Regional Round-up South - May 2026

Fish rescue on the Llangollen Canal

In December, hundreds of fish were swept away following the major breach on the Llangollen Canal. Thanks to generous gifts, we were able to work with a specialist fisheries management team to help us return them safely to the canal.

The breach, near Whitchurch in Shropshire, made headlines as a large section of the embankment collapsed, and in the immediate aftermath our focus was purely on protecting the boats and boaters involved.

Yet during the incident, scores of fish, including native species like roach, perch and bream, were washed into a neighbouring farmer’s field, leaving them trapped in a six-foot-deep pool of water. So, in recent weeks, we’ve been working with our fishery partners to help rescue them.

Before the operation began the pool was drained to around knee-height, before the fish were rounded up into aerated buckets and successfully put back into the canal.

The breach at Whitchurch has had a huge impact on the people living and working on the canal, but with your help, repair efforts are already well underway. The fish rescue is an important part of the process and another small step towards restoring this beautiful part of our network.

Going batty in Berkshire

In Berkshire our charity is renovating Second World War pillboxes along the Kennet & Avon Canal. Originally designed to repel an invasion, 80 years on, these small concrete forts are being repurposed to provide homes for the region’s bats.

Back in 1940, as our country prepared to defend her shores during World War II, our canals were seen as a natural barrier to any invading army. Pillboxes and anti-tank obstacles quickly sprang up along the Grand Union, Gloucester & Sharpness, and of course, the Kennet & Avon canals.

Today, these relics of war are largely forgotten, but thanks to a grant from Historic England and funds raised by Postcode Lottery players, a new initiative dubbed the ‘bat bunker’ project is transforming these historic forts into vital wildlife habitats.

Berkshire is home to 12 of the UK’s 18 bat species, and the Kennet & Avon’s still waters and tree-lined banks, buzzing with small insects, are the perfect nighttime hunting grounds.

So far, we have converted five pillboxes along the canal, one at Saul Junction, one at Devizes Wharf, one Garston Lock near Reading and two at Hamstead, providing a safe haven for native species such as the common pipistrelle, the whiskered bat, and the greater and lesser horseshoe bats.

Once there were 130 pillboxes dotted along the Kennet & Avon Canal and we’re conducting surveys now to understand how many more we could restore to provide a vital refuge for wildlife whilst preserving our proud history.  With your unwavering support our charity hopes to continue these restoration efforts right along the canal.

Restoring our heritage in West London

Later this summer, we’ll be giving ‘hands-on’ heritage skills training to volunteers on the Grand Union Canal in West London. Working with experts at Hanwell Locks, they’ll help restore an ingenious piece of civil engineering designated as a Scheduled Monument for its historic importance.

Brainchild of trailblazing engineer William Jessop, Hanwell Locks was once a vital link in one of the busiest trade routes in the country. In 1815, 20 years after its initial construction, the flight was fitted with a unique water-saving system – a series of side ponds and paddle mechanisms that allowed water to be stored and recycled in order to refill the lock chambers. Sadly, over time, these features fell into disrepair.

By working side by side with our resident experts, learning how to use traditional lime mortars to repair historic brickwork, our volunteers will be keeping our passion for traditional skills alive, and making sure there will always be another generation ready to use your support to care for our most historic canals.