News Archive

November 2009 - Architects for Wappenshall Appointed.

October 2009 - SNCT Display Stand at Norbury Wharf Open Day

October 2009 - Wappenshall Work Party and Picnic

June 2009 - Wappenshall Lease Completed

June 2009 - Levels Survey – Wappenshall to Lubstree

June 2009 - B&Q (Telford) Donate Tools to SNCT

May 2009 - Wappenshall Work Party – Bigger Digger!

May 2009 - Norbury Junction Rally

April 2009 - Northern Canals Association Meeting

April 2009 - Wappenshall Work Party

Another successful work party was held on 4/5 April at Wappenshall.

March 2009 - Highly Successful AGM & Members Day

The facts say it all:-

The day started with a guided walk out to Longdon Aqueduct enjoyed by 82 members.

120+ members with the Mayor of Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council, the Deputy Mayor of Telford & Wrekin Borough Council and Leader of Telford & Wrekin Borough Council at the formal AGM.

Two excellent speakers. Firstly Chris Jones gave an experienced insight about the practical aspects of operating a trip boat, the nb “George Watson Buck” based at Llanymynech.  This was followed by Phil Scoggins who described some of the key buildings in the area of Shrewsbury surrounding the canal in full detail – historic, amusing and sometimes in full gory detail (hangings at the prison, right by the former terminus, with thousands coming to watch the spectacle!).

Finally over 60 members visited Wappenshall at the end of the day, and enjoyed tea & cakes inside one of the buildings.  Perhaps decades had passed since Wappenshall Junction entertained so many people.

Sunshine, clear skies, light and warm wind, wonderful lunch, excellent village hall facilities.

AGMs don’t get much better!

March 2009 - Wappenshall Work Party

Bernie Jones and I retired recently and, having a bit of spare time, decided that we would volunteer to help the Trust, particularly as the acquisition of Wappenshall would increase the workload of the trustees. Their reaction was to ask us to organise the Work Party preparing Wappenshall for visitors on the AGM day!

After numerous emails and phone calls we assembled about 23 people on the Saturday and about 15 on the Sunday, who had come from as far afield as Manchester and Blaenau Ffestiniog and they “worked their socks off” making the place look extremely tidy and presentable for visitors. It was all a bit nail biting as we didn’t get the keys for the buildings until 4.30pm on the Friday night so we had very little time to get ready for the following day. No water, some electricity, a loo (but no water, loo paper or light!) so we just had to make the best of the situation. And that’s the attitude everybody took. Bernie allocated work around the site after a safety briefing and people got to work, mucking in and helping each other. Some of the work was very dirty and dusty, with numerous brambles and thorns, but that didn’t daunt anybody. All the brambles, bushes and trees were duly despatched to the bonfire. The canal basin was a revelation when all the undergrowth was cleared, the canal walls emerged and we then saw the basin in all its glory. Everybody piled in to move a mountain of tree trunks and branches from the water in front of the warehouse and, suddenly, you could see how the boats were towed and manoeuvred under the warehouse for loading or unloading.

Sunday dawned and the mountain of logs etc were turned into a huge bonfire that burnt everything in sight. At least now we can keep on top of this undergrowth in the basin and prevent it getting away from us again. The camaraderie and good spirits of all who attended was infectious. Strength or ability didn’t really matter as everybody was able to contribute in their own way. Everybody finished very tired but very satisfied by their efforts. Come and join us on the next session as advertised in the S & N News or on the web site. Just give Derek Hillaby your name, address, phone number and email address [see Events page for details] and he will find you! Even those not physically fit to work are very welcome as they can help to supply teas and coffees or show round the numerous visitors to the site whose curiosity is aroused by the Canal Restoration signs – we got loads of new members.

Derek Hillaby

A selection of before and after photographs:

January 2009 - Wappenshall Purchase Completed

At last! On Thursday 22^nd January, Telford & Wrekin Borough Council exchanged and completed on the contract for the purchase of Wappenshall Wharf.  The Trust is now working to agree the terms of the lease with the council, which is expected to start on or before the 14^th April. 

Trust Chairman Chris Chambers said at a meeting with the Council held at Wappenshall, “this must be seen as one of the most significant events in the history of the Shrewsbury and Newport Canal, certainly since the abandonment of the canal before the war and probably since the opening of the complex nearly 175 years ago!”

“Today’s events are due in no small measure to the vision and drive of both Telford & Wrekin Council and the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust. Wappenshall has always been seen as pivotal for any restoration proposals: by purchasing the Wappenshall complex and leasing it to the Canal Trust, Telford and Wrekin Council has demonstrated a great vision and commitment to facilitating the restoration of the Shrewsbury and Newport Canals.”

“It is not too dramatic a statement to say that today is probably one of the most significant events in the canal restoration movement to happen for a long time. There are over ninety other canal schemes on the drawing board at the moment in the UK, all vying for funding and credibility; three years ago a government sponsored report stated that restoration to navigation of the Shrewsbury and Newport Canals should be seen as being in the top three or four in terms of economic and cultural regeneration and importance to the national network. Today signals recognition of that assertion locally and, as a Trust, we can now move forward in partnership with both the local and regional authorities in realising the aspirations of the Trust.”

January 2009 - More Lottery Success

The Trustees of the Shrewsbury and Newport Canal Trust are pleased to announce that the Trust has been awarded £5,000 through the Awards for All programme. The money has been gained following a submission by the Trust for funding to support research into the economic and cultural impact that the restoration to navigation of the section from Newport to Norbury Junction would have on the local community.

Trust Chairman Chris Chambers said: "The public might be forgiven for thinking that any monies and funding generally gained by the Trust would go into actually digging and ground works; far from it…. we have a responsibility to the local communities along the length of the canal that ensures we consider all the implications of having a living, working canal once again flowing through the heart of their patch. We always listen carefully to what they tell us, and this money will go a long way into helping us, and importantly those communities, understand the impact that the canal may have on both their lives and the local economy. Before any works are undertaken we undertake feasibility studies and research and that it was this money is earmarked for."

