| Since our last newsletter the nights
have drawn in and there’s a definite chill to the air. However, it’s
fairly cosy at our office - with the opening of the Ribble Link, and the
attention being given to the Northern Reaches we’ve taken on three new
members of staff. I’d like to take the opportunity to introduce Tania
Snelgrove, the newly appointed Planning Engineer for the Restoration
project. From the next issue onwards, Tania will have her own column,
and she can keep you up to date with engineering issues.
As of the next issue, Hal Bagot the NRRG
Chairman will be introducing each newsletter. I’ll still be in the
background, making sure that everyone gets their say, but for now, it’s
time for me to relinquish my 15 minutes of fame. As I’ve mentioned
before, if you have any questions or issues, contact me at the Waterway
office, and I’ll try to answer your queries.
May I take this opportunity to wish you
all a very happy festive season, an enjoyable Christmas and lets hope
that the New Year will bring exciting developments for the Northern
Reaches.
Claire Chapman |
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Val der
ree, val der rah!
Get your walking boots on, as from next spring we will be leading
guided walks along the Northern Reaches. Steve McHugh has already
created something of a following for himself with our lady one to
deny his public, Steve has kindly agreed to expand his tours along
the Northern Reaches. I think I’ll get signed up for a walk, to see
why he sets hearts astir! |
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Local
Students Engineering the Future
An Engineering Education project has been launched involving two
secondary schools - Kirkbie Kendal School and Queen Elizabeth
School, Kirkby Lonsdale.
Northern Reaches Engineer Tania Snelgrove will be supervising the
projects, but we hope that the students will come up with some
innovative solutions to our restoration problems. Queen Elizabeth
students will be looking to re-design the proposed Howard’s
Aqueduct, and Kirkbie Kendal students will be tackling the Natland
Road Bridge. Lets look forward to some innovative results!
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Carry on
Camping
The ‘wrgies’ are coming to town. Our very own Canal Camp is to take
place at Tewitfield next July. The Waterway Recovery Group (WRG)
will be spending a week on the Tewitfield Locks, clearing
undergrowth and restoring the spill weirs. It’s going to be an
exciting project, there’ll be much jumping around in long grass
trying to find the weirs first.. and then fix them! We’re hoping by
the end of the week a great deal of progress towards restoring the
locks will have been made.If
you would like to be a navvy on the team, contact IWA Head Office at
PO Box 114, Rickmansworth, WD3 1ZY or visit the WRG website
www.wrg.org.uk .
Spot the Spill
Weir? |
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Northern
Reaches Profile: Hal Bagot
A well-known local personality, Hal is the energetic Chairman of the
NRRG. At the same time as managing Levens Hall, the Bagot family home
and local heritage attraction, Hal finds time to campaign for the
restoration of the Northern Reaches, which runs through part of his
land.
Without the support of landowners like Hal, the restoration would have
ground to a halt. The task to re-aquire a 5-mile stretch
would have been insurmountable without the leading example from our
Chairman.
For details of Levens Hall opening times, contact 01539 560321 or look
at the website
www.levenshall.co.uk. |
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Lancaster Canal -
probably the best waterway on the network?
Well, we’ve always known it,
but this year Tewitfield on the Lancaster Canal scooped the ‘Most
Improved Waterways’ Award within British Waterways, proving to the other
1959 miles of the Inland Waterway Network that it’s great Up North! We
also won the regional ‘Lock and Bridge’ Award for the Glasson branch top
lock, and the regional ‘Conservation’ Award for Deep Cutting, just south
of Lancaster.
The waterways staff have worked really hard, they’re a dedicated team,
and a big ‘congrats’ to them all.
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Ribble
Opening Finally Links us to the Network!
On September 20th 2002 the Millenium Ribble Link was formally opened
to the public. Secretary of State Margaret Beckett MP sailed into
the Holding Basin of the Link, to unveil a waymarker commemorating
the event. The Link, a three-mile linear park through Preston hosts
a sculpture trail and is open to all.
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Learning
Tourism for Free!
The restoration of the Northern Reaches will open up a host of new
opportunities for tourism in the area, and because of this the NRRG
are supporting Lancaster University’s ‘Learning Tourism’ Project.
The university is offering free business consultancy to firms with
tourism related businesses (or tourism ideas that could be new
projects). If you are based in Lancashire or Cumbria, and have an
idea on how to benefit from tourism, then you may qualify for
funding.
To find out more, ring Tara or Alan at Lancaster University on 01524
594947/8 or email T.Sewell@lancaster.ac.uk
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Public Talks
Throughout 2003 the NRRG will be holding quarterly public talks on the
restoration. It’s a great opportunity for you to meet the group, and ask
questions. We will be publishing dates in the Spring newsletter, but the
first will be held on Tuesday 25th March 7.30pm at Kendal Town Hall. |
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