Further section of Wilts & Berks Canal opened

A FURTHER section of the Wilts & Berks Canal is now in water.

This adds 500 metres to that which has been restored, Janet Friend reports.

It takes the waterway through Swindon that is a further milestone for the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust, with work starting in May and and now completed.

Further work

Further work is being done on bank protection and landscaping.

Work started in May and the first section of the canal is now full of water, with work on the bank protection and landscaping ongoing.

The trust's Daniel Pavely told of challenges the team had faced during the last few months:

“Works were heavily weather dependent and while we’ve been grateful for the rain to fill the canal, if weather was too hot or excessively wet during the build, there was a risk it could compromise the application of the clay lining.

“The rainfall this autumn did precisely this—the canal filled prematurely before we had fully installed the lining which meant we had to pump the water out and restart the work."

So the obstacles were successfully overcome and mark another significant step forward in creating a unique waterside living and recreational environment in Wichelstowe.