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NORTHAMPTON BRANCH | Campaigning for the Conservation, Use, Maintenance, Restoration and Development of the Inland Waterways |
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HISTORY
Northampton Branch: The formation of Northampton Branch in the early 1970s is one of geographical evolvement. The Eastern Branch of the Inland Waterways Association - itself founded in 1946 - was formed at a meeting held at the Plough Hotel in Northampton on 28 June 1968. Until then the nearest Branch was the Midlands which held meetings in Birmingham. The Eastern Branch covered a large area of East Anglia and the South Midlands including Peterborough, Cambridge and Norwich. Later it spawned a Cambridge section which became a branch in its own right in 1971. The Eastern then became the South-East Midlands Branch, later changed to Northampton Branch when branches were formed at Peterborough and Milton Keynes. In its early years, the Branch campaigned unsuccessfully for the retention of grain traffic to Whitworth’s Mill at Wellingborough. In 1971 came the organisation of the highly successful National Rally of Boats at Becket’s Park, Northampton, with over 600 boats attending. This was also the first IWA National Rally where the Waterway Recovery Group assisted at and benefited financially from. 1973 witnessed Branch opposition at a Public Inquiry into the building of the A5 diversion through the line of the Old Stratford (Buckingham) Arm instead of over it. Unfortunately this did not succeed, which makes restoration of the Buckingham Arm more difficult. Over the next decade the principal campaign centred on the reopening of the Blisworth Tunnel, closed for a long period for repairs. After a Public Inquiry, the Branch also managed to get the Blisworth by-pass moved further away from the locks on the Arm and with added screening. In recent years the Branch has pressed for the reinstatement of listed lift bridges below locks 10 and 13 on the Arm, removed some time ago, and restoration of the crane that stood near lock 17. A newly-fabricated bridge is now in position below lock 13 whilst installation of the other bridge at lock 10 is imminent. Meanwhile, the dismantled crane is currently stored at BW’s Gayton Junction yard and it has been ascertained that Bellway Homes, developers of the South Bridge West site at Far Cotton, are under an obligation to restore the crane prior to completion and handover of the housing project. The aim is to ensure the crane’s re-positioning as near to its original site as possible. Another active campaign by the Branch focuses upon improving the waterfront at Becket’s Park, Northampton, especially with regard to safety and security. Northampton Borough Council have now installed CCTV cameras to cover the waterfront. Northampton Branch is also currently supporting a local initiative to regenerate the pocket park alongside the Westbridge Branch of the River Nene in Northampton. An annual boat gathering is held at Becket’s Park over the May Day Bank Holiday, which encourages boats to use the Westbridge Branch of the River Nene (re-instated by the Branch in the 1980s after it had lain derelict for decades), ensure early summer use of the Arm and raise money for waterway causes. In June 2005 the Branch also helped to organise a major Canal and Village Festival to commemorate and celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the opening of Blisworth Tunnel, working alongside British Waterways, The Waterways Trust, the Blisworth Heritage Society and other local partners. A separate website with information about the festival and containing photo’s of the event can be viewed at www.blisworthtunnel.org.uk A plaque is available for boaters cruising the Northampton Arm. Details on Northampton (01604) 767212 or from the Northampton Arm guide available in a box (BW key needed) on the wall of the sanitary station at Gayton Junction. The Branch area for membership used to cover the NN postcode area. The Branch boundaries were changed in 2002 to the Northamptonshire County Boundary, but including Welford and the Welford Arm of the Leicester Line. The waterways covered are the G.U. main line from Cosgrove to Braunston, the Leicester Line to its junction with the Welford Arm, Welford Arm, Northampton Arm and River Nene to Thrapston. Navigations of Northamptonshire: The River Nene (pronounced Nen in Northampton) was made navigable to the town in 1761. This enabled Sea Coal to reach the area. But it was expensive as the coal was shipped from the North East and transhipped to Fen lighters to come up the river. The navigation was a mixture of pound and flash locks (Navigation Weirs). The locks were able to accommodate two Fen lighters being approximately 84ft. x 10ft. In the 1930s the navigation was rebuilt by the Nene Catchment Board. The flash locks were removed or rebuilt as pound looks. The locks were rebuilt to approximately 78ft. x 14ft. with bottom guillotine gates. More recently some guillotines have been converted to electric operation and some have been replaced by mitre gates. The Act for the Grand Junction Canal received the Royal assent on 30th April 1793. By the autumn of 1796 the canal was open between Braunston and Blisworth. This enabled Warwickshire coal to reach Northampton with land carriage of a few miles. Four years later a route to the South was in use. But as Blisworth Tunnel was not completed till 1805 a temporary railway was used between Blisworth and the bottom of Stoke Bruerne locks. This was Northamptonshire's first railway and was a double tracked tramway. The cast iron rails were 'L' shaped and sat on stone blocks. The wagons had no flanges which meant that sidings were not needed at each end. When the tunnel opened the tramway was removed and re-laid as a single line from Gayton to Northampton opening in October 1805. This did not satisfy the inhabitants of the town and a branch canal with 17 narrow looks connecting the main line with the river was opened in May 1815. In 1876 the canal was rerouted just above Lock 17 at Northampton to permit the London and North Western Railway to construct a curve from Castle to Bridge Street stations. The original Act for the Grand Junction had included a branch to Northampton. The Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union Canal was promoted with the aim of linking Northampton and Leicester so provided a link from the G.J. to the River Trent. It started construction southwards from Leicester and ran out of money at Debdale near Market Harborough in 1797, then managed to reach Market Harborough in 1809. The gap was finally filled along a different route in 1814 by the Grand Union built between Foxton and Norton Junction. This has flights of staircase locks at Foxton and Watford. Recommended Reading: Published by David and Charles:
Published by Northamptonshire Libraries:
Published by Braunston Marina: Published by Wharfside Publications:
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