Towpath Talk

THE WEST is silent

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February 18, 2025

Tim Coghlan looks at the remarkable life of Timothy West CBE both on stage and on the water – ‘a man who in his time played many parts’. TIMOTHY West, who died in November last year, was born in Bradford in 1934 into an acting family and spent his wartime boyhood in the Bristol Blitz. He later…
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DUBLIN’S GRAND CANAL: Exciting new chapter

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February 17, 2025

Alison Alderton looks at a new partnership which will upgrade and enhance a popular section of the Grand Canal in Dublin. WATERWAYS Ireland (WI) and IPUT Real Estate Dublin have announced a public-private partnership to upgrade the public realm along Dublin’s Grand Canal between Leeson and Baggot Street bridges on the northern towpath along Wilton…
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BEHIND THE SCENES at Leeds River Lock 1

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February 15, 2025

The Canal & River Trust’s winter maintenance programme is imperative to the upkeep of Britain’s canal network. Sally Clifford gets a glimpse behind the scenes at one of the charity’s repair and restoration projects. STEPPING down into a drained lock is a rare opportunity and certainly, a sight to behold. Concealed beneath the natural flow…
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MARKET HARBOROUGH 75

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February 14, 2025

IWA’s Leicestershire Branch, in partnership with the Canal & River Trust, The Old Union Canal Society, Harborough District Council & Foxton Museum, is holding a waterways festival at Foxton on June 7/8. The event will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the 1950 IWA Festival of Boats and Arts held in Market Harborough. There will be…
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WATERWAY WONDER gets a celebratory lift

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February 13, 2025

IT WILL be a year of celebrations for the Anderton Boat Lift as it marks 150 years since its opening. And it is hoped the anniversary will boost a massive £15m restoration project to ensure the engineering marvel’s future survival. The world’s first commercial boat lift opened in 1875 and the Canal & River Trust…
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WATERWAYS FREIGHT: New year, new mindset?

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February 12, 2025

It is estimated that road congestion will cost British business £18 million in 2025, the semi-stationary traffic further exacerbating pollution in urban areas. Jonathan Mosse takes a look at freight development on the inland waterways. IT WOULD be good to use the opportunity that a new year presents to distil signs of positive trends towards…
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CONNECTING culture and communities

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February 11, 2025

THE WORLD-FAMOUS Pontcysyllte Aqueduct UNESCO World Heritage Site was celebrated at a festival of art, performance and culture. The site, which featured in the Christmas release of the latest Wallace & Gromit film, Vengeance Most Fowl, was the focus of a special event which formed part a year-long community art placemaking project, the Bridge that…
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ROLLING STONE back on the canal

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February 10, 2025

ROCK legend Ronnie Wood has gone back to his family roots, buying a canal boat on London’s Regent’s Canal. The 77-year-old member of the Rolling Stones came from a line of travelling barge people. His parents had boats moored on the Regent’s Canal. Wood can trace his Romany family roots on the water back to…
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BRIDGE kick-starts £6m restoration plan

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February 8, 2025

A NEW bridge over the Chesterfield Canal is the first success of a multi-million-pound restoration scheme in Derbyshire. The bridge is the first phase of a £6 million restoration scheme managed by the Chesterfield Canal Trust. Most of the money will come from the Staveley Town Deal, a £25.2 million investment in Staveley through the…
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NEW OMBUDSMAN brings wealth of experience

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February 7, 2025

The recently appointed Waterways Ombudsman is settling into his new position. Lucy Wood reports… JOHN Withington, who assumed the role in the latter part of last year, has a long career in customer experience in the public and regulated sectors. He worked in the administration of legal aid for more than 20 years, where he…
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EXTENSION to East Anglian navigation

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February 6, 2025

Lucy Wood reports: Representatives of the Fund Britain’s Waterways coalition met officials to discuss the Middle Level navigation and welcomed news of plans to further improve facilities for boaters. THE Middle Level is part of the East Anglian Fens, between the North and South Levels, and the Bedford Level, which is managed by the Middle…
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ANNUAL BCN Clean-Up

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February 5, 2025

THE next Annual BCN Clean-Up is taking place on March 15-16 and this year will be targeting the Tipton areas of the Old and New Main Lines. As every year, the event aims to recover more than 20 tonnes of waste from the water as well as clearing rubbish from towpaths. Organised by Waterway Recovery…
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THE END for itinerant boaters?

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February 3, 2025

THE National Bargee Travellers Association claims a new review into licensing could see the end of travelling life on the UK’s waterways. The association, which represents 2000 boat owners who travel the waterways but don’t have a home mooring, believes the Canal & River Trust’s (CRT) new independent review of licensing may try to remove…
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CANALS can help tackle UK crises

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February 1, 2025

CANALS can help tackle three crises facing the UK today – erosion of biodiversity, public health and climate change – according to a new report. The report demonstrates how the UK’s unique network of historic canals, a legacy of the Industrial Revolution, are being repurposed to address some of the greatest challenges facing society. The…
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