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Portrait of
a Parish - Page 20
Brassknocker Boat Basin
In 1985 restoration began on the first quarter mile section
of the Somerset Coal Canal from its junction with the Kennet and
Avon at Dundas Aqueduct. This stretch had not been touched by
the railway and was still reasonably intact. Two entrepreneurs,
Mr. Hedley Smith and Mr.Tim Wheeldon, seeing the potential it
presented for a marina and boat business, formed the new
Somerset Coal Canal Company. They acquired the land and dug out
and relined the old canal bed. The only part, which had been
deliberately filled, was the stop lock in the garden of the lock
keepers cottage at the entrance. As this lock only had a rise of
7 inches from the Kennet and Avon, the arm was able to be
reconnected without having to reinstate the lock, and is now at
the same level as the main canal. By 1988 the restoration had
reached the end of the arm which disappeared into a short tunnel
under the A36/Warminster Road. This tunnel was excavated and
turned into a dry dock. To enable boats up to 60ft in length to
turn at the end a winding hole was excavated. As the basin is at
the end of Brassknocker Hill it was named Brassknocker Basin.
After several years of boat operations,
without permanent premises, European funding was obtained to
help construct a purpose built canal side Visitor Centre. This
steel, wood and glass structure opened in 1988 and is curved to
match the bend of the canal around the hillside.
Within this building all the activities of the boatyard and
Visitor Centre are carried out with the exception of Chris's
Boat Services, which occupies the dry dock and workshop in the
tunnel. A number of small shops occupy the centre providing
information about the canal, books and guides and various boat
and canal memorabilia. The longest part of the building is
occupied by the Angelfish Cafe/restaurant, which caters for
boaters and walkers. The bustle and activity of this eastern end
of the parish is in marked contrast to the peace and
tranquillity of Tucking Mill Lake at its western limit.
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