Trust gets £1.6m funding from government

THE Canal & River Trust has been awarded over £1.6m in funding for 17 projects across the country.

The funding, which has been awarded via the Heritage Stimulus Fund, part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, the Trust says 'will help the charity’s vital work to safeguard the nation’s historic canals and rivers, so the public can enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of being by water'.

The projects

The projects to receive funding include Hunts Lock on the Weaver, Sawley Locks 1 and 2 on the Trent, Diglis Lock 1 where the Severn meets the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, Soulbury Three Locks on the Grand Union Canal, (pictured) and Wigan Flight Lock 71 on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, which all received grants of over £100,000.

Of the award, Richard Parry, Chief Executive at the Canal & River Trust, explained:

Carry out important repairs

“The canals were built over 200 years ago and are a vital part of our industrial heritage: you can still use the locks, bridges, tunnels and aqueducts, across our 2,000 miles of waterways, that were great feats of engineering in their time.  The grant funding we are delighted to be receiving from the Culture Recovery Fund will enable us to carry out important repairs to 17 waterway sites of social and historical importance, much-loved by those who use them and the communities that live alongside.

“Today we recognise the wellbeing benefits of being on or by the water, with our waterways right on the doorstep of millions of people; as a charity, the Canal & River Trust looks after them, promotes their benefits for the nation’s physical and mental health, and safeguards them for generations to come."

The full list

List of Canal & River Trust projects funded by the Grants for Programmes of Major Works strand of the Heritage Stimulus Fund, part of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund:

Coventry Canal, Coventry Basin, Weighbridge building

Grand Union Canal, Blue Bank Lock, Lock 37

Grand Union Canal, Soulbury Three Locks, Lock 26 conservation of side ponds

Grand Union Canal, Soulbury Three Locks, waterway wall repair

Hertford Union Canal, Parnell Road Bridge (Bridge 5), impact damage repair

Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Lock 58 (Johnson's Hillock)

Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Lock 89 Headgates

Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Wigan Flight Lock 71, Wigan Lock repairs

River Lee, Ware Bridge (Bridge 64), a.k.a Tumbland Bridge

River Trent, Sawley Locks, Sawley Locks 1 & 2

River Weaver, Hunts Locks

Shropshire Union Canal, Chester Dry Dock, Chester dry dock lock gate replacements

Worcester & Birmingham Canal, Coffin Bridge, repair steps, brick repairs, arch, new hand rail

Worcester & Birmingham Canal, Diglis Lock 1, Diglis Lock repairs

Worcester & Birmingham Canal, Tardebigge Locks, Lock 39