June 2008 - Latest News on Wappenshall

On 26^th June Telford & Wrekin Council considered a report on the Council’s support for the Trust’s proposal for the acquisition of the canal warehouse buildings and basin at Wappenshall.

The report to the Council set out four options:

1.    Decline the request, on the grounds that the financial implications are outside the Council’s Budget Strategy and that the project, though worthy, is not considered a priority at this time.

2.    Provide the Trust with a grant of up to 30% of the valuation, subject to appropriate conditions, to enable the Trust to accept a 70% mortgage loan from the Architectural Heritage Fund.

3.    Provide the Trust with a loan guarantee, subject to appropriate conditions, to enable the Trust to accept a loan of 100% of the property valuation from the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF).

4.    The Council purchase the building, should Members believe that the restoration of these buildings is a priority for the Council. This would entail entering in to a lease/licence agreement with the Trust to carry out the restoration works. One obvious advantage from the Trust’s point of view is that this arrangement would allow it to concentrate on fundraising for the costs of works rather than to repay a loan to the AHF. From the Council’s perspective this is also advantageous since it would provide a greater degree of security and allow costs to be spread over a longer period.

These options were considered by the Council’s Cabinet on 16^th June, who recommended that Members approve option 4.

Councillor Eric Carter, cabinet member for regeneration, warned: “If the buildings are taken over by another body or turned into holiday flats or something they will be lost forever.” 

Council leader Andrew Eade said the potential for economic spin-offs from the redevelopment was huge: “If we don’t grasp the current opportunity the canal will never open at Wappenshall and then go onto Newport, let alone go on from Newport to join the national canal network just seven miles away.”

The full Council supported the recommendation and agreed the funding to buy the stretch of waterway, warehouse buildings and the canal basin at Wappenshall. 

The Council will now negotiate an agreement with the Trust to enable it to undertake initial structural repairs to safeguard the warehouse buildings and to develop the project.

Trust Chairman, Chris Chambers, said:

"The announcement today that Telford and Wrekin Council has approved the proposal to buy the Wappenshall site is nothing short of momentous. It is a decision that will have national and very local implications.

The Wappenshall site has long been recognised as one the most significant and important group of canal side buildings in the UK; mainly because it has lain largely untouched since it fell into disuse in the 1930’s. With the decline of the Newport branch and the disrepair of the Norbury flight these buildings had been lost to the remaining canal system and only the most intrepid canal enthusiasts managed to seek them out. The site was not forgotten….it just seemed an impossible  dream to suggest that one day boats would again be moored under the warehouse.

Well, that impossible dream is no more just a flight of fancy. Whilst the future of the site is very much back in the hands of those that care, thanks to the foresight of Telford and Wrekin Council and in particular the Leader Cllr Andrew Eade and his deputy Cllr Eric Carter, the fact remains that the Shrewsbury and Newport Canals are still fractured from the national system. However there are schemes bubbling in Newport and indeed Shrewsbury in which the canal is going to be playing a major role.

With particular regard to Newport, the council officers and members recognised how important a restored canal would be to the local community, in terms of both social and economic uplift. By securing control of Wappenshall the council is in effect facilitating a restored route to the west of Newport, perhaps embracing the Humber arm. Clearly there will be a renewed enthusiasm to link eastward to the main line through Norbury.

Whilst there is some detail to be sorted over the next few weeks regarding leases and legal agreements between the current owners of the site, the Council and ourselves, we are confident that this is sending out a clear signal to the other local authorities that have an interest in the canal, as well as potential future funding partners, particularly as Telford and Wrekin Council have expressed a desire to be our partners in the greater restoration."

February 2008 - Hardy SNCT members brave bitter February wind on Flaxmill tour.

On the morning of Saturday 23 February a sizable contingent of members gathered in the compound of the Flaxmill, Shrewsbury. 

The tour was conducted by SNCT Trustee, and English Heritage Senior Building Inspector, John Yates.  John provided a running commentary of diverse information and thought provoking points as the group was lead around the site and inside the Flaxmill itself – right up to the top floor of the Grade 1 main mill itself.  From the earliest days in the late 1790s through its change of use in the mid 1800s, the buildings were a hive of industry - until the late 20^th century when it fell into disuse and disrepair.  The history of the structures was pointed out and the potential for adaptive re-use suggested – with accompanying problems highlighted.  For example, the cost of the present scaffolding alone is one third of a million pounds!

Having now seen the Ditherington Flaxmill or Maltings – whichever name is used – the greatest feelings with which one leaves are of vastness of scale, potential complexity of architectural solutions for future use, uniqueness of heritage status and pride that this magnificent creation is all due to the proximity of the Shrewsbury Canal!

Our thanks to John Yates and supporting English Heritage staff who made the visit possible. 

October 2007 - Wappenshall Appeal Launched

The buildings at Wappenshall Junction have just been placed on the open market by the current owner.  The future of this site is crucial to the continuing restoration programme of the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals.

The Trust has contacted the Selling Agents and registered our interest in acquiring the property.  A guide price has been given as “£450,000 to £550,000”, with the sale process to be conducted by informal tender.  The timescale set is extremely short with completion on Friday 18 January 2008.  The only good news – possibly – is that the seller is ‘not bound to accept any offer, nor necessarily sell to the highest bidder’.

The Trust Board is now very actively engaged in discussions with various organisations to obtain funding, to enable these buildings to be preserved as canal buildings rather than being converted into residential units.

However - it is absolutely imperative that it can be demonstrated to potential financial partners/funders that the Trust, the members of the Trust and local people show genuine support for this project by raising money to form the seed-corn finance for the purchase.  The Trust is appealing for donations to a new account – the Capital Account – which will be used as the basis for purchase of Wappenshall or, should this purchase prove unsuccessful, later to other property along the line of the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals.

