian Padfield

20 – 21 Sep 2014
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Address
Whitchurch,
Shropshire

A boat rally on the Llangollen canal in Whitchurch.
A boat rally on the Whitchurch Arm of the Llangollen Canal. The theme for boat decorating this year is ‘The Horse’. Entertainment includes stalls, food, trading boats, a dog show, second-hand book stalls and more. You will need to book if you want to tie your boat in the Whitchurch Arm, otherwise the event is free.
For more information visit: http://www.whitchurchwaterway.org.uk/boatrally2014

Learn the traditional craft of Roses & Castles painting at The Canal Museum

Example of Roses & Castles decorative folk art

20 – 21 Sep 2014
11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Address
The Canal Museum
Stoke Bruerne
nr Towcester
Northamptonshire
NN12 7SE

For more information, prices and availability please contact Louise.Stockwin@canalrivertrust.org.uk
Take part in this 2-day painting course to learn the traditional craft of Roses & Castles – the decorative art used to decorate working narrowboats.
For more information, prices and availability please contact Louise.Stockwin@canalrivertrust.org.uk

Canal News – Chesterfield Canal, Audlem Festival,History Walk

 Canal News

Morse Lock, Chesterfield Canal. Copyright Roger Bunting

Boat trips along the Chesterfield Canal

26 Jul – 30 Aug 2014
10:30 am – 4:00 pm

Address

Hollingwood Hub
Works Road
Staveley
S43 2JP

Join the Chesterfield Canal Trust on a boat trip along the Chesterfield Canal.

The Chesterfield Canal Trust will be running the trips using Madeline. This is the new boat fitted out entirely by the students and staff of Eckington School. The School and the Trust will split the takings equally between them.

Initially the trips will run every Saturday from 26th July to 30th August. However, if they prove popular, it is hoped that the run will be extended into the autumn.

If you can’t make it on a Saturday, remember that the Trust will still be running Derbyshire’s most popular boat trips aboard the John Varley every Sunday from Tapton Lock on the A61 Tesco roundabout, S41 7JB. Why not try both?

The John Varley also runs a huge range of charters and special cruises from one hour to six hours. See the Chesterfield Canal Trust website for further details.

The cruises will depart each Saturday at 10.30am, 11.45am, 1pm, 2.15pm and 3.30pm.

There will be no advance bookings, just turn up and pay on the day.

The trips will cost £4 or £3.50 for those under 16 or over 65.

 

 

The Audlem Festival

Audlem Festival of Transport

26 – 27 Jul 2014
11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Address

Audlem
Cheshire

Come and see historic boats and vehicles of all shapes and sizes at this bustling annual festival.

The Audlem festival of Transport promises a gathering of around 300 historic vehicles including up to 40 ex-working boats. An old Shroppie ‘Fly Boat’ and the well-known vessel ‘Saturn’ will be in attendance.

The historic vehicles will be in Audlem on the 27th.

For more information and for times see the Audlem Mill website.

 

Macclesfield Canal, copyright Eddie Starck

Guided history walk

27 Jul 2014
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Address

Red Bull Wharf
Congleton Road South
Church Lawton
Stoke-on-Trent
ST7 3AP

Join us on a guided history walk along the Trent & Mersey and Macclesfield Canals.

Led by Colin our volunteer greeter,

We shall take a leisurely walk along the Trent & Mersey Canal to the entrance of Harecastle Tunnel, and return via the Macclesfield Canal.

This is a walk into a past age when the canal was busy with cargo, horses and boats. The walk is leisurely and suitable for anyone able to cope with walking the distance of about two miles (3 km). It lasts approx. 90 minutes and finishes with light refreshments at the new Welcome Station at Red Bull Wharf.

 

 

Canal News – An early start to Christmas on the cut!!

An early start to Christmas on the cut!!

Canal News

Santa Cruises from the Chesterfield Canal Trust

23 Nov – 24 Dec 2013
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Address

                                    Various locations on the Chesterfield Canal

The Chesterfield Canal Trust will be running Santa Special Cruises in no less than four different venues this year – Chesterfield, Staveley, Worksop and Retford.

The trip boat John Varley, will be doing Santa Special trips every Saturday and Sunday from 23rd November to 22nd December, from Tapton Lock in Chesterfield on the A61 at the Tesco roundabout. There will be more trips from Hollingwood Hub in Staveley, on Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th December. To book, ring 01246 551035.

Over in Retford, the Seth Ellis, will be doing Santa Special trips every Saturday and Sunday from 30th November to 22nd December and on Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th December, from the Hop Pole pub on Welham Road. To book, ring 07925 851569.

Meanwhile in Worksop, the Hugh Henshall will also be doing Santa Specials on Saturday and Sunday 21st and 22nd December from the Lock Keeper pub off the Sainsbury’s roundabout on the ring road. To book, ring 01246 477569.

On all these trips, Santa will have a present for every child and a mince pie and a drink for every adult. The cost is £6 per person.

