Navigating the future for our forgotten waterway (From Daily Echo)

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Navigating the future for our forgotten waterway

8:10am Sunday 5th October 2008

comment Comments (17) Have your say »

By Peter Law »

TODAY you can get from Southampton to Winchester in a matter of minutes by rail or by road – depending on the traffic on our notorious motorways, of course. In an age of budget air travel and global container shipping the 11-mile journey may seem like a mere walk in the park, but it was an altogether different proposition in the bygone era of Britain’s inland canal system.

For more than 150 years – from 1710 to 1869 – a narrow man-modified river was one of the most important links between the two cities. The Itchen Navigation, created using existing river channels combined with new cuts, effectively opened the former capital of England to the sea.

Tireless work horses towed barges loaded with tonnes of coal, salt, corn, iron and chalk up and down the vital trade route, come rain or shine.

Driven inland by the Napoleonic Wars raging in the English Channel, goods were off-loaded at Southampton, taken overland to Basingstoke and finished their journey in London by waterway again.

At its busiest, six barges moved all the traffic along the route, which those living nearby called the Barge River, or the New Barge.

The water itself was used to power mills in the area and was also channelled onto the water meadows adjacent to the Navigation. In its final form the Navigation had 15 locks and two half-locks, with a combined rise of about 105ft from mean sea level at Woodmill to Winchester.

By the 1830s, Southampton had become interested in a scheme that was to compete directly with the Navigation and eventually bring about its downfall.

The advent of the London and South Western Railway meant there was no longer a need for the Navigation and the last barge to carry a cargo to Winchester tied up at Blackbridge Wharf in June 1869.

Almost 140 years on and the Navigation still snakes its way from Northam, past Eastleigh and on to Winchester, but it is barely recognisable from the canals still popular with leisure boaters in other parts of the country.

Forgotten by many, it has suffered from decades of neglect.

Much of the towpath has been washed away by erosion and overgrown by trees, while parts of the chalk banks are in danger of collapsing, which could lead to the drying out of the waterway.

However, something remarkable has happened.

The Navigation has developed its own unique ecology and is home to a variety of wildlife, including water voles, otters, bats, southern damselfly, bullhead, Atlantic salmon and brook lamprey.

Which is why a £2.4m rescue mission to safeguard its future was this week launched by the Environment Agency (EA) and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT).

Over the next two years, engineering and maintenance work, made possible by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, will restore the riverbanks and footpath.

The project team – including wildlife trust staff and river engineers – have begun work at Allbrook, at an area where the Navigation has overtopped and breached in the past.

EA area team leader Rod Murchie said: “It is such an important asset to Hampshire, it gives life to so much in the region and is the source of drinking water for about 250,000 people in the region.”

Remnants of some of the industrial structures used in the past, such as locks, mills and bridges can still be seen today, and volunteers are being urged to come forward to help with the restoration. There will also be a series of art projects, new signs and educational panels along the route of the Navigation.

Heritage Lottery Fund spokeswoman Michelle Davies said: “The Navigation is a unique piece of heritage with both natural and industrial elements side by side. Through the preservation the public will be able to enjoy and learn about the history they have right on their doorstep.”

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Your Say YourEcho

Chas49, Southhampton says...
8:49am Sun 5 Oct 08

It's a pity that the restoration dose not include a bridalway as horses were a major factor in the operation of the original waterway.
Recreational horse rideing is becoming more popular now and local authority's would do well to reinstate more bridleways. Itchen navigation was both a footpath and Bridleway and should be restored as such for the benefit of both walkers and riders.

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southy, redbridge says...
12:45pm Sun 5 Oct 08

and what living things will be gone when the work has been done,

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goard, Southampton says...
1:57pm Sun 5 Oct 08

I feel we need to reinstate all ways to use waterways, all disused railways and distribution lines. As long ago as the Beeching debacle - I was young but I knew whatever Government was in power - this was totally wrong. Lorries came on the road - private enterprise - and in the course of time we have almost a stalemate on distribution, such bad foresight - I knew, and I was sixteen, that there was a terrible imbalance and the awful decision was sell off all our stockyards - I wonder what is built on these lands - flats, super markets - can we, the council get this valuable land back? Have it in mind we are only as good as our Governments - no wonder we cling to our school playing fields. May not be important - but how can we counteract these planners who have a total lack of foresight and INTEGRETY.

goard

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gorf, Southampton says...
3:41pm Sun 5 Oct 08

why dont they get the community service scum bags to do the work?

will you be able to take a boat from southampton to winchester when its done then?

