WILTS & BERKS CANAL TRUST

More than fifty people, including the Mayor of Wootton Bassett, came together in Wootton Bassett for a talk by John Farrow about the Wilts & Berks Canal in and around Swindon.

Many already know the canal in Wootton Bassett and John extended their view onwards through Swindon towards Shrivenham and Cricklade. John started by giving an overview of the routes through Swindon. The old route of the canal from the Shrivenham Road into Swindon was illustrated by showing our DVD with historic and current photos. John is a volunteer in our Wootton Bassett work party so he showed photos of recent work at Butterfly World between Wootton Bassett and Swindon.

Old and new supporters were fascinated by views of the new canalside houses at Wichelstowe and the new lock, and then new envisaged routes through the town centre and east round Coate Water.

There was a lively question and answer session including what can volunteers do apart from digging! Donations and a raffle added to our branch funds and several people took away membership application forms."

Photo caption "In the coffee break the Mayor of Royal Wootton Bassett, Paul Heaphy, (right) and John Farrow, discussed future plans for canal restoration."

The East Vale branch have had two guided walks over the Autumn/Winter both of which have been very well attended.

The first one in November was a walk along the Grove Lock flight out and back to Nevilles Lift Bridge. We started at Grove Common Lock with the tailbridge we rebuilt many years ago, along the towpath which we have been working on this year, pausing at Small Marsh Lock (now quite infilled) but I remember going down there on a school outing in the 60s (primary school before you ask!) and seeing the lock virtually; Cow Common bridge has been rebuilt by the landowners fairly recently as a fixed culvert; from there we walked along to Spirit Lock (just about discernable in the undergrowth from the path). At this point the canal re-appears and is extant along to Grove Bottom Lock including the remains of another lift bridge. Grove Bottom Lock is in a reasonable state although the cill has partly collapsed (as with all these old structures care should be exercised and you should not go very close to the sides for your own safety).

December, 2011

The Woodland Trust, the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust and the Forest School group from Chestnut Trees Pre-school in Shrivenham are making an early start in celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee by planting 2 "jubilee" specimen oaks and 30 native saplings at the Canal-side Park in Stainswick Lane, Shrivenham.

The trees have been provided by the Woodland Trust as part of a major project to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust will be planting more trees on the site over the next year.

Alan Norris, chair of W&BCT West Vale Branch said:

"We started work on Shrivenham Canalside Park in 1996 and we are very proud that our volunteers have created a wonderful amenity for the community. We were delighted that the Forest School chose to plant the trees in the park because it fits perfectly with the work of restoring the canal which is a haven for wildlife and is enjoyed by a wide cross section of the community through activities like walking, running, cycling and bird-watching."

Roz Dobie, Forest School leader said:

"I'm thrilled that our bid for trees from the Woodland Trust was successful. The children visit the park regularly and enjoy playing and learning about nature. It was a wonderful day; the children are at an age where the experience will stay with them for years to come as they return to the Canalside Park and see their own special trees flourishing."

Photo copyright Al Cane - Faringdon Folly

Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Organised via colleagues in Swindon Branch, West Vale hosted a large work-party for 25 volunteers from BT's Customer Experience Improvement departments who were converging on Swindon, from across the country, for a team event. Many had spent hours travelling before donning wellies, etc. and being put to work at the Shrivenham Canalside Park.

The morning was blustery and cold, just the weather for cutting back the willow regrowth in the canal by the park and clearing the scrub from ditches around the park.

The very dry weather this year has resulted in an unusual absence of water in both canal and ditches, so making now the ideal time for clearance work.

Another group retrieved debris from the ponds, removed an old fence and repaired another.

A third group started to tackle the scrub on the banks of an as yet unrestored length of the cut.

At lunchtime the threatened rain started, blowing horizontally. Most of the team then disappeared for lunch but not this group, spurred on by having spent hours in a car on the M25 and although getting rather wet, they worked on until their team-mates returned; just as the rain was easing!

A final hour, for the whole team, saw completion of the clearance of 100m of ditch to the north of the park and a large warming bonfire.

Thank you BT, please call again!

Mike Lang (Chairman Swindon Branch ) reports:

Good News - Swindon Branch have secured funding by winning a NatWest Community Fund award for the towpath at Kingshill / Westlease

Many thanks to all who voted for us and the volunteers who worked hard to put the project together.

http://communityforce.natwest.com/project/3910

Sky Television came out to visit the Wilts & Berks Canal on Thursday 10th November to record a show for the UK Boating programme. It is due to be transmitted on Information TV on Monday 21st November at 8.00pm.

The programme, which features the Wilts & Berks Canal and Hilperton Marina, will also be available to be viewed later in the week on www.uk-boating.tv

The Wilts & Berks section of the film includes Westleaze, Wichelstowe and Melksham. Hilperton Marina is a friend of the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust having assisted greatly with the visit of their Patron to Semington Junction in September last year. Pieces by John Froggatt (Hilperton Marina), Fleur de Rhe-Philipe (Chair, Wilts & Berks Canal Partnership), Graham Ellis (President, Melksham Chamber of Commerce), Mike Lang and John Laverick (Trust Chairman) are included in the programme.

UK Boating is on Information TV at 8pm every Monday & Thursday, and 8:30pm every Sunday. Information TV is available on Sky channel 231 and Freesat 402. If you do not receive this channel all episodes are available to be viewed later on www.uk-boating.tv

From the UK Boating TV website:

UK Boating heads off to the Wilts and Berks Trust to speak with John Leverick and Tim Pyatt about the fascinating history of their waterways, and Mike Lang tells us all about the new award-winning developments along the waterfront around Swindon. Then we're off to Trowbridge in Wiltshire where Rebecca has a chat to John Froggatt of Hilperton Marina who tells us about the wonders of the local area and the environmental upgrades that ABC leisure have in mind for their car park.

UK Boating Episode 9 - Part 1

UK Boating Episode 9 - Part 2

The Trust's Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday October 15th.

As is now traditional, members had the opportunity in the morning to visit a current project - in this case MCC branch proudly showed what is happening at Pewsham, with a lovely stretch of water gleaming in the Autumn sun.

The formalities of the meeting did not take long. The Annual Report and Accounts were approved, and all the Directors who had to retire by rotation were re-elected, so we will continue to benefit from their experience and efforts.

September 2011 saw the Wootton Bassett work party starting an attack on the weed growth in the canal at Templars Firs. The weed cutting boat was brought from Swindon and John and Arthur set out to forge a path through the fringed water lilies. The rest of the team used rakes on ropes to drag the vegetation onto the bank.

The next stretch is more of a challenge. There is dense grass-like weed. It is floating, but the sheer mass of vegetation calls for a new way of working concentrating more on lifting than cutting.

The first 500 or so metres now looks cared for and like a proper canal.

Unfortunately after two Wednesdays, work had to stop. A film on the water and a smell continued, and Wessex Water felt it might be a health risk to work on the weed. We wait for it to clear before carrying on.