If you would like to donate, please print the following form, complete and return as instructed.  Please be as generous as you can, and respond as fast as possible!

Wappenshall Planning Permission Obtained

The Trust has obtained planning permission in respect of the warehouse buildings at Wappenshall for their use as a Canal Museum/Heritage Interpretation Area, Canals Trust Office and Education Centre. These buildings provide a unique example of a trans-shipment warehouse on the canal system in this country, largely unaltered and retaining many of its working features. They are enhanced by the proximity of Thomas Telford’s equally unique skew bridge, carrying both separate towpath and roadway.

However, the owner of the buildings has also been granted permission for the conversion of the buildings to form three dwellings. Implementation of the housing development will deny the opportunity to allow the public to see such an original building in its original context for ever. The owner has decided to offer the site for sale by tender.  The owner has indicated that the sale may not necessarily be to the highest bidder and the Trust is keen to compete in this process.

The Trust is pursuing major funding opportunities to acquire the buildings.  However it is likely that some match funding will be required and, as the timescale is extremely short, the Trust will be seeking pledges of financial support towards this end from members, the public and other organisations.

September 2007 - Trust Trip to Dudley & Netherton Tunnels

On 15^th September an enthusiastic party of 43 members embarked on a full day tour of the Dudley and Netherton Tunnels . The journey began in beautiful sunshine as we cruised silently on the open, electrically powered “Electra”, through crystal-clear waters where every reed, every fish (and every tin can) could be clearly seen as we travelled silently along.

Then came the first of the two major tunnels, the 3027yd Netherton Tunnel.  As we emerged back into the sunlight we were greeted with an impressive spectacle, as half of the Black Country seemed to have descended on the “Bumble Hole Conservation Area” for a day of pure nostalgia, with working narrowboats, traction engines, canal painting, endless stallholders all trying to catch your attention, plus a lively funfair for those with a strong stomach and a head for heights.

Eventually the party embarked on Electra once again for the final leg of our journey.  This was to take us through the 3,172yd Dudley tunnel which could not have been a greater contrast with the Netherton, with Electra only just about squeezing into the portal. When we were deep into the tunnel the whole tunnel was suddenly plunged into pitch darkness and it was announced there had been a power failure! Various teams of leggers were enlisted to rescue the situation and, for novices, they did remarkably well in the circumstances. However, there was some relief when the lights came back on again and the skipper proclaimed that the “crisis” was at an end and power had been restored.

Electra then took us through into the interconnecting tunnels and caverns for which the Dudley tunnel is best known. These are the earliest sections of the tunnel system which were built to help with the transport of limestone extracted from the mines inside Castle Hill through which the tunnel runs. In here there were displays showing how the work was carried out during the working life of these mines and a very large screen audio-visual presentation.  One of the caverns is now used for concerts and even weddings and certainly makes for an unusual and impressive venue.

So came the end of a very full and interesting day which was much enjoyed by all.

May 2007 - 4th Norbury Junction Festival

Oh, and there was Trustee and event organiser Eric Cox who got too close to the face painter!:

March 2007 - IWAAC Report Published

They have now published their Third Review of Inland Waterway Restoration and Development Projects in England, Wales and Scotland report.

The Shrewsbury and Newport Canals is one of 23 schemes rated as "Nationally Significant", the "Key Assets" being High Built Heritage Value and the "Key Benefits" being identified as Strategic Link and/or extension to national connected system, Urban regeneration and Rural Regeneration.

Their commentary on the scheme reads:
"Council welcomes progress by Trust since the last review on this outstanding heritage waterway. Feasibility study and detailed engineering report completed (showing that full restoration is feasible in engineering terms) and partnership being formed. Implementation issues, including water supply and wildlife, considered with care. Privately financed development initiatives expected to provide about 25% of restoration costs but success in obtaining regional/national funding will be key. An early priority should be the conservation of the surviving heritage structures on the route. A successful restoration would be a significant addition to the national system and the waterway heritage."

The full report can be downloaded from the IWAAC website at http://www.iwaac.org/downloads/reports/iwaac_inland_waterway_review_dec2006.pdf (1.7Mb pdf file).

February 2007 - Wappenshall Work Party

Wintry start on Saturday	Sunny finish on Saturday	Exploration to find the extent of the brick edging	Two of the cheerful RAF volunteers

December 2006 - Newport Work Parties

Between Christmas and the New Year, and over several following weekends, members of the Trust assisted ‘Newport in Bloom’ to clean up the canal and clear vegetation surrounding it on the watered length through Newport.  Work was concentrated at Fisher's and Tickethouse Locks.  Below are some before, during and after photographs (click thumbnail to view larger photograph).

At Fisher's Lock....

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...and at Tickethouse Lock

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If you think you might like to get involved with future work parties please contact Tam Hazan and he will be pleased to put you on his mailing list to be informed of future projects. 

November 2006 - Lubstree Wharf Work Party

It may have been Guy Fawkes Day, but for the S&NCT volunteers it was another tiring but satisfying day.

The work parties are an important but integral part of the S&NCT strategy to enable the restoration of the canal to occur.  Our task at present is to clear away all the debris and oppressive vegetation that masks the important facets of the S&NCT.  On this Sunday it was another ‘go’ at clearing the ivy from the old buildings that still remain at Lubstree, and at trimming up the neat brick wharf edges that are still present under a mass of earth and weeds for the full length of the remaining waterway.

Twelve members arrived at 9.30 am, and it encouraging to meet two ‘new’ recruits – Tony & Jennie Perks from Shrewsbury.  During the day the assistant gamekeeper of the Lubstree estate popped by for a chat: Mark Taylor said that the owner of the land was very ‘on-side’ and then also offered his own services to help us!  Mark (with his brother Steve) runs a restoration building business, and Mark said that they could offer advice and guidance when we come to the reconstruction work ourselves.

