Timeline 1980-1999

1980

The use of a trip boat on the River Derwent (Yorkshire) caused a dispute between the Derwent Trust and some riverside landowners over the right of navigation. The Derwent Trust prepared for legal action and started a fighting fund to raise £20,000 at the IWA National Rally. IWA offered them £6,000. The Montgomery Waterway Trust was formed and and was visited by the Prince of Wales, whose Committee was to play a major part in the restoration of the Montgomery Canal.

IWA National Waterways Festival was held at Lea Bridge on the River Lee. About 500 boats and 25,000 people attended. IWA membership reached 19,274.

1981

Kings Norton (Wast Hill) Tunnel on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal was reopened after a 2½ year closure for repairs but Leek Tunnel, on the Leek Branch of the Caldon Canal and Blisworth Tunnel on the Grand Union Main Line were closed. The Anderton Lift giving access between the Trent & Mersey Canal and the River Weaver was also closed for seven months.

The Top Lock at Frankton, on the Montgomery Canal, was restored and the top gate ceremonially hung by John Biffen, Secertary of State for Trade.

IWA issued two writs against the Middle Level Commissioners one relating to the closure of Horseway Lock and the other to the obstruction of Bevill's Leam.

IWA National Rally and Waterside Arts Festival was held on the Aire & Calder Navigation at Leeds with 410 boats, including many commercial craft, in attendence. IWA membership ended the year at 18,838, a drop of 436 and the first recorded annual decline.

At the end of the year the Government announced that British Waterways would get an extra £7 million to help with its many problems with major structures including tunnels and reserviors.

1982

IWA made a £1,000 loan to the Linton Lock Commissioners so they could dredge the cut above the lock to reopen the lock following winter floods on the River Ouse (Yorkshire) and the River Ure. The Robert Aickman appeal, launched by IWA following his death in 1981, raised £24,000 for the Upper Avon Navigation Trust. Ken Goodwin took over as IWA Chairman after John Heap's retirement.

British Waterways undertook several major engineering projects including work on Boddington Reservior (see photograph) on the Oxford Canal, Coombs Reservior on the Peak Forest Canal, Stoke Bardolph Lock on the River Trent, Blisworth Tunnel on the Grand Union Main Line and Preston Brook Tunnel on the Trent & Mersey Canal.

Around 40.000 people and just under 500 boats attended IWA National Rally at Titford on the Birmingham Canal Navigations. The "National" had been held here in 1978 and this is the first time it had returned to a previous venue.

1983

Legal action on the Middle Level started in 1981 met with success with the Commissioners agreeing to restore Horseway Lock and to build a new lock near Ramsey. The Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation improvements were offically opened (see photograph of Sprotborough Lock) and so was Robert Aickman New Lock on the Upper Avon.

National Waterways Fortnight was held from 14th to 30th May comprising over a hundred events including talks, meetings, rallies and exhibitions to support the waterways. The whole campaign was co-ordindated by John Gagg. The Rochdale Canal Society opened the restored section of canal between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge.

IWA Council Members were taken in a truck through Blisworth Tunnel on the Grand Union Canal to see the new concrete cylinder lining that was being installed.

IWA National Rally was held at Wigan on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Around 50,000 people and 428 boats attended.

1984

Sir Frank Price ended his appointment as British Waterways Chairman after sixteen years. IWA regarded him as an effective ally in the battle for the waterways, a judgement not applicable to previous BW chairmen.

IWA National Rally at Hawkesbury on the junction of the Oxford and Coventry canals had a record entry of 720 boats of which 661 actually attended.

1985

British Waterways and Local Authorities from both ends of the canal met to discuss the Huddersfield Narrow Canal restoration project. BW announced a £100,000 engineering study of Standedge Tunnel.

A "National IWAterways Summer" of over 150 events, as well as a series of IWAalk sponsored walks across the country, was held to publicise the waterways. One of these was held on the Grand Union Saltisford Arm to mark its restoration.

A total of 514 boats and nearly 30,000 people attended IWA National Rally held at Milton Keynes on the Grand Union Main Line.

1986

The proposed route for the M66 motorway threatened to make the restoration of the Rochdale Canal impossible. The future of the Anderton Lift, giving access between the Trent & Mersey Canal and the River Weaver, which had been closed since 1983 was also subject of a restoration campaign, following which the Anderton Boat Lift Development Group was formed.

As part of a Milton Keynes facelift the IWA mural at Wolverton was painted by local Artist Bill Billings - both shown in the photograph.

