Berkhamsted Canal Partnership |
I n 1995 an ambitious waterfront plan to achieve something of lasting benefit for the people of Berkhamsted was conceived, promoted and enthusiastically instigated by Lindy Foster Weinreb.
This led to the formation of the Canal and Riverside Partnership CARP – a partnership formed under the aegis of the 1995 Independent Berkhamsted Town Council. It brought together British Waterways, The Inland Waterways Association, John Lewis Partnership, Dacorum Borough Council, Berkhamsted Town Council, The Environment Agency, Berkhamsted Citizens Association, The Youth Council, The Probation Service and a number of environmental stakeholders.
The original team's enthusiasm, particularly the Inland Waterways Association and the support of the community have been essential to the success this partnership has achieved. A fountain of ideas evolved and a series of canal related projects were designed and brought to fruition as a result of endless hard work, vision, enthusiasm and tenacity, plus a goodly share of blood sweat and tears!
As the land owner for most of the projects the principal funding provider was British Waterways. They were also the prime contractors for the major works and a continuing source of encouragement. The balance was made up by Dacorum Borough Council and some from Berkhamsted Town Council and the community. The benefits to the community included: ● The improvement of the amenity value of the waterside in Berkhamsted to improve the towpath, thus opening it up to previously excluded groups, particularly those in wheel chairs, the semi ambulant and young families with push chairs and small children on tricycles.
● Use of a lighter colour stone for the surface of the new towpath which enables those with visual impairment to walk comfortably alongside the canal and distinguish the edge. ● The improvement of the towpath surface and provision of ramps at key points to replace steps has allowed greater use of the path by all users in all weathers. It gives residents greater use of the towpath for commuter cycling as well as walking as the towpath runs through the centre of town and connects both with the railway and the industrial estate. ● The installation of a canal lock gates feature by the Waitrose supermarket adjacent to the canal to link the shopping opportunities with the amenity facilities afforded by the project. ● One of the objectives of the project has been the understanding and interpretation of our waterways and their importance to the development Berkhamsted as a market town. It has been aimed at several groups of users, local citizens, children and education groups, visitors and tourists.● The installation of eight interactive interpretive desks has been key, as not only do they provide information about our waterways, our market town and it’s development, but it also provides activities for children as they are designed to be suitable for brass rubbing. They are also a suitable height to be read and enjoyed from a wheelchair. ● Information encouraging greater use of the new facility has also been disseminated in the form of a colour leaflet which has been made available in a great number of public places like libraries and doctors surgeries. ● Part of the project has been the installation of very large traditionally painted bridge signs by Phil Speight, a well-known canal painter, which illustrate the waterway heritage of the town in an artistic manner. ● The whole area of the project has been greatly enhanced by volunteer help. ● The community as a whole has helped with the planting of tens of thousands of daffodils and the raising of money to buy some of the bulbs. ● The probation service has been a prime helper with daffodil planting and generally enhancing the area by painting and rubbish clearance. ● Local schools throughout the wider area have been involved in competitions and we have many more plans for young people, including community involvement in public art. The project has been such a success it is in the process of being used as model by a number of other local authorities. The aims of the partnership were to: 1. Develop a mutually rewarding relationship between the local community and their waterways.2. To increase footfall along our waterways.3. To encourage young people to enjoy their waterway heritage4. To link the waterway with the impact it has had on its environs.5. To link the waterway heritage with the economic development of the area.6. To link the waterway with both the natural and built environment.7. To improve access to the waterway for those with disabilities.8. To encourage waterway users (tourists, boaters, on foot and bicycles) to stop and enjoy the benefits our market town has to offer which include:● The natural environment of our natural chalk stream ● The literary links within our market town ● The shops and marketing opportunities in the area The project offered – ● An introduction to the history of our waterway The Grand Union Canal ● An introduction to traditional canal art ● An introduction to the history of our market town ● A visual feast in the spring when the tens of thousands of daffodils we planted are in flower throughout the length of Berkhamsted canal-side. ● An introduction to the young to enjoy our waterways by brass rubbing the cast zinc interpretation desks we have installed.
CHILTERN CANAL PARTNERSHIP Now the work of the “Berkhamsted” based CARP is completed we hope a new canal partnership “Chiltern Canal Partnership” will extend its scope and coverage further along the canal corridor. The project is both sustainable and self- perpetuating in terms of new ideas and the long-term support of its principal sponsors, and more groups that wish to be involved. It will be the object of the partnership to develop an Action Plan to protect, conserve, improve and sustain the natural, built and industrial heritage of the district's canal corridor. Safeguarding of the wharves and boat servicing facilities on which use of the waterway depends would be a high priority. The partnership will work to make the waterway more accessible to the local people and visitors to enhance their enjoyment of the canal-side's recreational potential and to encourage the tourist, leisure, educational and transport possibilities it provides. The Proposed partnership encompasses – Heritage – Culture – Social Inclusion – Leisure – Tourism – Economic Regeneration – Corporate Feedback to the Community – Community Involvement – Public Art - Education – Partnership Working – Good PR
Dacorum Corridor Canal Towpath Map
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