Wilts & Berks Canal
WBCT
WBCT
The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust has launched a plan to develop the existing Shrivenham Canal Park, and is appealing for volunteer and fundraising support. While the immediate plans are mostly concerned with the park - including adding a woodland sanctuary, meadows, hedging and an information zone, in the medium term the aim is to rewater 600 metres of the old canal line alongside the park. WBCT West Vale Branch Chair Graham Banks is pictured (right) alongside the length of canal bed. He said “Over the last few years our volunteers have cleared and dredged several lengths and rebuilt the bridge which carries Steppingstone Lane bridleway over the canal, as well as opening up hundreds of metres of towpath, but we’re ready to do more. We want to establish a community and environmental asset for people of all ages while we continue working towards full restoration.” Meanwhile in Swindon, WBCT has benefited from the proceeds of the first Wichelstowe Games (held alongside the canal banks) which will go towards building a slipway. Wichelstowe is the name of the ongoing major residential expansion on the south side of Swindon, which has already seen sections of canal restored and the construction of a new length of the future canal bypass around the east side of Swindon as part of the housing development work. Currently £26m is being spent on a new road bridge under the M4 motorway to provide access to Wichelstowe. Unfortunately it was not possible to negotiate for a canal channel to be included alongside the road; however WBCT is in contact with Highways England with the aim of securing funding for a motorway crossing for the canal from the same pot of money (specifically for environmental projects rectifying damage caused by major road construction works) which is paying for the A38 dual carriageway crossings on the Cotswold “We’d like an M4 culvert for Christmas” - WBCT’s festive trips start Canals.
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