Welcome to our latest Regional Round Up. This time, we’ve got news of some major works in the West Midlands, an exciting heritage project in West London, and a dual celebration in South Wales.
Clearing the way in the West Midlands
As part of our mission to keep canals open and working, we undertook a major dredging programme along the North Stratford Canal this winter. Once a vibrant transport link, today, this tranquil waterway is a popular spot for boaters, holidaymakers, walkers, and cyclists.
Dredging gets underway on the North Stratford Canal
The three-and-a-half-month project will clear silt from a ten-mile stretch of the canal between Kings Norton Junction and Lapworth Lock, improving navigation and helping to support the ecology and heritage along this much-loved route.
Working with specialist contractors, the team used a floating digger (pictured above) to carefully remove the silt, debris, and decaying leaves that had settled on the canal bed. The detritus was placed into a waiting hopper before being loaded onto a truck and sent for recycling.
“By investing in these works, you’re ensuring that this historic route remains a vibrant and accessible destination for boaters and visitors,” says project manager Laura Connor. “As custodians of the nation’s canals, your support is what keeps these amazing places open and safe.”
Every year, your gifts help our dredging programmes across the country, clear tens of thousands of tonnes of sediment from the bottom of our canals. If you’d like to know more about how your vital contributions help keep our precious canals flowing, replay our recent exclusive Dredging webinar, recorded especially for Friends like you.
Standing on the shoulders of giants in West London
With your support, work is now underway to restore a remarkable piece of 200-year-old water-saving canal engineering in West London. The project, at Hanwell’s historic flight of six locks on the Grand Union Canal, could hold the key to conserving water resources across our network.
Restoration work began in December at Hanwell Flight
Each time a boat moves through a lock, it uses thousands of litres of water. This water has to be replenished from various sources including reservoirs, river flows, boreholes. The engineers who designed the Hanwell Lock Flight were well aware of this, and in 1815, they had the inspired idea to install side ponds at each of the six locks.
Now, when a lock chamber emptied to lower a boat, instead of the water being lost in the canal below, a paddle mechanism would divert it into a side pond, where it was stored and used to help refill the lock.
Sadly, over time, these ingenious water-saving features fell into disuse and disrepair. However, as a listed Scheduled Monument, the Canal & River Trust, Historic England and Inland Waterways Association have come together to fund their restoration. Work has now begun to clear, stabilise, and restore the derelict side ponds at several of the locks.
As Canal & River Trust heritage advisor Phil Emery says: “It’s hard to overstate the historical importance of these side ponds, situated on a stretch of what is now the Grand Union Canal. They were immortalised by the painter JMW Turner and offer a direct connection to the engineering prowess and foresight of the Georgian canal builders.”
There are no immediate plans to return the ponds to operational use, but after a period of unprecedented navigation closures caused by drought and climate change, this work could help to inform future projects. It’s incredible to think that something conceived more than two centuries ago could help us make better use of our increasingly precious water resources today. And it’s reassuring to know your donations are helping find new ways to tackle climate change, with ideas from the great canal pioneers. See the restoration for yourself.
Cause for celebration in South Wales
Lanterns lit up the night on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in December. Our CEO Campbell Robb joined two thousand people on the towpath to celebrate the waterway’s 225th anniversary and the announcement of a new government funding scheme that will protect the canal for years to come.
Anniversary celebrations get underway on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
Winding lazily through the Welsh countryside, the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal is one of the most beautiful, tranquil waterways on our network. In recent years, the long-term future of the canal has been thrown into doubt, as unseasonably dry weather and new environmental legislation put serious strains on water supplies.
The new funding, announced by Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies in December, will support a vital water supply agreement between our charity and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, safeguarding the canal and the local businesses, communities, people, and wildlife that depend on it. It has only been made possible by the overwhelming support garnered from passionate canal-lovers like you. A petition of 13,487 signatures made people’s feelings clear.
The ‘Mon & Brec’ is a treasured part of Wales’ heritage and a vital economic asset for communities. People of all ages with lanterns, costumes and a fantastic energy came together on the towpath to mark the Mon & Brec’s 225th anniversary to remember the people who built the canal and the impact it has had on the local area over centuries. Part of a year-long celebration, on four separate nights, neighbouring towns Gilwern, Llangynidr, Talybont, and Brecon each hosted a spectacular lantern parade.
From the crowds it was clear to see that more than two centuries since the first cargo of coal reached Brecon Basin on a frosty Christmas Eve in 1800, the Mon & Brec is still at the very heart of Welsh life. Come and visit this beautiful canal soon.
Curious about what’s happening across the North?
You already know the latest from your own region, but why not see what’s happening in the rest of the network? You can read all about the inspiring projects for the North and East Midlands and discover how Friends like you are making a difference up and down our network.