Canal News – Chesterfield Canal Festival

Canal News

Chesterfield Canal Festival

Address

Staveley Town Basin
Chesterfield

 29 – 30 Jun 2013
11:00 am – 5:00 pm

A host of attractions and activities promise to make the Chesterfield Canal Festival go with a swing.

Lots of attractions have been lined up for this 2-day canal extravaganza. There will be music and dance all day both in the huge entertainment marquee and outside. The Raptor Foundation will be doing flying displays and there will be a fun Dog Show. Children can have a trip on a miniature train plus lots of other rides. You can expect dozens of stalls of every type, food and drink and a Real Ale bar. There will be a major concert featuring the Swing Commanders on the Saturday night.

The Festival is combining with Open Days at Barrow Hill Roundhouse where you can have a ride behind a steam train and see the only surviving working turntable in the country. The two sites are only a mile apart and will be linked by a free vintage bus service.

The Chesterfield Canal Trust will have all three of its tripboats in operation. Two of these boats will be brought by truck from the Nottinghamshire end of the canal and lowered in by crane. Enterprising narrowboat owners are welcome to use this crane to put their own boat on the canal and cruise a waterway which would otherwise be inaccessible. Don’t worry, the crane will be back to get them out again!

Chesterfield Canal – Bluebank Lock  Looking east along the canal.

The Chesterfield canal is a 46 mile long navigable channel from the Derbyshire town of Chesterfield to the River Trent, passing through Staveley, Shireoaks, Worksop and Retford. The sections between West Stockwith junction on the Trent and Kiveton Park near Rotherham and from Staveley to just short of Chesterfield are navigable. The 10 miles from Norwood tunnel to Staveley are disused, Norwood tunnel has partly collapsed. The Chesterfield Canal trust plan to restore this section, but it requires a major diversion around Killamarsh.

The route is a typical James Brindley contour canal. An application was made to Parliament and the Act of Parliament received the Royal Assent on 28 March 1771. The canal was a success when it opened in 1777, however the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway opened a parallel line in 1849. The last commercial traffic was in 1908.  © Copyright Ashley Dace and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

 

 

Canal News – November 21st 2012

Canal News

November 21st 2012

Santa, Cllr Ken Savidge, Mrs Jo Savidge, the Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield, Cllr George Wharmby

Santa cruises on the Chesterfield Canal

24 Nov – 23 Dec 2012

10:00 am – 16:30 pm

Book a boat trip with Santa along the Chesterfield Canal.

Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a trip to see Santa. Book a special boat trip along the Chesterfield Canal and your child will meet Santa and get a present.

Mince pies and hot drinks are available for every adult.

Boat trips run all day every Saturday and Sunday from 24th November to 23rd December.

£6 per person. Booking essential. Please call 01246 551035.

 

Stret Lock 48, Chesterfield Canal, 25 November 2012

Come and watch us widening the lock to allow more boats to access the upper section of the Chesterfield Canal.

Stret Lock, Chesterfield Canal

The lock widening scheme here will involve taking down two of the of the outer brick courses on the towpath side and replacing it with one, increasing the width by 50mm. The wall will not be taken down fully to the lock floor but will extend beyond the minimum depth dimension for the canal.

We took detailed measurements of the lock in 2011 and determined that the actual minimum width through the lock was 6’10”. As the advertised maximum boat dimension is 6’11” it came as no surprise that boats were getting stuck! This work to the lock will enable boating customers to progress further up the canal section to enjoy this pleasurable waterway in addition to it being a very popular route for walking and cycling.

Before starting the stoppage, lock wall anchors will be installed to ensure the walls do not move over time and other maintenance such as lock chamber repairs will be carried out.

Location: Stret Lock, Chesterfield Canal, Worksop, off Sandy Lane, S80 3EZ

Time: 10-4pm (last entry strictly 3:15pm; site closes 3:45pm)

Parking: Available next to the lock next to the pub off Sandy Lane (S80 3EZ)

This year’s winter stoppage open day programme has been sponsored by May Gurney

Tapton Lock

A small visitor centre on the left, explaining this part of the Chesterfield canal and the wildlife that can be found in the area. There are also boat rides, the road bridge can be seen in the background.  © Copyright Ashley Dace and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Canal News – Chesterfield Canal Festival

Chesterfield Canal Festival

  The Chesterfield Canal Trust will be holding its Festival at the new Staveley Town Basin near Chesterfield.

Tour the area by boat, vintage bus and steam train, try the minature train ride or have a go on a Segway. Plus, stalls, canal societies, children’s rides, canoeing, a clown, food and a real ale bar.

The entertainment marquee will being putting on music and fun all weekend, with a concert on the Saturday night featuring The Swing Commanders.

Staveley is on the western section of the Chesterfield Canal, which is not connected to the network, so this festival will be mainly for trail boats using the brand new slipway. However, there is a craning pad which the Trust will be using. Time for this facility can be booked.

For further information, or to book a stall or boat, please contact festival@chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk or 01246 477569

With both broad and narrow locks, rare wildlife, and impressive feats of engineering as the canal climbs into Derbyshire, the Chesterfield Canal has much to offer.