Another welcome visitor was Nick Southall from BBC Radio Shropshire.  Armed with a microphone and recorder, he spent about one hour chatting with workers: he was then ‘directed’ to Wappenshall where he saw previous clearance work and the historic Duke of Sutherland’s warehouse building and Telford’s roving bridge.  He was much taken by the project and hopes to return a few more times to create a series of canalside interviews about the various aspects of the canal, its history and the restoration project.   The finished 5-minute programme was broadcast on the morning of Monday 6 November. [To listen click here]

Muscles may ache at the end of these parties, but it is fun and the work is vital if the Shrewsbury & Newport canals are to be regenerated.  If you can help in any way, please get in touch with Tam Hazan. 

September 2006 - Awards for All Grant Success

April 2006 - Further Work at Lubstree

March 2006 - Work Moves on to Lubstree

March 2006 - Even More Work at Wappenshall!

Saturday 4 March started VERY cold. There had been snow the night before and sub zero temperatures for some days beforehand.  Yet 24 volunteers turned out for the final weekend (before the wild bird breeding season commences) of scrub clearance work at Wappenshall.  Mainly the workers came from the ranks of S&NCT membership but some new faces were also there – enthusiasts who had read of the Trust’s work in the local papers and decided to join in.

The main bridge is now clear, and the West Basin is free from most of the vegetation and other debris that had being slowly straggling it over the last 40 years.  A long length of towpath towards Shrewsbury is now a very pleasant walk, and a short area of canal bed and path on the Newport Arm has also been freed of brambles, scrub, bottles, bits of tin and other unidentifiable rubbish. 

Two very welcome events occurred over the weekend.  A local tree surgeon, Mark Fenn from Trench, popped over on the Saturday to see what was happening: he then returned early on the Sunday morning with a powerful chipper and gave a morning’s work, reducing branches and brash to mulch, without any charge.  Later on Sunday a group  from the Staffordshire IWA, lead  by Alison Smedley, made a formal presentation of a cheque to the S&NCT – the money to fund tools, Hi-Vis waistcoats and a First Aid box for our working parties.

Phase 1 of the  clearance work at Wappenshall Junction is now complete.  Over 150 man-days of hard toil have been expended on the old Junction area, and it shows. 

Phase 2 will depend upon the results of Planning Applications, bids for grant funding and a sheer dogged determination to see the S&N re-opened for the benefit of all.

Click this link for photos of the event....

February 2006 - Press Coverage of Trust's Bid

The following article appeared in the Shrewsbury Chronicle of Thursday February 9th 2006.

February 2006 - Further Work at Wappenshall

Another weekend of work at Wappenshall has seen clearance of a length of towpath, further tidying of the basin and a fingerpost erected.

Click this link for photos of the event....

... and below for press coverage in the Shrewsbury Chronicle of Thursday February 9th 2006:

December 2005 - Winter Working Party at Wappenshall

Despite the recent excesses of the Christmas festivities and sub-zero temperatures, volunteers from the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust turned out in force to mount a major attack on the weeds and general rubbish that were swamping the remnants of a piece of national waterways heritage.

Wappenshall Junction lies on the joining of three historic canals – the Shrewsbury, the Newport Branch and the Trench Branch.  The latter was a tub boat canal that linked the industrial heartland of Ironbridge and surrounding towns and villages with the national waterways network.  Goods and raw materials would be transhipped at the interchange building, the Duke of Sunderland’s Warehouse, and sent en route to Liverpool and its docks or to Shrewsbury with the Flaxmill and associated businesses or perhaps to Birmingham or London or ….  It was a hive of activity with two docking basins in addition to the rare canal boat loading bay under the warehouse itself. [A similar building exists in the heart of Shrewsbury – the “Buttermarket” marked the western terminus of the canal].

The aim of the two-day clearance work was to prevent any further deterioration of this historic site, and to reveal the extent of the canal antiquities that still remain – ready for restoration and regeneration of the area.

On each day, huge amounts of general debris and scrub were cut and removed from the old canal bed and surrounding towpath and bridge.  Members came from a wide range of both age and of background, but a spirit of camaraderie quickly developed - due to a mixture of adverse weather conditions, heavy duty work on site and a dogged determination to see history revealed and the waterway and towpaths re-instated.  One volunteer was adding to his Duke of Edinburgh qualifications, while another member from Kent was returning to see the pool where he used to fish 40 years ago as a child. 

With now nearly 800 members, the S&N Canals Trust will continue to develop the restoration of the canal in partnership with local communities, councils and businesses. This last year has seen the Trust giving presentations even in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, as well as locally in Shropshire and Staffordshire.

Click this link for photos of the event.   

November 2005 - 660 Squadron Work Party

660 Squadron of the Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) at RAF Shawbury have been corporate members of the S&N for a number of years now.  When our quartermaster, Chris Keane, was still serving the Army Air Corps, he was the Squadron Sergeant-Major and saw the distinct benefits for all concerned in joining.

Students on 660 Sqn are drawn from all three of the armed services, and on occasion include students from other countries.  Since the inception of DHFS the students have always carried out a one-day community project, in order that they can put something into the county apart from helicopter noise.  This has included topics as diverse as painting and decorating in playgroups to clearing abandoned cars from beauty spots. Traditionally the project of choice has taken place on a Friday, following a celebratory evening once all of the course have gone solo in helicopters for the first time - not a morning for flying!

Recently the members of Number 85 Course assembled at Wappenshall Junction, along with Chris and S&N Trustee Tam Hazan.  Their task was to clear the bridge, above and below, from a large accumulation of weeds, ivy and even some moderate sized saplings that were growing from the canal bed.  The bridge had, some years ago, been the subject of some EU money for preservation work, but was slowly succumbing to the wiles of Mother Nature.  The team set to with more vigour than ought to have been expected considering the state of some of the eyeballs, and the work was soon well advanced, as the pictures below and on the cover show.

