The Northampton Arm Adoption –
Eighteen Months of Achievement
In October 2014 a letter appeared in ‘Towpath Talk’, proclaiming the Northampton Arm Canal to be a ‘Jewel in the Crown’ of the inland waterways. However, history shows that this has not always been the case…
As recently as the start of 2013, Bernard and Sandie Morton of the IWA’s Northampton branch were involved in extensive negotiations with the Canal & River Trust’s regional Waterway Manager, Jeff Whyatt, over what could be done to improve the general state of disrepair and neglect along this valuable stretch of waterway. The consensus of opinion was for the branch to become involved in one of the Trust’s Community Adoption schemes; and this was to be the most ambitious Adoption of its type, as it would cover the entire length of the Northampton Arm.
With the agreement in place, the next step was for the branch to encourage volunteers to participate in a series of task days, during which they could become involved in a variety of beneficial maintenance activities.
Bernard and Sandie were subsequently delighted to welcome a local boater, David Higgins, into the role of group leader for this scheme, and discussions and site visits then took place in conjunction with CRT staff, with a view to putting in place a regular programme of task days.
Their first Volunteer Task Party took place, auspiciously, on the 2nd July – which also happened to be the first birthday of the Canal & River Trust. Under the able leadership of David Higgins, the group cleared scrub and painted the lock beams of Lock 17, right in the heart of Northampton, where the River Nene joins the canal. BBC Radio Northampton and ITV Anglia News gave the event some valuable media coverage, which even resulted in additional volunteers turning up to join the group.
The branch’s next task party followed on 18th August. Strimming and vegetation clearance along a thirty-foot stretch of the landing area below Lock 17 resulted in the uncovering of a long-hidden mooring bollard. The volunteers were also able to trim back shrubs and trees near the lock landing, which improved both the access and the general appearance of the lock.
Then, on a rainy day in mid-September, Bernard and Sandie Morton, together with David Higgins, assembled a hardy band of helpers to participate in the maintenance and renovation of the area surrounding Lock 17. Despite the drizzle, which increased in intensity as the day progressed, there were smiling faces all round, and a large amount of troublesome vegetation was cleared from the site.
A regular participant in the branch’s task parties right from the outset has been stalwart volunteer Geoff Wood. On Sunday 27th October, Geoff put himself forward to supervise one of the events, and under his capable stewardship, the volunteers completed a litter pick and some extensive vegetation clearance.
Shortly afterwards, the Canal & River Trust’s regional Volunteer Leader, Miriam Tedder, was able to set up a dedicated kit store for the volunteers at Gayton Yard, containing a secure supply of life jackets, hand-tools and other useful equipment. Litter picking and low-level vegetation clearance was then undertaken in the Lock 1 area on November 19th.
Spurred on by their early successes, the branch members then announced their intention to take part in regular task parties every fortnight during 2014 – a proposal which drew widespread interest and admiration from other volunteering groups around the region. Geoff Wood and fellow branch member Mick Butler agreed to take over the organisation and supervision of subsequent task parties, with other regular participants forming the core of an enthusiastic team.
On February 9th, Geoff and Mick and their team participated in the successful collection of thirty bags of litter from the area surrounding Locks 16 and 17. On this particular occasion, the items retrieved included two supermarket trolleys and a boat toilet – yuck! Proof – if any were needed – that the volunteers have always been prepared to go the extra mile to achieve their aims.
Further successes were recorded by the group on February 23rd, when the volunteers gathered thirty more bags of litter from the area between Lock 17 and Bridge 14, and cleared scrub from a nearby bramble bank. Volunteer Karin Cotter wrote eloquently about this task day, in an intriguingly-titled article called, ‘Murder at Lock 12’, which was published in an edition of the branch’s ‘Endeavour’ magazine.
Stepping up their efforts even further, the branch recorded successful task days on March 11th and 23rd. On both occasions, huge amounts of scrub clearance took place, with bonfires held on adjacent land to dispose of the vegetation.
On 8th April the volunteers enlisted the help of CRT operative Brian Eales, who is qualified in the safe use of scaffolding. Brian was available to supervise the group as they painted the roof and walls of the sanitary station at Gayton Yard – a structure which was badly in need of a lick of paint. The group returned on 27th April to complete the task, and they also applied a new coat of paint to the nearby railings and bollards. Redoubtable volunteer Graham Newman also travelled from Braunston to help out with this task.
Despite some changeable weather, the volunteers were able to complete a large amount of painting during the month of May 2014. On May 13th, they finished the extensive task of revamping the sanitary station at Gayton Yard. Mick Butler also successfully completed a CAATS [Competency Assessment & Training Scheme] assessment for the safe use of a mower in the canalside environment.
