The End of The Stroudwater

[@RetireMentalityChallenged]

You are really getting some fantastic shots there. And good job explaining the history.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thank you

[@leswallace2426]

Thanks for this - I'd heard about the fish pass, but this fills in the blanks re where it was and what it really did. Also great to hear that the canal was being used to generate a bit of hydro electricity! Cheers!

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

No problem

[@maggiesadler1489]

Good piece of work - Thanks for posting

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

No problem, thanks for watching!

[@ReferenceFidelityComponents]

Good job. The flood spillway at Ebley, even if it doesn’t appear as such, was greened over but has been engineered and built so that spill-water won’t erode the bank. Dudbridge lock gave us a fair few headaches in its engineering. The hydro electric scheme was part of proposals for the stretch by the volunteer Cotswold canals Trust. The proposals were incorporated by SDC appointed engineers at the design stage. From there up to Wall bridge Lock included a fairly complex series of design challenges. Not many people comment on the towpath but that restoration was done by a group who helped with probationer rehabilitation, gave the probationers new skills and helped many back into work. Brimbscombe port is a very complex site engineering wise. The biggest issue, besides coming up with plans that help conserve part of it’s history, are the projected remediation costs of the soil. It was used amongst other things for the trans-shipment and storage of coal and the ground is contaminated with remediation costs likely in the millions.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Who foots the bill for that? Surely if the developers are building housing then the costs come from them? I’d love to see more hydro schemes on locks, it’s a great idea. I think the wilts and berks have something similar planned

[@ReferenceFidelityComponents]

@@CourtAboveTheCut unfortunately it’s not that simple when reclaim costs exceed land value which means that the development must be extremely profitable. In the past this has meant that out of character very substantial residential development was proposed but rejected. Developers would prefer a small basin or through canal, the local parish councils want their cake and to eat it in the form of unrealistic expectations including doctors surgeries, lots of employment, low density high quality housing and maximisation of water space by complete restoration of the historical dock layout. That and enhanced local amenity value including more open space. It was just unrealistic and demonstrated a lack if understanding on the scale of the problem and costs involved. Nice as such a scheme might be, and it would be what everyone wants to see, it’s unfeasible and quite simply unaffordable. Lottery funding and historical applications to the now defunct south west regional development agency were sought in an effort to plug the gap in funding for offsetting remediation. SWRDA wanted to see returns from regeneration which meant that certain proposals just were not suitable. Unfortunately, none of the stakeholders could ever reach joint agreement on what the final scheme would look like and this entrenchment just increased rusks of nothing happening at all. Local parish councils must be more realistic about the best possible affordable outcome. Developers must come up with a high quality scheme which offers conservation of important parts of historical identity and it requires tireless seeking of funding and grant applications by SDC. It will happen one day but not in the current economic climate. Yes, hydro could be made more use of at places like lock flights and canalised river sections of navigation even of only to offset costs of pumping.

[@NorthernNarrowboaters]

It’s helen - northern Narrowboaters - subbed from both my accounts xx

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thank you!

[@helenknowles9775]

New sun here - I’ve got some catching up to do!

[@helenknowles9775]

I meant sub

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thanks for joining!

[@A2CVMAN]

Great video, narrative good...just leave out the music

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

My videos have changed a lot since these days, the music has gone, apart from some bed that I’ve started adding recently. Editing is a massive learning curve!