Boaters, kayakers and paddleboarders have joined forces in a campaign flotilla calling for the reopening of the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal. The Inland Waterways Association and Dunstable & District Boat Club are pressing for action, with support from actor and IWA vice president Sir David Suchet.
The Inland Waterways Association and Dunstable & District Boat Club staged a campaign cruise on the Wendover Arm to demonstrate the strength of support for reopening the stretch of waterway.
KAYKERS and paddleboarders joined historic narrow boats and a replica Dutch tug boat in a flotilla to the current limit of navigation – the first powered boats to make the journey for some time, battling siltation and vegetation.
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It follows years of delays after a section of the arm that reopened in 2005 has been closed while a leak is investigated. Despite decades of volunteer effort, public investment and substantial restoration work already completed, this historic 6.7-mile section of the Grand Union Canal remains closed, fenced off and, according to campaigners, ‘increasingly neglected.’ Blocked access to the turning point also means very few boats can travel along the section that remains open.
John Stirling, secretary of Dunstable & District Boat Club, said: “We have long said that this stretch should be reopened. There is clear appetite for it, and the flotilla proved it through the number of boats, other craft and people on foot who came to send a strong message that this delay has gone on too long.”
According to IWA, the issue goes beyond navigation. The Wendover Arm is a significant environmental asset. Fed by rare chalk streams, it supports a rich aquatic habitat that would be almost impossible to recreate today. It also performs a vital engineering function, supplying water to the GUC at the Tring Summit and helping keep locks operational.
Dave Chapman, chairman of the IWA’s Chiltern branch, said: “The Wendover Arm represents all that is great about our inland waterways. It is an important navigation, a remarkable chalk stream environment, a public green space, and a vital part of the Grand Union Canal’s water supply.
“Thousands of volunteer hours and significant public investment have brought the restoration close to completion. It would be unacceptable to allow all that work to deteriorate because leakage remains unresolved, and as we can see from the strength of public support, it must be reopened.
“The Government rightly invests in health and education. Reopening the Wendover Arm contributes to both by creating opportunities for recreation, learning and access to nature.
“The Canal & River Trust has both the responsibility and the opportunity to put this right. We are calling on it to carry out the necessary repairs and reopen the canal as quickly as possible.”
Sir David Suchet backs flotilla
THE Wendover Arm was built in 1799 and ran for almost seven miles from Wendover through Weston Turville, Halton, Aston Clinton, Buckland Wharf, Drayton Beauchamp and Little Tring before joining the Grand Union Canal at Bulbourne Junction.
The IWA argues that the cost of resolving the current issues is modest compared with the long-term value of restoring the navigation and protecting an irreplaceable public asset.
The charity also points to the wider public benefits of reopening the canal. As well as supporting boating and tourism, waterways encourage walking, cycling, volunteering, education and improved physical and mental wellbeing. The Wendover Arm was built primarily to supply water to the summit level of the Grand Junction Canal. A fully restored canal would enable it to continue this vital purpose more effectively.
The campaign builds on the IWA’s long-standing commitment to the Wendover Arm. The association led the campaign that culminated in the reopening of the first restored section on Easter Monday, March 28, 2005, when IWA vice president Sir David Suchet officially opened phase one.
Of the recent flotilla, he said: “It is deeply disappointing to see the current condition. The IWA played a huge role advocating for this lovely section of waterway, and it is good to see robust campaigning continuing so that the Wendover Arm can be reopened.”
