Tue 18 Jul 1899
Annual inspection of canal.
Wallbridge warehouse relet to Mr Henry Lambourn. Satisfactory condition but needs handrail to outside steps. New tenant wished to take stable and lean-to near Ship Inn, if repaired and adapted.
At Gas House Lane workmen putting up fences on new boundaries. Great improvement for traffic.
Bottom gates of Dudbridge lower lock need immediate replacement.
Hilly Orchard bathing shelter erected and way made to canal in very undesirable position. Entrance in full view of passengers on bridge. No agreement with company signed: Clerk to refer to Solicitor.
At Ebley Bridge stable erecting by Nailsworth Brewery Company unobjectionable if drainage kept out of canal. Urinal on other side of bridge should be covered with a stone.
Bathing place of Stroud Parish Council inspected. £2 to pay so that sufficient dredging might be done.
At mud deposit near Midland Railway, Stonehouse, outfall of sewer examined. Proposed deposit tanks practicable plan.
At Eastington wharf, house, yard, shops and warehouses satisfactory.
At Bristol Road Wharf, Mrs Tudor, wife of tenant, pressed request of last year to have former doorway in front room of dwelling house reopened.
At Whitminster Shallow Lock, suggestion of new and higher gates and slight alteration to masonry to raise level of water towards Bristol Road 1 foot clear front above Junction seen to be practicable.
Repairs to planking at Walk Bridge. More traffic than last year at Framilode.
Weeding and trimming of canal not yet commenced. Staff occupied.
Mr Snape to prepare plan and estimate for two horse stable and chaff room, sufficient to meet requirements of Mr Lambourn.
Mr Wibby of Gloucester to be paid for timber for Dudbridge Lock Gates in January next.
Removal of bathing shelter at Cainscross to less exposed place.
Mr Clissold of Nailsworth Brewery Company agreed 2s 6d payment p.a. as trespass for stable and urinal at Ebley Bridge. Company to reopen doorway at Bristol Road Wharf at his expense.
Agreement under preparation for laying of pipe by Mr Knight at Dudbridge to supply water for his garden.
Mr Lambourn of Stroud to be tenant of warehouse vacated by Messrs Townsend. Rent £18 4s.
Application from Mr Rechab Wood for right to post bills on wall outside entrance of Company’s yards at Wallbridge and Dudbridge. To be charged £7 p.a.
Mr F Winterbotham, Clerk of Stroud Rural District Council, attended with reference to arrangements to use the Company’s mud deposit ground at Stonehouse for sewage tanks to receive solid matter from sewer on the Midland Railway Company’s premises adjoining. Lease of 10 years at £1 p.a.
Agreement signed Stroud Gas Company and District Council as to widening and improvement of Gas House Lane.
Committee Meeting held at Wallbridge on Tuesday the 18^th day of July 1899
Present: Mr C H Hooper Chairman, Mr H Hamilton Mills Solicitor, Mr E P Little, Mr A B Hooper, Mr W Davies, Sir W H Marling Bart, Mr P J Evans, Mr W J Stanton.
The Chairman read a Report he had prepared, of the Survey of the Canal made by himself and Messrs E P Little & P J Evans, with the Clerk, on June 27 and July 4 as follows:-
[Wallbridge Warehouse] At Wallbridge, the Warehouse new re-let to Mr Henry Lambourn, was inspected, and found in satisfactory condition, except the need of a handrail to the outside steps. The new tenant having expressed a wish to take a stable, etc, the lean-to near the Ship Inn if repaired and adapted, Mr Snape was instructed to get out a plan and estimate:
[Gas-house Lane] At Gas-house Lane the workmen were pulling up the fences on the new boundaries, which indicate great improvement for the traffic there.
[Dudbridge Lower Lock] It was seen that the bottom gates of Dudbridge lower Lock were in need of immediate replacement, the bars manifestly giving wat.
[Hilly Orchard Bridge Bathing Shed] A Hilly Orchard Bridge (which had recently been repaired) it was observed that the bathing shelter had been erected, and a way made to the Canal, in a very undesirable position, as its entrance was in full view of passengers on the bridge -- and no agreement with the Company has been signed. The Clerk was directed to see the Solicitor of the Company respecting it without delay.
[Ebley Bridge Stable & Urinal] At the Ebley Bridge, the Stables, etc, erecting by the Nailsworth Brewery Company was inspected and if a due acknowledgement be paid to the Company, and the stable drainage be kept out of the Canal, it was thought to be unobjectionable. The proposed 'Urinal' on the other side of the Bridge, it was thought should be covered with a stone.
{Stonehouse Parish Council Bathing (Dredging)] The bathing place of the Stonehouse Parish Council was inspected, and the Survey considered that it might be proposed that the Council pay £2 for which sum sufficient dredging might be done, or nearly so, to meet the principal needs of the case, thought for the traffic, none is actually required.
