Chester Packet - Summer 2025

Chester & Merseyside Branch Summer 2025

Chairman’s Report – Summer 2025 Packet Boat

IstartedofftheSpringeditionofPacketBoattalkingabouttheweather and all the damage that the storms were doing to the local canal system i.e. the Bridgewater breach.

Well, this summer has been all about the weather again with heat waves being a common occurrence, once never heard of but as climate change occurs, we may have to get used to them.

Unfortunately, this has now led to many canals, and rivers, becoming un-navigableduetowatershortageanditlookslikethiscouldcontinue later into the yearunless we have some significantrainfall.

This situation has unfortunately caused the IWA Campaign Rally that wasduetotakepartovertheAugustBankHolidayweekendatAgden Bridge to be postponed until next year. On the upside of this IWA will be celebrating its 80th year anniversary and the repairs to the Bridgewater should be well on the way, with completion being promised by PeelPorts fortheend of 2026.

Other brief news is that I must thank the number of members who volunteered to help out at the Waterways Restoration Conference which was held at the National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port on Saturday 25th April and wewere fully appreciated by Head Office

Lookingforwardthefirstofthe2025/26seasonofsocialswillbetaking place at the Holiday Inn, Ellesmere Port and details of the first three canbefoundinthisedition. Ihopetoseemany ofyoutherebutinthe meantime carry on enjoying the waterways in the sunshine.

Best Wishes, Jim Forkin Branch Chairman

It should be noted that the views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the IWA. They are published as being of interest to our members and readers. The IWA is a registered charity No 212342

Weaver Residents Fury at Planning Decision

Potential Waterway Options Ignored for Road Transport

Local authorities and waterway groups in the Weaver Valley particularlyaroundNorthwichareaarefuriouswiththegranting ofplanningpermission(WallerscoteLimeBedRe-Engineering, Remediation & Solar Farm: Ref 23/02766/FUL) on landowned bygiantTATAchemicalstoallow,byroadtransport,thetipping of 1.3 million tons of inorganic waste on to the redundant Wallerscote Lime beds to raise the ground level before a solar farm can be installed. The lime beds, close to Northwich Town Centre, no longer needed by the salt industry, will see a constant delivery of all 1.3million tons in the form of more 20tonslorryloadsatatime,allbeingbroughtthroughthetown. The route will have to use the historic bridges over the River Weaver including the grade 2 listed Winnington Bridge.

In total some 240 interested parties objected mostly on the basisofmovementonlocalroadsespeciallywiththe1908built wrought iron Winnington Bridge being a local traffic congested area.Manyexpressedrealconcernsforthesinglecarriageway bridge and the River Weaver Navigation Society claimed that thisincreasingusagewillresultinuptoafurther40HGVlorries weighing gross at 31tons using the bridge every working hour for 5 years.

The inspector stated that the bridge had no weight restrictions so could take up to 44 ton vehicles and the local authority had no plans for its overhaul yet Cheshire West and Chester Council recently put in an unsuccessful £45.8 million bid for “Levelling Up “ funds as the bridge was a key pinch point. The council was planning for both road safety and future growth in housingandbusinessdevelopment.Inthesummary,thereport stated that the lorries would not create a significant effect on roads or road safety and the additional usage was small in comparison to current usage.

The River Weaver Options ignored

Waterway groups were quick to point out that the River Weaver,stillacommercialwaterwayandpotentiallycapableof taking coastal vessels of over 1,000tons ran within 65 metres of the site and could readily deliver the amounts required. However,thiswasruledoutonthecostofhavingtobuildanew wharf and as the soil/material would be coming from as yet “unknown places” there would be extra cost, time and environmental impacts involved in loading barges etc.