As befits the fortieth anniversary year there was an IWA National Festival (instead of the usual rally) held at Brentford on the Grand Union Main Line. Around 450 boats attended and on the previous weekend about 70 boats cruised the London Ring.

1987

IWA Waterways for Youth campaign started under the leadership of John Gagg. Another rally was held to support the restoration of the Anderton Lift, between the Trent & Mersey Canal and the River Weaver. In September the first boat passed through the restored Frankton Locks on the Montgomery Canal, see photograph.

After 3 years IWA National Rally returned to Hawkesbury on the junction of the Oxford and Coventry canals. It attracted around 50,000 people and 530 boats.

1988

A further £100,000 was guaranteed to the Yorkshire Derwent Trust by IWA in support of its legal action to prove Rights of Navigation. The photograph shows Sutton Lock, which was restored by the Yorkshire Derwent Trust in 1972.

In February British Waterways and the Anderton Boat Lift Development Group displayed the first phase of the lift's restoration. On the River Thames IWA was concerned with the lack of capacity at some locks and was able to negotiate some improvements in the provision of visitor licences.

The battle for future navigation on the Rochdale Canal was won when it was announced that the M66 motorway would be built to allow navigation when the canal was restored.

IWA National Boat Rally and Carnival was held at Castlefield at the junction of the Bridgewater Canal and the Rochdale Canal in the centre of Manchester. The Waterways for Youth "Waterways Passport" scheme was introduced.

1989

David Stevenson took over from Ken Goodwin as IWA Chairman.

A discussion on the development of waterside properties was sparked off in IWA Waterways by John Gagg and continued throughout the year. Many restoration schemes continued and some new ones had appeared over the past ten years.

The photograph shows IWA National Festival at Waltham Abbey on the River Lee was sponsored by Volvo Penta. It attracted 525 boats and 50,000 visitors. The National Trailboat Rally was attended by 125 boats at Glasson on the Lancaster Canal. This highlighted the campaign for the Northern Reaches and the Ribble Link. IWA membership reached 22,000.

1990

Locks from Todmorden up to the Summit of the Rochdale Canal were officially reopened making almost half the canal navigable although still separated from the rest of the system by the obstuction at Tuel Lane. In August the Queen re-opened the Kennet & Avon Canal - see photograph by Waterway Images.

IWA issued policy statements on Moorings and Towpaths. IWA Membership was calculated at 22,268 but this was to prove an over estimate of between 2,000 and 3,000 when records were computerised a few years later.

IWA National Festival at Gloucester on the Gloucester & Sharpness Ship Canal was sponsored by Volvo Penta and had Sonia Rolt, Charles Hadfield and Sir John Knill as Patrons. The National Trailboat Rally was held at Falkirk on the Forth & Clyde Canal.

1991

A long stoppage took place on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal due to an embankment failure at Blackburn. British Waterways annouced plans to install Fibre Optic Cables under their towpaths. Attempts to fill Bugsworth Basin on the Peak Forest Canal failed due to leakage.

On 10th May 1991, HRH The Duke of Kent formally reopened 32 miles of the Basingstoke Canal.

IWA National Festival was held at Windmill End (see photograph by Waterway Images) on the Dudley Canal. 768 boats arrived and the police estimated that 385,000 people visited. A Campaign Festival, attended by 118 boats and around 10,000 people, was held in June at Sheffield to promote the Sheffield Canal and to get it upgraded from a "remainder" waterway to "Cruiseway" status. The National Trailboat Festival was held at Malthouse on the Norfolk Broads.

In December IWA lost its long running battle for the right of navigation on the River Derwent (Yorkshire) when a decision by the Law Lords ruled against them.

1992

Concerns were raised by the Litchfield & Hatherton Canals Trust over the Birmingham Relief Road which threatened to block the restoration of the Hatherton Branch of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal. The road was also planned to cut off the Ridgacre Branch of the Birmingham Canal Navigations and about 50 boats took part in a Protest Criuse but the branch was closed in November.

IWA had supported a group of boaters in a test case to establish if British Waterways had the power to charge for end of garden moorings. In July a judge at Birmingham County Court found in BW's favour.

The National Trailboat Rally was held on the River Tone at Taunton. 520 craft and 375 caravans and tents attended IWA National Festival at Wakefield on the Aire & Calder Navigation. This event is still remembered for the mud caused by the wet weather and for the efforts of the Waterways Recovery Group in keeping the site in a usable condition.

