“our current aim is to actually restore the full length of the towpath for public access within five years” - Wilts & Berks Canal Trust
Letters to the editor
Dear Martin Accepting that Michael A. Handford could not mention every canal under restoration in the country, I was surprised that no mention was made of the Wilts & Berks Canal in his article Where next? in Navvies No. 250. The W & B is the longest restoration currently underway, at 52 miles main line plus a number of branches, including the North Wilts, which connects us with the Thames & Severn. We have had no major injection of funds, unlike our nearest neighbours, the Cotswolds and the Kennet & Avon. As the W & B covers such a huge area, the way the Trust has decided to tackle the restoration is by dividing us into 6 branches, with each branch responsible for deciding their priorities (apart from for major projects), liaising with local landowners who are sympathetic with restoration and to some extent raising their own funds, although we do now have a Fund-raising Director to identify the sources for monies for the major schemes. Mention was made in Michael’s article of several canals being in multiple ownership, and the W & B initially reverted to at least 200 riparian landowners when the canal closed 100 years ago, some of which were only the width of someone’s back garden. Obviously, if that person decides to dig their heels in and uses the “over my dead body” form of objection, then we have to wait before the canal can be connected through. Each branch has their share of die-hard antis, even some who put every obstacle in our way to prevent restoration. We do have more ‘concrete’ obstacles, of course, like the old route of the canal having been built Plans for dealing with Swindon, one of the W&B’s ‘concrete’ obstacles over through Swindon, and getting under the M4, not to mention at the east end where all work has had to stop because of the uncertainty of the size, location and timing of the Thames reservoir [and, as I understand it, whether they decide to build it at all …Ed], but ways can be found for overcoming these. However, to some extent the objections of landowners who are determined that the canal will not be restored are more difficult to get over, but by restoring sections of the canal we hope that we can persuade those landowners of the benefits of restoration. Nevertheless, our current aim is to actually restore the full length of the towpath for public access within five years. To this end, one of the Trust directors, Tim Pyatt, has agreed to devote 12 months of his time, between jobs, 5 days a week, to achieve this aim. We are exceptionally lucky in having this help; it is a major challenge, and I do not envy Tim when he has to deal with the more obdurate landowners, but if he is successful it can only help in persuading people of the benefits of a restored canal.. Rachael Banyard Work Party Director, Wilts & Berks Canal Trust
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