Gloucester and Sharpness Ship Canal

In 1949 Peter Scott bought the narrowboat Beatrice to use as afloating hostel at his Wildfowl Trust at Slimbridge. On the way to Slimbridge Beatrice was taken through the notorious Tunnel Lane, Lifford bridge that had still not been replaced by a drawbridge.

In April 1950 Peter Scott set off aboard Beatrice on a combined campaign voyage and lecture tour for the Severn Wildfowl Trust that was to take him north to Liverpool, across the Mersey to the Manchester Ship Canal and back to Slimbridge by a different route. He was accompanied on this voyage by various leading IWA figures including Robert Aickman.

Patch bridgeIn 1951 IWA suggested to the Inland Waterways Executive that more extensive moorings for pleasure craft should be made available in Gloucester Docks.

In 1952 Peter Scott offered the Severn Wildfowl Trust's narrowboat Beatrice for sale at £1,500.

In March 1955 the Board of Survey reported and recommended the disposal of 771 miles of waterway including some canals that had already been abandoned and closed to traffic. These were called "Group 3" waterways "Group 2" was 994 miles of waterways that were to be retained but if traffic did not increase they were to be downgraded to Group 3. "Group 1" at just 336 miles was the smallest group. These were waterways to be developed and consisted of the Aire & Calder Navigation (including the Ouse Lower Improvement), Gloucester & Berkeley Canal and the River Severn, Grand Union Canal below Berkhamsted, Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation, River Lee (below Enfield Lock), River Trent and the River Weaver.

In response IWA advocate a National Waterway Conservancy to look after all our waterways and point out that it is cheaper to restore and use waterways than to eliminate them.

In 1990 IWA National Festival held at Gloucester was sponsored by Volvo Penta and had Sonia Rolt, Charles Hadfield and Sir John Knill as Patrons.