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stay local, southampton says...
4:24pm Sun 5 Oct 08

"A forgotten piece of Hampshire’s heritage is being restored to its former glory after almost 140 years of neglect."

Are you sure Peter Law? As you wrote the story you have surely checked this out but much of the old cannal is now dry and to restore it to its former glory will involve slightly more than has been allocated. Inlcuding cutting a new tunnel under the M27 as the path was diverted when the motorway was built!

It may rebuild the path and as others have suggested the tow path should be a bridal way and not a foot path

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southy, redbridge says...
5:49pm Sun 5 Oct 08

local m8 it was a public footpath before there was a bridleway,the footpath runs from st mary church southampton to a winchester church and from there it links up with the pilgrims way footpath

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The Real Denzil, Chilworth says...
8:32pm Sun 5 Oct 08

southy wrote:
local m8 it was a public footpath before there was a bridleway,the footpath runs from st mary church southampton to a winchester church and from there it links up with the pilgrims way footpath

Yeah that's why work horses were used for towing the barges!
Peasant.

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stay local, southampton says...
1:02am Mon 6 Oct 08

southy wrote:
local m8 it was a public footpath before there was a bridleway,the footpath runs from st mary church southampton to a winchester church and from there it links up with the pilgrims way footpath

I am glad to see that your research remains as inaccurate as before. Have you found the missing ice rinks yet!

If you go to your library and find books on canals (not Rosie and Jim) you will see that canals including the itchen navigation used horse power. The horse walked next to the canal on the “tow path” as they towed the barge; therefore it had to be a bridleway at the point of construction but was subsequently down graded to a footpath.

I know that you have a history of giving incorrect information (I am still waiting for you to confirm those ice rinks only you can find and seem to have never gone to despite earlier claiming you go there monthly!) So could I please ask you again check your facts before posting?

The fact that you have been “Denziled” should be an indication that your contributions lack rigour and you should consider withdrawing from debate.

Finally could you shed some light on the M8 you refer to in your item is this the lagoon nebula, the motorway near Glasgow, the Leica M8, the Buford armoured gun system. I suspect it is your attempt at to be at one with the youth culture in your area, but unfortunately within this environment a more formal greeting is more acceptable, so perhaps you should consider the following “Dear sir, fellow contributor.”

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southy, redbridge says...
1:31am Mon 6 Oct 08

local the Itchen Navigation was a stream before it became a canal and there was a public footpath along side the stream,if you ever got the time take a walk along the 11 miles from Swaythling bridge to winchester cathedral,i dont know if they still do it but alot of members of churches in southampton use to walk that footpath once a year and those that was brave enough would carry on to the pilgrims footpath join others on there way to canterbury cathedral, i do take it you know about the pilgrims walk that takes place once a year and that walk date back to alest 500 years.
and please keep to the subject.

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stay local, southampton says...
5:36am Mon 6 Oct 08

southy wrote:
local the Itchen Navigation was a stream before it became a canal and there was a public footpath along side the stream,if you ever got the time take a walk along the 11 miles from Swaythling bridge to winchester cathedral,i dont know if they still do it but alot of members of churches in southampton use to walk that footpath once a year and those that was brave enough would carry on to the pilgrims footpath join others on there way to canterbury cathedral, i do take it you know about the pilgrims walk that takes place once a year and that walk date back to alest 500 years. and please keep to the subject.

You are still wrong!

Get a map and take a look or eve better go there if you see the river Canal at Eastleigh, Brambridge, Shawford etc you will see there are two or more separate water courses the river and the old canal path. The canal was build because the river was not navigable (and no they did not have hovercraft) so once again you have proved you lack of knowledge /research and still fail admit your earlier errors.
I you are becoming an internet legend perhaps you should be “wrong again Southy” it has a much better ring to it!

As for the pilgrims trail it goes from

Or do you mean the pilgrims trail which opened in 1999 and goes from Winchester cathedral to Bishops Waltham and on the Southwick. But you should look at the report by the Hampshire county archaeologist.

“The only problem is that, according to David Hopkins, the Hampshire county archaeologist, there is not a shred of evidence that any pilgrim ever travelled from the tomb of St Swithun at Winchester to the shrine of St Michael at Mont St Michel 155 miles away.
"I think it's a modern misunderstanding that medieval pilgrims followed special trails - they spread out across the normal trade and commercial routes, going wherever they wanted," Mr Hopkins said.