Working parties like this benefit everyone.  For the DHFS there is the chance of some rare positive publicity.  For the S&N there is the physical evidence of a restoration in progress at last, but above all there is the record of 17 man-days of work to offer for matched funding from the holders of the purse strings in organisations such as the Lottery.  A no-lose situation indeed.

September 2005 - Visit to the Huddersfield Canal

On 17 September fifty enthusiastic members got together to see the end product of another canal restoration society’s work and to meet up with some of the people behind what proved to be one of the most challenging canal restorations to date.

Our first stop was at Stalybridge which had proved a real challenge for the Huddersfield Canal Society and their restoration partners. The Society had provided us with a quantity of literature which we had been busily absorbing during the coach journey from Shropshire so we had built up a picture of the background to their work in the town. The old canal ran right through the middle of the high street which, after being abandoned in the 1940s, lay derelict for a long time before being obliterated under roads and car parks such that you would have hardly guessed it had ever been there. For some time it looked like the return of the canal along the original route would be impossible and a range of other solutions skirting the town centre were explored. But eventually it was decided that the benefits of bringing an up-beat version of the canal back to the town’s high street and main square was exactly what was required as a focal point for a massive rejuvenation and regeneration scheme. Looking at the pictures we had been provided with of bulldozers and massive earthworks one had a clear idea of the scale of the work involved but it still caught the breath of many in the party as we got off the coach and saw what a transformation had taken place. Derelict canalside buildings had been brought back into use and what had been a rather shabby and dejected area of the town had become a focal point for commercial and leisure activity in a similar way to developments that you may have seen in cities like Birmingham and Manchester .

The next port of call was at Dobcross near Saddleworth where we were met by representatives of the Huddersfield Canal Society including two of their Council members, Brian Minor and Aylwyn Ogborn.  They gave an inspiring illustrated talk on the background to this grand project with a very down to earth picture of what it is like to be operating at the sharp end of a scheme of this kind.  The talk took place in the restored transhipment warehouse which was where pack horses from the local area transferred their cargos to and from awaiting narrowboats.

During the presentation we heard how significant this spot was to the restoration project as it was here that as early as 1981, long before the reality of full trans-Pennine restoration could have been dreamt of, that stalwart Society volunteers completed restoration of a half-mile section of derelict canal, including two lock chambers, between Uppermill and Dobcross. A trip boat was installed on this section and this initial show of determination and success prompted a £1.2m grant from Greater Manchester Metropolitan Council and this provided the impetus that led to the formation of a steering committee comprising of representatives from Kirklees, Oldham and Tameside Councils, British Waterways and the Society.  From this point there was no looking back.

The speakers also gave an overview of the other challenges which they faced over the years and some tips and pointers which might be helpful in our own work. They also prepared the ground for our final stop for the day at Marsden with its famous Standedge Tunnel.  For this we had to take the short twenty minute or so coach journey over the Pennine ridge into Yorkshire, noticing the ventilation shafts for the canal and railway tunnels which lay beneath us and the adjacent heaps of spoil that have lain there as a memorial to the sixteen years of toil and considerable loss of life which resulted in the completion of he tunnel in 1811. Before going into the tunnel we enjoyed some typical Yorkshire hospitality with lunch in one of the two nearby pubs.  Rather aptly named these were the Tunnel End Inn, adjacent to the Yorkshire end of the canal tunnel and the Railway Inn in Marsden where the subsequent Railway Tunnel emerges into the daylight. Some members chose a picnic lunch instead and enjoyed this on the edge of the Pennine moors or as part of a stroll along the towpath.

Standedge Tunnel was quite literally the pinnacle of the Canal Society’s restoration work as the highest, deepest and longest canal tunnel in the country which had not seen the passage of a boat for more than fifty years and had been presumed to be an impossible project by even the most optimistic canal enthusiasts.  After lunch members took a trip on the electrically propelled boat into the tunnel and heard how, following an Act of Parliament on 4th April 1794 , the newly formed Huddersfield Canal Company appointed Derbyshire man Benjamin Outram as its engineer along with Nicholas Brown as Superintendent.  Work camps were established to house the numerous craftsmen and labourers.

These were the original navigators, later abbreviated to 'navvies' - not Irish as some may presume, but local lads who were rough and ready. The tunnel proved to be a formidable obstacle and drain on resources. Following a period of ill health, Outram resigned in 1801 (d. 1805) and John Rooth was appointed Superintendent. New life was injected into the project when Thomas Telford was appointed in 1806 to finalise the work, eventually leading to the tunnel being officially opened in 1811, allowing through navigation for the first time between Huddersfield and Ashton-under-Lyne . Standedge Tunnel is now listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest (645 ft AOD), longest (3 miles 406 yards - 5200m) and the deepest (638 ft) canal tunnel in the country, and is a monument to those 19th century canal pioneers.

We are indebted to the contribution which members of the Huddersfield Canal Society made to our day with their canal and we are heartened by the dialogue which took place with them prior to this visit and subsequently. As a result of this we have agreed a reciprocal membership of each other’s societies and I am sure that they will be a very real source of inspiration and advice as we move into the future with our own project.

July 2005 - Meeting with the Minister

On 20 July, with support from the newly elected Members of Parliament, four Trustees met at the House of Commons with the Minister in DEFRA for Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity (including inland waterways) , Jim Knight, together with MP for the Wrekin Mark Pritchard, the government advisor on Inland Waterways and DEFRA researchers. In forty minutes with the Minister he made it clear that he supported our project, and that he would do all that he reasonably could to support us; this would mean communicating directly with Advantage West Midlands and all the local authorities.

