Restoration
In 1977 the Wilts & Berks Canal Amenity Group was formed to protect what remained of the canal, and to restore short sections for their amenity value. Their first projects included the clearing of sections at Kingshill, Shrivenham, Dauntsey and Wootton Bassett. Ten years later this became a major restoration project.
The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust was formed in 1997 as a partnership between the W & B Canal Amenity Group and the district and county councils covering the route of the canal. This included the District Councils of North Wilts, West Wilts and Vale of White Horse, the County Councils of Oxfordshire and Wiltshire, and Swindon Borough Council. The aims of the Trust were to protect, conserve and improve the canal and its branches, with the ultimate aim of restoring the whole canal to navigable status. However, the legal structure of the group was unsuitable for accessing some of the grants available for canal restoration, and so it was reformed into the Wilts & Berks Canal Partnership in 2001.
Although development has taken place on some of the land of the canal, much of its route is intact, especially in rural areas. The "line" of the canal has been preserved in Local Development Plans, which means that no new building or development should now take place on the former canal.
The connection of the canal with the River Thames at Abingdon had been closed by development. On 30 August 2006 the Jubilee Junction was opened, providing a new connection with the River Thames further downstream near Culham Lock. The cut initially runs for about 150 yards (140 m) to a winding hole, but will eventually link to the historic route of the canal to the west of Abingdon.
The Trust is progressing with re-watering many of the rural sections, and is working with local councils to construct new sections (possibly including new tunnels) where urban development has made the original route unavailable. Not all development has been urban, however. In Uffington, for instance, a farm has been built on the old wharf site, over the filled canal.
As of 2006, a number of bridges and locks had been rebuilt and at least 8 miles (13 km) of the canal were in water. On 26 May 2009, Double Bridge and a short section of rewatered canal to the south of Pewsham was officially opened by the Trust's patron, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. With the help of a grant from the Gannett Foundation and many hours of work by volunteers, this section was extended to the foot of Pewsham Locks in 2012.
There are some significant engineering challenges lying ahead for the Trust, but they offer opportunities to improve the areas surrounding the canal. The M4 motorway at Swindon was built over the line of the canal. Swindon Council are supporting the restoration of the canal, and are actively planning to route it through the town centre, albeit not quite on the original route. In 2007 a feasibility study suggested that a proposal to construct a canal through Swindon would cost £50m. Despite some objections, Swindon Borough Council gave approval in 2008 for further investigation of the scheme proposed by the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust. The Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group also welcomed the project "as a key element in transforming Swindon's town centre into a leisure and visitor attraction, disposing of its dreary reputation."
In Melksham, where much of the route has been lost to housing, Melksham Town Council agreed in principle to support plans to route the canal through the River Avon in the centre of town. A new weir would raise water levels to permit navigation and an existing weir would be demolished. The plans received official sanction on 15 October 2012, when the Town Council voted to support construction of 2 miles (3.2 km) of new waterway, which will also include a towpath and cycleway, to provide for recreational activities. The plans now need to be ratified by Wiltshire County Council.
The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust has the following active restoration projects:
| Active Restoration Projects | ||
|---|---|---|
| Project | Details | Coordinates (Links to map resources) |
| Childrey Wharf | Drainage works and new spill weir | 51°35′46″N 1°29′06″W / 51.596°N 1.485°W / 51.596; -1.485 (Childrey Wharf) |
| Steppingstones Lane Bridge | Bridge being rebuilt - nearing completion | 51°35′28″N 1°39′40″W / 51.591°N 1.661°W / 51.591; -1.661 (Steppingstone Lane Bridge) |
| Latton Basin | 51°39′29″N 1°52′30″W / 51.658°N 1.875°W / 51.658; -1.875 (Latton Basin) | |
| Hayes Knoll Lock | Lock being rebuilt | 51°36′54″N 1°51′00″W / 51.615°N 1.850°W / 51.615; -1.850 (Hayes Knoll Lock) |
| River Ray Valley, Moredon | Joint project between the Trust and BBC Breathing Spaces | 51°34′55″N 1°49′12″W / 51.582°N 1.820°W / 51.582; -1.820 (Moredon) |
| Chaddington Lane spill weir and canal | Lock and Spill weir rebuilt, dredging and reprofiling of canal in progress. | 51°31′55″N 1°51′47″W / 51.532°N 1.863°W / 51.532; -1.863 (Chaddington Lane) |
| Seven Locks, Lynham | Lock chambers 3 & 4 now rebuilt. Lock 2 and bridge to be redesigned & rebuilt. | 51°31′34″N 1°58′19″W / 51.526°N 1.972°W / 51.526; -1.972 (Seven Locks) |
| Pewsham Locks and canal | 3 locks, a bridge, a dry dock, a spill weir and a culvert undergoing restoration. | 51°26′17″N 2°05′31″W / 51.438°N 2.092°W / 51.438; -2.092 (Pewsham Locks) |
| Restored & new sections in water | ||
|---|---|---|
| Location | Details | Coordinates (Links to map resources) |
| Jubilee Junction | 150 yards (140 m) of new canal and winding hole constructed. Navigable from River Thames. | 51°39′04″N 1°16′55″W / 51.651°N 1.282°W / 51.651; -1.282 (Jubilee Junction) |
| Templar's Firs section | 1,250 yards (1.14 km) of canal restored | 51°32′02″N 1°53′24″W / 51.534°N 1.890°W / 51.534; -1.890 (Templar's Firs) |
| Dauntsey section | 770 yards (700 m) in water - has a land-locked narrow boat! | 51°31′12″N 2°00′36″W / 51.520°N 2.010°W / 51.520; -2.010 (Dauntsey) |
| Foxham section | 770 yards (700 m) in water | 51°30′07″N 2°01′59″W / 51.502°N 2.033°W / 51.502; -2.033 (Foxham) |
| Double Bridge & Naish Hill section | Bridge & 550 yards (500 m) of canal restored | 51°25′44″N 2°06′07″W / 51.429°N 2.102°W / 51.429; -2.102 (Double Bridge) |
Note: Much of the route is over land in private ownership with no rights of public access, which may include restoration sites.
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