progress Wilts & Berks Meanwhile the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust has taken on restoration of a length north of Melksham and aims to link it up to the Pewsham section Wilts & Berks Canal
and refill it with water – despite the length of time which has passed, several of the culverts are in a surprisingly good condition. The Trust has already restored a similar section between Reybridge and Pewsham, providing a new wildlife corridor and a popular attraction for walkers, runners and cyclists, so it would be fantastic if we could create something similar on the edge of Melksham. Ultimately, if we can attract support from other local landowners, the various stretches would then be joined together to create a fully navigable waterway for the benefit of the whole community.” WBCT aims to restore the waterway from the Kennet & Avon Canal (via a new route making use of the River Avon aound Melksham) via the lengths already mentioned at Lower Woodrow and Pewsham to Swindon, then through to the Thames & Severn Canal near Cricklade and also to the River Thames near Abingdon, thereby connecting Chippenham, Calne, Royal Wootton Bassett and Swindon. See www.wbct.org.uk for more.
The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust’s volunteers have taken the first steps towards uncovering a length of the former canal on the edge of Melksham. The team have started to clear a stretch of the line in countryside off Lower Woodrow, on the northern edge of the town. In 2018 the charity purchased six acres of land which, combined with landowner permission to access adjoining fields, allows volunteers to work on more than a kilometre of the former waterway. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, working parties removed several abandoned outbuildings which were once used by local farmers. Following the end of the lockdown, local volunteers then started removing dead trees and clearing their way along the towpath. Dave Maloney, chairman of the Melksham, Chippenham & Calne branch of the Trust said: “The former outbuildings were unused and in a very poor state of repair when we acquired the site, so the safest option was to take them down and recycle the materials. Our next step will be to remove several of the dead trees while ensuring there’s no disturbance to local wildlife. Once that work has been completed, we can start clearing the undergrowth to reveal the towpath – you can still see much of the original line and it’s even possible to walk along several sections.” Dave added: “Longer-term, with further funding, we want to dredge this Dave Maloney pictured by the section his team have begun clearing stretch of the canal
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