News

Bosley pumpout closed ufn

28 August 2010

Advice from BW on Friday 27 August 2010 says the the pump out at Bosley top lock service block has suffered major mechanical failure and parts cannot be obtained until after the Bank Holiday weekend.

The nearest pump outs to the south are at -

Heritage Marina just north of bridge 87;

Red Bull, on the Trent & Mersey Canal.

The nearest pump outs to the north are at -

Macclesfield Canal Centre between bridges 38 and 37;

Bollington between bridges 28 and 27;

Higher Poynton north of bridge 15;

The junction of the Ashton Canal & Huddersfield Narrow Canal.

Ramsdell Railings almost complete!

21 June 2010

A Macclesfield Canal Society working party has completed everything that can presently be done to restore Ramsdell railings, between bridges 76 and 77 at Scholar Green.

Alan, Sonia & Malcolm worked at the railings on Sunday [20th June 2010]. They now look splendid, as they are all painted bar the five bays that are awaiting repair. But even more so as Paul Clegg and two others have now strimmed a six foot swathe behind the whole length of them. We tidied up, touching up the paintwork and removing moss and grass from the stones. There is also a sort of green fungus accumulating on the white rails, but cleaning this off can wait. They felt so encouraged, Malcolm sent a message to Paul, Terry and David B (BW staff, see below) to thank them for this and the other works. Paul said later that the more favourable comments like this, then the more likely such works will be continued. The other works are the continuation of vegetation clearance southwards from Higher Poynton - they are now at Styperson - and the painting of Br 78 at Congleton.

Malcolm has now worked out the BW Manchester & Pennine (M&P) chain of command on the Waterway and for the Macclesfield and Trent & Mersey canals (M/T&M). 

David Baldacchino - Waterway Manager, M&P
Graham Lea - Maintenance Manager, M&P
Wayne Roome - Customer Service Supervisor, M/T&M
Terry Dale - Construction Supervisor, M/T&M
Paul Clegg - Foreman, M/T&M 

Paul is 'where it happens'. The society's further work depends on how many theey can get for a working party and how soon they can get the railings repaired. Details on MCS meetings page.

Lock 4 sidepond reinstatement

12 April 2010

Malcolm, Stuart and John loaded the re-furbished sidepond jackhead & baseplate onto BW's float at Kerridge Dry Dock for Mike and Scott to take them to Swettenham Street wharf, Macclesfield. They expected to be at Bosley lock 4 on Monday April 12 to unload and fit them. The rod and paddle fitting might be done in a stoppage in November.

Major canal corridor upgrade proposed

17 March 2010

The heavily used towpath through the Bollington area has been a cause for concern this winter due to its extremely muddy condition. A group met in Bollington in early March to consider putting together a project to make improvements through the town. The attendees included Tim Boddington and Malcolm Bower. Also attending were representatives of Cheshire East Council, one of whom, Shea O'Neill, managed the very successful Weaver Way project.

Shea gave an excellent presentation on that project and it's achievements. The Weaver Way in west Cheshire is about 20 miles long and of variable width up to several miles. The recreational facilities throughout that area, but especially along the waterways, have been significantly improved to great acclaim.

By the end of the meeting there was unanimous support for a proposal to gain the interest of councillors and council officers in a major project to undertake similar improvements in a corridor (yet to be defined) running from Disley in the north east of the county, along the Macclesfield canal to Red Bull, and down the Trent & Mersey Canal to Middlewich, at which point it would meet the south end of the Weaver Way project area. This would clearly be a long term project taking several years to design, finance and execute.

Meanwhile Bollington still needs an early improvement to its towpath and a limited project for that is being given further attention.

Bank improvements around Bollington

17 March 2010

Major works are being carried out in the Bollington area to improve the canal banks and stop a leak close to Adelphi mill. Bank reinforcement has been completed between bridges 28 and 30. Blue Boar contractors have used close spaced treated timber poles driven a metre into the canal bed, draped with fabric and backfilled with dredgings for this work (picture right).

A 150m length over Grimshaw Lane aqueduct, Bollington, has been stanked off and drained to enable reconstruction of the wharf wall at the north end of Adelphi mill and to investigate and stop a longstanding slow leak in the same area (picture below with thanks to Mark Stedman).

Further works are being carried out north of Bollington, including spot dredging at Whiteley Green (lower picture). The dredger pontoon is 14ft wide and folds to enable passage through the bridges and locks on this narrow canal. This, of course, requires bank access in every length to be worked to get the digger on and off the pontoon.

Marple Wharf, redevelopment

10 January 2010

Joint statement from BW and Marple Civic Society (MCS).

Vaudrey's Wharf remains at Risk!

12 October 2009

BW have stated that Vaudrey's Wharf continues to leak and if it increases then they will stank it off. See Vaudrey's Wharf page.

Bridge 26A, Clarence footbridge, a huge success!

29 August 2009, updated 17 March 2010

The long promised footbridge at Clarence Mill, Bollington, was opened for use on 29th August 2009. It has proved to be an outstanding success with a huge increase in the numbers of people visiting the Café Waterside and the Discovery Centre. Café business has more than doubled and visitors to the Discovery Centre have more than trebled! Local residents are extremely happy that they can now get straight onto the canal towpath. Plans are afoot to connect the towpath directly with the Recreation Ground below the canal so that children, in particular, can get to the recreation area from the Clarence mill area without having to cross the main road under the aqueduct. Full details of the bridge on its own page.