Known locally as ‘Cuckoo Dyke’, it runs from Chesterfield, through Worksop, to the River Trent at West Stockwith. The 46-mile canal has 59 narrow locks, six wide locks, and two tunnels – one of which, Norwood, collapsed at the start of the 20th century.

Fortunately, even though commercial traffic was scarce, the lower reaches were saved and have been popular with pleasure boats ever since. Much of the rest of the canal has been restored, and work is underway to once again create a water highway from Chesterfield to the Trent.

Canal News – Waterway Recovery Group

WRGie News May 2012

Wow – what a busy Easter! WRG volunteers spent two weeks on the Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal digging, profiling, rollering and shovelling in order to create a new 275m length of canal from Over Basin. Further north on the Chesterfield Canal in Derbyshire over 20 volunteers started work on the new Staveley Town Lock – they will be returning at the end of August to carrying on block and bricklaying.

Construction of Staveley Town Lock on the Chesterfield Canal

The new lock (Staveley Town Lock, no. 5A) will enable the canal to get under a railway line a few hundred metres further on. There will be a twin lock (Railway Lock, no. 5B) on the other side of the railway line to raise the canal again. This section of the Chesterfield Canal is presently not connected to other waterways but the Chesterfield Canal Trust, in partnership with Derbyshire County Council, are working hard to complete the restoration project.  © Copyright Graham Hogg and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

WRG Training Weekend

Date: 23rd/24th June  Location: Lichfield Canal

Every year we run our training weekend with the main purpose of making sure that we train/refresh our volunteers for the summer work programme. We hope to run “Introduction to Bricklaying” and “Surveying” courses, along with training courses in operating items of plant such as excavators and dumpers.

Look the part on site!

The Canal Camp 2012 t-shirts are now on sale through IWA’s online shop for ONLY £8. WRG logo on the front with new 2012 design on the back.

T-shirts are available in small, medium, large, x-large, xx-large

Canal Camps 2012

The camps are filling up fast but we still have some spaces so don’t delay and book now! Each camp costs only £56 which includes food & accommodation.

CC201207 14th-21st July Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal

Leaders: Fred Towey & Loraine Hughes

C201212 28th July-4th August Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation

Leaders: tbc

CC201214 4th-11th August Cromford Canal Camp

Leaders: tbc

CC201215 4th-11th August Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation

Leaders: tbc

CC201217 11th-18th August Cromford Canal Camp

Leaders: Tom Rawlings & Gemma Bolton

CC201219 11th-18th August Montgomery Canal

Leaders: Martyn Worsley & Ju Davenport

CC201222 18th-25th August Montgomery Canal

Leaders: Mike Palmer & Harry Watts

CC201223 25th August – 1st Sept Chesterfield Canal

Leaders: Steve Baylis & George Rogers

CC201225 25th August – 1st Sept Montgomery Canal

Leader: Jonathan Smith

 

Canal News – More Christmas stuff on the canals.

Canal News

Waterscape.com

 Santa cruises

17 December 2011 – 18 December 2011

National Waterways Museum
South Pier Road
Ellesmere Port
Cheshire
CH65 4FW

Shropshire Union Canal »

Join Santa for a boat trip at the National Waterways Museum.

National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port  © Copyright Steve Fareham and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Children can visit Santa’s enchanting grotto, experience the Victorian Teddy Bears Christmas, hear a story and get a gift from Santa himself. Tea, coffee, juice, mince pies and biscuits will be available.

11am, 12.45pm and 2.30pm

Prices: Children £8, adults £4.

Visit the museum or call 0151 355 5017 to book your places – booking is recommended. The museum can only reserve places which have been paid for in advance.

Santa’s grotto in the Dudley Caverns

17 December 2011 – 18 December 2011

Dudley Tunnel
Birmingham New Road
Dudley
West Midlands
DY1 4SB

Dudley No 1 Canal »

Dudley canal tunnel  Entrance to the Dudley Tunnel.  © Copyright Malc McDonald and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Take an illuminated canal boat trip into the Dudley Tunnel to Santa’s grotto deep in the limestone caverns. There will be carols, hot drinks, mince pies, seasonal entertainment and gifts for the children.

10am-5pm. Every 30 mins, trips last 45 mins.

Booking advised. To book, visit the Dudley Canal Trust website.

Santa Special boat trips

17 December 2011 – 18 December 2011

Tapton Lock
Chesterfield
Derbyshire
S41 7JB

Chesterfield Canal »

Tapton Lock Visitor Centre  Chesterfield Canal.   © Copyright Peter Barr and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Meet Santa on a boat trip on the Chesterfield Canal.

Take a trip on the Chesterfield Canal Trust’s trip boat John Varley. With presents for the children and mince pies and drinks for the adults. Departing from Tapton Lock on the A61 at the Tesco roundabout, S41 7JB.

First trip 10am

£6. For bookings, ring 01246 551035.