The Towpath Talk

In 1993, the Wilts & Berks Canal Amenity Group marked a historic turning point, celebrating the bicentenary of the waterway’s original conception. This landmark year featured a vibrant re-enactment of the canal company’s founding and the successful re-watering of the Templars Firs section. Despite logistical hurdles like the proposed Abingdon reservoir and complex Swindon road crossings, the g...

In 1992, the Wilts & Berks Canal Amenity Group transitioned toward professional management, restructuring to address a critical shortage of administrative "pen-power". Key achievements included dredging at Wantage and Wootton Bassett, completing Foxham Top Lock, and acquiring the Group’s first owned canal section. Despite setbacks like Shrivenham’s "greensand," the Group en...

The Wilts & Berks Canal movement surged in 1991, highlighted by the historic Big Dig involving over a thousand volunteers. The Group expanded its reach by acquiring the Damsel-Fly boat and appointing its first full-time Project Officer. Key strategic efforts focused on negotiating with Thames Water over a proposed reservoir and securing a protected route through Swindon, all while debating a m...

In 1990, the project transitioned from preservation to professional restoration. Loss of Jack Dalby, Peter Scatchard became Chairman, overseeing Calne’s award-winning wetland and Foxham’s massive 7,000-brick reconstruction. Swindon initiated high-tech satellite surveying and a 1,000-signature petition. Crucially, a partnership with Allen & Harris for a 22-mile engineering study signaled the gr...

In this episode, Matthew narrates a landmark year for the Wilts & Berks Canal Amenity Group. The Group celebrated the official opening of Chaveywell Wharf, unveiling a restored and vibrant riverside site at Calne. Their transition to a Limited Company was finalized, strengthening organizational foundations and governance. The establishment of regional branches enhanced local restoration effort...

In this episode, we explore the pivotal year of 1988 for the Wilts & Berks Canal Amenity Group. The Group formalized its organization by initiating the transition to limited company status, marking a new chapter in restoration leadership. Volunteers celebrated the opening of the Moredon Canal, showcasing community collaboration and ecological restoration. Progress on the Seven Locks Heritage T...

In this episode, we reflect on 1987 — a landmark year for the Wilts and Berks Canal Amenity Group. The Group took bold steps by initiating a transition to limited company status, strengthening its organizational foundation for future restoration. The year celebrated heritage with progress on the Seven Locks Heritage Trail and the opening of the Moredon Canal, bringing community and conservation to...

Join Matthew as he explores 1986, a landmark year for the Wilts & Berks Canal Amenity Group. From the lively Foxham Canal Fun Day to raising over £10,000 through the Dauntsey Lock Appeal, the group’s efforts captured community spirit and dedication. Wiltshire County Council’s support grew, recognizing the canal’s heritage and environmental value. Marking a step forward in professionalism, the...

In this episode, we explore the Wilts and Berks Canal Amenity Group’s sixth year of campaigning and restoration. Marking its registration as a charity and celebrating new leadership with the appointment of its first President, 1985 saw important progress both on the ground and in strategic planning. The ambitious feasibility study to link the canal to the River Avon at Melksham pointed toward futu...

In this episode, we explore the Wilts and Berks Canal Amenity Group’s pivotal year of 1984. Marking over six years of campaigning and restoration, the group welcomed its first President, Jack Dalby, whose historical expertise lent new authority to the cause. The ambitious “Boats to Lacock” restoration plan was unveiled, inspiring volunteers and supporters alike. The launch of the Moredon Project b...

In this episode, we explore the Wilts and Berks Canal Amenity Group’s journey through 1983, a year marked by steady progress, growing community engagement, and ongoing challenges. Despite a nearly nine‑month gap in publishing their journal, the group continued vital work on sites like Kingshill and Shrivenham, strengthened its organizational foundations with new officers, and expanded public outre...

In this episode, we look back at 1982 as a testing time in the story of the Wilts & Berks Canal. Structural concerns, limited resources, and the sheer scale of the task made restoration feel fragile, yet the determination of those involved never quite went away. Through the challenges of that year, a deeper sense of purpose began to take shape. It is a reminder that canal restoration is not bu...

In this episode, we revisit 1981, a year when the Wilts & Berks Canal restoration campaign began to gain real momentum. Official progress, practical restoration work, and growing public support all helped strengthen confidence that the canal’s revival could genuinely be achieved. We also look at how the movement balanced restoration with care for wildlife, landscape, and community benefit, whi...

Hear how, in 1980, local volunteers, supporters, and communities helped give fresh momentum to the Wilts & Berks Canal campaign, turning shared concern for local heritage into practical action. Through persistence, public backing, and a growing sense of common purpose, more people became part of the restoration story and helped move the vision of a revived canal closer to reality. This episode...

Step back into 1979 and discover the year the Wilts & Berks Canal campaign really found its feet. What began as a determined restoration effort was becoming something much bigger — with new machinery, bigger ambitions, public challenges, and growing support from the community. In this episode, Matthew brings the story to life with a practical, warm look at how the campaign gathered momentum an...

Listeners are taken back to 1978 – the first full year of what would become the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust. Drawing entirely on contemporary Dragonfly journals, he recounts how a small group of volunteers moved from talking about possibilities to taking real action on the ground: launching the I Walk sponsored trek along the entire canal line, opening the first practical worksite at Kingshill i...

Using the very first 1977 issue of Dragonfly as a guide, this episode traces how a handful of canal enthusiasts turned concern for a derelict waterway into the Wilts & Berks Canal Amenity Group. Matthew walks through the social and waterways context of the 1970s, the Group’s formal aims, and the stories behind its inaugural meeting in Swindon. Along the way he explores early projects, the role...