WILTS & BERKS CANAL TRUST

Cover Photo Celebrating the Partnership Launch; Left to Right Cllr Jenny Stratton (W&BCP Chairman), Brian Atworth (NWDC Chairman), Lord Lansddowne, Tony Davy and Chaloner Chute (Project Officer) (Photo Doug Small)

Chair Chat: The Foot & Mouth outbreak has prevented work on the cut but other developments continue. The W&BC Trust has now become the Partnership with much wider membership.

The Annual Report includes an overview of the year's activities and a list of restoration projects.

New Partnership and Patron: A report on the launching of the new Partnership with an address by the new President Lord Lansdowne. A list of organisations forming the Partnership is given.

Around the Branches: reports from Bath & Bristol, Melksham, Calne & Chippenham, Foxham & Lyneham, Wootton Bassett, Cricklade, Swindon, West Vale, and East Vale

Cover Photo The finished Purton Road Culvert on the North Wilts Canal Swindon (Peter Smith)

The IWA National Waterway Festival 2001 is the subject of an article by Tim Preece. It points out the value of the W&B presence at this Festival.

Activities Around The Branches are reported, including Melksham's report on the good publicity value of the West Wiltshire 2001 Show at Trowbridge and the continuing importance of the Semington Boat Rally. Foxham & Lyneham report includes the need to work only one side of the lock to avoid dusturbing nesting wagtails. Wootton Bassett continue reconstruction work at Summit Lock, The recently established Cricklade branch report an increase in membership from 26 to 48 and that the River Key Aqueduct has been approved for grant by Entrust.

The Partnership Project Officer reports on the many negotiations and plans in the pipeline for future developments.

Cover Photo Summit Lock. Pouring concrete reinforcement for the chamber walls (Vic Miller)

The Editorial notes the bringing together in the magazine of branch officers, reports and restoration news. Also noted the way the branches help each other as well as work on thir own projects.

2 Work Pictures: Seven Lock (Luke Walker) and Summit Lock (John Bower)

Chair Chat gives a number of interesting pieces of news, including highlights of branch activity, the change of Group name to the W&B Canal Trust, and a mention in the House of Commons

Around the Branches produces lively reports. Bath & Bristol are out and about helping work parties along the line. Melksham report begins with the news "When the highway engineers next come to Queenfield Farm they will have an uninterrupted view of the canal in water". Foxham & Lyneham have been awarded £6000 of Landfill Tax funding from Viridor Waste Management. Wootton Bassett speaks of significant progress at Summit Lock, with help from other branches and working groups. There are a number of exciting activities and plans at Cricklade including good progress at the River Key Aqueduct. At Swindon,  developments in the Front Garden Housing Project should ensure that the canal will be restored as part of the initial site development works. At Moredon the first new canal bridge on the W&B has been completed. These reports together with those of the other branches make interesting reading.

The PR/Publicity Group reports on its various activities.

The Wiltshire Waterways Festival is to be held at Wootton Bassett in June 2002

Cover Photo Part of the newly dredged section at Foxham (Doug Small)

Chair Chat: IWAAC now have W&B in their "Top 10" list of nationally significant projects. Funding organisations use the IWAAC Report as a reference. The importance of Studies is stressed and these must be carried out, but they are expensive.

Partnership News: Project Officer Chaloner Chute writes of the preparatory stages of work, the most important being the 3 major engineering studies to provide the routes at Cricklade, Melksham and Swindon, with Wootton Bassett and Abingdon hot on their heels. He emphasises the heavy costs of such work and fund raising strategy needed. An important issue is the contact and relationship with landowners. Much progress has been made here. Finally there are exciting new possibilities for boating on the canal.

Cover Photo Boats and canoes on the canal during the opening ceremony of the Wiltshire Waterways Festival at Wootton Bassett.

Annual Report of the W&B Canal Trust includes an overview of the year's activities and restoration projects.

Around the Branches reports on activities along the line. It now includes the information on Branch Officers and work parties.

