Sharing Towpaths

The Canal and River Trust is consulting with communities, stakeholders, local authorities and partners in order to draw up a National Towpath Use Policy.  The aim of this policy is to improve the experience for users of towpaths in England and Wales.  The Trust wants to attract more visitors to regularly use and enjoy the waterways and to encourage shared, safe use of towpaths.  You can read the Trust's document Sharing Towpaths and let the CRT know your views on its proposals by taking part in a short survey.

Update on bids

The Canal and River Trust put in a bid to BIFFA on our behalf, unfortunately the bid was unsuccessful on this occasion.  Whilst this news is not what we wanted to hear - we are treating this as a set-back and not the end of our plans.  We are continuing to seek out other funding sources and remain committed to developing Battyeford Island, whilst trying to get resources to help us to deliver other parts of our programme - in particular the tow path through Mirfield.  Watch this space to find out the progress we are making.
 

Rotary Navigation Walk 2014

The fourth Rotary Navigation Sponsored Walk will take place on Sunday 6 April, along the banks of the Calder and Hebble Canal between Horbury and Sowerby Bridge (nearly 20 miles).

The walk is for everyone who wishes to help in raising funds for the four Hospices which provide excellent service to the public of Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield - Overgate Hospice, Kirkwood Hospice, Wakefield Hospice and the Forget Me Not Children's Hospice. Each Hospice will receive an equal share of whatever money is raised by the event.

To find out more visit the Rotary Navigation Walk website.

Congratulations to the Canal and River Trust

The Canal and River Trust has scooped the ‘Charity of the Year’ award!  Just over eighteen months after launching, the CRT has been named as ‘Charity of the Year’ by the People’s Postcode Lottery.  The award was made this week at Lottery’s annual Charity Gala.

 

The Award was given in recognition of the way the Trust, through support from players of  People’s Postcode Lottery, had raised public awareness and support of a project to help save the nation’s historic hedgerows which, although so important for biodiversity, have declined by 50% since the Second World War.
In making the award, players of People’s Postcode Lottery gave a special one-off £50,000 cheque to support the Trust’s work.  It also committed to increase the Trust’s annual grant by 25% to £125,000.

For more information visit the Canal and River Trust website.

 

Date for your diary 8 March

An event is being organised to help clear the towpath at Shepley Bridge Marina on Saturday 8 March.  The clean up starts at 10 am and everyone is welcome!

English Heritage and Canal and River Trust pilot nationwide heritage project

The Canal and River Trust is partnering with English Heritage on a national pilot project which could significantly improve the way national custodians of heritage, such as the Trust, are able to look after the listed buildings and structures in their care.

 

This spring the Trust and English Heritage will run a stakeholder consultation on the draft proposal for a new National Listed Building Consent Order.  The Order would be designed to allow the Trust to carry out pre-determined conservation work to masonry hump back bridges and canal locks without having to seek local authority planning consent every single time.  As the owner of the third largest collection of listed structures in the UK, a Consent Order would allow the Trust to carry out canal heritage repairs more quickly and more efficiently.

 

Nigel Crowe, Head of Heritage at the Canal and River Trust, says: “ CRT cares for 2,000 miles of nationally important designated and non-designated heritage.  Each year, in looking after the waterway network, we make numerous applications to local authorities for standard heritage repairs and conservation works.  The applications can be both costly and time consuming.  “Being given the opportunity to develop England’s first national Listed Building Consent Order is a great endorsement of the work we do and will enable us to direct our efforts and resources where they can make the most difference.”

 

Sarah Buckingham, Head of Better Heritage Protection at English Heritage, comments: “Much of the heritage the Canal and River Trust cares for is similar in age, materials and appearance and the work they do is well practiced with the same skills and craftsmanship employed from place to place. For this type of repair and conservation work, a national Listed Building Consent Order will save time and red tape.  “This pilot will be a really exciting opportunity to show how, as a nation, we can look after our heritage even better.  It could also be an exciting forerunner for many other organisations which, between them, look after a significant stock of the nation’s heritage.”

 

Works covered by the pilot Canal and River Trust Consent Order are likely to include repair and maintenance works, such as replacing lock gates, rebuilding damaged bridge parapets and carrying out occasional alterations in the interest of public safety. A pre-agreed schedule of works will be prepared as a part of the Consent Order and great care will be taken to detail these in such a way that the special interest of listed locks and bridges are protected.

 

Further information about the project is available at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/LBCO

 

Battyeford Scenes

The following are photographs of Battyeford, not sure of the dates.  If anyone has pictures which show how Battyeford Island looked in the past, we'd love to receive them.


The bridge over Huddersfield Road, leading to Battyeford Station



This is a diagram showing Battyeford Station's location