Grantham Canal

Bank Holiday Narrowboat Rides! Monday May 27th

rosevent — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:10:19 +0000

Enjoy a narrowboat ride on The Grantham Canal this coming Monday! 11am – 4pm

Refreshments served on board

Adults: Only £2.00 Children: 1.00

All trips depart from Harlaxton Wharf, The Drift, between Harlaxton and Barrowby. NG32 1AE

The Grantham Canal Information Stand will be at the wharf, where Volunteers will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about the canal.
Guide books to the canal will be on sale – save on postage costs!
Interested in becoming a member, or doing volunteering work for the canal? Come and talk to us – you’ll be surprised at the wonderfully varied work available! Never again, will you be wondering what to do in your spare time!

Discovery Day!

October 13^th this year – put it in your diaries! It may seem a long way off, but the Events Team are already thinking about it – and have been since last year’s Discovery Day!

We’ve already got a few things lined up – The Melstrum Ukulele Orchestra will entertain you whilst you indulge on homemade cake and lashings of tea! Narrowboat trips! The Lincolnshire Bat Group – I hope they can bring along some of their flying mice! We shall have to ask them. Sustrans will be with us again, with loads of advice about cycling in the area. And it wouldn’t be Discovery Day, without the now legendary ‘Dirty Duck Race’.

Meet Quackers – our very own duckathlete – already in training for the big day – Ay Up Me Duck, his personal trainer was overheard to say ” he can do a full length of the kitchen sink now, without getting out of breath. He’ll be a force to be reckoned with on the day, and has already booked his place on the podium.”

If you’re an organisation, which fits nicely with the canal – even tenuous links will be considered, and would like to take advantage of our offer of free stand space – contact Tony: anthonykjackson@btopenworld.com Tel: 01476 567477

We welcome buskers!

Keep looking in for updates!

CRUISE THE GRANTHAM CANAL!

The Three Shires Narrowboat, has now stared her cruising season, and is available now to charter throughout the summer until October.

Book a trip to celebrate a birthday, or anniversary perhaps? We serve hot and cold drinks on board – why not supplement this with your own food hamper and a bottle of your favourite tipple, for that special occasion?

But, you don’t need a special occasion to enjoy the pleasures of this wonderful canal from the water. A cruise on the Grantham Canal is special enough!

A wide range of groups have enjoyed a trip on The Three Shires – see the Boat Trips section of this website to find out how to book a cruise for your group, and to discuss your requirements – we look forward to welcoming you on board!

……………………….

I think it’s fair to say, the Easter Monday event went extremely well (see below).

Nearly all boat trips were full, some people, sadly were not able to be accommodated, such was the level of interest. I’m sure we’ll organise more ‘turn up & ride’ events in the future. Watch this website and local press for details – of course, if we had more willing volunteers – we could put on more events. Details of how to become a canal volunteer, can be found on this site – a warm welcome awaits!

A big thank you to all those who turned out, on, it has to be said, a rather chilly day! All proceeds will go towards the restoration and maintenance of the canal.

EASTER MONDAY APRIL 1st

Experience a narrowboat ride on the Grantham Canal – for £2.00…£1.00 if you’re a child! If the weather is a bit chilly – the boat is even heated for your comfort! Seats are allocated on first come first served basis.

Location: Harlaxton Wharf, The Drift, between Harlaxton & Barrowby. NG32 1AE

Boat rides start at 11am, through to 4pm

Food for thought whilst you’re enjoying your cruise: It was in the month of April, in 1797, that Thomas Lockwood, Boat Builder of Hickling, carried the very first cargo on the Grantham Canal – this was a shipment of coal to Grantham. Such a momentous occasion was this, that he was allowed to do so toll free.

GRANTHAM MUSEUM EVENT

The Events Team had a busy three days at the museum – despite the snow doing its utmost to put some people off! This proved to be a very worthwhile event for us – meeting so many interested people.

The museum are keen to have us back – so we obviously behaved ourselves!

Don’t forget to call in to the museum, to view our semi-permanent display cabinets. The museum is open Thursday – Saturday, 10am-4pm.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

- Grantham Canal Society – invite you to join us at our three day event at Grantham Museum March 21st – 23rd inclusive. 10.00am – 4.00pm each day.

