Amendments

Four Counties & Cheshire Rings

Map 6: Good news! The abandonment by Premier Foods of the former Cadbury works at Knighton has not proven terminal. A manufacturer of baby milk is taking over the site.

Map 7: The winding hole at Tyrley Top Lock is no longer available for public use.

Map 9: It is with great sadness that we report the closure of Audlem Mill, the system’s most iconic canal shop for some six decades. Peter & Christine Silvester have retired and no successor has emerged to take over the business as a going concern.

Map 17: Jenny Tyte has spotted that there are now rubbish facilities at the south end of Harecastle Tunnel.

Map 40: Close to the canal (but somewhat hidden) we inadvertently overlooked Lymm’s excellent Heritage Centre (Legh Street - WA13 0DA). It’s open Thur-Sun 12-4pm and admission is free.

Map 41: We do not normally list stoppages on these pages, but the sizeable breach at Little Bollington is likely to take a very long and convoluted time to repair, effectively severing the Cheshire Ring for the forseeable future.

Maps 47/47A: Martin Williams was disappointed to find that Archers Bakery in Marple no longer make the corned beef and vegetable pies we were so enamoured of, but tells us that the turkey & mushroom and cheese & onion alterntives are excellent.

Map 47B: There is no longer a self-service pump-out at Whaley Bridge.

Map 49: K. Goodman tells us that Bollington Black Cabs are no longer in business, and recommends Silvertown of Macclesfield (see page 141) as an alternative.

Map 51: David Hymers points out that (though unsigned) there is a self-serve pump-out at Bosley, located on the arm behind the service block alongside the top lock.

Welsh Waters

Map 6: Whilst Premier Foods abandoned their works at Knighton in 2024, it appears that a manufacturer of baby milk is due to take over the site.

Map 7: The Community Shop in Cheswardine has moved from its former location adjoining the Fox & Hounds to Podmore Road at the far end of the village. Opening times are 8.30-11am daily plus 2-4pm on Friday afternoons. The winding hole at Tyrley Top Lock is no longer available for public use.

Map 8: John & Jo Tripp emailed recommending the Town House on Cheshire Street in Market Drayton, but we see that it has since shut down, the owner ruefully suggesting that ‘Drayton had become a ‘ghost town’ in the evenings. Similarly, the Buttercross Bistro has also shut down.

Map 9: It is with great sadness that we report the closure of Audlem Mill, the system’s most iconic canal shop for some six decades. Peter & Christine Silvester have retired and no successor has emerged to take over the business as a going concern. The Old Priest House and Linden Stores in Audlem have also closed down. The vegetable and fruit stall alongside Lock 9 no longer appears to operate.

Map 11: David Hymers says that Chatwins have concentrated their activities in Nantwich on their Town Square outlet.

Map 11A: There are rubbish disposal facilities at Anderton in addition to those shown.

Map 12: Jenny Tyte points out that there is a mooring point at Calveley specifically for shopping at J. S. Bailey’s cheese shop and cafe; stay limited to 3 hours.

Map 13: The Shady Oak at Beeston Castle has been bought out by the Cheshire Pub Co. and re-named The Shady. Open from noon daily, its new contact number is: 01829 730008. Booking for lunch or dinner is encouraged.

Map 14 Waverton: Steve Speyer reports - please be aware the waterpoint at Troopers Bridge no. 122 is not where shown but is now located between bridges 122 and 122a.

Map 17: David Hymers says that the pipe bridge below Swanley No.2 Lock has been dismantled.

Map 18: As correspondent Paul Lightfoot predicted, the Cotton Arms at Wrenbury has closed down. The site is being redeveloped for housing.

Map 21: Mammoth Tower is a 15ft high viewing platform on Whixall Moss, accessible from the towpath west of Prees Junction.

Map 22: Gremlins, gremlins! There are neither showers nor self-pump-out facilities at CRT’s yard at Ellesmere. Profuse apologies! Pump-out is available at Blackwater Marina.

Map 24: Opening times at the Bridge Inn, Chirk Bank are now from 2pm Mon-Thur and from noon Fri-Sat. Food is not served on Tuesdays. Chirk Castle is now open daily for the bulk of the year.

Map 26: Mooring fees at Llangollen are now £13 for every 24 hours.

Map 28: The Montgomery Canal extension from Gronwen Wharf to Crickheath Wharf finally opened on 16th May 2023.

Severn & Avon

Map 1: My Great Grandfathers in Tewkesbury has closed down.

Map 3: Sadly, Sedgeberrow Books, which could always be relied upon for an interesting stock of secondhand inland waterways books, has closed its shop in Pershore, though the company still deals on the internet. Whistlers has also closed down.