[Stonehouse Sewer Outfall proposed tanks] At the Mud Deposit near the Midland Railway Stonehouse, the outfall of the Sewer was examined and the proposed deposit tanks were considered a practicable plan - should the District Council desire it - under due conditions.
[Eastington Wharf] The Wharf and House at Eastington were inspected, and the repairs done since last year at the House were considered (with one or two items yet to complete) satisfactory.
[Eastington Yard & Shops] The Yard with Shops and Warehouse were inspected, and found in satisfactory condition.
[Bristol Road Wharf & House] At Bristol Road Wharf Mrs Tudor, wife of the Tenant, pressed her request of last year to have a former doorway in the front room of the Dwelling house re-opened.
[Whitminster 'Shallow Lock'] At the 'Whitminster Shallow Lock' the suggestion to raise, be a clear foot above the Junction, the level of the water towards Bristol Road, by new and higher gates, and slight addition to the masonry, was seen to be quite practicable, without much alteration to the Canal Banks, and the Survey considered it the most effective way by which the safeguards provided by the Act of 1870 (Sharpness Docks Company) might be established.
['Walk Bridge'] At the 'Walk Bridge' some little repairs to the planking were found necessary and ordered.
[Remilode Stop Gate] At Framilode, more traffic than last year was reported. All works were in order. The Stop Gate was raised and inspected and Mr Snape explained the improvements he contemplated for strengthening it. The Warehouse was still unoccupied as also the enclosed land adjoining it.
[Weeding, etc] The weeding and trimming of the Canal had not yet been commenced, owing to the staff being occupied with pressing work elsewhere.
As arising out of this Report, the Committee considered:
The handrail to the steps of the Warehouse now taken by Mr Henry Lambourn from the Company as from September 29 and sanction its erection. Mr Snape was directed to prepare plan and estimate for a two horse Stable, and Chaff Room. sufficient to meet the requirements of Mr Lambourn. The amount of Rent was left for further consideration.
The Clerk reported having arranged with Mr Wibby of Gloucester for the timber for the Dudbridge Lock Gates, to be paid for in January next.
The Clerk reported the removal of the bathing shelter at Cainscross to a less exposed position.
The Clerk reported that Mr Clissold of the Nailsworth Brewery Company called and agreed to the payment of 2.6 per Annum each as trespass for the Stable & Urinal at Ebley Bridge.
The Clerk reported that no further communication has been received from the Stonehouse Parish Council as to the dredging at the Bathing place.
The Committee instructed the Clerk to inform the tenant at Bristol Road Wharf that the Company would re-open the doorway as desired, if he was willing to bear the expense.
The Clerk reported the needed repairs at the Walk Bridge already completed.
The Clerk reported the laying of the pipe by Mr Knight at Dudbridge, to supply water to his garden. The Agreement being under preparation by the Company's Solicitor.
The Clerk produced a letter from Mr H Lambourn of Stroud date June . applying for the Warehouse which Messrs Townsend would vacate September 29, and that he had accepted him as Tenant at Michaelmas after due enquiry on the same conditions and at the same Rent as hitherto paid viz; £18..4..0 per Annum. By arrangement between Messrs Townsend and Mr Lamourne, the latter had entered on possession as from June 24.
An application was presented from Mr Rechab Wood of Stroud, for right to post Bills on the wall outside the entrance of the Company's Yards at Wallbridge and Dudbridge and offering £7 a year for the same. The Committee instructed the Clerk to see Mr Wood and arrange it under suitable terms and conditions.
Mr F Winterbotham, Clerk of the Stroud Rural District Council, attended with reference to the arrangements on the Company's mud-deposit ground at Stonehouse, for sewage tanks, to receive the solid matter form the sewer on the M R Company's premises adjoining. The Committee sanctioned a lease of Ten Years for the necessary easement, at £1 per Annum, to which Mr Winterbotham agreed. A formal Agreement to be drawn up by the Company's Solicitor in conference with Mr Winterbotham.
The Chairman reported the sealing on the 4^th inst of the Agreement (in triplicate) with the Stroud Gas C^oy and the District Council, as to the widening and improvement of Gas House Lane by himself & Messrs E P Little & P J Evans. It being noted however that as it did not expressly reserve the improvement of the Gradient to the satisfaction of the Committee of the Stroudwater Navigation, Mr E P Little, on behalf of the Gas Company undertook that such should be understood, in accordance with the minute of January 17 1899.
The Chairman mentioned that he had sanctioned the absence of Mr Snape for a fortnight from August 6 to Aug 19. As this would include the date of the next Meeting (15^th) it was agreed that the August Committee should e suspended subject to the Chairmans discretion.
Cheques drawn:
Messrs Gardner & Gardner: 8..7..6
Messrs J W Marting & Son: 29..-..-
[Total] £37..7..6