As usual here are some references. Google earth grid reference
50°58'11.52"N 1°20'19.62"W The old canal at the junction with Bishopstoke road
50°58'12.43"N 1°20'41.52"W one branch of the itchen.
50°58'7.32"N 1°20'5.36"W another
50°58'11.93"N 1°20'24.11"W and a third
So once again your resort to unsubstantiated piffle.
I do hope others are reading this can see the consistent message…..

Southy you do not know what you are talking about, you make wild claims which you cannot back up, and will deny them when challenged.
Quick history for Denzil and other fans. A denial of Southy’s claims
1 there is no ice rink in Tower Park.
2 The ice rink which is not at tower park (see point 1) is not for the residents of Rockley park as it over three miles and they would need to swim partly across Poole harbour and cross a main railway line.
3 Tere is no ice rink in Bideford
4 The river itchen and the itchen navigation are separate things.
5 When the navigation channel was built canal barges were pulled by horses and this needed a bridleway at the canal side. There were not paths by the sides of the river as it is a flood plan and therefore prone to flooding.
6 There is no evidence of pilgrims (in history walking to Winchester to join pilgrims on route else where)
So please Southy quit while you are behind

[quote][p][bold]southy[/bold] wrote: local the Itchen Navigation was a stream before it became a canal and there was a public footpath along side the stream,if you ever got the time take a walk along the 11 miles from Swaythling bridge to winchester cathedral,i dont know if they still do it but alot of members of churches in southampton use to walk that footpath once a year and those that was brave enough would carry on to the pilgrims footpath join others on there way to canterbury cathedral, i do take it you know about the pilgrims walk that takes place once a year and that walk date back to alest 500 years. and please keep to the subject.[/p][/quote]You are still wrong! Get a map and take a look or eve better go there if you see the river Canal at Eastleigh, Brambridge, Shawford etc you will see there are two or more separate water courses the river and the old canal path. The canal was build because the river was not navigable (and no they did not have hovercraft) so once again you have proved you lack of knowledge /research and still fail admit your earlier errors. I you are becoming an internet legend perhaps you should be “wrong again Southy” it has a much better ring to it! As for the pilgrims trail it goes from Or do you mean the pilgrims trail which opened in 1999 and goes from Winchester cathedral to Bishops Waltham and on the Southwick. But you should look at the report by the Hampshire county archaeologist. “The only problem is that, according to David Hopkins, the Hampshire county archaeologist, there is not a shred of evidence that any pilgrim ever travelled from the tomb of St Swithun at Winchester to the shrine of St Michael at Mont St Michel 155 miles away. "I think it's a modern misunderstanding that medieval pilgrims followed special trails - they spread out across the normal trade and commercial routes, going wherever they wanted," Mr Hopkins said. As usual here are some references. Google earth grid reference 50°58'11.52"N 1°20'19.62"W The old canal at the junction with Bishopstoke road 50°58'12.43"N 1°20'41.52"W one branch of the itchen. 50°58'7.32"N 1°20'5.36"W another 50°58'11.93"N 1°20'24.11"W and a third So once again your resort to unsubstantiated piffle. I do hope others are reading this can see the consistent message….. Southy you do not know what you are talking about, you make wild claims which you cannot back up, and will deny them when challenged. Quick history for Denzil and other fans. A denial of Southy’s claims 1 there is no ice rink in Tower Park. 2 The ice rink which is not at tower park (see point 1) is not for the residents of Rockley park as it over three miles and they would need to swim partly across Poole harbour and cross a main railway line. 3 Tere is no ice rink in Bideford 4 The river itchen and the itchen navigation are separate things. 5 When the navigation channel was built canal barges were pulled by horses and this needed a bridleway at the canal side. There were not paths by the sides of the river as it is a flood plan and therefore prone to flooding. 6 There is no evidence of pilgrims (in history walking to Winchester to join pilgrims on route else where) So please Southy quit while you are behind

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gorf, Southampton says...
10:44am Mon 6 Oct 08

how about cleaning up the river under the northam bridge?

all the ship wrecks....bloody eyesore!!

