Towpath Talk

BIODIVERSITY AWARD: Testament to hard work of charity and partners

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Web Editor

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September 6, 2025

A scheme in the West Midlands that is improving the habitat for wildlife along the region’s historic navigable canals has received a prestigious award. Lucy Wood reports… THE transformative Unlocking Biodiversity programme has been recognised by a Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management award. It has helped preserve and restore wildlife habitats in the…
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BEHIND THE SCENES at the Cotswold Canals Trust: Western Depot tours a resounding success

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Mark Lancaster

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September 4, 2025

The Western Depot of the Cotswold Canals Trust opened its gates to the public on August 19 and 21, offering a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the ambitious canal restoration project. The special tours, part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund Summer Campaign, proved to be a resounding success, drawing visitors from near and…
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BOAT NAMING HONOUR for outgoing boss

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Web Editor

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September 2, 2025

AHEAD of his final week as chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, volunteers and colleagues at the charity’s base on the Grand Union’s Hatton lock flight surprised Richard Parry by naming a new workboat in his honour. The 30ft work boat and hopper will be used for operational maintenance including brickwork repairs, litter-picking…
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BRIDGE REFURB set to improve towpath

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Web Editor

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September 1, 2025

STOKE City Council and the Canal & River Trust are working together on a project which includes removing and replacing the Whieldon Road towpath bridge deck as it has now reached the end of its serviceable life. To carry out the work safely, the towpath and bridge between Whieldon Road and the incinerator has been…
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MONTH LONG Totally Thames festival returns

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Web Editor

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August 30, 2025

The Totally Thames festival is celebrating the world-famous River Thames’ past, present and future. Lucy Wood reports… RUNNING throughout September, the festival features arts events, active adventures, environmental initiatives and more. First held in 1997, it is organised by the Thames Festival Trust, a charity which also works year-round to deliver a programme of heritage…
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ULTRAMARATHON challenge inspired by salmon migration set to raise vital funds

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Web Editor

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August 29, 2025

To raise awareness of the plight of salmon and raise funds for the vital work of The Rivers Trust, the organisation’s CEO, Mark Lloyd, is taking part in the Salmon Run this September – a 43-mile ultramarathon challenge along the River Exe, following the species’ migration route upstream – and will be joined by Olympian…
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FUTURE SECURED for old Cornish lugger

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Web Editor

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August 28, 2025

A historic Cornish lugger has been saved from destruction following a complex rescue and 12-month search for a new owner. Lucy Wood reports… WHITE Heather, a wooden-hulled sailboat, was originally built in 1926 for fishing off the Cornish coast and later became a popular passenger boat in Fowey during the 1980s and 1990s. In 2003 it…
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RESTORATION WORK DONE on historic lifting bridge

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Web Editor

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August 27, 2025

A LIFTING bridge designed by Robert Stephenson and built in 1834 to carry a railway line over the Grand Union Canal has been restored. Robin Jones reports… The bridge is one of the few remaining examples of Victorian engineer Stephenson’s early work near the dawn of the steam age so is of immense historic importance.…
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BOATER SATISFACTION UP but still work to do

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Web Editor

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August 26, 2025

The results of the Canal & River Trust’s Annual Boaters’ Survey have been released. CARRIED out in November and March, the survey showed that boater satisfaction has increased to 55%, up from 46% in 2024. The charity said this follows the introduction of its Better Boating Plan, which was developed in partnership with boaters and…
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MON & BREC: Brighter Future?

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Web Editor

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August 25, 2025

THE Welsh Government’s commitment to finding a solution for the future of the threatened Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal has been welcomed by waterways bodies. Lucy Wood reports… The Mon & Brec, as previously reported, has suffered from water supply issues due to legislative changes imposed on the Canal & River Trust, which manages the canal,…
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THE FORTH & CLYDE canal

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Web Editor

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August 23, 2025

SOMETHING remarkable has been quietly unfolding north of the border, and the vital player at its centre? The Forth & Clyde Canal. Once a throbbing artery of trade and profit before its decline and closure in 1963, it is once again helping to shape the future of Glasgow. Helen Gazeley reports… The Forth & Clyde is…
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OUTDOOR EXERCISE classes in heart of the capital

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Web Editor

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August 22, 2025

This summer, the much-loved morning classes on the canalside steps at King’s Cross, London, are back, so fitness fans can take in some vitamin D while they exercise. The classes run every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday until August 28. Londoners are celebrating the warmer months by starting their day on the grassy steps in Granary…
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EXPLORE the magical world of dragonflies

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Web Editor

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August 21, 2025

There’s plenty of time to get involved in the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust’s summer Dragonfly Festival. It’s taking place until September 22 at all 10 of the WWT’s wetland sites in the UK. “Dragonflies are some of nature’s most dazzling creatures, with their shimmering wings, acrobatic flight, and vibrant colours,” said the trust. “A living…
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September 2025

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Alex Bestwick

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August 21, 2025

Towpath Talk features everything you need to know about boats, marinas, wildlife, conservation, heritage and superb days out.
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