LOCALS living next to the UK’s most ingenious water feature say they had no idea it was even there.
Stephen Cuddy, 59, spent £30,000 creating his own canal in his back garden in Coleshill, Warwickshire – complete with a functioning lock system and 35ft (10m) vintage narrowboat he bought off eBay.
The self-taught architect started by digging out 40 tonnes of soil on land behind a hotel he owns in the town.
Over the next six months he carefully constructed a fully-functioning reproduction of a Victorian canal lock with a gate and water-pumping system to fill and empty it.
He also built a redbrick lock-keeper’s cottage, an outdoor patio within a decorative tunnel alcove and installed a 29ft (8m) long swimming pool inside the barge.
But amazingly, his neighbours had “no idea” of its existence, even though it is right on their doorstep.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I drive past his place every day and I had no idea it was there. Now I know. I’ll be sure nip round and have a closer look. It sounds extraordinary.”
Another said: “We heard the sound of a lot of machinery for a few months, but we assumed the owner of the hotel was building an extension or doing some kind of garden make-over.
“I suppose he was, but I had no idea it was on this scale. He deserves a medal for what he’s achieved. I think it’s a wonderful creation – now I know it’s there. I love canals so I hope he lets me go aboard the narrowboat.”
If the eccentric hotel owner does allow his neighbours access to his boat, the journey along his canal won’t take long as the waterway enables journeys of a mere 24 inches.
His stunning creation recently featured on Channel 4’s ‘George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces’ with the host describing it as “awe-inspiring” and an “off the scale brilliant” system.
Mr Cuddy said before he started the project, everyone he spoke to told him it couldn’t be done.
He said: “When I talked about the vision I had, people just sort of looked at me and said I couldn’t achieve it. They said it was a waste of time because it would take forever. It spurred me on to do it more.”
The operation of construction was made easier due to his hotel being around 300m from his closest neighbours and therefore uninvasive visually.
He is separated from neighbours by busy main road, a roundabout and the HS2 line.
Speaking to Sunonline beside his creation, Mr Cuddy said it wasn’t just the people he knew who doubted it could ever be built. The guardians of the UK’s waterways also raised an eyebrow, he said.
“I had a lot of contact with the Canals and Rivers Association. They didn’t take me seriously at all, and I felt mocked. They would laugh at me over the phone and tell me it was impossible. But I showed them it wasn’t. I did it myself.”
The boat doubles up as a swimming pool that Mr Cuddy regularly swims in himself.
His best friend and near-neighbour, 48 year old Jerome Francais, said the support for the canal has completely “turned on its head”.
He explained: “Stephen is an inspiration to me, and he has really helped the community. Some people are jealous that he made it, but most people around the area think it is amazing. I’ve had so many calls from friends saying how cool it was when it was aired.
“The thing about Stephen is he is really smart. Super clever. I have known him since I was fifteen, he has helped me with work too. I admire him so much for what he does.”
“When everyone didn’t believe he could do what he did, I know it spurred him to do things faster. He really achieved a lot and I think he is so talented. Everyone in the town is so excited for his next venture.”
Mr Cuddy even had fellow engineers turning up to view the narrow boat. They believed the boat to be 200-300 years old, and were quite “embarrassed and shocked” to realise they were wrong, and that it was made only in the last year.
The process took over six months of hard work with only himself and a labourer to complete the job.
He said the whole process was “a nightmare at times”, but it was worth it.
His canal is three miles away from the next nearest canal, so there are no plans to link it with any main waterways.
However, he does hope the attraction will be a commercial success bring the hotel additional revenue.
He is also applying for planning permission with the local council to use the area he has developed as a lodging spot and even to use it for weddings.
He has named the narrow boat “Water Lily” after the Lily foundation.
His friend, who is currently ill with mitochondrial disease, is under treatment while Mr Cuddy helps care for him. He also helps raise funds and awareness for the charity.
YOU can go to your local council for help if you're having a neighbour dispute.
You can report an activity that is damaging to health or a nuisance. This is known as a ‘statutory nuisance’.
This could include:
If you wish to report your neighbour over planning permission you can go through your local council’s complaints procedure.
Then, if you are unhappy with the outcome, or the council is taking too long to look into the matter you can complain to the Ombudsman.
Usually, you should complain to them within 12 months of when you first knew about the problem.
If you leave it any later, they may not be able to help.
