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Heritage Lottery Application
The Grantham Canal Partnership supported by the Grantham Canal Society has submitted an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to restore locks 14 and 15. The emphasis of the bid is to undertake the lock restoration using volunteers as part of a national waterway skill training initiative being developed by the Inland Waterway’s Association, with an emphasis on learning waterway heritage construction skills.
Lock 14 with collapsed offside wall in critical need of restoration.
Although we are only applying for funding for the restoration of only two of the four locks which remain derelict on the Woolsthorpe flight, we are confident that the skills learnt will enable the remaining two locks and indeed other derelict locks elsewhere on the Grantham Canal to be restored. As this is part of a national training initiative we will also, through skills learnt, be indirectly assisting in the restoration of locks on other remainder waterway canals.
In addition to the restoration of the locks, we are also proposing to work with local canalside village communities to research and install bespoke interpretation panels and new signage along the full 33 mile of the canal. It is hoped that this locally based research will discover previously unseen photographs of the canal before it closed and unlock lots of canal memories which can be recorded.
A further emphasis will be the marketing of the many volunteering opportunities on the canal to attract a much wider cross section of people than is currently the case.
It is a long process; our submitted application is only the first step to allow us to commission a series of studies and reports to enable us to submit a HLF stage 2 application. We will hear if we have been successful for our Stage 1 Application in early June and we aim to submit our stage 2 application in August 2012.
The value of the stage 1 application is £55,000, with the estimated overall cost of the proposed works (stage 2) being £750,000. Out application to the HLF would be for £380,000, with the remaining costs being secured through other grant funding bodies, company sponsorship and ‘gift in kind’, which will primarily consist of the value of volunteers who are involved with the project or are receiving training.
If we are successful then it will give the Grantham Canal and its canal heritage a much needed boost. Restoration of these locks would be the next step in achieving navigation into Leicestershire and eventually through to Redmile. Undoubtedly there will be plenty to do but it will be worth it! In the meantime we must keep our fingers crossed and hope we are successful with the stage 1 application.
Priceless volunteers sought- Would you enjoy helping local events?
The society’s team that runs our stall at events urgently requires more recruits. The stall promotes the Grantham Canal at many shows, small & large, and also raises money through sales and competitions. If you like talking to people and could spare some time, usually at weekends, to assist in this very enjoyable activity we would love to hear from you. Please email RhuMaere@aol.com or call on 07971 173 069
Why Not Become an Active Volunteer??
The Grantham Canal corridor is an excellent resource for people of all ages and from all walks of life – if you agree why not consider helping out with its regeneration – it needn’t be a full-time commitment – you can involve yourself to whatever degree you like!
What do you wish to do?
- Crew the trip-boat
- Help with publicity
- Join the sales team at events and shows
- Maintain the navigable waterway
- Explore the ecology of the canal
- Become a towpath ranger
- Assist with administration
- Become a group leader
If you’ve any expertise – or even just lots of enthusiasm – you can help regenerate the Grantham Canal
So ………. why not join the Team of your choice?
We have teams that need more members so why not call the Team Leaders:-
- Trip-boat - Michael Oliver - michaeloliver31@aol .com
- Publicity - chairman@granthamcanal.com
- Sales team - Rosemary Gibson - rhumaere@aol.com
- Maintenance - Ian Wakefield - ian.wakefield@granthamcanal.com
- Ecology - Tony Pitman - tony.pitman@granthamcanal.com
- Rangers - DavidLyneham-Brown - david.lyneham-brown@granthamcanal.com
- Administration - chairman@granthamcanal.com
- Leadership - chairman@granthamcanal.com
Don’t delay – Contact today! - Help us develop the Grantham Canal corridor for everyone to enjoy.
The Grantham Canal Society
The Grantham Canal was opened in 1797 and for well over a century was one of the principal waterways of the Midlands, offering a reliable and cost-effective alternative to the toll-roads for the transport of goods and materials between Grantham and Nottingham.
In the mid-nineteenth century, the growth of the railways led to an inevitable decline in the use of water-borne transport but the Grantham Canal fared better than most, and it was not until the age of the petrol engine that closure finally came in the 1930s.
A lengthy period of neglect and decay ensued. Brickwork crumbled, leaks appeared, sections of the canal dried out and nature reclaimed the land. Within 30 years, the Grantham Canal had fallen into a state of grievous disrepair, its purpose and presence largely forgotten.
The Grantham Canal Restoration Society was formed in 1969 by a small group of local people who recognised that we were in danger of losing a precious piece of industrial and architectural heritage, a rich habitat for the flora and fauna of the Vale of Belvoir and a potential source of enjoyment for current and future generations. |
Since that time, an immense amount has been achieved; locks have been repaired and brought back into use; bridges have been rebuilt; the towpath has been resurfaced and stretches of the canal have been dredged. Groups of volunteers have tackled the encroaching vegetation, felling overhanging trees, cutting back overgrown banks and clearing out excessive weed growth to enable the water to flow again. And at all times, care has been taken to preserve and encourage the habitats of flowers and wildlife. |
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 Today, The Grantham Canal Society has taken up the challenge. Its purpose is to continue the restoration of the canal, thereby creating a 33-mile leisure corridor running through the glorious Vale of Belvoir: a linear park to be used and enjoyed by walkers, anglers, cyclists, bird lovers - by anyone and everyone who takes pleasure in our natural environment. Eventually, the aim is to restore the canal to its former glory as a fully navigable waterway, not for commercial use but for trail boats and narrow boats to add their own colour and vitality to the rural setting.
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Would you like to help?
The Society is run entirely by volunteers, supported by British Waterways and other organisations dedicated to the restoration and preservation of canals throughout the country. If you would like to get involved, for as little or as much time as you have available, go to our Volunteering page and find out more.
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