[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > I've heard several tales from various sources that serious thought is > being given in places where people think seriously to opening up the > Somerset Levels for navigation. The area was said to have around 270 > miles of potentially navigable waterway, larger than the Broads, and a > great tourist opportunity. > Can't find anything on the wibbly about it - has anyone heard anything?
There's a scheme called Somerset Waterlinks that's got a UKP 50m bid in to the Big Lottery Fund Living Landmarks scheme and has reached the shortlist of six. There will be a final shortening of the shorlist followed by a tv viewers' poll at Christmas for the one winner. Waterlinks consists of a large number of different projects, many of which are nothing to do with navigation - museum / interptretation / footpath / environmental / ecological projecs for example. But it does have a navigation aspect, called the King Alfred's Web... "The King Alfreds Web project will open up 50km of restored navigation between the towns of Bridgwater, Taunton and Langport using the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal, the River Tone and the River Parrett. Spurs will take visitors through the centre of Taunton town to a new marina near French Weir, and through the ancient port of Langport to Muchelney and beyond. The project provides a sustainable and environmentally friendly means of access to the Somerset levels and the other Waterlinks projects. It introduces development opportunities for marinas, boat sales, water based holidays, and the associated facilities and services." (from the Waterlinks website which also includes a map indicating that the plan is to restore the upper part of the Tone Navigation from Taunton down to the confluence with the Parrett, which will be restored to Langport and extended onto a couple of currently unnavigable streams beyond) ...as well as a cycleway based on the Grand Western towpath which might (or might not) improve long-term prospects for restoring part or all of the tub-boat length from Taunton to Lowdwells. In the event that it doesn't get the Lottery money, it seems that the consortium of local authorities backing it would still like to proceed, but of necessity very much more slowly. See http://www.waterlinks.info Although not part of Waterlinks, things also seem to be happening on the Chard Canal. WRG has a one week canal camp booked for October, working (I think) on the section closest to the junction with the B&T. I gather we're talking 'cosmetic restoration' at the moment rather than anything aimed directly at reopening to navigation. Martin L Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
