We have been alerted to the fact that CRT may be considering restricted opening hours all year round on a permanent basis for the Caen Hill flight in Devizes, should no objections be raised. The winter opening hours for Caen Hill (Locks 29-44) are 10am – 1pm every day, with last entry into the flight by 1pm.
Many boaters were upset and angry to find out just before Christmas that CRT is planning to close the Caen Hill flight from 9th to 15th January to carry out a “stilling test” that will result in water levels in the Long Pound dropping significantly, and that boats were being told to travel down Caen Hill to avoid being grounded.
CRT has reneged on the agreement that it made in May 2019 with boaters and Wadworths Brewery to re-instate the boaters’ rubbish bins at the Bridge Inn, Horton, near Devizes.
In December 2019, fourteen boaters sent a complaint to Acting Regional Director Jon Horsfall that no progress had been made on constructing the proposed new bin site at the pub and also that the water tap at the Bridge Inn had been out of service since November 2019.
A group of volunteers who run the Claverton Pumping Station recently started a campaign to prevent CRT from selling the engineman’s cottage on the site due to the risk that the heritage building would be altered beyond recognition or even demolished. However despite an online petition with 599 signatures, the volunteers reluctantly announced that their campaign was at an end. This is the joint statement today (21st May 2018) from CRT, the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, and the Claverton Volunteers:
The removal of the bins at Darlington Wharf in Bath a month ago has inconvenienced boaters to such an extent that Julian House Travelling Community Support service met with Bath Waterspace Project Co-ordinator Cleo Newcombe-Jones today (15th February 2018) to discuss rubbish bins and overall facilities provision on the K&A within the BaNES Council area.
A group of 10 live-aboard boaters cleared around 25 bags of litter from the K&A yesterday (Sunday 11th February). The team picked up rubbish from the towpath, hedges and ditches between Semington and Bradford on Avon Marina. The boaters also removed bulky items such as bicycles and rubble.
There will be a skip at the car park by Hilperton Marsh bridge (165) from this Friday 9th to Monday 12th February 2018. It is for bulky rubbish from boats on the towpath and moored at Hilperton Marsh Farm, and it will also be used to dispose of rubbish cleared by the Boaters’ Towpath Tidy this Sunday 11th February.