Tue 21 Jun 1898
Annual inspection from Framilode to Eastington on 13 June.
Interior of house at Eastington Wharf to be given up by Mr Whiting at Michaelmas in bad state. Damp walls and bad plaster. Much shaken by 1896 earthquake. Lean-to at back never properly bonded with original structure. State of fences in pasture noted.
Part of stores held for Thames & Severn Navigation Trust in Eastington Yard clearly distinguished. Planking for Bonds Mill bridge ready for use.
Dressing station for Eastington Bathing Club at Westfield Bridge inspected.
At Bristol Road Wharf the garden railings at the Boultons required repair. Mrs Tudor of the Wharf pressed for opening of a doorway to her front room. Not desirable. Barge load of black coal unloading.
Dredging by Sharpness dredger. Barge ‘Excelsior’ with 65 tons just passed through but scraping the bottom occasionally as water level 6 and 7 inches below normal point. Eventually provision to be made for retention of water, either by putting in one of gates or by raising level of Shallow Lock gates.
Very little traffic current at the Junction because of coal strike. Gas Company’s Reliance laid up there. Water level rose from 17 feet 11 inches to 18 feet 1 inch since morning.
Weeds on canal at Whitminster cut on towing path side and path freshly gravelled.
No traffic at Framilode. Scum on surface of water. Weeds and grass generally to be cut when men have finished assisting Gas Company in laying of new 18 inch gas main under towing path.
Inspection from Ocean to Wallbridge took place on 16 June.
At Ryeford Wharf no signs of coal traffic. Coal on private ground adjoining.
No ground for Mr Sibly’s contention on towing path.
Piece of garden near lock keeper’s house at the Double Locks apparently lapsed from Company’s property.
Water on Ebley and Cainscross section of canal much contaminated with sewage. Restrict flow of drains where possible. Just past Ebley Saw Mill large pipe sewer, said to occupy place of old water course, draining houses of locality. No responsibility on owners. Relief of effect by continuing sewer under canal bank eastwards. Sewage drawn over weir on towing path side.
Objections to bathing site at Cainscross by Mrs Spry Davies. Point near Hilly Orchard Bridge necessary because of polluted character of water at site discussed.
New 18 inch mains from Gas Works completed as far as Dudbridge. Crosses sewer from Company’s cottage.
Bottom gates of two Dudbridge locks require renewal.
New water softening tanks at Messrs Apperly’s mills supplied from canal.
New swing bridge at Lodgemore repeatedly struck by wheels of passing drays. Not damaged by passage of Messrs Strachan & Co’s new boiler.
Supply of water from Painswick Stream to Messrs Strachan’s reservoir satisfactory.
Gates at Whitminster could be repaired and banks of canal raised so company can use of water from River Frome to raise level of Bristol Road pound.
Applications for Ship Inn from Messrs Smith & Son (Brimscombe Brewery), the Nailsworth Brewery Co. Ltd. £25, Messrs Cordwell & Bigg, Cainscross, £20. Clerk to communicate with Messrs Smith. Rent to £40 p.a. with a lease.
Cost of dredging Bristol Road Level £182 4s 5d. Company to pay £75.
Mr Whitfield, machinist, Dudbridge, requested supply of water from canal by 1 inch pipe. Charge to be 21s p.a.
Committee Meeting held at Wallbridge on Tuesday June 21^st 1898 @ 3 o'clock pm
Present: Mr C H Hooper Chairman, Mr H H Mills Solicitor, Mr W Davies, Sir W H Marling Bart, Mr E P Little, Major Fisher.
The Report of the Inspection Committee was read and discussed and ordered to be entered on the minutes of this Meeting.
