THE BOAT NOW ARRIVING AT PLATFORM 1…
The sTory of the railways’ triumph over the canals in the mid-19th century has been well documented… but now the waterways are poised to get their own back.
In a remarkable and unique project, waterways enthusiasts are planning to restore Newent station and run a canal through it instead of rails and sleepers. Steam Railway readers are encouraged to join in. The victory will be even sweeter, as the GWR Gloucester-Ledbury line (closed in 1964) was originally built largely on top of the Herefordshire & Gloucestershire Canal, and the last act of the company was to carry all the materials used in its construction. The audacious development is the brainchild of the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal Trust, which is restoring the 34-mile canal. A recently acquired section of the route southwards from Oxenhall links the site on the east side of Newent. The plan is to restore the station platforms, which are still in situ, and run the canal between them. An original GWR footbridge from a siding further along the line, saved during a road improvement scheme, will be restored, and a tea room and visitor centre built in the style of the former station building. Design ideas are being explored and costings determined in preparation for grant aid bids. Newent’s buildings were demolished soon after its closure, and a local builder filled in the platforms to create a level storage area. The trust secured the lease in 2014, and will reconstruct the buildings about three feet above the original level to allow for an aqueduct to cross the nearby Bridge Street using the original railway abutments. The first phase of work has revealed the full 100yard length of the two buried platforms, largely intact except for the blue coping stones, which were removed during the intervening years. The trust’s Newent site leader Brian Fox told Steam Railway: “The brickwork is in need of serious attention and will probably need a complete rebuild. More work will be required to re-create the canal on both sides and fill the whole length with water.” ❚❚At a well-attended open day on September 10, local people viewed the scheme, and the trust recruited several new members.