Wed 16 Aug 1854
Inspection report: Chimney of James Nurse’s house at Dudbridge to be repaired.
Privy at Dudbridge to be removed and another erected between back of warehouse and Mrs Argent’s house with fall into a vault connected to the canal.
New crane at Dudbridge works satisfactorily.
Turnstile to be put up at towing path side of swing bridge at the Hilly Orchard. Formerly a stile there to prevent horses and cattle from crossing bridge.
Canal bank at Mr Critchley’s premises at Eastington to be repaired with oak piles and slabs.
Repairs and alterations to dock at Eastington. Bricks and stones from old bridge at Saul to be used for floor of dock.
Lack of accommodation for vessels waiting to use dock. Wish to lay in back brook adjoining Eastington Wharf without charge while waiting.
Damage to brickwork of cill at lock on Bristol Road to be repaired.
Need for two new gates at Whitminster to stand over for present.
New swing bridge at Saul completed. Iron hand rail to be added to either side of the approach on the northern bank.
Basin at Framilode to be cleared of mud by flushing.
Piling to be inserted in brook at back of Mr Burbridge’s garden.
Death of William Roberts caused by a barge being in charge of deceased and lad only. Regulations of three men to navigate boats to be enforced.
At a Meeting of the Committee of the Stroudwater Navigation held on board the Company's Boat on Wednesday the 16^th day of August 1854
Present: M^r W^m Fryer, M^r H^y Harris Chairman, Cha^S Hawker, T C Croome, Cha^s Hooper, G H A Beard, J H Warman.
The Chimney piece of the House at Dudbridge occupied by M^r James Nurse was inspected & ordered to be repaired.
Ordered that the present Privy on Dudbridge Wharf be removed & another erected between the back of the Warehouse and the Agent's house with a fall into the Canal, & that a Spout be put up at the back of the Warehouse to conduct the water by a descending pipe into the Vault & through it to the Canal.
Ordered that the ground immediately round the Crane and within the radius of it be stoned with Bristol Stone.
The new Crane at Dudbridge was inspected and found to work satisfactorily.
M^r Driver was requested to take steps for disposing of the old Crane to the best advantage & to report thereon to the next Committee Meeting & to advertize it for Sale.
Ordered that t turnstile be put up at the towing path side of the Swing Bridge at the Hilly Orchard where there was formerly a Stile, to prevent Horses & Cattle from crossing the Bridge.
Ordered that the Canal Bank at M^r Critchley's premises at Eastington be repaired with oak piles & slabs.
Ordered that the following repairs & alterations be made at the Dock Yard at Eastington:--
1 The floor of the Dock be repaired where needful and the bricks & stone taken from the old Bridge at Saul to be used for the purpose.
2 A new Barstock & sufficient planks be provided for the use of the persons using the Dock.
3 A new Grindstone be provided.
4 The ground lying East of a line drawn from the Western End of the Dock to the back brook which is at present used as part of M^r Driver's garden be thrown again into the Yard.
5 M^r James Nurse & other Traders on the Canal have complained of a want of sufficient accomodation for their Vessels to lie by either while they are waiting to go into the Dock, or after they have done repairs in the Dock to complete them, ordered that Vessels be at liberty to lie in the back brook adjoining the Wharf at Eastington for either of these purposes without charge & that the Surveyor be requested to report always to the Committee any Vessel lying bye in any other parts of the Canal.
M^r Clutterbuck pointed out a spot on M^r Bengough's land in in occupation at the Bristol Road where the piling originally put up by this Company had become decayed & the soil has probably fallen into the Canal. Resolved that as the land does not belong to the Company they cannot interfere in the repair of the piling.
Ordered that M^r Driver make such an alteration to the brickwork under the Sill of the Lock at Bristol Road to remedy the present evil occasioned by the wearing away of the brick work in course of time as he may think best adapted to the purpose.
The lock at Whitminster was inspected & M^r Geo Nurse met on the spot who stated his complaint respecting the difficulty of getting through the pound above from shortness of water. Ordered that as it involves a question of two new pairs of Gates it stand over for the present.
The new Swing Bridge at Saul was inspected & appeared to have been completed to the satisfaction of the Committee -- ordered that an iron handrail with proper supports be added on either side of the approach to it on the Northern bank of the Canal.
The state of the mud in the Basin at Framilode was inspected. Ordered that M^r Driver cause the mud to be removed as quickly as possible by flashing the same into the Severn through the lock, and if that does not do it effectually to report again to the Committee.
Ordered that a sufficient piling be inserted in the brook at the back of the garden in occupation of M^r Burbidge at Framilode to prevent the bank from further giving way at that spot.
A letter from M^r Ball the Coroner to M^r Partridge of 15^th Inst was read calling the attention of the Committee to the circumstances of the death of William Roberts having been occasioned by a Barge being in charge of the deceased & a lad only. Ordered that the Surveyor and Lock Keepers be requested to enforce to the utmost of their power the Company's regulations relative to the employment of three men to navigate the boats.
The following Bills were ordered to be paid: £ s d
M^r John Andrews for iron Work to New Bridge at Saul: 10..3..11
G Perry Contract for making & erecting New Bridge at Saul: 15^£
less paid by M^r Hawker on 3 June & 1^st July on A/c which is allowed by this Committee 6: 9..-..-