Map 4: Very usefully, ANT now provide 48 hour visitor moorings for The Valley (aka Evesham Country Park). The Bridge Inn at Offerton has also re-opened - Tel: 01386 446565.

Map 6: There is no longer a butcher or bakery in Bidford. Nor is there any longer a butcher in Welford.

Map 7: Hathaway Tea Rooms, La Marina and No.9 Church Street have all closed down. We will select replacement eating places in the next printed update. Shakespeare Marina has opened upstream of Weir Brake Lock.

Map 9: A restaurant called The View has opened at Hill Farm Marina. Tel: 01564 627280.

Map 10: The Crab Mill at Preston Bagot has closed due to a fire.

Map 11: The Indian restaurant called Tagore at Hockley Heath has closed down.

Map 12: Boating facilities are provided by Lady Lane Wharf at Bridge 16 - Tel: 01564 702552. The Reservoir at Earlswood has morphed into Hickory’s Smokehouse - Tel: 01564 393240.

Map 14: A new footbridge has been erected immediately north of Bridge 80 at Selly Oak, improving access to Battery Retail Park.

Map 15: The Navigation Inn (just up from W&B Bridge 71) has been re-opened by Wetherspoons - Tel: 0121 451 1090.

Map 19: Brook Line at Dunhampstead is now operated by Trinity Boats - Tel: 01905 779048. Fir Tree Inn has become a farm shop and cafe - Tel: 01905 774094.

Map 20: Saffrons in Worcester has closed.

Map 22: Portofino and Spice Fusion in Droitwich have closed.

Map 28: The Secret Mess and Severn Leisure Cruises have closed down in Upton-on-Severn.

Map 30: Tragically, it would appear that The Boat at Ashleworth has closed down. Another classic bites the dust!

Map 31: Lily’s, So Pie and Tank in Gloucester have closed down. Turk’s Head has relocated to St Aldates.

Map 34: Steve Sprayer tells us that there is no longer a designated visitor mooring on the Gloucester side of Patch Bridge.

Map 35: The Berkeley Arms at Purton appears to have closed down, ditto the Dock Shop at Sharpness, though in the latter case the post office stores in neighbouring Newtown remains very much in business.

Map 37: Installation of a new railway bridge, west of The Ocean at Stonehouse, has resulted in navigable headroom being provided.

Map 40: Tunnel House Inn closed down in 2020.

Map 44: Vera’s Kitchen in Lechlade has closed down.

Map 45: The Roundhouse, an NT/CRT partnership, has opened on Sheepcote Street, Birmingham. Tel: 0121 716 4077. It is open daily (ex Mon) between 9.30am and 4.30pm, initially offering ‘heritage walks and kayak experiences’. The lockage figures at the top of the map should, of course, read 19, not 13!

Map 46: Regrettably, all trace of Tyseley Wharf has vanished beneath a new development.

Map 47: The Spar post office stores at Catherine de Barnes are now operated by Nisa. There is a water point on the towpath side north of Bridge 76 at Copt Heath.

Map 48: Alison & Bill Root emailed in praise of Lapworth Wines, a family run wine merchants which also doubles as the village’s post office. We’ll attempt to do them more justice in forthcoming editions. Meanwhile they open daily from 11am (noon on Sundays) and can be contacted on 01564 784695.

Map 51: Momenti and Tame Hare in Leamington have closed down. The telephone number for both the Tourist Information Centre and Art Gallery & Museum is now 01926 456940. House of Fraser did not survive Mike Ashley’s takeover for very long!

Map 54: John Forrest has kindly pointed out that the offside moorings west of Bridge 95 at Braunston are now for private use only. Furthermore, the entrance/egress of the Oxford Canal’s original course as shown is misleading: it should enter/exit at the end of the arm beneath the boatyard symbol. We will amend this in future print runs at the earliest opportunity.

Stourport & Black Country Rings

Map 1: Contradicting our pessimism, the new Kepax Foot Bridge (see text on page 8) has finally materialised, and is due to open late 2024/early 2025. The nearby Pump House Environment Centre has, on the other hand, closed due to lack of funding.

Map 14: The Mamod steam model factory, hitherto located between the Old and New Main Lines at Galton Bridge, sadly closed on 4th August 2024.

Map 28: Fazeley Mill Marina is under new ownership. Tel: 01827 215703.

Map 30: The Fradley Arms, on the A38 north of Bridge 89, is closed permanently, the neighbouring Premier Inn remains in business.

Map 41: There are no longer any designated Visitor Moorings at Sneyd Wharf.

Map 42: The Anchor adjacent to Catshill Junction is permanently closed.

Map 43: The Black Cock by Black Cock Bridge is permanently closed.

