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Ranworth. Malthouse Broad


Wussername

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On December 22nd,  I felt this slight sensation. At my age one does not get many sensations. This one was sinister, a slight tickle in the throat. By the 23rd December it had developed into a full scale bronchospasm dedicated to inflict me on Christmas Day. And so it did. But I soldiered on  fortified by antibiotics, anti this and anti that. (all anti alcohol as defined by Mrs Wussername………………gleefully.)

 

It was The Dreaded Norfolk Lurgy.

 

Well the old SAS training kicked in. (Salvation Army Songsters) and I am still here.

 

Today I decided to visit Ranworth by car. The staithe was nearly full, mostly private craft. BA was there. Curtains drawn. Had they succumbed to the festivities of the night before?

 

I decided not to visit The Malsters. I came by car and it would have been enjoyable but irresponsible to enjoy a drink or two. Whilst I know some of the people there in a limited sort of way they don’t know me and I do not wish to intrude.

 

However. Here is the bit of it. On the Parish Notice Board.

Minutes of the 1st November 2017.

As displayed outside the Post Office at Ranworth.

 

3. Minutes of the meeting of 3rd October:

SG asked for more clarification on two of the decisions; the length of time that a tent can be pitched on public land and the implications of the UEA/Broads Authority report on the history of the staithes.  Clerk to amend the minutes, which will be signed at the next meeting.  Action: EO.

 

4.  Matters arising from the above minutes:

4.1 UEA/Broads Report on the history of the staithes:

The clerk has written to the Broads Authority questioning the implication that Ranworth residents are entitled to free mooring, which is contained in the report.  A reply has been received stating that it is likely that this referred only to loading and unloading, however this is one of the issues that the Broads Authority will be raising with the author of the report.KC and EO to write to the Broads Authority asking for this issue to be pursued.         

4.2 Tent at Ranworth Staithe:

Clerk to write to Broadland District Council asking if they knew about the permanent tent that had been present throughout the summer and what the planning implications are in such a case.

 

Well, there you have it. Two juicy morsels.

The Ranworth Tent. When is a tent not a tent that is the question?

The second morsel, who owns Ranworth staithe. The Cator Family, Blakes historicaly, The Broads Authority or the parishioners.

 

And finally how does this impound against all concerned. Not just the afore mentioned but the holiday maker, the private owner, the continuous cruiser, the liver board. All of whom have rights and dare I say entitlements.

 

Tootle pip

Old Wussername.

I take no responsibility whatsoever for the above having been composed and written under the influence of a most delightful Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky. The Woodfords Reserve.

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The tent, well, the BA's own tent at Thorpe obviously gives the okay to that one! 

The Staithe, when is a staithe not a staithe? As it is already one then I suspect that free mooring is available to all for loading and unloading and that includes people. As for use by the residents, they can and do at Beccles, Rockland, Surlingham and Oulton Broad just to mention four so I suspect that the same will apply to Ranworth, if it really is a parish staithe. An interesting one with the possibilty of an interesting outcome and certainly interesting discussion. 

P.S. Am glad you survived into 2018! 

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I imagine that the Wherry Dyke part of the Staithe might be historical, but the frontage on to the Broad is of later date?

I haven't seen the tent, but imagine that locals might not welcome its presence? The green there is used by the village for events.

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Here in France, in villages which have a port, such as on the Etang de Thau, residents have priority for moorings but you still have to pay for them and there is always a waiting list.

In Norfolk I suggest there is a big difference between a village green or common, for use by the populace -  "where sheep may safely graze" and all that - and a public landing place or staithe. In the old days before the railways, roads were impassable and unsafe, so the village's communication for transport, supplies and trade was by water. Hence a staithe always has a navigation running to it, from the main river.

I am sure it would be in the interests of Ranworth Council, the church and especially the Malsters, to keep the quay open for the tourist trade, rather than just rent it out for a few private moorings, especially as it leased by the BA.

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Exactly Vaughan and whilst my old mate PW talks of conflict with boats wishing to unload, you will all recall that technically the dinghy dyke is kept free and thereby available for unloading but more importantly, when was the last time that anyone wanted to unload anything other than people?

Indeed all of those familiar with the staithe will be aware that the NWT trip boat does use the staithe for unloading/loading their trip boat at the entrance to the dyke.

I too read that notice and guessed in both circumstances, the PCC was merely wishing to clarify the situation - although wanting an answer re staithe rights and can do's and cannots would open a legal minefield which only the deep pockets of THE main family could fund!!!

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I was not referring to the dinghy dyke, but to the 'side' of the square where it terminates in a stream. The Priory Meadow dyke leading off it was used for trip boats way back when, but is now a private mooring for 4 boats, ( we had Rondonay there at one time). The locals with boats mostly use Cator moorings, which aren't too expensive anyway.

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This is Broadland & there has been a concerted push to maintain the research into public staithes. I have to say that I don't think that we can pick and choose, we either have public staithes or we don't. My understanding is that it would take an Act of Parliament to dismantle staithes quite simply because they are public rights of way and protected in the same way. Perhaps there will be loosers, maybe Ranworth Staithe will be one of them. On the other hand we might gain, such as at Hoveton. On balance we have a tradition, a heritage of public staithes, the Authority is duty bound to protect these interests as well as to provide and maintain access.