[Lower Section June 13) The Annual Survey of the lower portion of the Canal from Eastington to Framilode was undertaken by the Chairman and Mr E P Little, with the Clerk, June 13^th
{Eastington Wharf and House] The Eastington Wharf was examined, and the erections noted which Mr Whiting will claim when he leaves at Michaelmas. The interior of the house was found in a bad state, the whole of the rooms requiring repapering and painting, but it would be useless to call on the Tenant to do this in the present state of the Walls owing to the dame and bad plaster. The house appears much shaken, Mr Whiting says by the 1896 Earthquake, The lean-to at the back was never properly bonded with the original Structure. The piece of pasture separately rented by Mr Whiting was seen and the state of fences noted.
[Yard and Shops] The Company's Yard and Shops: All was in good order, and stores carefully kept. A part of the latter, duly distinguished, was pointed out by Mr Snape as the property of the Thames and Severn Trust.
The planking for Bonds Mill Swing Bridge was pointed out as ready for its renewal.
[Docks and Locks] The "Dock" and the two neighbouring Locks were found in good order.
[Bathing] The Dressing Shelter for the Eastington Bathing Club "Westfield Bridge" was inspected.
[Bristol Road] Bristol Road Wharf. The garden railings at Mrs Boulton's required repair. Mrs Tudor of the Wharf pressed for the opening of a doorway in her front room, which the Survey and Clerk were not clear was desirable. A barge load of black coal was unloading.
[Bristol Road Reach Dredging, etc] The dredging by the Sharpness "Dredger" had been completed in this reach as per agreement with the Sharpness Docks Company and as a result the barge "Excelsior" with 65 Tons had just passed through, but scaping the bottom occasionally as the level of the water was 6 or 7 inches below normal point in consequence of a drain upon it from Sharpness. Previous to such dredging she must have remained below, until the water supply increased. The Survey gave particular attention to this question on the spot, and saw clearly that the dredging can only be a temporary solution of the difficulty to the traffic, caused by the large demands upon this level from Sharpness. And that eventually, provision must be made for retention of the water in the reach, either by putting in of the Gates at the Junction as contemplated by the Sharpness Docks Act 1870, or by raising the level of the Shallow Lock Gates, which would give the Company again their due supply from the River Froome which is now last to them.
[The Junction] At the Junction: Very little traffic was current by reason of the Coal Strike. The Gas Company's Reliance was laid up there. The level of water had risen from 17.11 to 18.1 since morning.
[Weeds Whitminster] The Weeds in the Canal at Whitminster, so long a matter of representation to the Sharpness Docks C^o had been cut on the towing path side and the path freshly gravelled.
[Walk Bridge] The Walk Bridge which had been the subject of a complaint to the Clerk by the Surveyor of Highways was examined and seen to be in order, except a trifling matter.
[Framilode} At Framilode all was in order, but no traffic, in consequence of which considerable scum had gathered on the surface of the water which the lock-keeper was engaged in removing. He reported having recently examined the flood-gate which rests on the bed of the Canal. The cottage tenanted by Tom Taylor in which improvements had been ordered by the last Survey was visited and found very satisfactory.
[General] General. The Locks and Gates and Property in general was found in a satisfactory condition in this section. The weeds and grass will be cut as soon as men can be set at liberty from assisting the Gas Company in laying the new 18 inch gas main under the towing path from Stroud.
[Stonehouse to Stroud] The section from Stonehouse (Ocean) to Wallbridge was under taken by the Chairman with Mr Morton Ball and the Clerk on Thursday June 16^th.
[Stonehouse Ocean, etc] The first attention was directed to the limits of the Company's Property at the 'Ocean' and the Mud Deposit area West of the Railway all being found in satisfactory condition.
[Ryeford Wharf] At the Ryeford Wharf there seemed to be no signs of coal traffic, although coal was seen on private ground adjoining, and it would seem desirable if such could be, to seek means for encouraging traffic at that point.
[The "Sibly" Right of way] The question as to right of way over the towing path raised at the last stoppage by Mr Sibly was discussed on the spot, and in the lights of records referred to by the Clerk, there seemed to the Survey to be no ground for Mr Sibly's contention.
