Quarter-mile Wendover stretch back in water
ON A blustery and cold November day volunteers from the Wendover Canal Trust (formerly the Wendover Arm Trust) started re-watering of a further quarter-mile section of the canal between the two footbridges.
This is another milestone for the trust whose volunteers have worked tirelessly, sometimes in appalling weather, to complete this new section which has not held water for more than 100 years.
‘Pulling the plug’ by the existing bund was carried out by both the oldest and youngest volunteers to the trust. Permission had to be obtained from the Canal & River Trust, the owners of the canal and it has been estimated that re-watering will take up to a fortnight.
However this will not be to navigable depth and completion of the remaining section linking up with the Phase 1 restoration at Little Tring will be necessary before boating is possible.
Removal of a major obstruction by way of an old tip at Little Tring will cost the trust a very substantial sum and funding for this work is being investigated – any contributions will be very welcome!
While re-watering was in progress seven scouts aged 11-17, three scout leaders and two mothers, all braving the blizzard conditions at the winding hole, planted 60 hedging plants along the back fence and weeded around last year’s trees. This was for their Community Service badge.