Refreshments available.

Pop in, to discover the exciting things happening with your canal, meet some of our volunteers, enquire about the many aspects of this wonderful waterway, and learn of our short and long term plans for this historic canal.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

We have an urgent deadline to meet. As part of our application from the Heritage Lottery Fund, we must carry out a public survey – it’s not too arduous on your part – but it is on ours!

We need as many members of the public as possible, to give their views in the survey.

Click on the link to complete on line – or visit us at Grantham Museum, for a paper copy. We look forward to meeting you!

Link to our survey here

The Grantham Canal Society is a Registered Charity, and is a purely volunteer organisation.

Our volunteers don’t get paid – they’re PRICELESS!

….

Although the frantic activity of last summer has at last eased up and we in the events team have been trying to catch our breath, especially after such fantastic efforts put into the Discovery Day. £1000 was a brilliant result! Lots of fun and some new members to swell the ranks too.

Subscribe to “Bridge”, our regular Newsletter

Grantham Canal — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 17:19:06 +0000

Just click on this link and send a message asking to receive your monthly copy of “Bridge” by email.

And when you have seen what we are achieving please join the Grantham Canal Society.

Latest Issue

Bridge 43 April 2013

Latest News

Grantham Canal — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:19:30 +0000

…The Three shires – A Regeneration project…

Visit our Photos and Videos section to see our new video “The Three Shires – Our Regeneration project” to learn more about our activities and how to support the Grantham Canal society

…Grantham Canal in the news…

You can read / watch the BBC Look North report on restoring two more canal locks at Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/

…Ash tree die back disease (chalara fraxinia)…

From The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust

Ash dieback disease is caused by the fungus Chalara fraxinea. It results in leaf loss and crown dieback in the affected trees and has the potential to devastate the ash tree population.
Most of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust’s woodland nature reserves are noted as oak/ash woodlands with fine, mature examples of both species being found. A diverse range of insects and lichens are also found living on ash trees. The loss of ash trees in these woodlands, and in the wider countryside, will fundamentally change the character of our woodlands and landscape. Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust field staff are fully aware of the symptoms of the disease. But with the autumn leaf fall, tracking the disease is going to be difficult.

This latest threat to the countryside emphasises the need to act local. There should be no need to import ash trees. All Lincolnshire tree planting schemes use tree seedlings of local provenance: using seeds that have been collected locally.

Ash dieback disease was first confirmed in Britain in February 2012 at a tree nursery in Buckinghamshire. The cases at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Lower Wood reserve in Ashwellthorpe (an ancient woodland and a Site of Special Scientific Interest) and the Woodland Trust’s Pound Farm woodland in Suffolk confirmed that the disease had spread into the wild.

Detailed information on the disease and recognising the main symptoms can be found on the Forestry Commission website at www.forestry.gov.uk/chalara

Woodlands Trust http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/Pages/default.aspx#.UKtj8eSvEos

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust rshaw@lincstrust.co.uk

GRANTHAM CANAL SOCIETY

invite you to a

DISCOVERY DAY

to inform, inspire and involve

at Woolsthorpe by Belvoir Depot/Carpenter’s Shop

behind the Rutland Arms (Dirty Duck) Public House

NG32 1NY

Sunday 7^th October 2012, 10.00am – 5.00pm

Activities for all the family

Boat Trips starting at 10:00

Heritage Displays

Fun and Fundraising

& 2^nd Annual Dirty Duck Race

Sunday Lunches at the Dirty Duck

01476 870111

Light Refreshments Available in the Depot

Donations of saleable items welcome.

All proceeds towards the maintenance and restoration of the Grantham Canal.

More information from:

Rosemary Gibson, RhuMaere@aol.com 01476 978896/07971173069

‘Wollaton Hall’ to be sold to fund Grantham

Canal Restoration!

The surprise news is that historic ‘Wollaton Hall’ is to be put up for sale to help pay for the restoration of two 200-year old East Midlands canals! Well, not the actual Elizabethan masterpiece on the western edge of Nottingham but the name and number plates from the 1940 Great Western Railway steam locomotive named in its honour.

