Hardworking volunteers are steadily extending their restoration of a former waterway between Chippenham and Melksham.
Teams from the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust have started clearing a further third of a mile at Naish Hill, on the edge of Lacock, with the original canalbed now clearly visible. The charity hopes to connect it to the stretch which has already been restored at Pewsham Locks, before continuing south to ultimately join with the proposed ‘Melksham Link’ which would reconnect with the Kennet & Avon Canal.
Howard Wilson is a work party organiser with the Melksham, Chippenham & Calne branch of the Trust.
He said: “This is a very exciting moment. There’s more work to be done but it demonstrates our continuing progress in bringing this wonderful waterway back to life. The Naish Hill section was completely overgrown so we had to clear several willow trees which had self-seeded in the canalbed.
“These trees are being reused for the creation of dead hedges to provide important habitat for small mammals and nesting birds, as well as forming a barrier to protect newly-planted woodland from local deer. In due course we will also be removing the weeds which are clogging the areas still in water and will need to repair a broken culvert, but the clay lining is intact. This bodes well for its full restoration.”
The section of canal which has already been restored at Pewsham Locks. Image: Justin Guy
The Naish Hill section was partially cleared almost 20 years ago but couldn’t be maintained due to the charity’s limited resources having to be focused on Pewsham Locks, which attracted the majority of grants. However, the branch has been steadily recruiting more volunteers and hopes this latest project will inspire fresh support from the local community, enabling it to be fully restored.
Once the work is complete, Naish Hill will be connected to the rewatered Pewsham stretch where the charity already has a wharf and is currently rebuilding a dry dock and carpenter’s workshop. This would create around a mile of canal and towpath, boosting the popularity of the charity’s summertime boat trips. The longer-term aim is to continue the restoration along the bottom of Bowden Hill before joining the River Avon north of Melksham, where narrowboats would use the river to pass through the town centre before joining the Kennet & Avon Canal at Semington.
Howard said: “We hope our latest achievement will encourage even more people to join us. There are lots of opportunities to get involved, from the physical work of excavating the canal and creating new wildlife habitats, to equally important roles in fundraising, events and marketing.
“We also have plenty of ways in which local companies can play their part, from corporate volunteering to donations for new tools and equipment – there’s something for everyone.”
The aim of the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust is to restore the waterway from the Kennet & Avon Canal near Melksham to the Thames & Severn Canal near Cricklade and the River Thames near Abingdon, connecting Chippenham, Calne, Royal Wootton Bassett and Swindon.
Visit www.wbct.org.uk
Top picture: Work party organiser Howard Wilson alongside the newly-cleared Wilts & Berks Canal at Naish Hill. Image: Justin Guy