The second option was probably the most environmentally friendly andthat involveddredgingsilt andsand from the River Weaver and pumping it into the lime beds. Everton Football Club have just built a 50,000-seat stadium in a redundant Liverpool dock on top of sand dredged from the Mersey so the solar panel system would readily stand on a similar solution. This would help flooding, create improved navigation and in environmental terms cost far less than HGV lorries from “unknown destinations”

The National Transport Picture

Waterway interests noted that the key statement is that the lorries/loads would be coming from “unknown destinations”. In other words, they could come from anywhere in the UK from which road transport costs make it viable to the haulage operator to accept the contract for a load.

At a time when the surrounding motorways are regarded as beingatmaximumcapacityespeciallytheM6andM62withthe controversial “smart “ motorway designations, and the West Coast Main Line Railway is insufficient , this action is to add to that burden whilst waterways are barely used .

Jim Forkin Chairman Inland Waterways Association (Chester and Merseyside Branch) said “This situation is a bit like the “straw and the camel’s back”, the inspector makes a decision based onevidenceput to himonlocalissuesbut nationally our transport policy is under stress and this will add further to that motorway congestion. Locally the population will suffer and how many extra litres of fuel will be burnt on the streets of Northwich as traffic jams worsen for 5 years. We have no objection tothe solar panels and netzero but the methodology of achieving that objective is wrong. The people of Northwich and the general public will suffer whilst a corporate giant gains considerably financially “

The IWA position is that the waterway options have not been consultedonorproperlyevaluatedandtakingalookathowthe metal scrap trade worked is a good example. Material for recycling is taken to regional docks and stored till there was sufficient for vessels to be fully laden as in Manchester and Liverpool Docks. Arriving close to the Northwich area, a suitable quay side could be designated to unload and lorries willonlyhavetomakeashort“shuttle”journeytothelimebeds.

Sutton Weaver Swing Bridge Essential Repairs

Unfortunately the 100year old bridge crossing the Weaver Navigation on the A56 Warrington to Chester Road was the focus of the nation media after a late night incident in nearby Frodsham and yet when C&RT reveal a well planned refurbishment plan little is reported. The old expression “bad news sells papers” is certainly true about the history of this essentialand busy bridge.

A catalogue of work has now begun with ongoing replacement and refurbishment of drive motors, controls, cabling, signalling and navigationlights tobring thebridgeuptomodernandsafe standards.

The feared close of the bridge has been reduced from the original thoughts of five weeks down to one week in February 2026 and consultations are ongoing. School children for examplewillenjoyapleasanttrip,avoidingthebridge,toschool in a local minibus.

Jim Forkin (IWA Chairman) said “The press and media swarmed over Frodsham after the incident which was over the closure of this vital bridge but when C&RT do as good job with their limited resources then nothing is heard. Lets us not forget that in 1926 when this bridge was built much of the traffic was horse drawn and lorries were infrequent and half the size of today`s 44ton beasts”.

Bridgewater Canal –Latest Information

Progress is now being made on the breach of the Bridgewater Canal that has done so much damage to north –south navigation and the popular Cheshire Ring route. The Bridgewater Canal Company has been pressing on with plans andtimelinestocompletethismajorrepairbyDecember 2026.

Initially off course the I.9 miles of canal closed off because of the breach between Agden Bridge and Dunham Town Bridge had to be made safe with earth dams, stop planks and repairs to surrounding lands which have cost some £300,000.

Unfortunatelythecurrent dryweatherandlowwaterconditions meant that the planned IWA rally at Lymm supported by the Bridgewater Canal Company had to be called off but at this meeting the canal company had planned to have a fully consultation with the public on plans , graphs and timelines.

DAPS Presenters Plan for 250th Booking

Having achieved their 200, 45 minute, long presentation to community groups in 2024 the presentation team at the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society (DAPS) are planning on completing their milestone 250th in 2026. Already received orders in 2025 for 39 presentations and plus a further 7 on books in 2026 the team believe that by spring of 2026 that target of 250 will be reached.

Main customers remain groups such as Probus, local history and U3A and the team has 5 experienced presenters always available. DAPS under its agreement with the National Heritage Lottery Fund are required to have a community outreach programme and these presentations have proved to be a successful marketing tool.