[Double Locks] A piece of Garden near the Lock-keepers house at the "Double Locks" was noticed, which had apparently lapsed from the Company's property, but might be worthy of investigation.
[Sewage] Throughout the Ebley and Cainscross section of the Canal, the water appeared much contaminated with sewage, resulting from the flow of drains into the Canal, and suggesting the need to use every means to restrict this where possible.
[Ebley Sewerage] Just past the Ebley Saw Mills, a large pipe Sewer, said to occupy the place of an old water course, was observed, evidently draining the houses of that locality -- and it seemed to the Survey that if no responsibility can be laid upon the adjoining owners, a relief of the effect upon the Canal might be obtained by continuing the Sewer under the Canal Bank Eastwards for a short distance, so that the sewage might be drawn over the Weir on the towing path side, which is nearly opposite.
[Cainscross Bathing] The debated question of the site of bathing for Cainscross, which has not yet been the subject of any application to the Company was noted, and it seemed to the Survey that the objection raided by Mrs Spry Davis was not without justification, and that a point nearer the "Hilly Orchard" bridge would not only be preferable, but necessary, in view of the polluted character of the water at the site discussed.
[Gas Coy's New Mains] The laying of the new 18 inch mains from the Gas Works was found completed thence to the end of the Company's property at Dudbridge, and a spot was pointed out by the Clerk where they and crossed a sewer from the Company's Cottages there, involving an understanding with the Gas Company for _their_ future attention at the point of crossing.
[Dudbridge Locks] The bottom Gates of the two Dudbridge Locks were seen to be requiring renewal at a not very distant date.
[Apperly's Reservoirs] The Survey visited Messrs Apperly's Mills at Dudbridge and were shown their new Water Softening Tanks by Mr Apperly Sen^r which receive their supply from the Canal. All seemed in excellent working order.
[Lodgemore Swing Bridge] At Lodgemore the new Swing Bridge was seen to have been repeatedly struck, on the side framework, by the wheels of passing drays, involving slight repairs. It seemed none the worse for the passage over it of Messrs Strachan & C^os new Boiler.
[Painswick Brook Strachan & C^o] The recent arrangement, for the supply to Messrs Strachan's Reservoir, of water from the Painswick Stream, was noted and reported by the Clerk to be working satisfactorily to the Company.
[General] The works of the Canal generally on this section were considered by the Survey to be in very satisfactory condition.
With reference to the Bristol Road Pound and the necessity referred to in the Report for provision being eventually made for the retention of the water in the reach, the Committee were of opinion that the best means of retaining the water would be by repairing the Gates at Whitminster Lock, and raising the banks of the Canal for the necessary distance, so as to make the Lock an effective one of about 15 inches in depth, and thus enable the Company to make use of the water from the River Frome, which cannot at present be retained.
Three applications for the "Ship Inn" from Messrs Smith & Son (Brimscombe Brewery} The Nailsworth Brewery C^o Ltd (£25) and Messrs Cordwell & Bigg, Cainscross (£20_ were laid before the Committee. The Clerk was instructed to communicate with Messrs Smith & Son and to inform them that the Rent of the house is £40 per annum with a Lease.
A communication from the Sharpness Docks C^o was read showing the amount expended by that Company upon the Dredging of the Bristol Road Level, now completed, to have been £182..4..5, and asking this Company for its agreed share of this outlay viz £75. The Committee expressed its wish to know the number of tons of mud, etc, removed.
The Insurance of the Company against claims by its servants under the Employers Liability Act 1897 coming into operation July 1^st prox, was discussed, and the selection of an office under satisfactory rates before that date was left to the decision of the Chairman.
Mr Whitfield, Machinist, Dudbridge, having asked for a supply of water from the Canal by a 1 inch pipe the quotation of 21/- per annum, by the Clerk, was confirmed.
Cheques drawn:
June 16^th 98 W Wheatly: 17..13..11
June 24^th 98 W J Snape: 37..10..0
June 24^th 98 W Fredericks: 6..10..0
[Total] £61..13..11
