The Promotion, the preservation, conservation and restoration of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and its working boats:
Following its founding in 1997, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society embarked on an active programme to promote the heritage and environmental value of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. It ran a series of walks talks and slideshows, assisted with the improvement of the canal corridor, a
nd re-installed a number of rollers along the canal. From 2007 the Society took over the operation of BW’s heritage boat Kennet which was formally transferred to Society ownership in 2011. Over recent years the Society’s preservation, conservation and restoration work has focussed on the restoration and continued use of Kennet. Once ownership of Kennet had been transferred to the Society, initial activity was intense and continued for the first year. Following award of the Heritage Lottery Fund Grant, the hold was stripped at Bedford Basin and the floor lifted to reveal a huge amount of scaling and rubbish, which was removed by the “sack load”. After a full survey £2,600 worth of steel work was carried out to the hull to a standard expected to reduce the potential requirement for further large repairs. This included replacing plating round the ballast tank, over plating the hull under part of the engine cabin, repairing the engine cabin roof, repairing holes in the deck and filling in all the outdated service holes. Alongside this a small volunteer workforce blacked the hull (2 coats), gave a coat of red oxide to the hold, coated the bottom of the hold with 2 coats of Waxoyl and laid roofing felt ready for the ballast to be added. A new grease tube was installed to supply the prop and to ensure that the grease arrives in the “correct place”. On leaving Worsley Kennet stopped at Bedford Basin to have 10 tons of concrete block & brick ballast added. On arrival back on Kennet’s home mooring at Greenberfield, a second coat of paint was applied on the hold sides; part of the floor in the front cabin was lifted to remove more scaling and rubbish in preparation for the same treatment as in the hold. A start was also made in the engine room to clean the years of grime and treat the rust in preparation for painting. Volunteers subsequently completed the painting of the sides/bulkheads of the hold, and the cleaning/painting of the engine room. A major job was the relaying of the hold floor, mainly using the 25 year old floor timbers, with new centre and outside edge planks made to the same dimensions. The floor was then sanded and sealed bringing out the floor’s character and history. Kennet was then moved to Skipton, where at Pennine Cruisers a new Generator/Inverter and battery bank were fitted along with “service modules” to provide washroom, storage and display/media facilities. Early work in 2012 included rewiring, finishing the Engine Room painting, fitting a “galley area”, freshening up the front cabin with re-varnishing the scrumbling and painting the balance of the metalwork. In mid-March Kennet went into Snaygill Boats’ dry dock for replacement of the hold superstructure with new steel work, lutchet and roof boards. Kennet’s topside was repainted and signwriting applied in the livery of Canal Transport Ltd, Liverpool, to give Kennet her own new identity. The completion of new stairs for public access and provision of a 12 volt lighting system was followed by the refurbishment of the interior into a welcoming venue. This prepared Kennet for a “re- launch” as part of the Burscough Wharf Canal Heritage Week on 23 June 2012. All of the specified works have now been completed and the creation of a creative learning resource is evidenced by the programme of activities undertaken by the Society. In the current bicentenary year of the first full crossing of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Kennet is taking a central role throughout the year leading up to its re-enactment of the first crossing in October. The heritage importance of Kennet has been acknowledged by the UK National Historic Ships Register’s selection of Kennet as Regional Flagship for the year 2016 – an accolade never previously accorded to a canal boat. The education of the public in the canal’s heritage and environment:
The objective for our public education activities is to provide an educational platform for all age groups, displaying a living history of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, and to involve a wide range of people with different creative skills to bring to life the heritage of the Canal, its boats and boat families. This broad objective can be broken down into the following components:
• creating a Floating museum travelling the full length of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal;
• ensuring that the learning opportunities provided are linked to the communities through which the canal passes;
• providing appropriate resources to ensure learning opportunities for all ages;
• enriching the understanding of the general public and particularly that of school children;
• continuing to work with former boatmen, their families and those others whose knowledge and experience form the basis of some of Kennet’s most valuable resources. Kennet is now equipped with a wide range of resources suited to visitors of any age; but, where possible, they are linked to the schools’ curriculum. These resources tell the story of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and the importance of short boats such as Kennet. They highlight locations along the canal where there is still evidence of the richness and diversity of canal heritage. By working together with local groups the Canal Society has enabled local communities to appreciate the integral nature of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to local heritage. A prime example of this is to be found in its relationship with the Saltaire History Club. Kennet is a regular attraction at the Saltaire Heritage Weekend where it is used to engage the interest of the local community, and particularly that of the children within it, on their role as future guardians of the Canal. Friends of Kennet member and leader on Education and Learning, Gabrielle Gerrard, (a founder member of the Saltaire History Club), has written a novel “Ghosts of Saltaire” specifically with this in mind. Through time-travel fiction, but based on thorough research, it brings the canal heritage to life in a sustainable and contemporary way. Extracts were read at this year’s Conversazione, which formed part of the Saltaire Heritage Weekend, and at events within local schools. Gaye has also worked closely with the Lawson family of Burscough to create a book ‘The Mary Lawson Story’. This is written in standard English and phonetically in local dialect. It has been written for younger children and been beautifully illustrated by a professional artist, Kate Madison. Black and white photographs of the Lawson family are included in the back of the book. In a similar way Mike Clarke, President of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Society and internationally respected authority on waterways across the world, has brought his meticulous research on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal to the attention of local communities situated along the length of the canal. The Society is gradually developing a rich resource base covering the life stories and experiences of boatmen and boating communities, many of whom are members of the Society. This resource base is made accessible to local communities through its operation as a living museum. Mike’s latest book The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is now widely available. Mike recently had a lock at Bank Newton named after him in recognition of his years of dedicated research and promotion of the history of the Canal. Sam yates has also made a major contribution with his book on Brightwork. Sam was renowned for his work with this exquisite art form which was exclusively used for the decoration of boats on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Our objective of creating an interactive learning environment has clearly been met. This can be seen from the extensive educational programme that has followed on from the major physical refurbishment of Kennet. The Kennet Project was winner of the Education and Learning Category of CRT’s Living Waterways Award 2015
