A NEW narrowboat designed to carry passengers up and down the River Slea in Lincolnshire will launch next spring.
The £50,000, 30ft Benjamin Handley will take 12 people between The Hub in Sleaford and Cogglesford Watermill as part of history trips which will deposit guests so they can explore the market town.
The boat was recently lifted into the water so the internal fit-out and crew training can take place over the coming months.
It has been funded by the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and North Kesteven District Council, and is the brainchild of the Sleaford Navigation Trust. The £130,000 total includes some river dredging, a new landing stage and crew training.
Chairman of Sleaford Navigation Trust Chris Hayes said: “It’s really exciting to see our boat, Benjamin Handley, in Sleaford and we look forward to being able to welcome people on board next year.”
Any surplus funds generated when the boat starts operating will go directly back to its maintenance. The trust is also hoping more volunteers will help with the work and is encouraging people to share their skills.
The River Slea will also be cleaned up in advance of the launch and a new landing stage built at Cogglesford Watermill.
North Kesteven District Council leader Coun Richard Wright said: “The narrowboat will offer an entirely new experience; allowing people not just to enjoy part of the Slea by boat but also to hear all about the ways in which the Slea Navigation brought prosperity and growth to the area after it originally opened in 1794.
“The trips will require the lifting bridge to raise for the boat to pass underneath, which will add another dimension. It’s also an invitation to explore nearby Navigation House – an original canal company office thought to be the only one of its kind still in existence – and to delve even further back into local history at Cogglesford Watermill where stone milling is powered naturally by the river.
“After disembarking there’s of course food and drink, leisure, shopping, history and more in Sleaford town centre to complete your visit, and the narrowboat also opens up opportunities for community and educational use led by the trust.”
It’s hoped that the boat can also be utilised for organised school or group trips to take in all of the heritage along the river as one joined-up experience. The trips are not about making a large profit, rather just enough to sustainably manage the maintenance costs while bringing visitors to the river and into the town.
The UKSPF funding also provides for training for the boat’s crew, and clearance in autumn of an excess of silt and vegetation along the route. This will also enhance the Slea riverbed, increasing the flow of the water which better supports fish to spawn. A new landing stage will also be built at Cogglesford Watermill.
The boat will be going at a very slow pace and will operate only within set times – initially just on the weekends, and in warmer weather – to avoid disturbance to the river and the wildlife along it.
PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
To find out more about the project please visit: www.sleafordnavigation.co.uk
