BW signage at Lapworth and Kingswood Junction

Saturday, 07 January 2012 16:14

When you start noticing them, signs proliferate on our inland waterways system. On the canals BW has instruction signs, warning signs, information signs, story signs and in some places stoppage signs. These latter are a rare breed as supposedly, "it is all available on the internet". At Lapworth and Kingswood Junction, a number of signs caught my attention.

This one is pertinent for independent wives!

Other signs were more controversial .....

On some of the balance beams there are instructions

"Have you shut up?"

The instructions are "close gates and paddles before you leave". Well, leave the lock first and then obey! Sadly the last narrowboat through had disobeyed - in fact the bottom gate of the lock above was open too - right beside the BW offices!

It is quite clear on the top gates too

A lesser spotted stoppage notice on Lock 22

Around the Lapworth Basins, Arm and Link are storyboards - or you can turn a windlass and listen to a "story", as John was doing here

Practice for the locks, whilst listening to a story

Someone had fancied a free windlass at one of these near the junction

The barrel roofed cottage by the Link has its own rounded storyboard. There are a couple of cottages like this on the South Stratford Canal

Cottage and link

Storyboard

These last two signs were on the same large storyboard as the one I started with

I think it is our heritage too!

It will be up to the new Canal and River Trust (CRT) to keep this pledge from April 1st. I suppose it will also keep this one.

BW cares for .....

As continuous cruisers we see the wildlife and use the "heritage" all year around; it is a privilege we enjoy and hope to continue. So today we continued up the Lapworth flight of locks and there is a blog to come soon! "Heritage" can be hard work sometimes .....