In our latest Regional Round Up, we’re taking you across the region to see how your generous support and help from local partners is helping to make remarkable canal places and experiences even better.
Major upgrade boosts reservoir’s resilience
Though a long, hot summer continues, with little rain, high up in the Pennines we’re making long-term preparations for a future of climate change.
Hill Top Reservoir, built 225 years ago by renowned canal engineer Benjamin Outram, is undergoing a major upgrade. Also known as Slaithwaite Reservoir, it can hold over 300 million litres of water – around the same as 120 Olympic-sized swimming pools – and is vital for supplying water to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, just before it goes under the Pennines at Standedge Tunnel.
A giant, 137 tonne crane is helping construct a new spillway at Slaithwaite Reservoir.
The essential upgrades will ensure the reservoir can continue supplying the canal for generations to come. The works will strengthen the centuries-old structure, bring it up to modern standards, and improve the reservoir's spillway, which channels away water when the reservoir is full.
The new spillway will have greater capacity to manage water levels - not only in hot summers but also in the extremely wet winters we increasingly experience, boosting the reservoir’s resilience to both flooding and drought.
As part of the works, a giant crane has been constructed on site, becoming a feature of the local skyline. At 137 tonnes, it weighs the same as 23 African bush elephants and has been officially named ‘Niel’ by local schoolchildren from Nields Academy’s Eco Council.
Smirna Sudhakar, assistant project manager at Canal & River Trust, says: "Through school visits and community tours of the reservoir, we hope to bring to life the engineering that underpins projects like this."
Why not see the work in action by visiting Slaithwaite Reservoir yourself? You can also join site tours along Slaithwaite Reservoir crest footpath, led by our volunteer reservoir guides, on the second Monday and fourth Friday of each month between 3pm and 4pm.
Bringing an iconic structure back to life
Meanwhile, back on dry land, at the National Waterways Museum at Ellesmere Port, another piece of our precious canal history is being lovingly restored and brought back to life. Thanks to a new virtual tour, you can now see the transformation for yourself, even from home.
Pumphouse at the National Waterways Museum.
Towering above Ellesmere Port, the Grade II Listed Pumphouse was once the beating heart of local trade. Day and night, its twin steam engines hissed, rattled and pumped, powering the cranes that loaded and unloaded cargo bound for every corner of the country.
Its mighty engines have been silent for years, and sadly, in the 150 years since it first opened, time has taken its toll. But, thanks to funding from Historic England, this iconic building is now being beautifully restored using traditional methods and materials to complement the original structure.
Working closely with contractors, our specialist teams undertook rigorous inspections and carefully managed the repairs to the roof, windows, doors, and brickwork. Following in the footsteps of our seasoned craftspeople, throughout the restoration, a new generation of apprentices received hands-on experience, learning age-old skills that will keep our canal heritage alive for years to come.
Support from Friends like you and other partners is vital to keep our industrial heritage alive across the network. See for yourself how we’re breathing new life into this famous old building by visiting our virtual tour.
Blazing a trail at Foxton Locks
As well as protecting canal history, your support is also bringing more people closer to nature on canals. At Foxton Locks in Leicestershire, a new wildlife sculpture trail is inspiring visitors to look a little closer at one of the region’s most iconic canalside destinations.
Famous for its dramatic staircase flight of locks and disused Victorian boat lift, Foxton Locks is steeped in history. But step away from the main flight and a tranquil, verdant landscape opens up, with 34 acres of wildflower meadows, winding paths, and tree-lined banks waiting to be explored.
Made possible through funding from Harborough District Council and unveiled in May, the new sculpture trail invites visitors to experience this local beauty spot with fresh eyes. Trail maps are on sale at the Top Lock Welcome Station, enabling you to follow the route and discover 14 hand-carved wooden sculptures celebrating some of Britain's best-loved wildlife. Keep your eyes peeled for otters, badgers, dragonflies, and snakes hiding along the towpath, each one carefully crafted by artists Peter Leadbeater and Jeremy Turner.
"Foxton is the perfect place to watch the boats and maybe grab a spot of lunch," says volunteer leader Emily Davis, "but the new trail also now gives people the opportunity to explore parts of the site that they may never have seen before."
These stunning sculptures are helping more people connect with the wildlife, history, and heritage that make Foxton Locks so special. We hope they'll inspire you to visit this beautiful stretch of canal and discover its unique character while enjoying a little time closer to nature.