1993

This year was celebrated as "Canal 200" to mark two centuries since the height of canal mania in 1793. The Royal Mail issued a set of four stamps designed by Tony Lewery.

IWA lauched an appeal for the Ashton Nature Reserve on the Montgomery Canal which had to be built before the Ashton Locks could be reopened. The Rochdale Canal received a £602,000 Derelict Land Grant from the Department of the Environment to reconstruct part of the canal near Oldham.

IWA National Trail Boat Festival was held at Chelmsford on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation. The National Festival was held at Peterborough on the River Nene where 78,000 people and 487 boats took part. IWA membership was 19,167.

1994

The Bridgwater and Taunton Canal was officially reopened after 20 years of restoration work. The restoration of the Anderton Lift was given the go-ahead with English Heritage granting £500,000 towards the £3 million cost.

David Stevenson retired and was presented with a gift from IWA council by Audrey Smith who took over as IWA Chairman (photograph by Waterway Images). This was also a year when a declining membership (down to 17,730) prompted a debate about the future role of IWA.

The National Trail Boat Festival was held in May on the Grantham Canal and an Inland Waterways Association National Campaign Festival was held Pelsall on the Birmingham Canal Navigations. IWA National Festival was at Waltham Abbey on the River Lee.

1995

With the Environment Agency set to take over the National Rivers Authority (NRA) responsibilities IWA argued for a single body covering both British Waterways and NRA navigations. They also raised concerns that the proposed Landfill Tax would unfairly apply to dredgings from waterways.

The new Pomona Lock opened replacing Hulme Lock as the link between the Bridgewater Canal and the Manchester Ship Canal. Another mile and a half of the Montgomery Canal was reopened below Frankton Locks.

IWA National Trailboat Festival was held at Linthwaite on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. The Inland Waterways Association's National Festival at Chester on the Shropshire Union Canal the photograph by Waterway Images shows a Waterways for Youth activity at the Festival.

1996

The Rochdale Canal was reconnected with the waterways system by the opening of the new Tuel Lane Lock. The final length of the Ripon Canal was reopened to Ripon Basin and another stretch of the Montgomery Canal was opened to the Queens Head.

In the Inland Waterways Association Golden Jubilee Year all IWA branches and regions contributed to the Jubilee Jigsaw. The photograph by Waterway Images shows the West Midlands Region contribution.

The Heritage Lottery Fund made a grant of £25 million for improvements to the Kennet & Avon Canal.

In early May At Canalway Cavalcade at Little Venice IWA took delivery of its own narrowboat Jubilee provided by sponsors. It was also this year that the IWA website was established.

The National Trailboat Festival was held near Welshpool on the Montgomery Canal. IWA National Festival was held at Windmill End on the Dudley Canal. IWA Membership was 17,501.

1997

The Anderton Boat lift trust submitted a bid to the National Heritage Lottery Board and the Millenium Commission anounced a grant of up to £32 million for Scotlands Millenium Link to restore the Forth & Clyde and Edinburgh & Glasgow Union canals plus £2.7 million for the Ribble Link.

A dry summer caused water shortages on some navigation and restrictions and temporary back pumping systems were introduced by British Waterways to keep canals open.

The photograph shows IWA National Festival was held at at Henley on the River Thames, attended by 27,500 people. 558 boat and 336 caravans.

1998

A National Heritage Lottery Grant of £2.2 million was awarded towards the cost of a waterways museum at Banbury, on the Oxford Canal, which was to incorporate Tooley's Boatyard. Exceptionally heavy rain at Easter caused floods on many rivers and canals much damage to boats and other property as well as loss of life.

The IWA Head Office moved from 114, Regent's Park Road, London, NW1 to 3 Norfolk Court, Norfolk Road, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire.

IWA National Festival was held at Salford Quays on the Manchester Ship Canal. The photograph shows part of an IWA convoy of boats that crossed the Mersey on the way to the Festival.

1999

The recently reopened Bugsworth Basin on the Peak Forest Canal was used by boats again following problems with leakage. It closed again in the Autumn due to a breach in the entrance canal. The Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal Trust secured a section of canal at Over, near Gloucester. The Anderton Boat Lift Trust received a £3.3 million grant for the restoration of the Anderton Boat Lift.

Concerns about the European Recreation Craft Directive were expressed by IWA, particularly in relationship to the noise and exhaust emmissions of historic craft and engines.

The photograph shows IWA National Festival was held at Worcester on the River Severn. IWA membership was 16.869.