30 people attended a visual talk at Measham Leisure Centre on The Great Central Railway, whose current aim is to reconnect two halves of the GCR and join them to Network Rail. The speaker illustrated many of the engineering challenges faced by the project, which included replacing a bridge across the Soar Navigation at Loughborough. If you wish to support the GCR please click on the following link: www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify
Before the talk, Michael Griffin, an ACA member and Vice Chairman of the Midland Branch of the Association of Waterway Cruising Clubs, gave the ACA an award for Spout, which has been voted the Best Club Newsletter/Magazine for 2022. It falls upon the ACA as the recipients to be on the judging panel to select next year’s winners. Chairman, Peter Oakden, and Spout Editor, Arran Jenkins, were presented with the award and a commemorative plaque. Our thanks also go to John Roddis, as the previous long-standing editor of Spout magazine.
This is a map of the site a few years before the closure of Ilott wharf. You can see that the left arm of the canal had already been dewatered in the 1950s when Measham town lost its stretch of canal.
The lads putting up the sign at the car park at Ilott wharf. They had previously scrapped the car park so it could be used again.
The chute at Ilott wharf in about 1965, just before demolition and dewatering of the canal back to Snarestone Wharf. The trains from Measham Mine were backed up on the siding, and men shovelled the coal into narrowboats moored on the canal.
The engine used to pull the coal wagons crossing Bosworth Road just west of the old coaching inn.
Referring to the previous steam engine photo, Peter Oakden is seen here having excavated the base of the street lamp, with even the electricity cable sticking out of it.
Trains crossing the fields coming from Measham Mine (on the horizon), heading towards Ilott Wharf.
This house, one of two at Ilott Wharf, had been a coaching inn on the Measham to Bosworth route. It was demolished in 1965. It belonged to the Coal Board and the last occupant was a manager from the mine.
The house in the background was the Ilott House which belonged to the Midland Railway Company, which also owned the canal. The little black shed in front of it was the tally shed where canal records were kept. Also shown are the loaded wagons on the raised siding and boats waiting to be filled.
Another view taken at around the same time. Ilott House has been demolished. The dilapidated tally hut is still there, as is the greenhouse seen in front of the tree.
Although life was hard, there was fun to be had for children. In the background, there is a train on the siding, and the coal shute can be seen on the far left.
The Goodwins at Ilott wharf. The gauging station is in the background. They borrowed the canoe from Bill Bradford, the local carpenter and undertaker, who lived at Bosworth Grange just east of the aqueduct.
