Canal & River Trust curtails Ashby Canal moorings

Published: Thursday, 25 June 2020

THE more I see of CaRT's policies and work programme the more I'm convinced that someone in that organisation has totally lost the plot.  It's no wonder they are losing the respect of boaters en-masse, writes Keith Gudgin.

In the last couple of days we have been informed that the pontoon mooring at Sutton Cheney and the visitor moorings at Hinckley Wharf, both on the Ashby Canal, are to be suspended right at the beginning of the shortened season just as the hire boats are starting up and boat owners are venturing out again after the lock-down.

Given to long term moorings

With the visitor moorings at Market Bosworth also being severely reduced because the water point has been moved and also by giving a large quantity of what was left over to the marina for long term moorings, means that, as far as can be ascertained, there is only one official deep draughted mooring on the whole canal that allows shopping, viz: Hinckley Wharf.

But now, CaRT, in its wisdom, is closing Hinckley Wharf moorings to lay some more cycle track. It means that there is now effectively nowhere any deep draughted boaters can stop to go shopping on the whole canal.

Totally inexcusable

Okay, so closing the Sutton Cheney moorings for urgent repair work in the height of the season is understandable but to close the Hinckley Wharf moorings at this time just to lay some more cycle track is totally inexcusable.

AshbyCycleWhy could they not leave the Hinckley Wharf cycle track upgrade until the winter?  Are their precious cyclists so important?  It's not even a 1/4 of a mile for Pete's sake!  But wait, there is worse to come.  There happens to be a perfectly accessible and useable tarmacked public cycle track/path the other side of the hedge (as can be seen) that cyclists can use to go exactly the same 1/4 mile!  This closure to me is totally bonkers and a complete waste of money especially as it's not required. Cutting Ashby Canal moorings

Also inexcusable

Allowing the marina at Market Bosworth to put long term moorings in the only official deep draughted mooring place in the area and on one of only two places where shopping is possible is also absolutely inexcusable.

There should be no long term moorings on the towpath side of any canal for any reason.  To remove such important visitor mooring space is beyond belief.  There are only two places in the whole of the Ashby Canal where you can stop and walk to the shops—Market Bosworth and Hinckley Wharf.  CaRT are now effectively denying both of these places to boaters mid season.

Keep freeloading cyclists sweet

It appears that CaRT's policy seems to be—never mind what inconvenience we cause our paying boaters let's just make sure we keep our freeloading cyclists sweet shall we?

Boaters notices that are either unreadable or make no sense, policies or notices that deny boaters safety or good health and now a work programme that stops boaters getting their food or in some cases just walking their dog.

It say's it all to me...