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southy, redbridge says...
11:19am Mon 6 Oct 08

local you dont like it when you are prove wrong do you,
and keep to the subject or is that to hard for you to do if so let us know so we know you have a problem.
and yes i have all ready walk the 11 miles mind you that was over 30 years ago when i last done it, and if you read want i said, i said that they join onto the pilgrims way,the pilgrim way do not start in hampshire it just passes though it and it has nothing to do with st swithun its to do with t Beckett first done by henryII soon after that the monks and friars,the one that passes though hampshire is one of three main pilgrim routes there is to much writen evidence to say it did not happen.
a lot of our footpaths go back to pagan times and they tend to follow rivers brooks and streams inland or the they would lead you from drinking water to drinking water when the first churches was built here they would often be built on the footpaths or very close by,that is why if you walk old footpaths they will lead you from church to church.
now go away and do some book reading and stop quoting from the internet

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southy, redbridge says...
11:45am Mon 6 Oct 08

not a bad idea gorf
oh denzil i did mean to say earlyer your right wrong use of word bridle way my error but i did mean tow path

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stay local, southampton says...
1:08pm Mon 6 Oct 08

southy wrote:
local you dont like it when you are prove wrong do you, and keep to the subject or is that to hard for you to do if so let us know so we know you have a problem. and yes i have all ready walk the 11 miles mind you that was over 30 years ago when i last done it, and if you read want i said, i said that they join onto the pilgrims way,the pilgrim way do not start in hampshire it just passes though it and it has nothing to do with st swithun its to do with t Beckett first done by henryII soon after that the monks and friars,the one that passes though hampshire is one of three main pilgrim routes there is to much writen evidence to say it did not happen. a lot of our footpaths go back to pagan times and they tend to follow rivers brooks and streams inland or the they would lead you from drinking water to drinking water when the first churches was built here they would often be built on the footpaths or very close by,that is why if you walk old footpaths they will lead you from church to church. now go away and do some book reading and stop quoting from the internet

Now how about answering the questions I have pointed out three points on the Bishopstoke road where water ways cross the road and only one of which is the itchen navigation channel which some what post dates pagan times, which one do you purpose was the route for the pilgrims the none existent then canal route or one of the rivers there are no paths marked on Hampshire public way paths that follow the river if you are looking for routes suitable for cross country transit then check the roman roads which offer a metalled road surface from Southampton to Winchester.

Whereas most ancient routes were on hills due to the great level of safety afforded being able to see others from a greater distance, check out the south downs way which follws the top of the downs.

As for your route….”St Swithun’s Way runs between Winchester, the capital of Saxon England, and historic Farnham. Whilst not tracing the original route of the Pilgrim’s Way, as much of this is now the busy A31”( Hampshire guide to long distance paths),

So the original route for the St Switurns way in now a road but you allege that the original pilgrims from Southampton going to Winchester would not have used the roman roads that were in place preferring to meander along the itchen valley.

If you last walked this route 30 years ago then you should have noticed the second of path near Brambridge where there is a thin tow path with the canal one side and the river the other, which is clearly not a natural feature of the landscape. I guess the clue it is in the title “the itchen navigation” thise feature was there earlier this year when I once again walked the route! Not like your missing ice rinks.

So to summarize your claims

1 pagans used to follow the course of streams that could not carry boats when the archeological evidence shows the opposite,( did you spot the hill fort on St Catherine’s hill near Winchester?) why is that the South downs way and the ox drove way are both hill top paths?.

2 you say the pilgrims also followed the stream despite the fact that the Romans had built a perfectly good road to Winchester from Southampton. ( is this based on your one journey some thirty years ago?

3 perhaps you would like to identify the churches build next to the paths that follow the Itchen? As the non tidal section of the route starts at Woodmill and goes past The White swan (pub) then it goes past Eastleigh airport (no churches here) through Bishopstoke (another pub which used to be called the Barge and no church) around by Albrook but no church, crossing Kiln lane at Brambridge but no church here, to Shawford (the bridge pub site of Victor Meldrews demise) and into Winchester. Yes Albrook and Bishopstoke do have churches but not by any river side path as you claim.

4 Finally remember pagans do not use churches and that is why they are called pagans! So they would not be doing pilgrimages.

