Through Potter In The 1990s

[Broads01]

I know this subject has been discussed before but I spotted this 1997 brochure cover on eBay and was reminded that in the 1990s, getting through Potter bridge was the norm. Here we have two low level dual steers at Horsey, each needing around 6 ft 9 clearance. Twenty-four years on and it seems Martham's are the only hire boats to be able to negotiate the bridge with any regularity. Will we ever see a return to the clearances we had back then?

 

 

 

[MauriceMynah]

I might be mistaken, but I think this might have been mentioned before on the forum. I'd have to confirm this with my friend Marshman. :-)

[grendel]

looking at those pictures it is apparent from the deck levels that the water levels were lower back then (when those pictures were taken, and over the past few years there have been occasions when water levels have been low once more, during long dry spells.

the big question is of course why water levels are higher now, lack of dredging some will say, others the bure hump, and then you have rising sea levels, wetter summers due no doubt to climate change, or maybe a combination of all of the above with some other random factors thrown in for good measure.

yet look at the attached image from http://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details?MNF8525-Heigham-Bridge&Index=7853&RecordCount=57339&SessionID=36eaaeff-1d4a-4174-899c-3d09c1b57da9

its not dated, but as a black and white image must date back a while, can you honestly say (looking at the clearance of the side arches), that this is much different from today

its often quoted that boats that could get through in the 80's no longer can, and this is cited as showing how the river levels have canged, but look at the sea level data for the 1980's and you will see there is a dip in the graphs for that decade,

 i ask myself were the clearances in the decade from our youth when we remember all these boats going through some kind of anomoly, from a period where there was unusually low water? or was this just another factor we have to allow for.

As for Marthams boats, they were built, some 60 or 70 years ago specifically to be able to passage under the bridge, they still do all get through the bridge most of the time (it is believed there was a template of the bridge that was used during the build to ensure they cleared). water levels may have risen, but the fact is those 70 year old boats still fit under the bridge, surely if the river levels have risen so much in the intervening time, they would no longer fit, i believe they all fit through as long as there is a 6 foot clearance, why would they not have built them taller if there had regularly been 6 foot 9" at the bridge.

its a fascinating subject to look into thats for sure.

 

[BroadAmbition]

So as an exercise dredge the lower Bure, remove the hump and let’s find out once and for all 

Erm snag there is the Ba won’t do it even if they had the time and budget due to the consequences there of that they well know about 

Griff

[Bytheriver]

Its not in the BA remit to dredge for drainage purposes only navigation though I hope the Environment Agency take a good look at the pending depth survey currently being undertaken by BA

[MauriceMynah]

I think 'getting under Potter Heigham bridge' would be classified as a "Navigation issue"