History of the Navigation

The Company of Proprietors of the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation was formed under an Act of Parliament in 1793, following an earlier unsuccessful Act in 1766 when insufficient funds were raised.  Surveys had been undertaken and there had been discussions for promoting a navigation since the late 17th century.  John Rennie was nominally in charge of construction of the navigation, but his assistant Richard Coates actually did the work. A lthough labelled the 'Chelmer & Blackwater', the Navigation mostly follows the river Chelmer, which is joined by the Blackwater just below Beeleigh Lock, near Heybridge.

The Navigation joined the sea at Heybridge, rather than the sea port of Maldon, owing to objections from landowners and other port interests in the town who feared the Navigation would bring a loss of trade.  The community around Heybridge Basin rose following the construction work in the 1790s, as the area was entirely rural farmland until the building of the Navigation.  For the first fifty years of its operation, the Navigation was very successful, but with the arrival of the Eastern Counties Railway in Chelmsford in 1843, trade steadily declined. After the 1939 - 1945 war, the sea lock at Heybridge Basin was enlarged (now 107' x 26') for bigger timber ships from the continent.

The only trade during the final the years of commercial carrying was timber to Brown's, timber merchants, in Chelmsford.  When this trade stopped, in 1972, the Navigation Company was, at first, resistant to use of the waterway by pleasure traffic, but a spirited campaign by the Association's Chelmsford Branch led to acceptance and a steady growth in pleasure craft numbers.  IWA's Chelmsford Branch has supported the waterway ever since, and organised the restoration of Springfield Basin during 1992, re-opening at the 1993 National Trail Boat Rally held there.  During the next ten years, the Association has raised over £400,000 to repair locks and weirs at Hoe Mill, Stoneham's, Barnes Mill and Sandford locks.  A locally-based Chelmer Canal Trust, originally a 'Friends of the Navigation' was formed to add its support.

Redevelopment of waterside properties in Chelmsford followed the restoration of Springfield Basin, and there is potential for more. The Association promoted an extension of the Navigation through a former gas works to the river Can (a tributary of the Chelmer), which flows through the centre of Chelmsford.  The proposals enjoyed the support of Chelmsford Borough Council, but funding has yet to be secured.  Following some unfortunate ventures, the Company of Proprietors found itself in financial difficulties during the opening years of the 21st century, and eventually teh company was put into administration, with closure of the waterway being a real risk.

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

New arrangements after 2005

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.