Camp report Grantham Canal
Work continues on rebuilding Woolsthorpe Lock 15, with plans for locks 14 and 13 to follow in the forthcoming years...
between Kirsty and Maria (my wife), and then it got mentioned that Kirsty would like to assist with someone and would I be interTo start this report, we will go right back to ested in doing a Grantham Camp? the Bonfire Bash in 2016: as normal during Not liking Grantham I said “no not Saturday afternoon the WRG Committee had really”; well I think they got me drunk and done the biz, and in the evening for everystupidly I agreed... I think they call it the one to see, was a list of camps for 2017. power of woman! As people came off site, the boards So, to the camp. Having driven by were up with details of camps - and several some strange place in Birmingham, we people went forward and put their name ended up at the hall, Kirsty was waiting and down to either lead or assist or even cook for we sorted out some bits and pieces and a camp. After the food that the cooks had Maria went off shopping. produced for Saturday evening and the RAF Martin had also arrived with a normal speeches, including the one from our couple of other people and did the collecglorious chairman Mr MKP MBE himself, tions from the train station and soon we saying about the boards and the lists, I went were all present, a good mix of experienced and newbies, two DofE’ers and people who off to wash up. seemed have travelled from Switzerland, Unbeknown to me two people were working in cahoots together, and as I sat Spain, and two from France. down with a beer, I was asked by Kirsty “are Saturday night we did the normal you leading any camps during the summer?”, Health & Safety talk with video, cook did her I said “No I have enough trouble preparing talk, we ate a lovely meal and got ready for for a Festival, I won’t have time”. the morning. I should have realised there was a look I will add that the Hall at Cropwell
Grantham Canal 5 - 12 August
Grantham Canal Fact File
Length: 33 miles Locks: 18 Date closed: 1936
The Canal Camp project: Rebuilding Lock 15 on the Woolsthorpe Flight Why? This is part of a major Heritage Lottery Fund backed project by Grantham Canal Society with support from the Canal & River Trust to restore lock 15 of the seven-lock Woolsthorpe flight - followed by Lock 14. Unfortunately it turned out to be in a much worse state than had been realised, so what had been expected to be a repair has turned into more of a demolition and rebuild job. The wider picture: As well as being an important restoration task in itself, the work is being used as a heritage skills training exercise for the Society and CRT to help provide a pool of volunteers for the next To Newark Proposed diversion Nottingham Woolsthorpe stage, locks 12-13. Trent to Restored Locks 12-18 It’s also a step Shardlow Redmile length towards creating a Grantham Original route Cropwell 10-mile restored length to obstructed The Long Redmile - and in the medium term, Canal Camp Restored Pound completing the Long Pound to Cropwell. site: Lock 15 length Get that open, and someone might just find the cash to create the diversion needed to connect the canal back to the Trent.
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