Chi Ship Canal to Re-open to the Sea.

[Mark-1]

I cant see communities using the other two roads being happy about more and longer delays.

Planners won't like high bridges to give some air draught. Given the very valid opposition to every new development on the Manhood Peninsular (with traffic on the B2201 & A286 often cited) they won't like swing bridges.

I stopped at the canal visitor's centre on the way home tonight but the one lady washing up tea mugs didn't look like she wanted to give an in-depth appraisal of the plans to a stranger so I left her to it.

 

[Chris_Robb]

It'd give you a whole new area in Chi harbour to go aground!

And another wobbly bavaria keel

 

[fireball]

And another wobbly bavaria keel

Cheeky blighter. It'll only wobble when u step on the side!

 

[prv]

I don't know the area exactly, but if it's anywhere near Chichester Harbour the times would presumably need to vary with the tide. Probably with a no-lift window covering morning and evening (road-going) rush-hours.

I think you couldn't vary bridge opening with the tide. A swing bridge opening between 7 and 9am would result in a lynching! And I would be one of the people putting the boot in!

You didn't read my second sentence, then?

Pete

 

[Mark-1]

You didn't read my second sentence, then?

Pete

Not only had I read it, I was wholeheartedly agreeing with it and developing the thought further.

 

[Seajet]

I love the idea of re-linking the Chichester Canal, and wish the project luck.

The obstacles may not be as serious as first appears; in the mid 1980's I photographed a short stretch of canal - beside Dunsfold Aerodrome - being restored, solely as a cosmetic exercise and to stock with fish for the airfield angling club !

To either side of that 'pound', there are serious obstacles like NIMBY's and the canal being built over, so linking it back to the main network to Guildford seemed impossible.

Then last Autumn SWMBO & I had a trip on the canal from Loxwood - where a huge amount of work has gone on - and was staggered to be told that they're fully confident of re-linking the lot, and where the canal has been built over they have agreements - and more importantly funding - to make a new stretch canal around them !

 

[oldharry]

Is'nt that the Wey and Arun canal up at Loxwood, Seajet? The Chichester Canal runs from CHB up in to the town centre under the A27 just east of the Witterings roundabout.

The Wey and Arun Trust people have been at their canal for for over 25 years, and have quite a lot of it opened up now.

The Chichester Canal used to linbk to another running from Chichester to Ford, where iut entered the Arun, th4n north up to the Wet and Arun

 

[Mark-1]

Just had a walk down to the Basin.

There was nobody there to talk to, but it was quite interesting seeing the canal with a new perspective.

I took a look at the A27 bridge. The air draught for pedestrians is 6'3. The canal is perhaps a foot or so more. (Potter Heigham is 6'9 IIRC although arched.) I wondered if air draught isn't the only problem at the A27 bridge. It's seems likely to me that they would have put some kind of tie bar under the water to hold it all in place. In which case digging a lock under would be an even bigger project. It's all soldified my opinion that they could never touch the A27 Bridge. Also the Bridge is further South than I realized, so boats mooring there would feel well out of town.

It's fairly minor compared to the rest of the work they'd need to do but I also noticed that the water at Padwick bridge is incredibly shallow all the way across. The barges can't draw much more than 1/2 a metre and the water can't be much more than that. So it seems a significant amount of dredging would need to be done to get it back to the 2m.

I'm gagging to know exactly what they plan to do.

 

[Mark-1]

The Chichester Canal used to linbk to another running from Chichester to Ford, where iut entered the Arun, th4n north up to the Wet and Arun

Did it link to the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal?



http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150230132272774.349484.562412773&type=3&l=0797bab8f3

 

[glashen]

Thanks for posting this Mark-1, a project worth watching and maybe when Pie in the sky projects such as a proper high speed rail link to the north, a Thames estuary airport on an island and even London hosting a successful Olympics are being talked about seriously maybe this could happen. None of the obstacles look unsurmountable. The Caen canal opening twice a day with convoys of boats proceeding together looks the way to go, it would be good to see more detailed proposals, I for one wish the project well.

 

[Mark-1]

Thanks for posting this Mark-1, a project worth watching and maybe when Pie in the sky projects such as a proper high speed rail link to the north, a Thames estuary airport on an island and even London hosting a successful Olympics are being talked about seriously maybe this could happen.

+1

 

[Seajet]

Is'nt that the Wey and Arun canal up at Loxwood, Seajet? The Chichester Canal runs from CHB up in to the town centre under the A27 just east of the Witterings roundabout.

