canal restoration

Milton Keynes clean-up collects seven tonnes of rubbish

by

Web Editor

–

June 15, 2026

THE IWA’s Milton Keynes branch held its annual Canal Clean-up across the 10-mile stretch through Milton Keynes from Fenny Stratford to Cosgrove on April 10/11. The usual mix of discarded items were found, including several supermarket trolleys, six tyres, four electric hire scooters, three bicycles, an outboard motor, a plastic barrel, a motor bike frame,…
Continue reading »
The canal campaigners who refused to let the Monty run dry

by

Mark Lancaster

–

June 12, 2026

Sixty years after a last-ditch meeting in a Newport hotel, the Shropshire Union Canal Society is still fighting for the waterways of the historic Shropshire Union network – turning threatened closures into volunteer-powered restorations and keeping up the pressure to bridge the final ‘Shropshire Gap.’ THE Shropshire Union Canal Society (SUCS) began life on Wednesday,…
Continue reading »
Shropshire Union Canal Society – June 2026 work party report

by

Web Editor

–

June 11, 2026

A very busy work party. 5 days, record volunteer numbers (again), multiple different activities. Apologies if this report is a little longer than normal. “June was the second successive work party with two days of preparation before the main work party started on Friday. And once again, two full days of profiling the channel was…
Continue reading »
New venue for canal concerts

by

Web Editor

–

June 4, 2026

The Chesterfield Canal Trust is promoting two concerts at the newly restored Barrow Hill Memorial Hall. The proceeds will go towards the further restoration of the canal. The Swing Commanders will be appearing on Friday 26th June followed by Simon Mayor & Hilary James on Saturday 27th June. To book, click here or ring 01246…
Continue reading »
Liftbridge installed on Lichfield Canal restoration route

by

Web Editor

–

May 29, 2026

A MAJOR milestone has been reached in the restoration of the Lichfield Canal, with the installation of a new liftbridge over the canal route. The three-day operation saw manufacturer ProMack Ltd position the steel structure over the historic canal line at Gallows Reach. The bridge sits at a key point where the restored waterway will…
Continue reading »
Cosgrove Canal Festival and Crafts Fair returns this July

by

Web Editor

–

May 22, 2026

The annual Cosgrove Canal Festival and Crafts Fair will this year be held over the weekend of the weekend or 18th-19th July 2026. This event is organised by the Buckingham Canal Society to raise awareness and funding for the restoration of the Buckingham Arm or the Grand Union canal. There will be trading and historic display…
Continue reading »
£1.3m canal repairs see hand-built lock gates installed on Grand Union Canal in Leicestershire

by

Web Editor

–

April 2, 2026

Major Canal & River Trust works are under way in Leicestershire to replace ageing lock gates and protect historic waterways from climate pressures. Leicestershire’s waterways are undergoing major maintenance and preservation work to keep them navigable as part of a £1.3 million repairs and restoration programme. The Canal & River Trust is replacing lock gates…
Continue reading »
£220k project to restore historic water-saving canal engineering at Hanwell

by

Web Editor

–

February 20, 2026

Work underway on a Historic England-funded project to restore 200-year-old side ponds at the Hanwell Flight of Locks in West London. The initiative follows a year of navigation closures caused by drought and climate change and focuses on locks 94 and 95. The scheme is supported by Historic England, the Inland Waterways Association and the…
Continue reading »
Wartime mystery uncovered during Whitminster Bridge restoration

by

Web Editor

–

February 10, 2026

Volunteers restoring Whitminster Bridge on the Stroudwater Canal have uncovered two concrete pits believed to date from the Second World War, while major restoration work continues following a multi-million-pound heritage grant. Wartime pits discovered beneath Whitminster Bridge Volunteers restoring the historic Whitminster Bridge on the Stroudwater Canal have uncovered two mysterious concrete pits believed to…
Continue reading »
CANAL REOPENS after £850K repair

by

Web Editor

–

December 30, 2025

Boats have returned to cruising the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire following the completion of an £850,000 repair project to fix a serious breach caused earlier this year. The breach occurred when an old culvert carrying a stream beneath the canal collapsed, damaging the towpath, embankment and canal bed. To carry out the complex repair,…
Continue reading »
WIGAN CANAL REOPENS after water main burst

by

Web Editor

–

December 28, 2025

Boats have returned to cruising the seven-mile Leigh Branch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Wigan following its closure in August caused by a burst water main. Engineers from the Canal & River Trust worked closely with United Utilities, which owns the damaged main, to complete a bespoke repair to the canal bank between…
Continue reading »
£6.46 MILLION Secures Restoration of Stroudwater Canal’s ‘Missing Mile’ After 70 Years

by

Web Editor

–

December 3, 2025

ONE of the UK’s largest and most significant waterway restoration projects has secured £6.46 million in funding, paving the way for the Stroudwater Navigation to reconnect with the national canal network for the first time in over 70 years. Through the Cotswold Canals Connected (CCC) partnership, the stretch of canal between Stonehouse and Saul will…
Continue reading »