Blisworth Arm and the Canal

 by Doreen Blood

Click here for a review of the History of Blisworth Arm

The area around the station and the Arm felt as if it were slightly apart from the main part of the village.  The canal in the late forties and early fifties still had several old-style boats through every day, but the number soon declined.  I am glad I had a chance to see boats with the “roses and castles” decorations before they disappeared. 

The Navigation Inn was still in business into the early fifties and was busy, it seemed to me, but obviously not busy enough to be viable.  There was a gap between the end of traditional boat traffic and the real take-off of recreational boating, and I suppose this is what spelt the end of the pub.  It was bought and substantially added to and improved as a private house. 

The Baillions lived in the large house at the far end of the Arm, and the long, low white house was used by British Waterways’ employees being adjacent to the 'waterways depot'.  There was a farm opposite – whether this was BW property I do not know.  Nearer the village end lived the Fullers, he worked for BW.  My older sister was friendly with their daughter, Beryl. 

I spent endless hours as a child wandering the canal towpaths – they were simply considered part of the footpath system then, a useful quick way from A to B.  They were very good for watching wildlife, lots of water voles and various birds and wild flowers.  Some of the towpaths were in poor repair in parts and you had to watch your footing, especially in wet weather.  They were repaired in later years and the canal banks were reinforced, often with concrete slabs.  This made the paths safer but destroyed much of the water voles habitat. Such matters were not considered in those days. 

We were always warned never to go into the canal water as it was very polluted.  The properties at the Arm discharged raw sewage into it in those days! 

In very cold winters the canal would freeze over and we could walk and slide on it.  I remember seeing BW officials coming to test the depth of the ice by chiselling a hole through and measuring with a rule.