Boat Naming and Cutting Symbolic First Sod by the Trust Patron
Wednesday September 8th - Click here for full details

Welcome to the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust Website

Restoring a Waterway for the 21st Century

A resource for the local community and a habitat for wildlife

You may not have heard of the Wilts & Berks Canal as it has been derelict for nearly a century. There are ambitious plans to bring the waterway back to life.

Its called the Wilts & Berks because it is said that a lazy draughtsman could not be bothered to write in full the county names!

Swindon is mid point of the waterway which linked the Thames at Abingdon with the Kennet & Avon Canal near Melksham.

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A further link was made from Swindon to the Thames & Severn Canal at Cricklade (The North Wilts Canal). There were also branches to Chippenham, Calne, Longcot (near Shrivenham) and Wantage. The waterway now is located in Wiltshire Swindon and Oxfordshire since Local Government boundary changes in the 1970's.

The Wilts and Berks Trust is committed to returning this historic waterway to a navigable state. The canal will restore an important link in the national waterways network, but the project will be part of the green infrastructure of the region, creating connections between existing wildlife habitats and creating aquatic and wetland habitats for endangered species.

Working with our partners we aim to restore the canal route, provide wildlife habitats, cycleways and routes for walkers along the restored towpath.

The Trust would like your help to complete this exciting project- please explore this website to find out more.
 
The Wilts and Berks Canal Partnership

The Trust is a member of the Wilts & Berks Canal Partnership restoring the waterway to connect Oxfordshire, Swindon and Wiltshire.

For more information on the Partnership see their website: www.wiltsandberkscanal.org.uk
 
Pewsham Locks Heritage and Education Centre

Led by the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust, the Partnership is working on the final stages of planning the restoration of the locks and facilities at Pewsham near Chippenham.

The derelict locks are part of the restoration of the 52 miles of the main line of the Wilts & Berks Canal from Semington, near Melksham via Swindon to Abingdon on the River Thames.
Read more...
 
Join the Trust

The best way to help Trust is to join the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust as a member.

We welcome applications to the Trust from individuals, families and business. We offer special rates for senior citizens and younger people and joint or family membership. You can become an active member of the restoration teams, help with the many administrative tasks or we would be pleased if your show your support by joining the 2000 other members who support the work of the Trust.

As a member of the Trust you will receive quarterly issues of our magazine Dragonfly and have the opportunity to join one of our branches if you wish. You will also be entitled to vote at our AGM.

An increase in membership will allow us to demonstrate to Government, Local Authorities, planners and potential funders that this project is important to the community. We hope you chose to join us very soon.

Click here for more details of membership