What I wouldn't want to see happen is that riparian rights create what will effectively be private moorings which exclude visitors. At Oulton Broad residential rights moorings are limited to rowing boats which in turn provide access to boats moored on swinging moorings/buoys, that seems reasonable to me. However I do know of parish moorings where moorings are limited to local boats but that I believe to be a parish thing rather than a staithe.

This could all die a natural death, but then again it might not!

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Just a thought, I always understood that the NWT information centre on Ranworth Inner was historically a public staithe. There is also a parish staithe on the Trinity Broads, will people insist on access to those two sites then? Perhaps a can of worms that might better have been left alone, but then again we might gain a few 24hr moorings, or we might not!

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Vaughan, that is entirely right but then there might be an issue of, for example, Surlingham (as opposed to Bargate) Broad. How many people actually know where that staithe is and how to get there? I can in my Drascombe but anything much bigger will have a problem. Its remoteness is a naturally limiting access and that is the very attraction of the place, something that the locals would be keen to maintain I'm sure. There is always a risk that 'maintenance' destroys the very attraction that people would wish to maintain. We have to trust the wisdom of the Authority to a large degree on this one but I can't help but wonder if we might have a few unwelcome consequences. 

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It is debatable.

I am thinking of Catfield staithe where boats are now trapped, owing to the BA's failure to dredge the navigation leading to it.

I fear that these "outreaches" of the Broads may lose their access by right, owing to pressure from others. I sense that the RSPB and NWT would love to close part, or most, of Hickling to keep the smelly tourists off it. The only defense against this green thinking is the maintenance of the right of access to a staithe.

The Ramblers fight for access to their rural footpaths ; why shouldn't we do the same for public staithes?

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Rest assured, Vaughan, several of us have long been fighting to maintain access. No question, and its on public record, that various Authority officers have stated that the Thurne above 'that bridge' should be closed to navigation. The name 'Madgewick' springs to mind.

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3 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Catfield staithe where boats are now trapped, owing to the BA's failure to dredge the navigation leading to it.

Last season we visited Catfield Staithe (if that is where the boatyard is) a number of times, and usually there were other boats moored there also. We only have an Elysian 27, not the largest of boats-does this just apply to larger craft or has it got worse? Mooring on "that" side of the bridge we it is one of the places we enjoy visiting.

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Well its not tree growth up at Catfield and as to whether its silt or not I suppose depends on the tides and/or the draught - I bet if you went up there today with the amount of water around, you would probably manage it! 

Its a bit like Waxham Cut- it depends when and what you expect to get up there!

But Vaughan, surely you are not saying ALL staithes should be open? If so you will have real problems identifying where probably 80% even are! Its hardly the fault ,100 years later, if the BA have not kept open all old staithes - many were abandoned very many years ago!

And unlike Mr Waller, I do not believe there is a conspiracy to ban boats above Potter - why spend all that money on dredging over the last 5 years or was that all a pretence? And indeed why are there still plans for this winter and next too? And I have not seen any statement by NWT saying they want to ban boats - the RSPB point is I guess totally irrelevant as they own no land in that area.

And John B - it has not got worse so you will easily get in next time you try!!

 

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6 hours ago, Vaughan said:

to maintain the existence, and use, of a staithe

Notice that I included the words "and use". It is up to local communities to show their wish to continue the use of a staithe. In my day, this was done by the Broads Society, in the persona of Roy Kemp.

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Why has the BA dredged up at Hickling? Two reasons, one being that it has finally been accepted by the Authority that it's good for conservation, and us boaters are paying for it. Secondly the more he spends the the more he can demand, and only half of which goes to navigation related costs.

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3 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

Notice that I included the words "and use". It is up to local communities to show their wish to continue the use of a staithe. In my day, this was done by the Broads Society, in the persona of Roy Kemp.

The Broads Society is, regretfully, not what it was in Roy Kemp's days. Indeed today it appears to be somewhat moribund.

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2 hours ago, rightsaidfred said:

are owned by the BA having been gifted them by Blakes  when they moved from Ranworth,

Blakes took a lease, and created the Maltsters moorings, in the years after the War. This lease included the whole of Malthouse Broad and Ranworth Dam, to prevent them from staying closed, as they were at the end of the War. They thus saved what is still one of the most important cruising destinations on the northern Broads.

The continued closure of Ranworth Broad is illegal, since it is tidal water.

As Marshman sometimes reminds us, you may have the legal right of access but you also need the political influence and financial "clout" if you want to enforce it.

Blakes had the clout in those days. Who does now?

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38 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Why has the BA dredged up at Hickling? Two reasons, one being that it has finally been accepted by the Authority that it's good for conservation, and us boaters are paying for it. Secondly the more he spends the the more he can demand, and only half of which goes to navigation related costs.

I’m sorry, but these statements are just not true. 

 

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38 minutes ago, batrabill said:

I’m sorry, but these statements are just not true. 

 

Are you sure?   

I have absolutely no wish to argue so it must be entirely coincidental that the Authority has resisted dredging Hickling for so long whilst in recent years there have been increasing calls from conservationists to dredge Hickling in order to increase flow.

So boaters aren't paying for the dredging at Hickling? Can you please point me towards any reports that will confirm that? 

So he's not spending more and has not stated that tolls need to go up in order to pay for increased expenditure? So the admitted 50% contribution to 'overheads' is not true either? 

As I say, I'm have no wish to argue, not least with written comments, reports and minutes emanating from Thorpe Road. 

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