Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre Exhibition

Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre would like to put out an appeal for memorabilia, photographs and stories that members may have relating to the Berks & Wilts Canal, particularly the Chippenham Branch, for an exhibition we will be holding next year.
The exhibition will be in conjunction with the publication of a new book about the 'Chippenham Branch' charting the history of the development of the canal in and around the town.
The town was served by a two mile branch, which left the main line of the Wilts & Berks at Pewsham, just above the locks, and terminated at what is now the bus station, in Timber Street.
The exhibition will run from 9th May until 25th July 2011.
Chippenham Museum & Heritage Centre,10 Market Place Chippenham SN15 3HF
Telephone: 01249 705020

Volunteers called to unlock key canal role

British Waterways is inviting people to apply for a unique opportunity that will see them carry out an iconic and colourful role on their local canal.

For the first time British Waterways is recruiting local people to be Volunteer Lock Keepers, and will be holding guided walks at various locations along the historic Kennet and Avon Canal where potential volunteers can come along and find out more about this wonderful opportunity.

Volunteers could be working at a selection of historic locks on the Kennet and Avon canal including such sites as the popular Caen Hill Lock Flight and the Bath Flight, or the Grade II Listed locks at Bradford on Avon, Crofton, Seend and Kintbury.

The guided walks are taking place on:

Friday 4th March 10am at Bradford and 2pm at Bath

Friday 11th March 10am at Crofton and 2pm at Kintbury

Friday 18th March 10am at Devizes and 2pm at Seend

The ideal Volunteer Lock Keeper will have an interest in the waterways, enjoy meeting people and like the sound of spending time outdoors in beautiful surroundings. They will be working from March until October and will ideally be able to offer at least one day a week, though this is flexible. No prior experience is necessary – successful applicants will receive full induction, training and a uniform to equip them for their new role as ‘the face of the waterway’. The key attributes are enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.

Lock Keepers have been a fixture on the canal for hundreds of years. While some of the duties remain the same, today’s lock keepers will not have as difficult a time as their early predecessors. Lock Keepers in the past had to haul the heavy lock gates open by hand, defend themselves against river pirates and fight off toll thieves. Today the role of the modern-day Volunteer Lock Keeper is to provide a polite and friendly service to waterway visitors, assisting boaters through the locks and maintaining the lock area. It’s a chance for people who are passionate about their local community to make a real difference to the experience of waterway visitors, from boaters and ramblers to families feeding the ducks.

Volunteering is an important aspect of British Waterways’ plans in England and Wales to move management of the nation’s canals and rivers out of state control and into a new ‘national trust’ for the waterways. This exciting new charity, which is targeted to be up and running by April 2012, will attract new investment and give local people a greater role in how their waterways are run – including the opportunity to get involved in a growing number of volunteer opportunities.

BW’s Waterway Manager for the Kennet and Avon Canal, Mark Stephens, said: “This is an exciting opportunity and we are expecting there to be a lot of interest. The role of a lock keeper is arguably the most iconic and colourful role on the waterway and by opening it out to volunteers we’re hoping to tap into the great wealth of knowledge and passion that we know local people have for their canal.”

For more information and to apply to become a volunteer lock keeper please contact Sarah French in British Waterways’ volunteering team on 01827 252097or e-mail volunteer@britishwaterways.co.uk. Further information on all volunteering opportunities within British Waterways can be found on www.britishwaterways.co.uk/volunteer.

Avon Vale helps British Waterways

The Avon Vale has been busy in action helping British Waterways inspect the long pound of the Kennet & Avon canal. The Avon Vale also helped move the BW work boat, Kennet II from Hungerford to Wootton Rivers in order for contractors to carry out vital vegetation work on the non towpath side of the long pound.

Below:
B/W, K&A canal volunteer leader Rob Labus in the center and left to right, Adrian Softly, John Kirby, Rod Hannah, John Peters, Avon Vale crew.


Below: the Kennet II leaving Hungerford with trust volunteers, John Peters,Rod Hannah, Adrian Softly. on its way to Wooton Rivers.


Below:
from left to right, John Ward, David Berasinsky,Howard Wilcox, and Mark Stephens at the end of the two day inspection trip from the Bruce Tunnel to Devizes, courtesy of the K&A canal trust work boat Avon Vale.

Below:
from left to right, John Peters Avon Vale crew, John Ward BW, Rod Hannah Avon Vale crew, David Berasinsky BW, Howard Wilcox BW. on the first day of the inspecting trip at, Pewsey Wharf.

Below:
David Berasinsky and Howard Wilcox from B/W on board the Avon Vale inspecting Bridge 109 on the long pound.


