28
THE CHELMER & BLACKWATER CANAL 1891 - 198l
On the 8th August l891 some eighty members of the E.F.C.
set off from Maldon in a two-horse open barge for a
leasurely trip along the canal, hopping on and off the
barge as it went along to record the flora and fauna of the
canal and its banks, with more extended stop-offs to fish
for molluscs in the Mill Pond at Beeleigh, to visit the
grotto and gardens at Hoe Mill, and to look around Ulting
church. They also packed in two paper reading meetings,
one on the history of the navigation in the morning, by
E.A. Fitch, and one in the afternoon by T.V. Holmes, on the
geology and scenery along the route, plus later on, a talk
by Dr. Taylor on the plants found during the day. Plenty
of food was taken on board and they lasted out until a
combined tea and lunch was partaken in the garden at the
Paper Mill. Then back onto the barge and on to the end of
the canal at Springfield Wharf. A detailed account of the
trip is given in the Essex Naturalist 5 p247-254 (l89l)
complete with the list of plants and molluscs, and a few of
the insects, encountered during the day.
Almost 90 years later on the 22nd August 198l, some twenty
members of the E.F.C. together with over twice that number
of friends and family, hired the motorised pleasure cruiser
Victoria, for a somewhat less strenuous trip from the
Paper Mill Lock downstream to Beeleigh Lock and back, with
the intention of making a comparison of the flora and
molluscan fauna of the canal with those recorded in l891.
Unlike the old open horse-drawn barges however the Victoria
was largely enclosed and so only a few were able to
participate in the fishing with a net and improvised boat-
hooks (bent nails on canes) from the rather crowded fore-
deck. Those in the cabin were however able to enjoy the
scenery in comfort and everyone appreciated having a roof
over their heads on the return trip when a cold breeze
and drizzle set in. Alan Wake armed with biro and note-
book was appointed chief scribe, and a continuous flow
of records was passed back to him for recording on a 1 x
1km sq. basis, any species requiring identification being
placed in polythene bags, items certainly not available for
collectors on 1891.