Warrington Museum to Launch Latch ford Locks Exhibition

PlannedforNovember2026and duetorunfor aminimum of 3 months,WarringtonMuseumwillinconjunctionwiththeDaniel Adamson Preservation Society (DAPS) launch an exhibition with photographs and artefacts collected by members focussing on Latchford Locks and its role on the Manchester Ship Canal. Donated items include the fog horn used on the locks,tug`sshipbellsandanearlymapoftheshipcanal.DAPS haverecentlybenefittedfromabequestofacollectionofaship canal enthusiast who sadly past away recently. This consisted of an enormous quantity of books and photographs with the rarest in display.

Danny launches appeal for 10 year overhaul

It may only seem a short time since the S.S. Daniel Adamson (the “Danny”) came out of Camel Laird shipyard and return to public service but in 2026 it will mark the 10 years anniversary which results in significant cost implications. Requesting an appeal for £150,000 on crowd funding, the organisation is facinganextensive10year boiler examination,replacementof life rafts and more work on the canvass sheeting. The appeal has had good TV and press coverage with prime time TV making a substantial feature of the vessel at Anderton Boat lift with Mike Moran, Trustee (engineering) being featured. At the time of writing some £15,000 had been donated and a series of events on board to raise funds including family and volunteer/ members days.

Great Support for IWA Restoration Conference

Members of the IWA Chester and Merseyside branch along with the DanielAdamsonPreservationSocietywereonhandtoensurethatthe National Inland Waterways Association Restoration Conference held at the Boat Museum in Ellesmere Port on Saturday 26th April went as smoothly as possible.

With 10 stewards there in total guests were directed swiftly from car park to conference hall and then were on hand to help catering staff from C&RT making sure catering arrangements ran smoothly. At the same time volunteers from the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society had a display which featured a superb model of the vessel know as the “Danny” in the reception area alongside the IWA stand. Both sets of volunteers were on hand to answer questions.

Organiser has expressed theirgratitude for thehelp making the event a complete success as well as a sell out on the day. Visitors were shown several new ideas on how to develop uses of canals including water transfer for water companies and updates on the work of the Waterway Restoration Group and volunteer recruitment via the Duke of Edinburgh Schemes. After lunch many delegates took the opportunity of a tour of the museum with experienced guides.

Branch Walk’s for This Autumn Season

BelowisalistoftheBranchWaterwayWalksuntilChristmas.Booking listsarenowopenforallofthem.Allofthewalksarecircularandfree, held on Sunday morningsandstartfrom a pub car park. There is also the option of a pub lunch at the end of the walk. You can apply to join any one at any time; and perhaps bring a partnertoo.

To book a place - all you need to do is send an email to derek.smith@waterways.org and give the number and name of the walkyouwishtobookfor.You’llbequicklysentaconfirmationofyour booking. Four days before the walk you’ll be sent a reminder of your booking, and details of when and where you need to park.

1. Farndon & Holt villages and countryside; and the River

Dee walk ~ on Sunday 21st September.

Thereisanexcellentvarietyofsceneryonthis3.75milecircularwalk. All the pathson this pleasantwalk arein goodcondition andthe route isquiteflat,makingtheroutemoreofanextendedstroll.Thereareno stiles, and although some are quite old, all of the gates are in good order.Theviewsareverypleasantandmostlyquiterural,andyouare likely to see more local dog walkers than hikers. You do see quite a lot of the riverand as the lastpart is navigable you may evenspot the odd boat.

2. The Daresbury valley walk, via Bridgewater Canal and Countryside. ~ On Sunday 19th October.

The outward part of this circular 4.5 mile walk is along an excellent canal towpath, but the return route is more challenging. There’s a lot of variety in the scenery and the route includes many footpaths which are rarely used, some cut through rock. There are excellent views across the shallow valley, a long and wooded section, the Daresbury research labs and old ancient narrow stiles that are difficult to cross and will require some agility. Excellent for dogs, (but may need help with one of the stiles). You will have to cross two fields of crops and wade through a section of tall dense ferns. Also, there are some low hills to climb.

