Many of our Friends have a deep connection to canals stretching back throughout their lives. And those who’ve joined our new Thomas Telford Society have pledged a legacy that will live on for generations.
Telford’s brilliance built Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Harecastle Tunnel and the Trent & Mersey Canal. Courtesy of National Waterways Archive
There are many of us who would like to leave our own small mark on the canals we’ve loved all our lives. And while not all of us can be a great canal engineer like Thomas Telford, there is a way we can all help canals live on for generations to come.
For those who have already pledged a gift in their Will to Canal & River Trust - whether or not you have had the chance to tell us - and for those considering this very special commitment, your support can help shape the future of canals for hundreds of years to come. Our new Thomas Telford Society has been created to celebrate and thank all Friends and supporters who choose to remember the Trust in this way.
Recently launched in the fitting setting of Ellesmere Yard in the heart of Shropshire’s ‘Telford Country’ the Thomas Telford Society offers a unique chance to get a closer insight into our work behind the scenes to keep canals alive.
This was only the first of many wonderful events for members to learn more about our work to give our canals a future. Kindly hosted and supported by the deputy chair of trustees, Jennie Price CBE, who shared her personal connections to canals and her support for them.
Like so many of us, Jennie’s passion for our waterways had been instilled since childhood. It is that deep care for the future of canals that connected each and every one of our founding members in this very special group.
Jennie Price CBE, welcomes fellow founding members of The Thomas Telford Society
It’s no coincidence that Ellesmere yard was chosen to mark the launch of the Thomas Telford Society, it was Telford’s base while building the nearby Pontcysyllte Aqueduct up to 1808. Today it remains the oldest working canal yard in the country having served canals down the generations. Although its rapidly ageing heritage is urgently in need of restoration, work has already begun to revive many areas of the site. Jason Leach, head of external programme delivery, outlined our exciting vision to give the working yard a sustainable future by turning it into a home for traditional crafts.
Our wonderful Volunteers Maurice, Ian and Keith and historical guides, shared their intricate knowledge of the working yard, from the heat and smoke of the blacksmiths, where iron plates, braces, nails and rivets for lock gates were once forged, to the workshop where gate timbers were carved, sawn and assembled.
Seeing first-hand the incredible pattern room, which houses intricately carved wooden templates, from which iron winding gears are still cast today, highlighted the important role our members play in keeping traditional skills alive. Members were also fascinated to take a trip down memory lane spending time aboard Saturn, one of the last remaining horse-drawn Shropshire flyboats, a fleet of which once carried fresh and perishable goods like cheese, beer, and milk into Birmingham and Liverpool 24 hours a day.
Maurice welcomes our new society members to Ellesmere Yard
Ellesmere yard is just one of many significant parts of our canal heritage that members could help protect. They also discovered how their legacy could support our plans to restore the Montgomery Canal or help revive many more miles of towpaths in years to come.
Having the support of the Thomas Telford Society is incredible and vital to keep our canals alive for future generations. And together, we can make sure that all 2,000 miles continue to survive and thrive.
One of our keenest supporters and Friend, Ken Morris summed up this very special event and the spirit in which the Thomas Telford Society was born:
“We so enjoy the camaraderie of the Canal & River Trust team. We’re all so interested in the work and jobs you do. You make us so welcome, so thank you for a wonderful day.”
Our Friend Ken admires our new workboat, Yare.
For anyone who shares our passion for canals and the stories they hold, pledging a gift in your Will and joining the Thomas Telford Society is powerful way to help protect these special waterways for generations to come.
With many more events like these planned, please get in touch with Emily, Kelly and Tash from our gifts in Wills team to find out more.
