THE COTSWOLD CANALS TRUST was awarded £6.4m by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in November.
This is to restore the 'missing mile' of the Stroudwater Canal, Janet Friend reports.
This missing mile is all part of the eventual restoration of the navigation to link the Thames with the Severn, that was cancelled when the Canal & River Trust first took over the network. The picture shows the Lodgemoor Lane Lift Bridge on the Stroudwater.
Filled in
This missing mile was filled in during the 1960s when the M5 motorway was built, it cutting off the navigation..
The work to restore the missing mile is led by Stroud District Council, that has a paid team of engineers and planners, but volunteers are needed if the work is to be completed. It told that without volunteers on the ground, whatever their qualifications, the restoration would not happen,
Work is scheduled to start later in 2026, and when completed it will connect to the national network at Saul Junction.