Images Courtesy of the Avon Vale Team

Trust Council Minutes 25.1.11

Click Here for Trust Council Minutes

Great Bedwyn Wharf - Pump Out Facility

Great Bedwyn Wharf - Pump Out Facility

Thursday 17 February 2011 until further notice
The Pump out facility at Great Bedwyn Wharf, will be out of action until further notice

Enquiries: 01380 722859

Reading Branch Meetings 2011

Reading Branch Meetings 2011 - click here for details

British Waterways Open Day

British Waterways' Winter Works Open Day, Caen Hill Lock Flight, Kennet & Avon Canal, near Devizes
Saturday 12th February 2011
10.30am - 3.30pm
Join British Waterways at Caen Hill Lock Flight to find out more about the work happening this winter to maintain the historic lock flight and see a lock gate lifted.
. join the British Waterways team for guided tours at 11am, 12noon, 1, 2 & 3pm
. find out more about the history of the canal with the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust
. Caen Hill Café open from 11am-3.30pm serving teas, coffees and hot chocolate, cakes, soup, hot & cold snacks and cold drinks
. meet the British Waterways team that helps care for your canal

Caen Hill visitor car park is located off the B3101 near Rowde, signposted from the A361. Nearest postcode SN10 1QR. Car parking, 4 hours £1.00.

Members News

Dear Members
Latest news from the Kennet and Avon Trust

1) Dr Mike Rodd appointed as Chairman

From David Inight , Vice Chair.

My brief spell as Acting Chair of Trust Council ended last Wednesday following the Council meeting the previous evening, at which the Trustees unanimously elected Mike Rodd to the post of Chair.

Members will remember that Mike resigned from the position of paid General Manager on the 31st December, and took up the role of a Volunteer Trustee the next day. I am very pleased that Mike has agreed to accept the position of Chair of Council; he has amassed a wealth of knowledge about the Trust and our relationship with British Waterways and the Local Authorities through whose areas the Canal runs. In addition, since its inception Mike has been chairing the local pilot K&A Waterways Partnership Board, which we hope will provide the model for the rest of the waterways network.

All the Trustees voted in favour of Mike’s appointment; they have also each agreed to lead on particular areas of work within the Trust. To support us, we have Holly Streeter as General Secretary and Becky Wells as Administrative Officer. As Trustees we are all looking forward to a challenging but exciting year for the Canal and the Trust.

On a personal note, I am looking forward to supporting Mike in his new role, and to taking on my responsibilities of working with the Branches and Boat Crews.

2) Art Course

Once again the Art course run by Amy Whitewick has raised another £300 for the Trust. Many thanks to all who attended, Sue who helped make all the drinks and Val Whitewick for donating all the food including the home made scones. It is hoped that there will be another course during the Spring, perhaps this time at Bradford on Avon and possibly outside. Look out for more news.

3) Volunteer Lock Keepers Required

British Waterways are looking for volunteer lock keepers at Crofton, Bradford on Avon and Bath. If you feel you would like to spend a few hours enjoying the fresh air and helping boaters to go through the locks, in any of these locations, please contact Karen Fishwick at Devizes on 01380 722859

4) Government Cuts and our Waterway-Your help is needed

The Kennet and Avon Canal is once more under threat! Despite huge volunteer effort, lottery funding, local and central government funding, the present financial environment and Government cuts will significantly reduce the much needed repair and maintenance requirements of the waterway. Already the impacts of this are obvious and disturbing with the need for lock gate replacement, dredging and much more

All this requires the Trust to once more deliver some solutions to the waterway’s dilemma.

For over 50 years the Trust as been at the forefront of this sort of work and we need again to positively partner and gain new support. More recently we have been extremely active in the formation of the pilot local partnership that will advise British Waterways in their new guise as a Third Sector organisation. Additionally we have been very active at high level along with the IWA ensuring our canal interests are represented in the changing and difficult financial environment.

However our voice is only listened too if we are truly representative. Our membership and supporter base numbers are therefore important and to this end Tim West, one of our Vice Presidents has said that he will lend a hand. But in doing so he also needs your help.

We want to mail drop as many canal side businesses and homes as possible pushing our message home and asking people to join. This we have called our ‘no frills’ campaign as we wish to do it as economically as possible by using volunteers to deliver requests for support.

Stage one of the campaign is the length between Bradford on Avon and Crofton. Printing of the mail drop letter is being finalised and we have some volunteer delivery people already but we need more.

Stage two will be the other lengths of our waterway later in the month.

So can you help – can you mail-drop your part of town, village or boat club ? If you can please send in your details to Holly Streeter either by phone or by email gensec@katrust.org.uk

5) British Waterways open Day 12th Feb 2011

British Waterways' Winter Works Open Day, Caen Hill Lock Flight, Kennet & Avon Canal, near Devizes
Saturday 12th February 2011
10.30am - 3.30pm
Join British Waterways at Caen Hill Lock Flight to find out more about the work happening this winter to maintain the historic lock flight and see a lock gate lifted.
. join the British Waterways team for guided tours at 11am, 12noon, 1, 2 & 3pm
. find out more about the history of the canal with the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust
. Caen Hill Café open from 11am-3.30pm serving teas, coffees and hot chocolate, cakes, soup, hot & cold snacks and cold drinks
. meet the British Waterways team that helps care for your canal

Caen Hill visitor car park is located off the B3101 near Rowde, signposted from the A361. Nearest postcode SN10 1QR. Car parking, 4 hours £1.00.

Best Regards
Alan Whitewick

www.katrust.org