May 2005 - 2nd Norbury Canal Festival

The 2^nd Festival, organised in conjunction with the local IWA branch, was held on Saturday 30^th April and Sunday 1^st May at Norbury Junction.  Now if you weren’t there but live anywhere within quite a large circle of there, that weekend will be memorable because it is the weekend the weatherman seemed to get the forecast all wrong, and it culminated in a rather violent storm in the early hours of the Sunday.  So, yes, it was a rather damp and muddy event!  

December 2004 - A Meeting with Prospective Partners

If a full restoration of the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals it to be achieved it will require significant support from a range of partners, including the various local authorities along the route, other public bodies such as British Waterways and English Heritage, plus organisations from the voluntary sector like the Inland Waterways Association and the Shropshire Union Canal Society.  A dialogue is already well established with a number of these partners and we are indebted to several for their support in a range of ways, including the funding of the feasibility study.

With the substantial work which lies ahead in the “post-feasibility” period now is the time to build the framework for a closer working relationship with such partners and hence a very significant meeting was held on 6 December 2004 when our Chairman and other Trustees met with representatives from several potential partner organisations at Darby House in Telford.

Councillor Charles Smith (Deputy Leader of Telford & Wrekin B.C.) opened the meeting with recollections of the working boat traffic in Birmingham during his own childhood and wished the project well in bringing life back to the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals with all of the benefits that this will bring to the local communities.  Our Chairman, David Adams, gave his thanks to all who had helped to keep the vision of restoring these canals alive over so many years and stressed the importance of an effective partnership if the project is to be successfully taken forward.

Our Joint Project Managers, Chris Chambers and Dennis Rogers were then asked to present the case for the partnership, supported by Vice-Chairman, Brian Nelson.  Chris strove to allay the fears of any Local Authority that might feel that joining such a partnership would require them to dig deep into their own funds to pay for the project.  Rather, it was their position to empower and facilitate the scheme that was required.  The Trust needed to formulate a strategy for the restoration which would only work with support from Local Authorities.  This would take the form of technical support plus officer time and expertise.  Their involvement would also lend credibility to the scheme as well as providing a vital channel through which outside funding opportunities could be sought.  The Partnership may also need to appoint and fund a full-time Project Manager into the future in place of the current voluntary arrangement. 

Dennis outlined the work already carried out on technical solutions to the restoration.  All 13 major road crossings had been identified and investigated and special “fall and rise” locks had been designed to overcome those which could not readily be achieved by more conventional means.  He said that a survey of levels for the whole canal had been carried out proving that all the solutions would work and that the project as a whole was feasible.  In appraising the options available for restoration the whole canal had been assessed and 48 separate work packages had been identified.  Some would be for voluntary work and others for contractors.  In some instances, for example the A41 crossing, a complete specification of the work required had been carried out and was ready to go out to tender.

Chris followed up with a consideration of costings and emphasised that the full amount did not have to be realised before effective work could begin.  There were several self-contained projects, each effective in their own right and which were obvious hubs of development with adaptive re-use of historic buildings such as those at the Flax Mill or Wappenshall.  Some of these developments could secure funding in their own right which would help to contribute to the overall project as these sites were linked up.  Brian drew attention to the work that was being carried out with the communities along the route, striving to inform them of what was intended and listening to their views on alternative approaches.  All Parish Councils along the route had been contacted and many of these had organised public meetings in order to give everyone a chance to be involved.  The model used in Withington had been particularly productive through the setting up of a working group to co-ordinate feedback through the Parish Council.  This could be an arrangement worth replicating elsewhere when detailed plans for the restoration were being taken forward.

The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) was represented at the meeting by Vaughan Welch, Chairman of the Restoration Committee.  Vaughan is also a Trustee of the S&NCT.  Speaking on behalf of the IWA Vaughan referred to the regeneration potential of canal restorations and cited examples such as the one at Stalybridge where the whole town centre had been transformed as a direct result of the canal restoration and where property prices had risen by 20% in the year of completion.  Vaughan noted the opportunities for job creation and stressed the importance of effective partnership arrangements with local authorities and others, and gave examples where these had worked particularly well on schemes elsewhere in the country.

Representatives from the various potential partner organisations were invited to give their views in response.

Richard Bifield, Tourism Officer for Telford & Wrekin Borough Council, was very supportive of the scheme and felt that this could be an ideal opportunity to give Newport a special attraction to put it on the map.  David Griffiths, Economic Development Officer for Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council felt that the S&NCT had shown a remarkable understanding of the complexities of the restoration process and were now at a good point for moving the scheme forward.  He thought that the proposals for development were good and welcomed the suggestions for schemes which could bring in private funding.  Bill Klemperer, Team Leader for English Heritage, noted the great enthusiasm for the scheme and progress made to date and stated that, in principle, English Heritage fully supported S&NCT and its aims.   He cited a range of ways where he felt that English Heritage could help, including specialist advice, technical expertise and the protection of the historic infrastructure as well is in any funding support.

A discussion then followed regarding the nature of the partnership arrangement and how it would operate.  It was agreed that a suitable concord statement should be circulated to all potential partners for their approval based on these discussions and that more detailed presentations could be given to individual partners highlighting matters of particular importance to them.  This will be followed by a further meeting in the early months of 2005 both to formalise the partnership arrangement and set the stage for developments into the future.

January 2004 - Feasibility Study Published

The outcome of the Feasibility Study into restoration of the canals, carried out by W S Atkins (Consulting) Ltd, was announced at a meeting held on 22nd January in Newport at a meeting attended by Rt. Hon. Alun Michael M.P., Minister of State for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality.

The main findings of the Study are:

In his speech Mr Michael said that he and the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott were hugely enthusiastic about restoring Britain's canal network and said that one only had to look at what has been achieved in Birmingham to see the results of restoring canals. The evidence was there all over the country to prove that re-opened canals could provide a multi-million shot in the arm for towns, villages and cities, he added.

