Slea Navigation
Tony Clayton
on Friday, and it confirmed that this is a delightful navigation
that should be reopened as soon as possible. Nonetheless, there are
a number of awkward restoration problems which will need
careful work.
We started at Cogglesford Mill, which has the old lock chamber alongside.
The mill has been restored from a state of almost total dereliction - the
roof was saved from total collapse by the spur wheel. It is now in working order
with an interesting display which includes information on the
Slea Navigation.
The first part of the towpath has been tidied up (thanks to the WRG), and
after about half a mile you reach a railway bridge. A straight section
leads to the second lock; this has a concrete bridge over the section
where the bottom gates should be.
Half a mile further on is the third lock, with the mill still alongside.
This has the wheel still in place, although it is a long time since water went
through it (about 1957, I gather).
The fourth lock follows soon after, and is besides a minor road crossing
the navigation on an attractive brick bridge. This lock is surrounded by safety
fencing, and has EA weir gauges at the head. There are no signs of the old Paper Mill
that stood here.
At the bridge we had a quandary. The public footpath on the south
side of the river ceased, and the route to the next bridge by
road was a long way round. A man ploughing the field said that although
he was a contractor, he had seen others continue on the south side, so we did.
This was a mistake - we later found that there is an unmarked concession path
on the north side. Half a mile later on the south side we came up against
PRIVATE BANK AND LAND signs, coupled with barbed wire fencing and a locked gate.
Rather than give up, we crossed farm land to where the Old Slea went
south of the Priory, spotting a weasel in a wood on the way.
Eventually we got to Haverholme Lock, where we stopped for lunch. This is a
delightful section, and we headed back on the north side this time. The owner
of White House where the blockage was seems to have purloined about 200 yards
of the towpath; his house is surrounded by thick hedge and wire fencing, with a
rottweiler patrolling the grounds.
Much of the river remind me of the Wey, especially around Stoke Lock, with
light industry on the north bank giving way to open fields.
--
Tony Clayton tony.cla...@pem.cam.ac.uk
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Peter Stockdale
"Tony Clayton" <tony.cla...@pem.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:bcd05b184e%to...@tclayton.demon.co.uk...
Sic
> Nonetheless, there are
> a number of awkward restoration problems which will need
> careful work.
sic >.
The owner of White House where the blockage was seems to have purloined
about 200 yards
> of the towpath; his house is surrounded by thick hedge and wire fencing,
> with a
> rottweiler patrolling the grounds.
sic> --
> Tony Clayton tony.cla...@pem.cam.ac.uk
Hi Tony
Have you
raised this in official circles ?
Sounds as if the guy and his dog are prime candidates for being brought to
heel.
Regards
Pete
www.thecanalshop.com
Andy Champ
> sic >.
> The owner of White House where the blockage was seems to have purloined
> about 200 yards
>
>>of the towpath; his house is surrounded by thick hedge and wire fencing,
>>with a
>>rottweiler patrolling the grounds.
>
<snip>
>
> Hi Tony
> Have you
> raised this in official circles ?
> Sounds as if the guy and his dog are prime candidates for being brought to
> heel.
>
> Regards
> Pete
> www.thecanalshop.com
>
>
If you check Multimap, for example,
http://multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=53.0253&lon=-0.3745&scale=25000&icon=x
there is no footpath marked between White House and the next road
south-west.
Andy
Tony Clayton
I think this is a long standing consequence of the reversion of three
locks and the channel to Haverholme Priory when the navigation was abandoned.
I was told by a gentleman at Cogglesford Mill that a court case would probably win,
but that the cost involved was too much at this time.
In the meantime change banks at the bridge below Papermill Lock!
--
Tony Clayton tony.cla...@pem.cam.ac.uk
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Greg Chapman
"Andy Champ" <no....@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:16qdnSfYPKj...@pipex.net...
>>
> If you check Multimap, for example,
>
> http://multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=53.0253&lon=-0.3745&scale=25000&icon=x
>
> there is no footpath marked between White House and the next road
> south-west.
I don't trust all of Multimap's maps.
Consider:
http://mc.multimap.com/cs/gb033//X21/Y11/X2168Y1186S10W700H400.gif
Nene Parade is on the north bank of the river, not the south!
--
Greg Chapman
http://www.waterwaysguides.co.uk
for updates to Nicholson, Imray and Pearsons Guides - and lots more!
Tony Clayton
>
> "Andy Champ" <no....@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:16qdnSfYPKj...@pipex.net...
> >>
> > If you check Multimap, for example,
> >
> > http://multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=53.0253&lon=-0.3745&scale=25000&icon=x
> >
> > there is no footpath marked between White House and the next road
> > south-west.
>
> I don't trust all of Multimap's maps.
>
> Consider:
> http://mc.multimap.com/cs/gb033//X21/Y11/X2168Y1186S10W700H400.gif
>
> Nene Parade is on the north bank of the river, not the south!
>
>
While the absence of footpath is also to be found on the
paper version of the OS map, what I find strange is the absence
on my server of any such communication from Andy.....
--
Tony Clayton tony.cla...@pem.cam.ac.uk
Coins of the UK : http://www.coinsoftheuk.info
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