What the Papers Say: A look at what the local papers are saying about our canal by Justin Guy, Group Publicity Officer

Cover Photo The completed lift bridge at Foxham demonstrating it's ability to support the combined weight of F&L Branch Chairman, Phill Cardy, Plant Officer, George Eycott and a Land Rover ! (Luke Walker).

The Editorial points out the excellent growth in membership recently.

Reports from Around the Branches give a regular look at what is happening along the line, events, negotiations & planning, maintenance & restoration work.

What the Papers say: report on an extremely successful event organised by the Melksham branch on the K&A Canal. Enthusiastic members are looking forward to the day when they can hold their Annual Boat Rally on a restored waterway.

The Wilts & Berks Canal company: An article by the Company Chairman, Rachel Banyard on the current activities of the Company. This company was set up to restore sections of the W&B Canal, develop canalside amenities - such as visitor's centres, marinas, undertake sensitive restoration and development of canalside sites

Cover Photo Clearance work continues at the site of Pewsham Locks near Chippenham.

Editorial: The main subject of this section was the merger of branches. East Vale and Abingdon have now merged and further merging might take place.

25^th Anniversary Celebration: 64 people including 7 founder members were at a special dinner at Marsh Farm Hotel , Wootton Bassett on Friday 4^th October to celebrate the anniversary of the formation of the W&B Canal Trust ( formerly the Amenity Group).

Partnership News mainly contains thoughts on strategy, plans, reviews & consultation and the way the Trust & Partnership work together.

Cover Photo WRG 'Newbury Working Party Group at Summit Lock on 8^th Feb

Chair Chat by Tony Davy

Around the Branches; Reports from along the line. Melksham branch and members from Calne & Chippenham have uncovered locks, a dry dock and saw pit at Pewsham over the winter and are looking forward to repairs and partial rebuild of the aqueduct at Forest farm.  The section above Foxham Top Lock has been rewatered and a local landowner, Ian Chatterton, is boating on the section !  Work continues at Chaddington Lock at Wootton Bassett.  Comment from East Vale is that "the canal from Culham to Childrey is still very well defined. There are no really difficult obstacles which cannot be overcome when money becomes available. We are looking forward to reconnecting Wantage to the Thames"

Partnership News focuses on the 5 major studies to determine the new Canal route at key locations, in Melksham, Swindon, Cricklade, Abingdon and Wootton Bassett.

Voluntees Please: A table of events and calls for voluntees to help with the Trust's display stand on these occasions.

Looking Back from the Future; An article by Doug Small on the importance of collecting archive material.

Cover Photo North Wilts MP James Gray (left) and WBCT Chairman Tony Davy (right) accompanied by Chaloner Chute and several WBCT Directors celebrate "Emily's" journeys end at Westminter

The Annual Report includes an overview of the Trust's activities during the year and a list of restorations projects.

Work Parties Important Organisational Changes: In these increasingly litigious times, the Trust has had to re-examine the way we run our work parties By Peter Smith Restoration Director.

Partnership News; An update on the studies, reports and plans that are being undertaken.

Emily's Voyage: An account of the recent voyage of the skiff Emily, from Bath to Westminster via K&A Canal, the restored portions of the W&B Canal, the Cotswold Canals Junction at Lechlade and then down the Thames to the Houses of Parliament. (Including Back Cover Picture)

Tales from the workshop (or "Rust'n Wreaks 'R' Us"); A series of tales from the plant management side of the Trust by George Eycott.

Cover Photo A trail-boat seemingly emerges from under Beavens bridge, Swindon, during a 'Thank you to HLF' ceremony

Chair Chat: Various appointments are noted, including a change of Chairman at Swindon.

Partnership news: Comment is made on the present round of studies nearing its end at Abingdon. The cost of studies is noted and the assocaited fund-raising needed. 1 year and 3 year action plans are set out.

Around the Branches reposts steady progress on a number of canal structures, including the completion of Chaddington Lock at Wootton Bassett. There is the first report of the newly formed Pewsey Branch.

BBC Radio Restoration Day: Friday 12^th September was chosen by local radio stations as their day to focus on restoration in Wiltshire. Details are reported