Map 45: David Hymers says that the towpath on the ‘northern’ side of the Tame Valley Canal is effectively unusable, apart from between Perry Barr Locks 1-7. Also, having negotiated the Garrison, Ashted, Aston and Perry Barr flights, he has found the policy of securing paddle gear with T locks to be largely abandoned.

Oxford & Grand Union Canals

Map 3: David Hymers says that there are Biffa rubbish disposal bins on the offside east of Bridge 58, Rugby. They are probably council owned, but appear to be available for general use.

Map 5: Clare & Will Hewitt have taken over from Fred & Carol Barnes at The Boat Shop Home-baked bread is a highlight. The Old Plough in Braunston village has re-opened and comes highly recommended.

Map 8: The shop at Cropredy is closing imminently.

Map 11: Lift-bridge 193 has been hydraulicised and requires a windlass to operate. However, in our experience, it is usually left raised for the passage of boats.

Map 14: Lift-bridge 219 has been hydraulicised and requires a windlass to operate. However, in our experience, it is usually left raised for the passage of boats.

Map 15: Lift-bridge 233 has been rebuilt and hydraulicised. However, in our experience, it is usually left raised for the passage of boats. Lift-bridge 234 has also been hydraulicised and requires a windlass to operate.

Map 18: There is a water point on the towpath side just north of Bridge 76 at Copt Heath.

Map 25: Clare & Will Hewitt have taken over from Fred & Carol Barnes at The Boat Shop. The Old Plough in Braunston village has re-opened and comes highly recommended.

Map 28: Laundry and pump-out facilities are only available at Heyford Fields Marina for resident moorers.

Map 43: The HS2 Colne Valley Viaduct, completed in September 2024, has won a Royal Fine Art Commission award for its design. Who says we can’t ‘build beautiful’ anymore!

Map 57: Swing-bridge 1 on the Market Harborough Arm requires a CRT facilities Yale key to access, David Hymers tells us.

Map 58: Joe Greaves tells us that the Queen’s Head at Saddington has changed its telephone number to 0116 332 5960.

Map 60: Stranded by floods on the Soar, and needing to turn before reaching Leicester, correspondent Graham Dean, emailed to point out that the winding hole imediately west of Bridge 98 at Glen Parva is missing from our map.

Map 66: The last train-load of imported coal arrived at Ratcliffe Power Station at the end of June 2024. Electricity generation ceased at the end of September.

South Midlands

Map 6: Alison & Bill Root emailed in praise of Lapworth Wines, a family run wine merchants which also doubles as the village’s post office. We’ll attempt to do them more justice in forthcoming editions. Meanwhile they open daily from 11am (noon on Sundays) and can be contacted on 01564 784695.

Map 7: There is a water point on the towpath side just north of Bridge 76 at Copt Heath.

Map 11: Peter Edwards points out there there is no longer a water point at Curdworth Top Lock (No.1), though there is one at Dunton Wharf as correctly shown on the map.

Map 12: Fazeley Mill Marina is under new ownership. Tel: 01827 215703.

Map 13: Having diligently checked with CRT, Alan Mould advises that the water tap on the towpath side below Hunts Lock (15) is for the sole use of private moorers on the offside. Fradley Post Office has closed down. The Fradley Arms, on the A38 north of Bridge 89, is closed permanently, the neighbouring Premier Inn remains in business.

Map 15: Fazeley Mill Marina is under new ownership. Tel: 01827 215703.

Map 16: Alan Mould also tells us of changes under Eating & Drinking in Polesworth. There is no longer an Indian annex to the Bull’s Head, whose telephone number has changed to 0784 580 5466. He recommends, however, The Yard Spice on Market Street - Tel: 0739 266 8225 - which adjoins a pub called Yard - Tel: 0784 580 5466.

Map 17: The Co-op at Atherstone has been rebranded as a Tesco. The King’s Head have changed their telephone number to 01827 936979.

Map 19: Malcolm Abbott has emailed to say that access from Bridge 17 of the Coventry Canal south of Nuneaton has become virtually impossible. We assume that it’s something to do with the rapid development of the adjoining business park. Malcolm and his wife were attempting to reach the Griffin Inn, and recommends that anyone intending to follow in their footsteps go via Bridge 15. A hefty detour!

Map 20: Latest opening times for the Playwrights Cafe at Coventry Basin are: 8.30am-3pm Tue-Fri; 8.30am-4pm Sat; and 9am-3pm Sun •• David Hymers reports - the official moorings marked north of Bridge 6 have had the rings removed, so it is impossible to moor there as the towpath is solid to the edge.