Peter Stone, Secretary to the Grantham Canal Partnership for the past 7 years, has treasured the plates since purchasing them from British Railways in 1962, when locomotive number 5999 was withdrawn from service and scrapped. But transport historian Peter is also a Trustee of both the Friends of the Cromford Canal and the Grantham Canal Society and, right now, feels that the societies’ needs are greater than his own. So the solid brass numberplate and brass and steel nameplate are to be sold at an auction of ‘Railwayana’ taking place at Derbyshire County Cricket Ground on 8^th September and all the proceeds split between the two canals. As the name and number plates from the other side of the engine are owned by the City of Nottingham and displayed at the Hall, this is a unique opportunity for private ownership of such artefacts!

Both canals were built in the 1790s by local engineer William Jessop and played major roles in the growth of trade in the East Midlands. The 17-mile Cromford Canal, which ran from Cromford and Pinxton to join the national inland waterway network at Langley Mill, was vital to the development of the industrial revolution.

By contrast, as most readers will know, ‘our’ 33-mile Grantham Canal ran from the then market town of Grantham, through the Vale of Belvoir, to join the River Trent at Nottingham and served an essentially agricultural community. Both canals are now best known for their towpath walks through stunning scenery – but leisure boating is once again possible on the 4 miles of the Grantham between the A1 and Woolsthorpe and the purchase of ‘Mudlark’ and restoration of the Woolsthorpe flight of locks will accelerate progress. Meanwhile, in Derbyshire, the FCC is striving to re-introduce a trip boat service from the historic Cromford Wharf.

Peter – who, with his wife Chris, has just re-located to the New Forest – says ‘the restoration of both of these beautiful canals is gathering pace but there’s an enormous amount to be done, requiring much more money. Each of the charities promoting the conservation and restoration of the canals has exciting plans for extending navigation, implementation of which are currently delayed by lack of funds. Hopefully, my gesture will help and I hope that many others will also subscribe money or volunteer their time for these outstanding causes.’

GCS members and supporters are urged to spread the word about the 8^th September Auction. Such events are a fascinating day out and the Grantham Canal Society will benefit to the tune of 50% of all the proceeds of the ‘Wollaton Hall’ sales + Gift Aid!

Volunteers needed for Grantham Canal

The Grantham Canal Society is appealing for volunteers to help with the vital work done by its support team. Roles are wide ranging and offer a great opportunity to make a real contribution to boosting membership, organising events and helping to run education programmes with local schools, says Mike Stone, chairman of the Grantham Canal Society. He added: “Volunteering is a brilliant way to build new skills, extend your social networks and make a significant contribution to developing and protecting the 33mile stretch of the Grantham Canal – an amazing resource that is loved by so many ”

There are three admin roles to be filled on the membership team; an events and sales assistant is needed to support current marketing initiatives and work with local schools curriculum programmes to promote the canal. A social secretary is also required to organise events and meetings for society members.

Many of the volunteer roles can work easily from home, but access to a computer would be useful. If you would like to get involved, please email chairman@granthamcanal.com

“The Grantham Canal Society and the Grantham Canal Partnership are committed to improving the recreational and conservation value of theGranthamCanalas part of its long term strategy of restoring the canal to navigation.”

The majority of the 33 miles of theGranthamCanalbelongs to British Waterways, apart from approximately 350 yards which belong to the Environment Agency above Lock 1 nearLadyBayBridge,Nottingham, and approximately 1.5 miles within Grantham which belongs to South Kesteven District Council.

Canal and River Trust (previously British Waterways) has very limited resources to maintain remainder waterways (non navigable waterways) and is having to increasingly rely on the support of volunteers. The Grantham Canal Ranger initiative is intended to step in and fill the gap, ensuring that the canal remains a first class amenity for all users. The aim of the initiative is not to undertake ‘hands on physical restoration work’ or to replace paid British Waterways staff but to provide additional value to the canal and improve the experience of users of the canal.

If anyone wishes to become a volunteer with the Grantham Canal Society please go to www.granthamcanal.com for contact details.

Become a Grantham Canal Volunteer

Grantham Canal — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 15:13:48 +0000

Are you a boater, a walker, an angler, a nature-lover or an admirer of the engineering genius of our forebears? Do you believe in the restoration of our uniquely British heritage and enjoy the rural idyll that is the Grantham Canal?

