Staffordshire County Council, the Peak District National Park Authority and the Canal and River Trust have agreed to convert the Caldon Canal towpath where it passes through Endon into a cycling route between Stoke on Trent and The Peak District. The route will be then promoted as a way for cyclists to get to the Peak District. But what will this mean for the wildlife that lives along the canal and also the enjoyment of the local people who currently use it?
Local people were not consulted about this, and I would not be surprised if many of the current canal users are aware of the planned alterations and what it might mean for them (the towpath between S-o-T and Hazelhurst Junction is to be closed for 37 weeks from 13th January 2014). I foresee conflict between cyclists, who having being told this is a route to the Peak District, will understandably want to make rapid progress to their destination (or perhaps to and from work/education etc. in the mornings and evenings) and narrow boat users and locals who currently walk along the towpath. I suspect cyclists will feel they are being delayed by pedestrians, whilst the existing users who have become accustomed to the pedestrian pace of the towpath will feel they have to be constantly wary of being bothered by cyclists.
I am not against the towpath being improved as, where it passes through Endon, Stockton Brook and on towards Leek and Cheddleton, in places it is in a poor state; consequently walking along it in wet weather can be pretty arduous. However, I am not convinced that the Canal and Rivers Trust have the best interests of the current users or the canal wildlife at heart.
The Caldon Canal originates in Etruria (Stoke on Trent) where it connects to the Trent and Mersey Canal. It passes through S-o-T and then at Stockton Brook the rest of its route goes through the Staffordshire Moorlands district. At Hazlehurst Junction the canal splits into two, the Leek arm and the Froghall arm. The cycle path will be routed along the Leek arm.
Where it passes through S-o-T the canal towpath is a hard surface which is suitable for cycling and walking. This work was completed in about 2003/4. Stoke on Trent is an urban area, and so in my opinion, this is an appropriate surface in these circumstances (though I do have some reservations about what was done, but that is another issue). Here is a photo (taken 2013) of the towpath between Stockton Brook and Baddeley Green. You can see that this is a relatively unnatural habitat; of necessity, the canal edge has been reinforced with shuttering, and the hedge and ground vegetation are regularly cut. Hence the habitat on the towpath side is fairly inimical to many creatures. However, on the opposite side is more natural, there appears to be an earth edge and a reed fringe grades into the borders of the canal water.
Below is a photograph of the canal towpath where it passes through Endon (between Endon and Stockton Brook). This photograph was taken in summer of 2012. It shows the diverse range of wild flowers that grow in the canalside reed fringe on this part of the towpath. I have included more photographs and more information on the canal flora below this article.
Clearly, in this particular section, the canal towpath is relatively rich in wild flowers and consequently invertebrates (e.g. butterflies and hoverflies). In addition reed fringe of this quality offers shelter to nesting birds such as Moorhen and Sedge Warbler (both of which breed along the canal), to fish fry and even Grass Snakes. See below.
A juvenile Tufted Duck, one of four young that were reared this year on the Caldon Canal between Endon and Denford.
Shallow pools amongst the Caldon Canal reedfringe where fish fry seek refuge from predators- if you look carefully (or click on the photo) you will see tiny fish in the water.
What will happen to the biodiversity of the Caldon Canal where it passes through Endon and surrounds when the canal towpath is "upgraded"? Will we lose all this floral and faunal diversity? Will it be like the towpath in Stoke-on Trent?
On their website, the Canal and River Trust (C&RT) who manage the canal network state, "In a world of increasing urbanisation, canals and rivers provide vital green corridors, linking up areas of habitat. They are alive with plant and insect life, which, in turn, provide food sources for many larger species. The environment team at the Canal & River Trust carries out a great deal of conservation work along the waterways to help preserve these unique habitats and the plants and animals that they support".
In that case why are they planning to urbanise the relatively rural section of the Caldon Canal?
As in the first photo (above) where it passes through the Staffordshire Moorlands in places the canal on the opposite side to the towpath does have a reasonably diverse reed fringe with no hard shuttering. But its continued existence is probably largely dependant on the whim of the person who owns the land on that side of the canal. For instance on some stretches of the canal landowners allow livestock to graze up to the canal edge hence there is no reed fringe, and in others an apparently increasing number of narrow boats are moored (perhaps informally) along the canal side. If the towpath improvements cause the towpath side to be shuttered and then the grass verge cut on a regular basis the canal the reed fringe will disappear along both sides of the canal. This will inevitably devalue the canal as a habitat corridor.
Any upgrade of the canal towpath can only be harmful to wildlife. However that is not to say that it should not happen. Clearly the towpath needs repairing for walkers, boaters and the few cyclists who use it at present. The canal is a great place for people to get out and enjoy the wildlife and the species that currently inhabit the canal are probably those that have adapted to the current level of human intrusion. The C&RT could have chosen to simply improve the towpath up to a standard suitable for walking and in a way that is appropriate to the rural environment. Personally I don't believe that the Canal and River Trust have much regard for nature or local people who use this piece of the canal network. I think they are pleased to get their canal towpath improved without having to incur the full cost themselves.
