Wilts & Berks Canal restoration reaches major milestone

Volunteer teams from the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust have started clearing the original canal bed at Naish Hill on the edge of Lacock, following restoration works at Pewsham Locks.

A further third of a mile has now been cleared and the canal bed is now visible following these works.

The charity hopes to connect this stretch of the former waterway to the one that has already been restored at Pewsham Locks.

The project would then continue to the south to eventually join with a proposed Melksham Link that would reconnect the waterway with the Kennet and Avon Canal.

Howard Wilson, a work party organiser for the Melksham, Chippenham, and Calne branch of the trust, says the progress of the scheme was “very exciting.”

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The Wilts & Berks Canal at Pewsham Locks (Image: The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust) He said: “This is a very exciting moment. There’s more work to be done but it demonstrates our continuing progress in bringing this wonderful waterway back to life.

“The Naish Hill section was completely overgrown, so we had to clear several willow trees which had self-seeded in the canal bed.

“These trees are being reused for the creation of dead hedges to provide important habitat for small mammals and nesting birds, as well as forming a barrier to protect newly-planted woodland from local deer.

“In due course we will also be removing the weeds which are clogging the areas still in water and will need to repair a broken culvert, but the clay lining is intact.

“This bodes well for its full restoration.”

The Naish Hill section of the canal was partially cleared 20 years ago but could not be maintained as the charity’s limited resources were focused on Pewsham Locks.

The Wilts & Berks Canal at Pewsham Locks (Image: The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust) The Pewsham stretch has already been rewatered and has a wharf, with a dry dock and carpenter’s workshop currently being rebuilt.

Once Naish Hill is connected to this stretch, the charity says it would have a mile of canal and towpath, boosting popular summertime boat trips.

Howard added: “We hope our latest achievement will encourage even more people to join us.

“There are lots of opportunities to get involved, from the physical work of excavating the canal and creating new wildlife habitats, to equally important roles in fundraising, events and marketing.

“We also have plenty of ways in which local companies can play their part, from corporate volunteering to donations for new tools and equipment – there’s something for everyone.”