Members and others interested are welcome to attend the Trust's open day on 7th February at the Cosy Hall, Water Lane, Newport at 1.00p.m.  Mr Patrick Moss, Project Engineer WS Atkins Consultants Ltd. will give a detailed presentation of the Study.

Further details of the Study will be included on this site soon.

June 2003 - Jubilee 

During May and early June the Trust were fortunate to obtain use of the Inland Waterways Association narrow boat, Jubilee, for promotional purposes.

The boat was brought up to Norbury Junction from Leamington Spa by Trustee Charlie Stroud and teams from a corporate member, 660 Sqn, Defence Helicopter Flying School.

The Trust's display material was set up on board and over several weeks many evening trips were made, including parties from Shrewsbury Civic Society, Council for the Protection of Rural England, Shropshire Tourism, Staffordshire Tourism, Harper Adams University College, Staffordshire Borough Council, Shropshire County Council, Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council, Telford & Wrekin Borough Council, 6 Parish Councils, 4 other corporate members and landowners from along the route of the canal.

 She was also taken to Market Drayton carnival's illuminated boats evening and to the Vintage Marine Engine Rally at Goldstone Wharf, near Market Drayton.  

Thanks go to Tam Hazan for all his hard work and behind the scenes organisation, and to the IWA a special thank-you for the loan of Jubilee.  She has proved absolutely ideal in promoting the work of Trust, and of the IWA, and was instrumental in educating probably several hundred people (some of them quite influential) into the benefits of canal restoration.

September 2002 - Funding Target Achieved for Feasibility Study

At this year’s Open Day of the Trust, held in Shrewsbury on 29^th September, it was announced that the target of £20,000 had been reached to enable the Trust to commission a feasibility study into the restoration of the canals from Norbury Junction to Shrewsbury and the River Severn.

The Target was achieved through the award of a grant of £7,500 by The Inland Waterways Association, which, in addition to the grants from a number of other organisations, including Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council and Stafford Borough Council, has brought the total amount raised to around £24,000.

Announcing the achievement and the receipt of this latest grant, worth around one-third of the total amount required, the Trust Chairman David Adams said, “I am delighted, both personally and on behalf of the Trust, to announce that the sum of £24,000 for the Feasibility Study has been achieved through the valiant efforts of the Trustees. I am particularly grateful to The IWA for their magnanimous gesture and it is further confirmation of the fact that we are now regarded as a serious organisation by those with many years of experience in restoring and operating canals in England and Wales. As a result, we now feel that we are well on the way to achieving our long-term goal. It is the first measurable sign that we are really serious about what we are trying to do and it also confirms the level of support that we have from the contributing Councils and Organisations. We are extremely grateful to them for their support and look forward to working with them as the project progresses.”

Confirming the award of this grant, Richard Drake, IWA’s national chairman, said, “Since the Trust was formed two years ago, its members have worked magnificently hard to secure enough money for the study.  IWA is delighted to give its support to the project, which is the first step towards the restoration of the Shrewsbury and Newport Canals.”

When the Trust was formed two years ago, it was clear that the first stage in any possible restoration project was to commission engineers experienced in canal restoration to study the remit of the whole project and to assess whether the plans could be achieved, not just from an engineering point of view but also whether when once completed, the canals would bring the desired economic and tourism benefits to the area. This Study was estimated to cost around £20,000 and to take around nine months from the placing of the contract. It is estimated that the reconstruction of the canal – around 25 miles in length – will cost around £20 million to £30 million and take about ten years.

August 2002 - John Craven OBE

The Trustees are delighted to announce that John Craven OBE has accepted their invitation to become the first patron of The Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust. 

John is probably best known as the presenter of Countryfile, the BBC One current affairs programme which every Sunday highlights rural and environmental issues and celebrates the British countryside. He joined Countryfile in 1989 after 17 years of presenting more than 3,000 editions of the programme which made him a household name, John Craven's Newsround.

In 1996, the Royal Television Society inducted John into its exclusive Hall of Fame “in recognition of an outstanding contribution to British television”, and in March, 2000, he was handed the big red book on This Is Your Life. In the Millennium Honours, he was awarded the OBE for services to broadcasting. 

Earlier this year John became a Vice President of The Waterways Trust, which aims to promote greater public enjoyment and awareness of the UK’s waterways; to develop partnerships to secure funding for the conservation and restoration of waterways; and help to realise the social, environmental, educational and economic potential of living waterways. In this capacity he has carried out a number of functions, including recently formally reopening the Rochdale Canal. We hope that perhaps in time we will be able to ask him to reopen the Shrewsbury & Newport as well.

May 2002 - Walks

A couple of walks were held to introduce members and non-members to the canal line in Shrewsbury.  The first looked at the accessible sections of the canal within Shrewsbury from close to the old terminus out as far as the Flax Mill and was followed by an illustrated talk. Some of the participants are seen here outside the Canal Tavern.

The second walk headed out of town from the flax mill to Uffington and Haughmond Hill.  Here some of the participants are seen at the A49 crossing of the canal route at Sundorne.

May 2002 - Developments in Shrewsbury

There have recently been a number of planning developments close to the historic line of the canal within Shrewsbury, with some unfolding currently. The Trust was recently alerted by a vigilant member to concerns that one of these developments was encroaching on the canal line, despite assurances in the plans that the canal line would be kept clear. As a result of this Trustees have checked out all of the new canal-side developments within Shrewsbury and followed this up with visits to the planners at Shrewsbury & Atcham. We have since been given reassurances that in each of the developments a clear line has been maintained which at the least will accommodate a cycle way and footpath in line with what had been the assumed function of this route in the past. We are led to understand that the dimensions allowed for could accommodate a navigable waterway throughout, though this might have to be at reduced width in some locations. It might also require negotiations with some of the current landowners in order to secure this. We are currently in active discussion with the planning authorities to try to ensure that any future planning permissions accommodate restoration at full navigable width throughout the Shrewsbury length, pending the final detailed route proposals from the feasibility study.

