Canal Boat – July 2018

canalboat.co.uk Canal Boat July 2018 11

CANAL BOAT NEWS

Regent’s festival

help wanted

Organisers of London’s

popular Angel Canal

Festival are calling on

local people to help

with the event on 2

September. Last year the

Canal & River Trust (with

support of local boating

organisations) took on

running the Festival on

the Regent’s Canal when

the existing team retired

after 20 years. They are

keen to hear from anyone

interested in helping with

the event, which features

boat trips, live music and

fun, food and drink, and

over 70 craft stalls on the

towpath. Contact Angel.

Festival@canalrivertrust.

org.uk if you can help.

Marina still open

for business

The operators of

Aqueduct Marina on the

Shropshire Union

Middlewich Branch are

keen to point out that its

facilities are still available

and accessible from the

Shroppie main line,

despite the recent breach

near Middlewich. “The

message we want to get

out is that we’re still open

and there are plenty of

things going on here,” said

operations director Phil

Langley, pointing out that

the canal remains open

except for a short stretch

at the Middlewich end,

where there is a winding

hole for craft to turn.

New London

docks moorings

Planning permission has

been granted for 16 new

residential moorings in

London’s Millwall Outer

Dock. The berths, run by

the Canal & River Trust’s

Waterside Mooring

organisation. Work will

begin this summer for

completion in the autumn.

Tell us about your news [email protected]

Double Bridge on the Wilts &

Berks Canal is pictured with the

first boat to pass under it in over a

century, following restoration of

an isolated 1.25km length of the

canal south of Chippenham.

The length from Pewsham

Locks to near Lacock is one of the

longer stretches restored to date,

which Wilts & Berks Canal Trust

Chair Roderick Blue described as

“another impressive achievement

by our fantastic volunteers”. In the

medium term the Trust aims to

extend it southwards, linking up

via a length of canal recently

purchased to a planned diversion

around Melksham using a section

of the River Avon, and on to meet

the Kennet & Avon at Semington.

In the shorter term, workboat

Boswell is the only boat stationed

here, but the Trust’s tripboat Mary

Archard will be visiting several

times during the summer to carry

members of the public on this

attractive restored length.

The Trust welcomes new

volunteers to help its restoration

work: see wbct.org.uk.

...AND FOR WEY &

ARUN CANAL TOO

The Wey & Arun Canal Trust’s

project to reopen the former

through route from the Thames to

the South Coast has reached an

important milestone with the first

boats crossing the Surrey to

Sussex county boundary since the

canal closed in the 19th Century.

In recent years much of the

Trust’s effort has been

concentrated on the ‘Loxwood

Link’ length in Sussex, an isolated

section which has gradually been

extended northwards. The

completion of the latest project,

the rebuilding of Gennets Bridge

Lock and construction of a new

footpath bridge at a cost of

£375,000 and with a massive

amount volunteer work, was

marked by a celebration on 21

April, following which small boats

were able to navigate northwards

across the border into Surrey.

WACT Chairman Sally Schupke

described it as a “short but historic

voyage marking another

milestone in the restoration of the

canal link between London and

the South Coast.”

Celebrity canal boaters

and actors Timothy

West and Prunella

Scales have added their

backing to the £300,

appeal to raise money

to rebuild School House

Bridge and reopen the

Montgomery Canal as

far as the Welsh border

at Llanymynech.

In their message of

support for the Bridge

the Gap appeal, the stars

of Channel 4’s Great

Canal Journeys said that

the Monty was “one of

our most beautiful and

historic canals”, and

that using volunteers

for much of the work

would enable this length

to be reopened at an

affordable cost.

The bridge is the

only remaining major

obstruction on the

English length of the

canal. Montgomery

Waterway Restoration

Trust Chairman

Michael Limbrey said

it was “vital to rebuild

Schoolhouse Bridge if

we are to bring boats

back to Llanymynech

and mid-Wales”.

He explained that

a retired engineer

has been working

as a volunteer on a

design which can then

be largely built by

volunteers, bringing

the cost down by two

thirds compared to

using professional

contractors.

The appeal has

already raised half of

its £300,000 target.

To support it, see the

leaflet included with this

issue of Canal Boat, or

visit restorethemont

gomerycanal.uk.

TIM & PRU SUPPORT MONTGOMERY APPEAL

MONTGOMERY CANAL

WILTS & BERKS CANAL

Landmark for Wilts & Berks restoration

The restored Double Bridge on the Wilts & Berks sees its first boat...

...while on the Wey & Arun, small craft cross from Sussex into Surrey

TOW

PATH

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