Volunteers’ efforts to restore Brindley’s last canal hit the buffers
OLD MORTONIANS are a canal heritage group on the Oxford Canal at Hillmorton where they produced a highly successful canal festival in 2015.
Since then, at no cost to the Canal & River Trust and contributing thousands of hours of volunteer time, they have worked to restore the last part of the last canal by James Brindley, who died just as it reached Hillmorton Locks in 1772.
Developers of 6500 new houses, Urban and Civic plc, created a large new access road that passed immediately by the basin and part of the original plan was for countryside pathways alongside the basin that would provide essential access.
The company was kept informed of the plans and provided a couple of large cash payments in support of the work by the team of volunteers.
In 2017 IWA Waterways Recovery Group volunteers cleared the entirely overgrown 150yd basin that was created when the canal was shortened in 1834.
The project was to restore it to as it was when James Brindley’s workforce created it but as an educational heritage mooring for historic boats for public enjoyment. Trenches were dug to expose a perfect clay layer, 200 trees were planted, original stone canal walls were uncovered and with positive soil and water retention tests, it was ready to fill.
But after many meetings, the Canal & River Trust shocked the volunteers by claiming they were actually trying to create a commercial marina and could continue only if they undertook to lease the finished basin at full market rent. The volunteers were unable to commit either themselves or future members to paying to restore their own canal.
All seemed lost until a member came up with the idea of creating a sunken garden without water, as a memorial to James Brindley in time for the 250th anniversary of his death in 2022. On the promise that no water would be let in, CRT allowed them to ‘adopt’ the basin. Spurred on by this, work started again after years of delay.
But then along came a coronavirus and all volunteering was prohibited once again. During this further enforced shut-down Old Mortonians devised another plan for a large part of the basin being made over to a sensory garden for the enjoyment of those with disabilities.
This attracted great support and a team of well-qualified members started enthusiastically to work on the project along with a number of disability and caring charities. When work was once again permitted, the Brindley Memorial Sensory Garden plan was launched.
But during the lockdown, young people took to holding gatherings on the towpath every evening, prompting Urban & Civic plc to inform the Old Mortonians that it would not agree to the access path for wheelchair and disability vehicles around its adjacent field due to complaints that it would give access for those intent on antisocial behaviour.
The volunteers searched in vain for a solution but were forced to accept that without access for those with disabilities, the last vestige of feasibility had gone and this last in a long line of plans was no longer viable. Amid much sadness, they had no choice but to abandon the basin. Ironically, the parties ceased when the canals reopened.
But Old Mortonians have vowed to repeat the success of 2015 and produce a canal festival called BRINDLEY 250 in September 2022 to be opened by local teenager Thomas Charles Brindley. Coincidentally he lives just off the approach road to the locks named… Brindley Road.