[quote][p][bold]southy[/bold] wrote: local you dont like it when you are prove wrong do you, and keep to the subject or is that to hard for you to do if so let us know so we know you have a problem. and yes i have all ready walk the 11 miles mind you that was over 30 years ago when i last done it, and if you read want i said, i said that they join onto the pilgrims way,the pilgrim way do not start in hampshire it just passes though it and it has nothing to do with st swithun its to do with t Beckett first done by henryII soon after that the monks and friars,the one that passes though hampshire is one of three main pilgrim routes there is to much writen evidence to say it did not happen. a lot of our footpaths go back to pagan times and they tend to follow rivers brooks and streams inland or the they would lead you from drinking water to drinking water when the first churches was built here they would often be built on the footpaths or very close by,that is why if you walk old footpaths they will lead you from church to church. now go away and do some book reading and stop quoting from the internet[/p][/quote]Now how about answering the questions I have pointed out three points on the Bishopstoke road where water ways cross the road and only one of which is the itchen navigation channel which some what post dates pagan times, which one do you purpose was the route for the pilgrims the none existent then canal route or one of the rivers there are no paths marked on Hampshire public way paths that follow the river if you are looking for routes suitable for cross country transit then check the roman roads which offer a metalled road surface from Southampton to Winchester. Whereas most ancient routes were on hills due to the great level of safety afforded being able to see others from a greater distance, check out the south downs way which follws the top of the downs. As for your route….”St Swithun’s Way runs between Winchester, the capital of Saxon England, and historic Farnham. Whilst not tracing the original route of the Pilgrim’s Way, as much of this is now the busy A31”( Hampshire guide to long distance paths), So the original route for the St Switurns way in now a road but you allege that the original pilgrims from Southampton going to Winchester would not have used the roman roads that were in place preferring to meander along the itchen valley. If you last walked this route 30 years ago then you should have noticed the second of path near Brambridge where there is a thin tow path with the canal one side and the river the other, which is clearly not a natural feature of the landscape. I guess the clue it is in the title “the itchen navigation” thise feature was there earlier this year when I once again walked the route! Not like your missing ice rinks. So to summarize your claims 1 pagans used to follow the course of streams that could not carry boats when the archeological evidence shows the opposite,( did you spot the hill fort on St Catherine’s hill near Winchester?) why is that the South downs way and the ox drove way are both hill top paths?. 2 you say the pilgrims also followed the stream despite the fact that the Romans had built a perfectly good road to Winchester from Southampton. ( is this based on your one journey some thirty years ago? 3 perhaps you would like to identify the churches build next to the paths that follow the Itchen? As the non tidal section of the route starts at Woodmill and goes past The White swan (pub) then it goes past Eastleigh airport (no churches here) through Bishopstoke (another pub which used to be called the Barge and no church) around by Albrook but no church, crossing Kiln lane at Brambridge but no church here, to Shawford (the bridge pub site of Victor Meldrews demise) and into Winchester. Yes Albrook and Bishopstoke do have churches but not by any river side path as you claim. 4 Finally remember pagans do not use churches and that is why they are called pagans! So they would not be doing pilgrimages.

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southy, redbridge says...
2:29pm Mon 6 Oct 08

local pagans had paths before the romans came and if you really look at it there is a church at the southampton end and at winchester the first church in southampton is no longer standing but st marys is close to that spot.
pagans pre-romans would travel to the coast for food at certain times of the year, when the food like shellfish would be easy picking and inland hunting was harder to do this, they would follow the streams and rivers if there was no waterways to follow then the paths would go to watering hole to watering hole.pagans did not carry water there was no need to not in this country you can find drinking water with in an hour walk any where in this country.

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Dr Alimantado, Babylon says...
3:36pm Mon 6 Oct 08

stay local wrote:
"A forgotten piece of Hampshire’s heritage is being restored to its former glory after almost 140 years of neglect." Are you sure Peter Law? As you wrote the story you have surely checked this out but much of the old cannal is now dry and to restore it to its former glory will involve slightly more than has been allocated. Inlcuding cutting a new tunnel under the M27 as the path was diverted when the motorway was built! It may rebuild the path and as others have suggested the tow path should be a bridal way and not a foot path

Peter is reporting the plans of the EA, it is hardly his duty to decide whether their plans are well thought out. He is merely reporting what the plans are

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stay local, southampton says...
5:08pm Mon 6 Oct 08

Dr Alimantado wrote:

stay local wrote: "A forgotten piece of Hampshire’s heritage is being restored to its former glory after almost 140 years of neglect." Are you sure Peter Law? As you wrote the story you have surely checked this out but much of the old cannal is now dry and to restore it to its former glory will involve slightly more than has been allocated. Inlcuding cutting a new tunnel under the M27 as the path was diverted when the motorway was built! It may rebuild the path and as others have suggested the tow path should be a bridal way and not a foot path
Peter is reporting the plans of the EA, it is hardly his duty to decide whether their plans are well thought out. He is merely reporting what the plans are

Should he perhaps say the path will be rebuilt. former glory indicates it will be as it was ...A working canal with locks, etc. This will not happen so the report is inaccurate hype, as a journalist he should have asked a question or even done some research.

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