So the wildlife interest along the canal may be harmed, but what about the local people who currently enjoy using the canal?
I think it may be a big mistake to promote it as a cycling route to the Peak District. Once the towpath is upgraded and if the number of cyclists increases there is likely to be conflict between the existing local users, such as dog walkers and families with children, and the lycra-clad speed merchant who has been told that the towpath is the official cycle route to the Peak District.
Of course cycling is a relatively environmentally benign form of transport, so perhaps I should welcome the opportunity for more people to cycle as, in theory, this may have wider environmental benefits (e.g.reduced pollution from use of motorised transport). However I believe that there is a better way of satisfying both cyclists and existing towpath users and which will also protect the flora and fauna that inhabit the towpath habitat.
According to the cycle route plans cyclists travelling from Stoke on Trent (or places between S-O-T and Leek and/or Cheddleton) can only ride "off road" until where the Caldon Canal towtpath ends in Barnfields, on the outskitrts of Leek. After that they will have to carry on by road (A523) up to Brown End, which is where the Manifold Trail (an established cycle path in the southern part of the Peak District) starts. In my opinion the new designated cycle path should be routed along the disused railway which runs between Fenton (S-O-T) and Waterhouses. This route very nearly links up Stoke on Trent and the start of the Manifold Trail (Peak District) cycle trail. If this were to happen the cyclists could be free to speed on their way up the Peak District, whilst the pedestrians would be left in piece to stroll along the canal. In addition the towpath improvements could be limited to the quality that is appropriate for the rural environment, i.e. less urbanised.
Some people will say that the railway is to be restored for use as a freight and passenger line, but this is obviously not going to happen. It is more than four years since Moorlands and City Railways (MCR) announced their plant to reinstate the line and so far they have made very little progress. At present all they have achieved is that MCR have allowed the Churnet Valley Railway (CVR) to run heritage trains on the section of line between Leekbrook and the Caldon Lowe quarries (Waterhouses). If the railway were to be converted to a cycle route this is a stretch of line that would be required for cyclists to travel from Leek to access the Manifold Trail. However, the CVR service is infrequent and has been curtailed recent weeks due to degradation of the tracks. And, given the precarious state of the CVR finances (recently reported in local press) the use of this track for trains may soon come to an end. I believe that the county council and Peak District National Park Authority should have negotiated use of this route with Network Rail. I am aware that Sustrans (the organisation that promotes and cares for the national cycle network) already consider this as a sensible option. Yes, that would cost more money and probably take longer to organise and complete. But, in the long run it would be a much more satisfactory route for cyclists and would relieve canal users from having to be constantly vigilant to the possibility of having to move out of the way of a cyclist. Plus, it would be better for the canal wildlife!
Caldon Canal Flora in Endon and surrounds.
These photographs were taken over the past two or three years. I decided to document the flora partly for my own satisfaction and partly to record what is present in case it should disappear at some time in the future. The Endon canal side flora is not exceptional. None of the plants are rare nor is the vegetation type. However the canal habitat is the only place that most of these species occur in the Endon area, and indeed, given the absence of wild flowers in our modern farmed landscape, it is one of the few places in Endon where people can see any wild flowers at all! (The disused railway line being another is another good botanising site.) In addition the canal towpath is a public place, hence anyone can get access to enjoy the experience of seeing, smelling and touching these wild flowers and the insects and birds that feed upon them. If we lose this vegetation we, in Endon, will have lost part of what makes Endon an attractive place to live. And we will also have lost part of our heritage.
See below for photos and information on some of the canal side flora. All these photographs were taken along the Caldon Canal. Where they were not in Endon itself (e.g. Stockton Brook) I say so in the caption.
Wild Angelica - a common plant which is native to the British Isles. It grows in damp places and flowers from June to September and provides a good source of nectar for insects and then, in autumn, seeds for birds. This species may be found in other damp situations in Endon area. I have it growing in damp areas of my wild flower garden.
This is Arrowhead. This plant was growing in the impound near the locks at Stockton Brook. It is a native of the British Isles and grows on muddy substrates in slow moving or still waters. This plant flowers in July to August. To my knowledge this species is only found in the canal in our area, there being no other suitable habitats available (i.e. no farm pools or shallow water beside Endon Brook)
This is Bush Vetch. it grows in the hedge base, using its tendrils to cling to nearby plants. Bush Vetch is a common species in the British Isles and it is found in other hedgerow habitats in Endon, except where chemical weed killing have eliminated it. Bush Vetch is a perennial species, therefore it can survive strimming, however its value to other wildlife will be reduced if it is strimmed as any developing insect larvae that may have be living on it will also die, plus it will never sets seed thus removing a source of seeds for other wildlife (e.g. beetles or moths). It is likely that these once was far more Bush Vetch plants in Endon but these will have been eliminated by weed killing in verges and under hedgerows.
