Work progresses to set up boat hire and boating trip station on Melton river

Volunteers with Melton and Oakham Waterways Society (MOWS) are carrying out a major effort to dredge and clear weeds from the river using their dredger vessel, Mole.

They are also working to establish a hire base in Wilton Park after last year buying seven rowing boats which had been used for many years on a lake near Brecon, in South Wales.

The boats have been totally refurbished to make them suitable for hiring out in Melton.

Earlier this year, the society also bought a 30ft purpose-built trip boat, which has room for 12 passengers, to go on cruises on the Melton Ring and downriver to the historic Eye Kettleby Lock at Rhubarb Island.

The boat represents a major investment by MOWS and was only made possible by an interest-free loan on generous terms by a long-time supporter of the society – it will be the first trip boats to navigate the river for 20 years.

The group has also bought two pontoons from a marina on Lake Windermere, in the Lake District, to use as a landing stage at the new Wilton Park hire base.

MOWS member Geof Malone told the Melton Times: “Work has progressed rapidly and at the weekend it was possible to sail Mole from the MOWS maintenance base near Wilton Road car park upriver and under Lady Wilton’s Bridge to the hire base for the first time.

“The task was to deepen the area alongside the bank so that it will be possible to tow the pontoons into position and this should be possible shortly.

“Whilst the MOWS members are keen to get the boats operating as soon as possible, there is currently no target date to launch the service as, once all the infrastructure is in place, there will be a need for trial runs for operational and safety reasons but it is hoped that Melton will soon have an added attraction for both residents and visitors.”

The acceleration in preparatory work in recent weeks follows the signing of a long-term lease for the land with Melton Mowbray Town Estate, which has been fully supportive of the boat project and has granted the lease on favourable terms which has enabled recent rapid progress.

The project has received widespread support and encouragement from many areas, including Melton Borough Council, the Environment Agency and Frisby Lakes Paddlesports.

The land lease includes the use of an old hut, adjacent to the Pavilion Cafe, which was, many years ago, the headquarters of the Melton Bowling Club, when the grass area in front was laid out as bowling greens.

It is now being renovated using recycled materials and will be used for ticket selling and the storage of oars and lifejackets.

The land behind is currently overgrown and has been used as a dump for garden waste but the coming weeks will see a transformation as it is cleared and a pathway created down to the river.