The branch members then arranged two task parties, on 1st and 17th of June. During the first event, they completed a litter pick between Locks 16 and 17; on the second occasion, a successful litter pick was achieved between Lock 17 and Bridge 13. Mowing and strimming operations also took place, with CAATS-assessed volunteers using appropriate equipment for each task.
By this stage, the branch’s regular task parties were beginning to grow in size, with more and more willing volunteers able to attend on a regular basis. July 2014 began in a blaze of sunshine with a very hot day for the volunteers, who were ably assisted by a contingent from Santander, with whom the group had made arrangements to collaborate on some lock-painting. Despite high temperatures and swarms of troublesome insects, a fresh coat of paint was applied to Locks 2, 3, 4 and 5 along the Northampton Arm. Cold drinks all round!
The group’s nineteenth successful volunteering event included activities such as lock painting, weeding and hedge-trimming. The volunteers were then back in action on July 13th and 29th, when they began the ambitious task of refurbishing an old hut near Lock 1, with the ultimate aim of putting it back into operational use.
The IWA’s national bulletin for September 2014 included the following summary of the Northampton branch’s efforts:
“After taking a well-earned summer break from its fortnightly task parties in August, IWA Northampton branch was back in action on the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union Canal on Sunday 7th September. The volunteers tidied up around the sanitation station where the weeds had once again appeared before they finished painting the hut at Lock 1. Task parties are to continue throughout the autumn with the focus on painting the locks. Volunteers with the branch have so far painted just over half of the locks along the arm and are hoping to finish the rest as soon as possible.”
John Dodwell – a Trustee for the Canal & River Trust and a well-known boater, volunteer, and long-standing IWA member – had taken a particular interest in the branch’s various successes since the inception of the Adoption Agreement. Therefore, on 28th October 2014, CRT’s regional Maintenance Manager, Lee King, and Volunteer Coordinator, John Highmore, were very pleased to be able to introduce him to Geoff Wood and other branch members. John was impressed to meet all the volunteers, whilst they enjoyed some autumnal sunshine and applied paint to the balance beams and bollards at Lock 6 during another successful task party.
Geoff Wood then put together a short summary of the branch’s volunteering efforts during November 2014:
“On 9th November, seven hardy volunteers met at Gayton Yard. The weather was dry and bright, and the group was led by Mick Butler. The aim for the day was to paint Locks 9 and 10, and this was achieved in good time. Then, on 25th November, a group of twelve valiant volunteers assembled at Lock 17, in the Far Cotton area. Our two ‘Jolly Rogers’ (Roger Hasdell and Roger O’Dea) set off to locate and survey some historic mile-posts, which we would like to uncover and re-paint at a later date.
The rest of the group concentrated on a general clear-up around Lock 17. A litter-pick yielded eleven bags of rubbish, plus a large cushion, a tyre and a shopping trolley. Meanwhile, a few of the volunteers trimmed back branches which had been obscuring a warning notice; this has massively increased its visibility for boaters navigating the Arm. Everyone had a very satisfying but tiring day; in particular, one volunteer who came all the way from Daventry – he had been planning to walk all the way home, but he ran out of daylight at Weedon and caught the bus the rest of the way. He said he slept well that night!”
On Sunday 7th and Tuesday 16th December, the volunteers held two consecutive task days at Lock 17. A large amount of scrubby vegetation and decent-sized branches were successfully cleared from the Far Cotton area by the group on these occasions.
Then, on 12th December, Geoff Wood was accompanied by SE Volunteer Leader Miriam Tedder in an exploratory site visit to search for a set of historic mile-posts, some of which have apparently become buried. Armed with a Cable Avoidance Tool, they conducted a sweep of the area to try and pick up any readings of hidden metal objects. Four mile-posts were identified, and the branch hopes to renovate and reinstate all of them during 2015, with the guidance of the Canal & River Trust’s Heritage department.
To mark the culmination of an incredibly successful period, Neil Owen (Jeff Whyatt’s successor as SE Waterway Manager) presented the Northampton branch of the IWA with the regional Volunteer Organisation Recognition Award (VORA) for 2014. A shield and certificate were conferred at a Christmas Get-Together for CRT volunteers which was held at Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum. This award was in recognition of the branch members’ many and varied successes during 2013 and 2014 - as well as their ambitious plans for 2015.
Not only was this a timely celebration of the group’s exemplary achievements in volunteering in the SE Waterway region, but the award also stands as a true measure of just how much positive progress the branch’s volunteers have made in a relatively short space of time. Thanks to their collective efforts, they have assured that the Northampton Arm canal has regained its rightful place as a ‘Jewel in the Crown’ of the United Kingdom’s inland waterways.
On behalf of everyone at the Canal & River Trust, it only remains for me to sincerely thank everyone who has played their part in the resounding success of this inspirational Community Adoption scheme.
John Highmore
(SE Volunteer Coordinator,
Canal & River Trust)
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