3. Church Minshull countryside, and the S.U. Middlewich

Canal walk ~ On Saturday 15th November.

Althoughmostofthis3.75mileSaturdaycircularwalkisalonghardor wellusedpaths,tracks orlanes;somefootpathsareverylittle used.It is more figure-of-eight rather than circular and has a wide variety of interestingscenery. Thereisagoodmixture ofbridlegates,stiles and wooden footbridges, most of them in goodorderbut a couple of stiles have quite a high drop. The section through a most delightful wood hasaveryunevenpathsoyouwillneedtobealittlenimble.Awalking stick may also be handy in summer to fend off nosy cows, as in a coupleofmeadowsyoumayfindsome.Althoughtherouteisnotquite flat, there are no steepslopes

4. Xmas walk through Walton Hall Park & Hillcliffe Woods;

Back via ‘London Bridge’ along the Bridgewater Canal.

~ On Sunday 17th December.

Starting with a delightful wooded cutting, this 4.25 mile circular walk begins with a short length of the Bridgwater Canal, just as far as the next bridge, then over a footbridge into the very popular Walton Hall public park. All the footpaths are in excellent condition and there are no stiles and only a few kissing gates. After the park we will find the start of an ancient footpath taking us through a golf course. Following a buggy path which is also part of the Delamere Way, we join a footpathuptheslopeandthroughHillCliffewoods.Wearethentaken downhill through the estate along an enchanting and enclosed old urban footpath to London Bridge. A long towpath walk then brings us back to the pub.

IWA Chester & Mersey Branch Programme of Meetings - 2025

All meetings will be held at 7.45 pm on the second Tuesday of the month.

Meetings are at the Holiday Inn, Lower Mersey St.,Ellesmere Port ,CH65 2AL

With our fun raffle

Our sales and shop are available for Christmas Cards and Publications.

14 October 2025 -CathTurpintalks on the -The origins and history of theNationalWaterwaysMuseum atEllesmerePort.Thisyearwillsee the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Museum.

11 November 2025 – John Pomfret talks on the The River Nene and Fenland Waterways. The talk covers the history of the fenland waterway systems in eastern England and includes a tour round the currently navigable parts, starting from the Grand Union Canal near Northampton and travelling down the River Nene, across the Middle Level andaround the Great Ouse system. Finally,we will have a brief look at fenland waterways in south Lincolnshire and proposals for a new waterway link between the River Witham and the RiverNene.

9 December2025 – our Christmas doo – with sherry and mince pies

Jim Mole holds a Quiz -a pictorial on ‘Ships and Castles’ with prizes for the top team!

Our 2026 Socials areon: 13thJan, 10thFeb and 10th March (AGM)

- speakers to be announced look forward to seeing you there.

OFFICERSAND COMMITTEE

President. Ron Evans

Branch Chairman Jim Forkinjim.forkin@team.waterways.org.uk H. 01270 650054 M. 07803 928929

Minute Secretary Ann Farrellann.farrell@waterways.org.uk

Treasurer, Social Sec. Jim Mole jim.mole@waterways.org.uk H. 01606 40955 M. 07580 162355

Publicity Officer Les Green lesliejgreen@hotmail.co.uk

Editor Packet Boat Les Green lesliejgreen@hotmail.co.uk

Planning & Geoff Gittusgeoff.gittus@waterways.org.uk

NavigationOfficer H. 0151 605 1094 M. 07808 859751

Membership John Herson john.herson@waterways.org.uk

Secretary

Merseyside Liaison Geoff Gittusgeoff.gittus@waterways.org.uk

Scars Liaison Vacancy

Chester Liaison John Hersonjohn.herson@waterways.org.uk

Bridgewater Canal Ian & Vera Shortian.short@waterways.org.uk Liaison vera.short@waterways.org.uk

Committee Members Vacancies