September 2024

21 Buckden Roundabout September 2024 Our local waterways Our local waterways With Buckden ’ s location near major road and rail routes it ’ s no surprise that so many want to make their home here. With the intensity of traffic on the roundabout some have come to wish they hadn ’ t. Down the hill there is another world, but of beau- ty and tranquillity. Our River Great Ouse and its tributaries with 158 miles of navigable waterway is a major route of a different nature where many have made their homes, some in its marinas, some on permanent moorings and others in homes on its banks. The moorings in Paxton Pits nature re- serve are particularly secluded and delightful. Most of England ’ s Waterways are managed by the Canal and River Trust, formed in 2012 to oversee our flourishing network of revitalised waterways. Restoration of the dilapidated canal network had begun in 1948 with public enthusiasm to reclaim and restore our waterways as a leisure facility. However, if you look at the Trust ’ s map of their extensive network, East Anglia appears blank. Heavy rain and flooding this spring reminded us of the watery nature of our whole landscape. It is the Environment Agency, rather than the Canal and River Trust who manage our local waterways and over recent years they have invested huge sums of money in flood defences. Alongside their efforts, An- glia Water have made extensive strides in controlling water levels with rainfall discharged to the sea through electronically controlled locks and sluices. The Great Ouse is connected to the canal system via the Mid- dle Levels of the Fen country with 100 miles of its own naviga- ble waterways which, in turn, link to the River Nene, with a further 90 miles, and thence to the Grand Union canal. People have also made their homes on the Norfolk Broads with its 125 miles of navigable waters and along the rivers Stour and Orwell (much loved by Eric Blair, inspiring his pen name George Or- well). These unite to form Harwich Harbour with Felixstowe being UK's largest container port. Above Ipswich the Orwell becomes the River Gipping, once forming Ipswich & Stowmar- ket Navigation but closed in 1934. The River Gipping Trust was launched in 2007 to restore it as a navigable waterway and in 2019 the Environment Agency completed a £67m tidal defence barrier at Ipswich to protect the reaches above from tidal surg- es on the Orwell. Thus the navigable waterways of East Anglia are expanding. The expansion and slower pace of the waterways has created a substantial boating community of individuals who have ex- changed the pressures of modern life for life on the water. The majority love it but there are always some who run into diffi- culties, develop health issues or fall on hard times especially if they are ‘ continual cruisers ’ with no fixed address and re- quired to move on every 48 hour to a new location. The Wa- terways Chaplaincy is a ministry that has grown to serve this community with its love of water and natural surroundings. It began in Watford and has now grown to over 100 chaplains mainly spread around the 2000 miles of the canal network. Buckden ’ s Priest - in - charge became a waterways chaplain while serving his curacy in St Albans. The chaplaincy now has an East Anglian Rivers Hub with chaplains in Bedford, St Neots, Buck- den, Cambridge, Ely, and on the Nene. In this otherwise secu- lar age the chaplains provide a prayerful presence for the wa- terways community which extends beyond live - aboards to leisure boaters, walkers, anglers, cyclists, marinas, boatyards and other waterside businesses. They engage in helpful con- versations that are ‘ practically proactive and spiritually reac- tive ’ often putting a smile on an otherwise unhappy face, sign- posting any in need to benefit offices, food banks, medical ser- vices, vets and churches. Waterways Chaplaincy operates under Church Army which already runs a youth project in Ipswich. St Mary ’ s Church has selected these two charities as ‘ Charity of the month ’ for Sep- tember and October. Nearby is the extensive waterside activity resource, Grafham Water Centre, which runs a range of water based and other activities for schools and other organised groups. To make these activities more widely appreciated and as part of the two months fundraising we are running a family open day at Grafham Water Centre, 2.00 - 5.30pm on Sunday 13 th October. Outside activities include a boat trip and there are undercover activities for adults and children so whatever the October weather it won ’ t be a problem. Tickets at £10 per individual include one activity and will be on sale until the end of September. There will be three activity slots during the afternoon and additional activities can be purchased on the day. Please see the separate insert for more details. - Richard Noble The Bishop of Huntingdon with Chaplains Sallyann Ford and Richard Noble after discussing the role of Waterways Chaplains in the Diocese of Ely.