….then join our ever growing band of volunteers and help us breath life back into one of Britain’s most beautiful canals

Join the ”Dream” Team

The Grantham Canal Society has been working to return the navigation to full cruiseway condition since the 1960’s and as progress unfolds we need more volunteers to work in our teams as we pursue our dream.

What you do, when you do it, how much time you spend … the choices are yours

Every year across Britain, thousands of people volunteer to help with schemes along the inland waterways. Some people spend a day, some a week; others projects need a longer-term commitment – the diverse activities appeal to a wide variety of abilities, interests and age groups.

Within the Grantham Canal Society a number of teams are stenuously working to bring the canal back to active life. Donating your time is a great way to support us and have fun at the same time.

Go to the next dropdown, “Volunteer Activity on the Canal” http://www.granthamcanal.org/volunteer-activity-on-the-canal/ to see the range of options available Every hour you can spare will help restore the Grantham Canal.

The Grantham Canal Partnership

Grantham Canal — Sun, 22 May 2011 21:35:59 +0000

The Grantham Canal Partnership (GCP) is the ‘umbrella’ organisation formed in 1997 to coordinate the efforts of the principal parties concerned with the future of the Grantham Canal

The GCP’s Chairman is Michael Rowen

‘The GCP is committed to promoting the restoration of the Grantham Canal to full navigable status – doing so in such a way as to conserve its character and the environment and enhance the communities along its 33-mile corridor.

The end result will be an outstanding water-based leisure facility for all and a major contributor to both the economy and quality of life in the East Midlands’

Diary

Grantham Canal — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:19:20 +0000

Keep your eye on the Grantham Canal Diary section to keep up to date on work parties, where the society stall will be next appearing and other society news.

If you become aware of events and activities that you believe the GCS would be interested in becoming involved please contact us via info@granthamcanal.com

Volunteer Activity Days

Date	Title/Description
10/11th November 12	Weekend workparty with WRG NW at locks 10 & 11. GCS meet at old A46 bridge 9.00 for briefing. See October ‘Bridge’ for details and map.

	Note. Planned work may be subject to change at short notice. Please email ian.wakefield@granthamcanal.com if unsure.

Fairs, Shows, Fetes and Events

Date	Title/Description
	Events 2013
1st April Easter Monday 11am-4pm	BOAT RIDES at Harlaxton Wharf. The Drift, between Harlaxton and Barrowby. NG32 1AE. All WELCOME.
6th May	Information Stand: Denton Street Market
7th May 7.45 for 8pm	Canal Talk: Cranmer Local History Society. Aslockton.
11-12 May	Information Stand: Newark Show.
18th May	Information Stand: Transport and Trade on the Trent 1850-1970. The Newark Academy, London Road Newark
8th June	Information Stand: Bingham Town Fair
June – date to be announced	Information Stand: Hickling Country Fair
15th June	Information Stand: Cotgrave Festival
16th June	Information Stand: Grantham Carnival
17th June	Canal Talk: Woodthorpe St. Marks Wives. 8pm
19th June	Bess of Hardwick Talk (proceeds to GCS): Barrowby
27th June	Canal Talk: West Bridgford U3A. 2.30pm
29th June	Information Stand: East Bridgford Show
13th October	Advance Notice! Discovery Day – Would you like a stand at our event? We offer free space for stands of canal related interests, wildlife/fishing organisations, walking/cycling clubs, art groups, conservation, heritage, boating, youth groups etc. Contact: Rosemary: email: RhuMaere@aol.com

Society Update

Date	Title/Description

Heritage Lottery Fund Update

Grantham Canal — Sat, 21 May 2011 13:34:39 +0000

The Grantham Canal Partnership supported by the Grantham Canal Society submitted an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to restore locks 14 and 15. The emphasis of the bid was to undertake the lock restoration using volunteers as part of a national waterway skill training initiative being developed by the Inland Waterway’s Association, with an emphasis on learning waterway heritage construction skills.

Lock 14 with collapsed offside wall in critical need of restoration.

