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WINTER MAINTENANCE to span 45 canals

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November 11, 2025

A total of 137 projects to restore and repair the canal network will take place during the colder months. JUST after the last issue of Towpath Talk went to press, the Canal & River Trust announced details of its winter maintenance and preservation programme. Works will span 45 canals and rivers and include 137 separate…
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END OF WORKS in sight

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November 10, 2025

RESTORATION of the Grade II-listed Lambley Viaduct across the River South Tyne is due to be completed ‘very soon.’ The South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society is completing work on the 108ft Victorian structure, built, it is believed, with the involvement of Newcastle-born engineer Sir George Barclay Bruce nearly 175 years ago. Urgent repairs were needed…
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WIN! A narrowboat engine maintenance and repair book

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November 8, 2025

TO celebrate River Canal Rescue’s 25th anniversary, managing director Stephanie Horton is giving away prizes every month, throughout the year. In November, 13 Towpath Talk readers can win a copy of Stephanie’s book, Narrow Boat Engine Maintenance and Repair, worth £20 each. This practical guide details everything you need to know about how to keep…
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RIVERSIDE REGENERATION celebrated in new film

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November 7, 2025

THE traditional market town of Langport, in Somerset, has been given a new lease of life thanks to its revitalized riverside. The £300,000 Langport River Project has transformed 7.6 miles of river into a visitor destination, attracting about 250,000 people a year, helping new cafés, shops and services thrive. Community Cocklemoor meadow and Huish Bridge…
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AWARDS for those working to keep waterways alive

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November 6, 2025

The IWA’s 66th annual general meeting at the Jubilee Conference Centre, Nottingham, welcomed more than 100 attendees in person and online – and also celebrated waterways excellence through the presentation of awards. IWA’s Amy Tillson reports… NATIONAL chair Mike Wills opened the event, followed by campaigns and public affairs director Charlie Norman outlining campaigning priorities…
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BE A BRICK and buy one!

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November 5, 2025

Volunteers are looking to late autumn and the start of the next phase in connecting the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal at Baswich to the town of Stafford. THE chairman of the Stafford Riverway Link, Paul Bryan, said: “The dedicated group of volunteers have continued to make progress on their aim. The holding basin, with room…
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LOCK CLOSURE forces more lorries onto Yorkshire’s roads

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November 4, 2025

THE Inland Waterways Association (IWA) has said the Canal & River Trust’s plan to close Sykehouse Lock, on the New Junction Canal, near Thorne, South Yorkshire, from November 3 to December 19 for bottom and top gate repairs is excessive and disregards the impact on navigation and businesses. The six-week duration of the intended closure…
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FESTIVE FUN and lots of community spirit!

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November 3, 2025

THE Cotswold Canals Trust is looking ahead and preparing for welcoming families aboard its Santa Cruises. Every child will receive a special gift from Father Christmas. The cruises run on Saturdays and Sundays throughout December, with tickets priced at £7 per adult and £10 per child. “These trips aren’t just about festive fun – they…
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AWARD WINNING South Yorkshire Community Barge ‘Lights Up’ the Ghost Ships of Doncaster Fund Raising Event.

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November 2, 2025

For the first time this year, the Ethel Trust’s community barge ‘Pearl’ has supported the Ghost Ships of Doncaster fund raising event. The Trust’s volunteers, holders of the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, decked out the barge with lights, skeletons, witches’ cauldrons and all things ghostly, to support the community raising funds for the…
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BRIDGE REBUILT with help from group volunteers

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November 1, 2025

The restoration of the Cotswolds Canals has taken a vital step forward following the completion of a years-long project.THE Cotswold Canals Trust is celebrating the completion of Weymoor Bridge, a vital crossing point in the ongoing restoration of the Cotswold Canals, thanks to the tireless efforts of Waterways Recovery Group (WRG) volunteers. The new bridge,…
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NEW CHAIRMAN takes the lead in boosting fundraising support

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October 31, 2025

THE Friends of the Montgomery Canal has welcomed a new chairman. Elected member Brian Williams, who has a lifelong love of canals, has stepped into the role for the membership section of the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust, “In April this year, I retired as a Shropshire county councillor after 20 years of service,” he said.…
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CHARITY BOAT TRIPS: Cleaner and quieter…

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October 30, 2025

Popular boat trips are cleaner and quieter thanks to a generous grant for an electric engine. THE Melksham, Chippenham & Calne branch of the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust runs two boats, The Mary Archard and Damselfly, which raise much-needed funds for the charity by carrying hundreds of passengers at special events every year. These…
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MONTGOMERY CANAL: Interactive audio trail launched

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October 29, 2025

An audio trail telling the story of the rich heritage and wildlife of the two-century old Montgomery Canal has been created. VOICES of the Canal is the work of schoolchildren and members of the local community who have come together to create the trail for people to enjoy while exploring the canal or from home.…
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ROYAL SEAL OF APPROVAL for boat building

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October 28, 2025

The Princess Royal has visited the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis to meet students past and present and learn more about its work preserving and promoting the craft – as a campaign is being prepared to secure its future. PRINCESS Anne enjoyed tours of the academy’s workshops, meeting students of the 40-week boat-building course…
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