Victor—the Montgomery

No great effort for restoration

MY FORAGE onto the Montgomery Canal has left me with a lasting impression—that there is no great effort by the powers-that-be for its full restoration.

We are all aware of the anti-boater measures by the ecologists. But what about British Waterways? Is there a hidden agenda in it seemingly acceding to the ecologists ridiculous desires? Is it possible that our masters are not all that keen on the Monty?

Pleasant, but restricted, moorings at Queens Head

It is fairly well known that British Waterways get a nice little earner from supplying the Crewe water people with 11,000 million gallons of water a day, via the Llangollen Canal. This is fed into the canal from the Dee above Llangollen right down to the reservoir at Hurleston (and the reason for the very fierce bywashes on the canal as it rushes on its way).

Now here's the rub. The Montgomery Canal is fed from the Llangollen, and should there by an exceptional lock usage at the junction locks at Frankton, this means the flow to the reservoir is reduced.

Last year, when the resident lockeeper, Colin Payne, was on holiday, a temporary fella managed to virtually empty the pounds, with the result that the Montgomery was closed for weeks, as the water for Crewe was obviously more important than water for the canal.

Should there be a water shortage this year, what's the betting the locks at Frankton will again be chained up?

English Nature

BUT back to our enemy number one, English Nature.

A while ago, ecologist, Stephen Lees, was appointed by the Montgomery Canal Partnership (which includes British Waterways) to produce a conservation management strategy for the Montgomery Canal.

And he did it with a will, claiming that 'nature reserves on the canal need to be bigger and better than earlier plans allow'. Though the hard working volunteers of the Waterway Recovery Group had struggled to build a massive seven acre plant reserve at Aston, his response was: 'It's good, but the seven acres are not enough'!

Then he went on to say that 'boat movements will immediately bring about a reduction in water quality, mainly because of the turbidity when propellers churn up the mud from the canal bottom'.

There is obviously a campaign against boats on the canal, backed up by the very suspect figures that 'only 13% of local residents want the canal restored for boats'. As the first meeting was packed by the ecologists and their supporters from London, the locals had very little say in the matter. I managed to speak to quite a few at Queens Head recently, and ner a one objected to either the canal being re-opened or boats cruising past. Quite the opposite in fact.

One boater, owner of Tiny Wave who lives by the canal has very definite feeling about the power of English Nature, and the complete opening of the Montgomery remarking:

"British Waterways dragged its feet and wasted two years, with excuses for not putting in a bid. Then it had a opening of the restoration, and straight away chained up the locks"

His parting words were:

"Don't hold your breath. It will not be opened in our lifetime."

A mine of information

THE better tthings about the Montgomery Canal is its staff, with Colin Payne, pictured above, one of the most helpful and instructive lockeepers I have ever met. Not only did he do his job with verve, dashing from one lock to another to both help boaters and conserve water, but surely went above the call of duty to instruct boaters on where they could moor, the facilities and many other things to make their lives easier.

Annoys most boaters

Floating weeds—can we touch? Are they protected?

The thing that seems to annoy boaters most is that British Waterways is willing to finance the schemes of English Nature. Such as special barriers down both side of the canal, allowing plants to grow through whilst keeping boats away from mooring.

One fella, waiting at the bottom of Frankton Locks asked me:

"Whose side are they on?"

Not ours, that's for sure.

Many and varied ways of protecting the plants from boaters, leaving a scarcity of moorings

However...

ABOUT our cruise on this canal. We were at the locks in good time for the official opening hours, and before lockeeper Colin knew who I was he was very helpful indeed. I can see why the locks are chained out of the strict opening hours, for it is all too easy to waste water.

The only complaint from Colin:

"A Canaltime left all four paddles up the bottom lock last week and emptied the pound."

Though someone complained on the site about Colin keeping to the strict times, I can see why, for with a staircase involved. He has to organise the passage of the boats to conserve water, and should another suddenly appear at the 'wrong' end after opening hours, a great deal of water would be wasted.

Down the locks we went and through the other narrow locks, all easy to operate, and approaching one, a lengthman, Jimmy, busy mowing the grass, dropped everything to prepare the lock for us, and helped us through.

"Like going through treacle"

Down to Queens Head, the Montgomery is like any other rural canal, but once past, onto the recently restored section, She Who Must Be Obeyed summed it up with 'like going through treacle'.

Those whose weed hatch is hard to get at would be well to give the canal a miss...

But what about those weeds we dragged out? Are they protected? Should I have leaped out and re-set them on the bank. But I couldn't, the combination of English Nature and British Waterways in protecting the plants, had ensured that I couldn't get anywhere near it!

However, we enjoyed it all, but from all the people I spoke to, there's not a lot of chance of it getting much further, no matter what the 'official' line...