The Wey and Arun Trust people have been at their canal for for over 25 years, and have quite a lot of it opened up now.

The Chichester Canal used to linbk to another running from Chichester to Ford, where iut entered the Arun, th4n north up to the Wet and Arun

Old Harry,

yes, I forgot to mention that's the Wey & Arun, wasn't implying it's the Chi job; though I am pretty sure they did link via the whole system to get supplies to Portsmouth, long ago.

 

[brianhumber]

Bits of the old Canal between the Chi Canal and River Arun can still be found. Stetch along the B road to Mundham is in water, bridge in a field south of Merston, then old towpath is a footpath all the way to Yapton. Ford airfield wiped out most of the remaining bit to the Pub on the River Arun but the silted up basin was still there at the junction.

Back to Chi Canal

Can't see why you could not have the two swing bridges with traffic flow lights on the approach roads to advise which one was shut, traffic then diverting and going over the open one as appropiate. Would mean journey times being extended by all of 3/4 minutes for either Selsey chaps going out to join the A286 at the marina( and they have the road through Hunston anyway), or Wittering folk going east and then via Crosbie canal crossing but I suppose in this time precious world thats a no no. After all everyone justs spends that time anyway queuing to get on the Stockbridge roundabout at the A27.

 

[Seajet]

brianhumber,

are you desperate to find out what it's like to be chased by a lynch mob of thousands of already seriously dischuffed A27 motorists, ? Try suggesting this at a planning meeting !

I think Old Harrys' mention of the impending 'bypass of the bypass' is the best hope, a 'watch this space' situation as no-one is letting on as to how this new road will be done and where; as you probably know this is already a problem for people wishing to buy or sell houses in the area, everyone buying is hanging back...

 

[brianhumber]

Seajet - Can't understand all the fuss about a few queues myself, all those people getting red in the face, its very sad.

I grew up in Ashington where the A24 was supposed to be bypassed in the 30s, did not happen till the 70s, so if this record is repeated, Chichester bypass drivers including my self now we live a stones throw from Stockbridge will have plenty of time to admire the views.

I will be worm food long before any pipedream Northern Bypass appears.

Judging by the number of posters on here with Chi A27 experience perhaps we should have car stickers up so we can wave to each other in the queues.

Brian

 

[Seajet]

Brian,

I think a car sticker is an excellent idea !

I find the queues at weekends relatively OK, it's evening between 3 -6 which get me fuming...

 

[oldharry]

Old Harry,

yes, I forgot to mention that's the Wey & Arun, wasn't implying it's the Chi job; though I am pretty sure they did link via the whole system to get supplies to Portsmouth, long ago.

S'right Seajet. when I worked for the River Arun Trust back in the early 1990.s we had a lot to do with the WACT. It was the route by which Nelsons Navy carried ordnance, and payrolls etc from London to Portsmouth without having to risk the French in the channel.

The route was up the Thames to the R Wey. Over the top via the Wey and Arun down to the Arun. Down the Arun to Ford where another canal linked to the Chichester canal. The Ford canal has now almost completely vanished, though odd bits can still be found if you know where to look. It joined the Chichester canal just north of Hunston, and you can see a small section of it from the Pagham road from Hunston just by the school.

The route then locked out into Chi Harbour at Birdham, round the back of Hayling where your boat is, then across to Portsea Island where I was told very recently another canal crossed Portsmouth directly to the Dockyards. London to Portsmouth by water without ever going to sea!

 

[Seajet]

The route then locked out into Chi Harbour at Birdham, round the back of Hayling where your boat is, then across to Portsea Island where I was told very recently another canal crossed Portsmouth directly to the Dockyards. London to Portsmouth by water without ever going to sea![/QUOTE]

Old Harry,

a while ago ( but after the Napoleonic Wars ) I met a family in a Sailfish 18 at Yarmouth who had somehow done this route, dodging the Eastern Solent to Portsmouth - presumably mast down under Hayling bridge, then going along Hilsea Lido and the scrapyard.

He did casually mentioned the lift keel had dropped off en route, and became quite uppity when I suggested his making for the West Country was thereby not a good idea !

 

[Mark-1]

 

[Mark-1]

It was the route by which Nelsons Navy carried ordnance, and payrolls etc from London to Portsmouth without having to risk the French in the channel.

Do you mean Nelson's Navy? Surely the stretch from Ford onwards was after Nelson? Or was there an alternative route before?