Although we only applyed for funding for the restoration of two of the four locks which remain derelict on the Woolsthorpe flight, we are confident that the skills learnt will enable the remaining two locks and indeed other derelict locks elsewhere on the Grantham Canal to be restored. As this is part of a national training initiative we will also, through skills learnt, be indirectly assisting in the restoration of locks on other canals in the process of restoration.

In addition to the restoration of the locks, we are also proposing to work with local canalside village communities to research and install bespoke interpretation panels and new signage along the full 33 mile of the canal. It is hoped that this locally based research will discover previously unseen photographs of the canal before it closed and unlock lots of canal memories which can be recorded.

A further emphasis will be the marketing of the many volunteering opportunities on the canal to attract a much wider cross section of people than is currently the case.

We heard that we were successful in our Stage 1 Application in June 2011. This enables us to commission a series of studies and reports then submit our stage 2 application in February 2013. We have cleared the offside vegetation on locks 12 to 15 in readiness for engineering surveys. Watch this space for further progress.

The value of the stage 1 application is £55,000, with the estimated overall cost of the proposed works (stage 2) being £750,000. Out application to the HLF would be for £380,000, with the remaining costs being secured through other grant funding bodies, company sponsorship and ‘gift in kind’, which will primarily consist of the value of volunteers who are involved with the project or are receiving training.

If we are successful then it will give the Grantham Canal and its canal heritage a much needed boost. Restoration of these locks would be the next step in achieving navigation into Leicestershire and eventually through to Redmile. Undoubtedly there will be plenty to do but it will be worth it! In the meantime we must work hard to ensure success with the stage 1 application.

The Three Shires Trip Boat

Grantham Canal — Fri, 20 May 2011 17:34:58 +0000

You may have enjoyed the rural idyll that is the Grantham Canal from the towpath – now join us on the water and see the countryside and its wildlife from a different perspective.

From the ducks to the heron, from the fish to the kingfisher as they wend their way through the gently waving rushes – all there to see! – from the water aboard “The Three Shires”

Cruise on the Grantham Canal

The canal is ideal for a relaxing cruise aboard “The Three Shires” through this beautiful stretch of the Lincolnshire countryside along the navigable length of the Grantham Canal between Woolsthorpe and the A1 near Grantham.

The boat has comfortable seating in the cabin for 10 people and space to enjoy the outdoors with seats for 2 people on the fore-deck. It is equipped with a small kitchen (everything is small on a narrowboat) and has a toilet for use in emergency.

The boat may be chartered for a family outing, a workplace special outing, supervised school trips, birthday parties etc. for cruises of 2 and 3.5 hours duration.

Naturally a skipper and a crew member are provided for your cruising enjoyment.

Choose your Cruise

Speed on a canal is not very fast and a two hour cruise reaches Denton Wharf and return, three and one half hours the A1. We suggest you select a 3.5 hour cruise if you want a break en-route, for instance, at Harlaxton Wharf or the A1 landing stage and pop in to the nearby Farrier pub for a drink,if you wish to visit those places.

We regret that we are not able offer a regular timetabled service selling individual tickets except on selected Bank Holidays and special days which will be announced on the society website

Refreshments

Tea, coffee, soft drinks and snacks are usually available for purchase on all cruises. However for that special occasion why not discuss your requirements with us when you book your cruise.

BYO

The boat is not licensed for the sale of alcohol so why not Bring Your Own?

We are happy for your party to bring drinks but if you wish to use our glasses, crockery, etc. we would appreciate a donation towards the society’s funds

Access

Access from the landing stages into the boat is down steps so we regret that it is not possible to accommodate those who are unable to walk.

Where do I find “The Three Shires”?

Cruises normally start from the landing stage at Woolsthorpe above Lock 18.

Aim for the Rutland Arms pub (Dirty Duck) Postcode: NG32 1NY . Cross the canal bridge, park off the lane and walk up the towpath past the locks for 5 minutes.

Volunteer for the Crew

Come and see the beauty of the canal from the water – then volunteer for the crew.

The trip boat is proving hugely popular and we are always ready to welcome enthusiastic volunteers to the cruise team.

People with boating experience are particularly welcome but we will provide training for skipper and crew roles for those with enthusiasm and commitment.

Operations

A trained skipper and a crew member (both volunteers) will operate “The Three Shires” for your safety and enjoyment.