York Stream
Encyclopedia
The Maidenhead Waterways are a system of waterways in Maidenhead
, England
. Currently disused, they are undergoing work to make them once more navigable to canal craft.
Long before pound locks were built on the main River Thames, the old waterways were controlled by 'flash lock
s', consisting of sluices or weirs with removable sections, and barges are believed to have once traded from wharves there. Although the channel is now dry, the remains of "Willow Wharf" can still be seen on the wall by the Police station at Town Moor.
The Moor Cut channel which crosses Town Moor was enlarged in the 1960s as part of the flood defence system, long before the Jubilee River
was built. The two channels rejoin at Green lane and from there the waterway running down to the Thames is 45 to 50 ft (13.7 to 15.2 m) wide, but partly silted up and affected by fallen trees.
The stream connects to the River Thames
and retains navigation rights, though it is impractical for boats to pass through the town sections today as they are silted up and overgrown. The old channel leaves the Thames just above Cliveden and eventually rejoins it just below Bray Lock
by the Marina.
By October 2008, a renewal scheme was in progress, aiming to restore and upgrade the old waterways and allow boats into the centre of Maidenhead. The Maidenhead Waterways Restoration Group (MWRG) was founded in 2006 with the aim of restoring the waterways to a navigable standard, allowing small boats to travel into and around the town centre 'ring'. A lock and weir at Green Lane would raise and stabilise water levels in the town centre channels and refill the dry Moor Cut channel of the waterway.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
set up the Partnership for the Regeneration of Maidenhead (PRoM) in 2007, which launched its 20 Year Vision and Action Plan for rejuvenating the town centre in 2008. It sees the restored waterway as one of five defining projects which will help improve and shape the identity of the town for the future.
Maidenhead Civic Society's Chairman Bob Dulson is the independent chairman of PRoM and the society is also a strong supporter of plans to restore the waterways.
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Currently disused, they are undergoing work to make them once more navigable to canal craft.
Long before pound locks were built on the main River Thames, the old waterways were controlled by 'flash lock
Flash lock
Early locks were designed with a single gate, known as a flash lock or staunch lock. The earliest European references to what were clearly flash locks were in Roman times....
s', consisting of sluices or weirs with removable sections, and barges are believed to have once traded from wharves there. Although the channel is now dry, the remains of "Willow Wharf" can still be seen on the wall by the Police station at Town Moor.
The Moor Cut channel which crosses Town Moor was enlarged in the 1960s as part of the flood defence system, long before the Jubilee River
Jubilee River
The Jubilee River is a hydraulic channel in southern England. It is 11.6 km in length and is on average 45 metres wide. It was constructed in the late 1990s and early 2000s to take overflow from the River Thames and so alleviate flooding to areas in and around the towns of Maidenhead,...
was built. The two channels rejoin at Green lane and from there the waterway running down to the Thames is 45 to 50 ft (13.7 to 15.2 m) wide, but partly silted up and affected by fallen trees.
The stream connects to the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
and retains navigation rights, though it is impractical for boats to pass through the town sections today as they are silted up and overgrown. The old channel leaves the Thames just above Cliveden and eventually rejoins it just below Bray Lock
Bray Lock
Bray Lock is a lock and weir on the River Thames in England near Bray and Dorney and is just above the M4 Bridge across the Thames. The lock is on the Buckinghamshire side of the river on the opposite bank from Bray itself and Maidenhead which are in Berkshire...
by the Marina.
By October 2008, a renewal scheme was in progress, aiming to restore and upgrade the old waterways and allow boats into the centre of Maidenhead. The Maidenhead Waterways Restoration Group (MWRG) was founded in 2006 with the aim of restoring the waterways to a navigable standard, allowing small boats to travel into and around the town centre 'ring'. A lock and weir at Green Lane would raise and stabilise water levels in the town centre channels and refill the dry Moor Cut channel of the waterway.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is a Royal Borough of Berkshire, in South East England. It became a unitary authority on 1 April 1998.It is home to Windsor Castle, Eton College, Legoland and Ascot Racecourse....
set up the Partnership for the Regeneration of Maidenhead (PRoM) in 2007, which launched its 20 Year Vision and Action Plan for rejuvenating the town centre in 2008. It sees the restored waterway as one of five defining projects which will help improve and shape the identity of the town for the future.
Maidenhead Civic Society's Chairman Bob Dulson is the independent chairman of PRoM and the society is also a strong supporter of plans to restore the waterways.
Waterways
- Fleet Ditch
- Strand Water
- York Stream
- Maidenhead Ditch
- Widbrook
- The Cut
- Maidenhead Flood Channel
- White Brook
See also
- Canals of the United KingdomCanals of the United KingdomThe canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a colourful history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's role for recreational boating...
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...