Common Field Speedwell is not a native species, having being introduced, or arrived incidentally from Asia, first recorded in Staffordshire in 1864. I have only ever seen it growing in the base of the hedgerow along the canal, however it is a common species of arable land and other disturbed sites in Britain, so probably occurs in other places in Endon. A very pretty species that may flower all year round in a mild climate. This patch just avoids being strimmed by C&RT contractors.
This is Germander Speedwell. Another of my favourites which flowers from March to July. As with the Common Field Speedwell this species survives at the base of the towpath hedge. This native species can be found growing in other disturbed sites in Endon, for example on the disused railway line.
Another plant which grows in places other than the canal towpath is Great Willow Herb, not to be confused with the, perhaps, better know Rose Bay Willow Herb. This is also a native species which flowers in July and August. It is also to be found growing along the disused railway line and as a garden weed. This species provides a good source of nectar and its seeds will be eaten by birds such as Goldfinch.
These days Hogweed is a very common roadside plant over all of Britain having benefitted from nutrient runoff from fields and where surface water washes farm effluents onto road verges. It flowers in midsummer, and is a good source of nectar for insects, particularly hoverflies. Should the canal improvements result in the loss of some of the less common canalside species, Hogweed will persist in other sites in Endon. However, this exemplifies my point. If the diversity of the current canal flora is damaged by the canal improvements, we in Endon will be left with an even less diverse flora than we presently and which will consist only of species such as Hogweed and little else!
As far as I am aware this is the only patch of Yellow Loosestrife in Endon, a wetland species often found growing along canals. This is a native species unlike the similar Dotted Loosestrife which is frequently found growing in the wild as the result of being discarded from gardens (there is some Dotted Loosestrife growing on the disused railway line by the level crossing). Here it is growing with Broad-leaved Willowherb, both flower in Jun- July.
Lords and Ladies is another common British native. Its home habitat is hedge bottoms and woods. This is the only plant I know of growing in Endon, presumably a remnant of some long-gone woodland between Endon and Stockton Brook, which is where this patch is situated on the canal. In 2013 this clump narrowly escaped being strimmed by the C&RT contractors. Will it be there next year I wonder?
Marsh Woundwort is another plant of damp places. It grows in wetter areas of my wild flower garden as well as along the canal. Marsh Woundwort flowers in July to September, providing the strimmers don't get it first.
Meadowsweet is one of the delights of canal side vegetation, because, not surprisingly, of its sweet smell. Another common plant growing on damp soils. It flowers during May and September and survives the strimmers by its size and as it grows at the waterside edge of the towpath. I don't know of anywhere else where this species grows in Endon (apart from my wildlife garden where I take special care of it*), however it is present in the large garden pool by Greenway Hall Golf Club. Will the canal improvements eliminate this species from Endon?
*(The Meadowsweet plant in my garden arose from a seedling from my neighbour's plot. However when that house was sold the new occupants have virtually eliminated Meadowsweet by creating a path through the wetland area of their wild garden, and planting willow trees where the Meadowsweet, Reed Canary Grass and Marsh Marigold once thrived!)
Reed Sweet Grass is another wetland plant which helps form the reed fringe along the canal side. Seeds of grasses such as this provide food for water birds such as Mallard and Moorhen (both of which breed along the Caldon Canal). In an area between Endon and Longsdon the reed fringe vegetation provides nest sites for Sedge Warblers, a small brown bird summer migrant from Africa that proclaims its waterside territory with a complex song. Fantastic. Of course they will be short of nest sites next summer if the reed swamp disappears.
Silverweed is a common native species. It probably gets its head chopped off before it gets chance to produce many flowers, though you can just see a few seed heads in this photo. A few plants of Silverweed have survived the weed killing along the disused railway, so have a look along there between June and August if you want to see more of its pretty yellow flowers.
Valerian grows along the canal side and the disused railway line, I'm not sure if this is Common or Marsh Valerian, however both are native species which grow along the canal and railway line. This plant flowers in mid-late summer and provide plenty of nectar for insects.
This is Water Plantain, clearly a wetland plant that needs its roots submerged in water. As with some of the other species along the canal, this one is not particularly frequent and is probably vulnerable to elimination by the upcoming "improvements". This plant was photographed between Endon and Longsdon last year.
Wood Sorrel is an ancient woodland indicator which flowers early in the summer. I spotted these plants growing under the hawthorn hedge beside Greenway Golf Club. They will probably survive the canal towpath improvements but not weed killer, which, rather inexplicably, has been used along the central part of this towpath in the past (I suspect the C&RT contractors made a mistake).
Yellow Flag or Iris is a native species. I have tried in vain to propagate seeds from this waterside species. Anyway for the time being I can enjoy these plants which are growing opposite the John Emery Land. This Iris is a native species which flowers fairly early in the summer. These are the only wild plants I know of in Endon.
++in+canal+impound+by+lock+at+SB.JPG)