May 2002 - Consultations on Restoration under Way

Consultations with parish councils, councillors and landowners along the route of the canal are now fully underway.

Letters have been sent to parish councils telling them about the plans for restoration and inviting them to become members of the Canal Trust. Newport Town Council has been the first to become a corporate member and we know that others are enthusiastic. We have arranged to go and talk to some parish council meetings to explain the restoration ideas and seek their ideas and hopefully their support! Councillors on the County, District and Unitary Councils in Shropshire and Staffordshire have also been contacted.

We have also written to landowners telling them of our plans, inviting comments and reassuring them of our wish to work with them when restoration goes ahead.

May 2002 - S&N in the News

The Trust and its proposals for the restoration of the S&N have featured significantly in the local media over the past month or two. The Shrewsbury Chronicle has been particularly instrumental in publicising our cause, with picture stories appearing in the last three issues and more planned for the future. We have also had an airing on Radio Shropshire a few times now, including a full 10 minute interview on the Eric Smith show. We are hopeful that this sort of publicity will develop the general public’s awareness of the scheme and help convince them that it really could/will happen. It should similarly help to convince those in authority of the benefits of the scheme and the level of support it is attracting. This could be crucial as the scheme moves forward in the future. It has also been bringing in some additional memberships.

April 2002 - Newport Fair

On 27^th April the Trust had a stand in Newport at a fair for voluntary organisations. There was a great deal of interest in the objectives of the Trust, a lot of memories stirred and a great many leaflets disappeared - let’s hope they all turn in to memberships. Pictured in front of the stand are Chairman David Adams and Trustee Eva Allen (also Mayor of Newport - hence the chain!). 

February 2002 - Update on Feasibility Study

As called for in the IWAAC report, progress is being made on the feasibility study into restoration.  A draft brief to be put to prospective consultants has been prepared. This sets out the main objectives of the study as being:

a.         to review the principal difficulties to be faced and to consider how these might best be overcome;

b.         consider the best means and sequence of carrying out the restoration works and, where there is a choice, determine the optimum route;

c.         assess the best means of providing canal access and facilities (such as marinas/moorings) for visitors to, and inhabitants of, Shrewsbury and Telford;

d.         review the water requirements of the restored Canals and the best means of providing the necessary water resources;

e.         assess the economic, social and environmental benefits of restoration to the local community, users and the local economy (including tourism) as well as regionally and nationally;

f.          investigate the environmental impacts of restoration, assessing the environmental enhancements achievable and suggesting mitigation measures where an adverse impact is likely; and

g.         provide an estimate of the cost of restoration for separate sections of the Canals.

The draft has been referred to the local authorities along the line of the canals for comment and consideration of any other matters they would like to see included.

Meanwhile, applications are being made to various bodies that might make grants towards the cost of the study.  In all about £20,000 has to be raised.

February 2002 - Donations from Chocolate

A small group of amateur film-makers are preparing to make their first commercial video documentary on the Shropshire Union Canal.

In the video, ‘Bournville 5’, 15 year old actor Richard Wiseman will tell the story of his Great Grandfather George Wiseman, whose job was operating the horse drawn narrow boat ‘Bournville 5’ carrying milk between High Onn and the Cadbury processing plant at Knighton in the 1920's. In addition to presenting and narrating the documentary, Richard will also be re-enacting and experiencing what life would have been like for his Great Grandfather 70 years ago. He’ll even be filmed ‘having a go’ at handling a horse drawn narrow boat.

The documentary is being written, directed and produced by Richard Hill, whose mother lives in Edgmond near Newport. He began writing in 1996 having being forced to retire due to heart disease. Since then he has written articles for many magazines and was the research associate for the first series of the ITV Carlton series ‘Water World’.

Filming of ‘Bournville 5’ begins at Easter and the aim is to have the completed video on sale by the end of August. Half of the proceeds of the video will be donated to the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust and the other half to the restoration of a wooden narrow boat that once worked the Shropshire Union Canal.

December 2001 - IWAAC Report

The Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council (IWAAC), which advises the government and British Waterways on waterway restoration and development priorities, published an update to their 1998 report. In the updated report, entitled ‘A Second Waterway Age’, the Shrewsbury & Newport Canal restoration is rated as of National Significance and the following comments are made:

“New Trust welcome.  Council wishes to see more rapid progress towards appropriate studies of restoration possibilities for this outstandingly important historic Canal and its outstanding listed structures via the new Restoration Trust.  First step should be to seek funding for survey, engineering and wildlife report and for security of listed structures.”

October 2001 - First Open Day

On 20^th October the Trust held its first open day for members at Norbury Junction.  There was a splendid turnout of about 80 despite the horrendous weather that heralded in the day but thankfully cleared up (or at least stopped raining!) five minutes before the scheduled start. There were opportunities for boat trips thanks to Pat Barton and Charlie Stroud, to walk around the junction and down to Oulton on the Newport Branch or just to sit in the Junction Inn and talk about old times. 

Over lunch a variety of material was on display, including Tom Manning’s photographs (with the photographer present), Thomas Telford’s longitudinal plan of the Newport Branch (although he couldn’t turn up in person!) and Graham and Sam Gould’s excellent recent photographic record of the canal on their laptop computer. By the end of the day they had even recorded Tom Manning digitally! 

August 2001 - First President of the Trust

The Trustees are very pleased to announce that Mr Tom Manning of Newport has accepted their invitation for him to become the first President of the Trust. The Trustees were unanimous that Tom’s great interest in canals, both local and further a field, be recognised.

In the 1940s and 50s he took many photographs of the waterways which have become an invaluable record. On the formation of the Trust he generously donated the negatives of those of the Shrewsbury & Newport and these have been used to illustrate our publications and website. He also donated some hand drawn maps incorporating many photographs, which will be put to good use in displays.