About Us

The Inland Waterways Association's subsidiary company Essex Waterways Ltd  took over the management of the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation on Monday 14th November 2005, following negotiations with the Company of Proprietors of the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation and the joint administrators of the Company. The arrangement provides that IWA undertakes day-to-day responsibilities for the Navigation, as well as income and expenditure relating to it, although the freehold ownership of the waterway remains with the Navigation Company.

New arrangements

In particular, IWA took on responsibilities for licensing boats to use the navigation, for moorings, for operating the sea lock at Heybridge and associated services, for looking after the willow trees along the navigation - which provide a source of income through timber sales for cricket bats - and general maintenance of the navigation, its structures, the towpath, water supplies, waterside furniture and operating mechanisms. IWA also looks after the lock cottage at Heybridge, the Company's small office at Paper Mill Lock (near Little Baddow), facilities for boaters at Springfield (Chelmsford), Paper Mill Lock, Sandford, Hoe Mill and Heybridge, and the company's former maintenance vessels, motor vehicles, plant and equipment.

The tearooms at Paper Mill Lock, the Old Ship public house at Heybridge and trip-barge Victoria were all sold by the administrator. Lock cottages at Paper Mill Lock, Hoe Mill Lock and Sandford Lock were also sold by the administrator, along with some other pieces of land that were outside the core-navigation assets. The proceeds from these sales were used to help clear debts to the Company's creditors.

Colin Edmond, now based at Paper Mill, manages the Navigation on a day-to-day basis, assisted by Hugh Turner, moorings manager, also based at Paper Mill, and Martin Maudsley, lockkeeper, based at Heybridge.

IWA's agreement to manage the navigation is for an initial period of ten years, and then renewable for further periods of ten years, at IWA's option, in perpetuity. The Navigation is being managed through the Association's subsidiary company so as to keep the undertaking separate from the Association's main charitable work. For legal purposes, operating the navigation counts as trading, thus the work is undertaken through a trading company, Essex Waterways Limited, which is wholly owned by the Association. The operation needs to break-even, after taking into account any fundraising for the Navigation undertaken by the Association, and IWA is anxious that its main charitable work does not suffer any lessening or distraction as a result of these duties. A series of safeguards were built into the agreement to protect the Association in the event that these arrangements fail for any reason. IWA did not take on any liability for the Company's debts or any commitments incurred before 24th November 2005.

The future

IWA intends to continue to run the navigation for public benefit, to undertake or arrange all necessary repairs to bring the navigation into good maintenance order, to improve facilities for all legitimate users of the waterway and its surroundings, to safeguard the built and natural heritage of the Navigation and to undertake appropriate restoration and development of the navigation to maximise public appreciation and enjoyment of the asset consistent with safeguarding it for future generations. In order to do this, IWA will rely upon the support and assistance of users of the Navigation, members of the Association and other local people, the Company's directors and shareholders, local authorities and local businesses, charitable bodies and other interested parties both locally and nationally.