Stroudwater Navigation

Stroudwater Navigation/Thames & Severn Canal
Following the Cotswold Canals Trust’s outstanding progress on reconnecting to Saul Junction with building the A38 roundabout and the new rail-bridge at the ‘Ocean’, progress has turned to its volunteers, who continue to be the life blood of the charity. The sad news for 2023 is that chair of trustees died in this year. James White was an ambassador, friend and champion for canal restoration and will be sorely missed.

Stroudwater Navigation
Cotswold Canals Restoration volunteers have been joined by WRG camps to restore the Eastington Flight, where three locks are now restored ready for new lock gates.
Most excitingly the John Robinson Lock (previously Westfield Lock) was unearthed and given new life. The majority of the work was carried out by WRG. The trust is much indebted to these volunteers who choose where in the country they wish to go to restore waterways, normally numbering 20 to 30 people for a weekend or week where they manage their own activities. It is amazing to see this Georgian structure being reborn having been buried out of sight under a field for decades.

A new ‘old’ crane barge was acquired to be refurbished ahead of joining the work-boat fleet. The boat moorings and piling team, with help from its western depot, worked tirelessly to get the barge Dudley restored and successfully launched at the Stroud Brewery site, ready to carry out significant dredging work in the new year. The team has been active for 12 months and has made significant progress up the channel towards the brewery.

Thames & Severn Canal
The brand-new depot is up and running, with new volunteers joining the trust and logging starting up again. The team is looking forward to getting stuck into some true restoration projects in the coming year, including improving a towpath alongside the lakes.
The new visitor centre in the heart of the Cotswold Lakes development is now in its second year and the trust is expanding audiences to east, building relationships with partners and benefitting from support from new communities.

Winners of 2023 Georgian Group Architectural Awards
The Stroudwater Canal and the Cotswold Canals Trust were awarded the Green Award. The Georgian Group’s 19th Architectural Awards took place at the Royal Institute of British Architects on 14th November 2023. The awards were generously sponsored by Savills and recognise exemplary conservation and restoration projects in the UK, rewarding those who have shown the vision and commitment to restore Georgian buildings and landscapes.

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