Map 23: Canal Chef at Hillmorton opens 9am-4pm Wed-Sun. David Hymers says that there are Biffa rubbish disposal bins on the offside east of Bridge 58, Rugby. They are probably council owned, but appear to be available for general use.

Map 25: Clare & Will Hewitt have taken over from Fred & Carol Barnes at The Boat Shop. The Old Plough in Braunston village has re-opened and comes highly recommended.

Map 28: Laundry and pump-out facilities are only available at Heyford Fields Marina for resident moorers.

Map 31: Jenny Tyte tells us that there are good visitor moorings (with rings along a wooden edge) immediately north of Bridge 25 at Stoke Golding. The White Swan in Stoke Golding village has closed down permanently. Joe Greaves emailed to point out the scarcity of cash machines in settlements alongside the Ashby Canal. The only one he could find was at the petrol station west of Bridge 15 on the outskirts of Hinckley. He also remarked upon the generally shallow nature of the Ashby Canal nowadays, something other observers have also alluded to.

Map 32: Disappointingly, the secondhand book section at Whitemoors, Shenton has closed down. Regular correspondent, Chris Rigden, says that the 153 bus no longer terminates or departs from the stop by Bridge 42, which pretty much blows our introductory text to Market Bosworth out of the water. Of course it still operates hourly to/from Leicester, but you have to walk up to the Market Place to catch it.

Map 39: Eagle-eyed Peter Edwards correctly spotted that the boatyard symbol by Bridge 119 should read ‘2’ not ‘1’, and refers to Waring’s Green Wharf.

Map 48: The National Brewery Centre has shut down. A sad loss to what was once the most important brewing town in the Empire.

Map 49: Pascal a the Old Vicarage has closed down. The owners have retired.

Map 50: The cafe at Barton Marina no longer operates. Alrewas Post Office has closed down. Having diligently checked with CRT, Alan Mould advises that the water tap on the towpath side below Hunts Lock (15) is for the sole use of private moorers on the offside.

Kennet & Avon, and River Thames

Map 6: Colin Newman has emailed in to say that The Somerset Arms at Semington has closed down.

Map 16: The West Cornwall Pasty Co and Cafe Rouge have closed down in Newbury.

Map 17: The pub adjacent to Bridge 53 has been replaced by a brach of Lidl. There are no longer any banks Thatcham now, though as regular correspondent and local resident, David Hymers, usefully points out, there is a market on Fridays.

Maps 22-43: Fresh from a trip on the Thames, Jeremy Pack has emailed to let us know that the Environment Agency have made alterations to their water points along the river. Pending a full survey prior to the next edition of the Kennet & Avon/River Thames Canal Companion, we recommend users visit the EA’s website for ‘up to date’ details. The moral is, we think: ‘fill up at every opportunity’.

Map 24: Jeremy Pack recommends the visitor moorings generously provided by the Wilts & Berks Trust at the entance to the proposed course of their restored canal.

Map 25: Jenny Tyte tells us that there are no longer any Visitor Moorings on the south bank upstream of Shillingford Bridge.

Map 26: Details of facilities at Benson and Wallingford can be found on page 56.

Map 37: David Hymers reports that the Tourist Information Centre at Windsor has moved from Central railway station to The Guidhall, though the telephone contact number remains the same.

Leeds & Liverpool Canals

Map 4: The Bingley adjacent Horbury Road Bridge has re-opened. Tel: 01924 929955.

Map 5: Regular correspondent, Paul Lightfoot, says that the Brewers Pride at Healey has been refurbished by Ossett Brewery and is about to re-open as The Brewers 1841 in the guise of a tap house & pizzeria.

Map 6: Derek Selby - who has walked the whole of our recommended pilgrimage from Sowerby Bridge to Selby - experienced difficulty on the outskirts of Wakefield by the bridge carrying the railway line to Westgate station (No.45). Apparently the footpath east of the bridge has been fenced off. As a consequence, if you’re walking from Thornes Lock (Map 5) to Wakefield, the only practial route is via the A636. Similarly, Derek got caught out at West Haddlesey, having assumed that the structure shown crossing the Aire was a footbridge, whereas in fact it’s a pipe. We should have made it clearer that the pedestrian route between Beal and West Haddlesey is via the north bank of the Aire.

Map 15: Paul Lightfoot has been in touch to say that Swing-bridge 218 at Rodley has been ‘semi-automated’: not electrified, but equipped with barriers, and it requires a CRT Yale key to access the controls. By all accounts operation is hard to fathom!

Map 34A: Peter Edwards tells us that there is a petrol station with small shop near the pharmacy in Rufford. The telephone number for the Cock & Bottle in Tarleton is now 01772 816999.

Map 35: Nellie’s telephone number at Scarisbrick is now 01704 841222.