12 C O N T E X T 1 2 4 : M A Y 2 0 1 2 Built structures of the waterways include those associated with the storage and transfer of goods, waterways maintenance, boat-building and boat repair. Other types include buildings for residential and operational use (like the small lock-keepers’ hovels), chapels, pubs and stabling for horses. Finally, along certain canals there are numerous defence structures, mainly dating from the second world war. After 200 years of use in many cases, how are these heritage assets being conserved and managed? Large numbers of waterways buildings and structures are still in use, many for their original purpose. They are real working heritage. The waterways may cater largely for the leisure industry, but it is a very important industry.Waterway-based recreation and tourism pumps £1.1 billion into local economies each year, and 91 per cent of the public views canals as being part of the nation’s heritage. It was not always like that. Since the 1950s, abandoned or little-used canals have been gradually restored, with huge volunteer effort. Although there is still more to do, this waterways renaissance has been a great success. In the 20th century, inland waterways were brought back to life and put back to work. In the 21st century they face different kinds of risk to that of complete abandonment. Isolated ‘buildings at risk’, like the NorthWarehouse at Sharpness (which is now being repaired) and the disused pumping station chimney at Widcombe Locks in Bath (which has recently been repaired), suffered past neglect. It was difficult to prioritise works to such assets when funding was tight. CRT will continue the work of BritishWaterways in reducing the numbers on heritage-at-risk registers (currently 26, down from 125 in 2005). Success stories like Gloucester Docks and the NavigationWarehouse inWakefield show the benefits of careful restoration and re-use of such buildings. Other pressures come from other aspects of 21st century life. Health and safety, which must always be paramount, sometimes requires alterations to historic engineering structures. Bridge bashing by larger-thanever cars and lorries is now a regular occurrence, costing around £2.5 million in repairs each year.Theft, graffiti Right: BritishWaterways heritage advisor DavidViner and the Mayor and Mayoress of Bath at the reopening of theWidcombe Footbridge, Bath, following repairs NVQ3 heritage skills candidates working at a refresher lime mortars training day Left:Volunteers from the Guild of Bricklayers and BritishWaterways’ own heritage team spend a day working together at Fenny Compton brick kiln on the Oxford Canal.
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