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The site of Gravesends Grade II Listed Canal Basin and the wharves along the River Thames to the East of the Lock entrance could potentially be made into a centre of marine activity and become a destination rather than just another bog standard riverside development like the many others that are currently sterilising the River Thames, in this location the developer actually has the opportunity to create something quite special as the picture below shows.
Superficially to non marine visitors at this location everything seems fine, it is only when you use the facilities do you start to see the cracks and shortfalls and also start to understand the potential for the site.
The first thing to understand about the current facility are the constraints, the canal basin is only accessible at high tide for an hour or so, this then eliminates its use as a base for a days sailing as you may be able to get out of the basin but to get back in you would have to wait for the next high tide 12 hours later which could well be the early hours of the morning, this also explains why it is not used as a halfway house to London by international visitors, they would need to set sail at low tide to be carried up to London on the tide and then leave London on the high tide to arrive at Gravesend on the low tide, so it is virtually useless for them.
For the lucky few at the sailing club who have access to the moorings in the Thames at this location they still have to get their dinghys up and down an up to 6 metre drop depending on the tide, this is currently carried out using the half ton cranes at the club and then climbing down the 6 metre ladders easy if you're fit and have a head for heights but even my eight year old niece baulked at the prospect of climbing down that ladder, never mind someone with dodgy knees or an arm in plaster.
The other key thing to understand about this site is that currently other than small dinghys (less than half a ton) there is no means of launching boats off a trailor whether by crane or slipway which is not unique to this site as you cannot do this anywhere on the Thames.
Don't get me wrong about this site though there are a lot of good points, the canal basin is an ideal place for long stay houseboats and yachtsmen who only want to get out once in a while, the camraderie at the sailing club is high and it is a fantastic club to join, if you do have a dinghy the club is very useful as there is some storage for dinghys and these can be launched by crane, the point I am making is although the area has a lot of potential it is still woefully underutilised whereas with a little bit of vision and forethought this area could be world class and a true destination in its own right.
From the picture above what can be clearly seen is that within the development with a bit of vision this area could become a centre of marine excellence and a great maritime destination, the following additions are needed;
the reinstatement of the Thames and Medway Canal, this is the vital link to the part currently being restored at great expense along Mark Lane and if not restored now as part of the new development scheme it would mean it would be nigh on impossible to ever see restored. The pictures below show how vibrant the development could become along a restored canal if the developer had a bit of vision, a restored canal aside from making a very attractive location would also add up to 50% on the value of the properties so may well end up paying for itself.
You could even have people enjoying themselves on the water?
2. A public slipway could be created as part of this development, the parking could be undercroft so it wouldn't need to detract from development footprint, if this were to be created this alone would put Gravesend on the map as a nautical destinations currently along the Thames there are no public slipways and this could be the first.
3. A marina could be created along what is currently destined to be another dead sea wall, this would not need to be built all at once and could be incremental as business developed and its use grows. This facility would be a series of pontoons jutting out into the water allowing the first walk on and walk off facility downstream from London, it would also open up boating to many locals who currently have to travel to the River Medway or the coastal marinas as well as allow the much needed access for the less able to simply step onto a boat. This would need to be secured as an agreement prior to the development taking place, once the flats are occupied it would be very difficult to get buy in to create such a facility later. With this marina it should be appeciated that it dries out and would only be available for half the tide and single keeled yachts would not be able to use it, where as it would be ideal for power boats and yachts with lifting keels, and access for half tide is certainly manageable and a lot better than the non existant facilities currently available.
4. Public landing stages, this could be provided as part of the marina or the developers could help fund the pontoon proposed by Gravesend Sailing Club and Sailability.
5.In the buffers zone between the industrial area and the new development would be an ideal space for boat storage, repairs, chandlery etc, cranage or slippable cradles could be provided to enable boats to be taken out of the water, stored, repaired,debarnacled and so on, this again would be the only facility of its kind on the Thames and would be a great assett to the marine heritage of Gravesend.
6. A reinstated second lock gate, would greatly enhance the viability of the canal basin as a yachting facility opening up the tidal window to something more usable this has been a long standing ambition of the council and the time would be right to get it done.
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