The Cotswold Canals Trust

05/06/2026

🕰️✨ Flashback Friday
Thames & Severn Canal (West) | Lock 12 | Ballinger's Lock

Today we're visiting one of the canal's "lost" locks – Ballinger's Lock in Chalford.

If you had stood here in 1902, you would have enjoyed a remarkable industrial landscape. To the left stood the spire of Christ Church, while to the right rose the tall chimney of Bliss Mills, home to William Dangerfield's walking stick and umbrella factory. Nestled below was the iconic Chalford Roundhouse, a familiar sight to boaters travelling the Thames & Severn Canal.

For many years, Chalford was a busy centre of canal activity, with local carrier James Smart operating boats and a coal business nearby. However, major road "improvements" in the 1960s dramatically changed the area. Ballinger's Lock, along with neighbouring Chapel Lock and Bell Lock, was infilled as the A419 was widened. Ballinger's Bridge was demolished, and earthworks were pushed into sections of the canal.

Today, four garages sit above the former lock, although it is believed much of the original structure still survives beneath the infill. The site of Ballinger's Bridge is thought to be beneath the present-day T-junction on the Chalford A419 road.

While the lock itself can no longer be seen, the canal remains an important part of the local landscape. Our volunteers continue to dredge and maintain this section of waterway, helping to improve water flow and reduce flood risk for nearby residents and businesses.

🔎 Find out more: www.cotswoldcanals.net/ballingers-bridge
🖥️ Restoration projects: www.cotswoldcanals.org/about-us/restoration/

03/06/2026

Canal Restoration Update: Dudbridge to Wallbridge – Summer 2026 🌿

Over the coming weeks, you may start to notice activity along the canal between Dudbridge and Wallbridge as the next stage of restoration gets underway. This work will help restore the historic width of the canal and support the long-term management of water levels around the Dudbridge locks.

This section of canal has an interesting history. Soon after opening in 1779, it became clear that more water volume was needed between Dudbridge and Wallbridge to operate the locks effectively. The canal was widened to help solve this, creating the historic channel shape that remained here for many years. Over time the channel narrowed, and we are now working to carefully restore part of that original width.

Protecting wildlife has been a key priority in planning these works. Over many months we have worked closely with ecologists and under the appropriate licences to carefully manage vegetation and encourage wildlife to naturally move into surrounding habitat before work begins. Every step has been planned to minimise disturbance and safeguard the canal corridor for species including birds, amphibians and water voles. Due to seasonal fish spawning restrictions, dredging can only take place during a limited summer window. Our volunteer teams will therefore be working in stages over the coming weeks, with silt carefully managed and removed from site as work progresses.

📢If you have any questions or concerns while work is taking place, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us directly. We’re always happy to provide updates and share more about the restoration.
www.cotswoldcanals.org/contact-us/

Photos: Lodgemore today and skaters on the extended millpond c.1890.

01/06/2026

🎨 Reminder – Artists & Muralists Wanted!
⏰ Deadline this Sunday 7th June

There’s still time to get involved! We’re really excited to be working with Cotswold Canals Connected to transform our much-loved Charity Book & Music Shop in Brimscombe with brand new murals.

Our volunteer-run shops help raise vital funds for the restoration of the Cotswold Canals, and while volunteers have been busy inside sorting books, records, pictures and board games, we’re now looking to give the outside of the building a fresh new look too.

As part of a wider canalside mural project, we’d love to hear from artists who can help bring the building to life with designs inspired by the canals, heritage, wildlife and community.

🗓 Deadline for entries: Sunday 7th June 2026
🏆 The winning design will be chosen through a public vote with our volunteers, members and supporters.

Find out more and apply here:
https://www.creategloucestershire.co.uk/opportunities/2026/5/8/artistsmuralists-wanted-for-a-project-in-stroud?fbclid=IwY2xjawSFKXRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBIcEJ5clRuaXNBaGlreUVIc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsAmfdY4is8bTDtofosIBRY9gvOd6nQEu5EngXlJkuDVqfjheRjHmp5RrJyG_aem_QKW3I5JdjPCqWe3BAq6HEw

Please help spread the word 🎨💚

29/05/2026

🕰️✨ Flashback Friday
Thames & Severn Canal (East) | Locks 24-26 | Siccaridge Wood Upper & Middle Locks

Tucked away in woodland on the Thames and Severn Canal are the three fascinating Siccaridge Wood Locks - Lower, Middle and Upper - a remarkable surviving flight leading up towards the summit level of the canal. Today they are heavily overgrown and in poor condition, but they remain an impressive reminder of the canal’s original engineering and the ingenuity needed to move boats through this steep section of the Cotswolds.

All three locks were built to carry Thames barges and originally measured just over 90 feet long and around 13 feet wide. In 1840–41 they were shortened by around 20 feet to reduce water consumption, after shorter canal boats had replaced the larger Thames barges. At both the Lower and Upper locks, two sets of gate recesses can still be seen - one from the original construction and one from the later alterations - showing how the locks evolved over time.

The Lower Lock also featured a spill weir and culvert to carry excess water safely around the lock, while both the Lower and Middle locks included side ponds - clever water-saving features designed to recycle water during lock operation and prevent the short pounds between locks from running dry.

Despite years of disuse, much of the brick and stonework survives, including substantial stone coping and ironwork in places. The locks are now surrounded by beautiful woodland cared for by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust, making this stretch a peaceful place to enjoy both canal heritage and nature side by side. 🌳💚

🔎 Find out more: https://www.cotswoldcanals.net/siccaridge-wood-middle-lock
🖥️ Restoration projects: www.cotswoldcanals.org/about-us/restoration/
🌲Learn about the woods: www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/nature-reserves/siccaridge-wood

27/05/2026

🛠️ Great to see Towpath Talk featuring the latest on our Phase 1B restoration!

If you’d like to see the restoration for yourself and learn more about what’s happening on the ground, why not join one of our volunteer-led guided walks from Stonehouse to Westfield Bridge?

🚶 Guided by our knowledgeable volunteers
📍 See active restoration works up close
🎟️ Just £5 per ticket – book online or simply turn up

📅 Next tour: Saturday 30th May at 10:30am

Book here: www.portal.cotswoldcanals.org/product/guided-walk-stonehouse-to-westfield-bridge/

Restoration of 36 miles of neglected canals in the heart of the Cotswolds – the largest, most complex and costly project of its kind currently underway in t ...

25/05/2026

💧☀️ We’re proud to support the Active Lifestyles “No Lifeguard, No Swim” campaign this summer.

While our canals and waterways can look inviting in warm weather, they are not safe places for swimming. Canals can be much deeper than expected, with hidden hazards beneath the surface, cold water shock, strong currents and slippery edges.

Please help us keep everyone safe by enjoying the canals responsibly:
🚫 Do not swim in canals or lakes without lifeguards
👀 Stay aware of your surroundings near the water
📞 In an emergency, call 999 and ask for Fire & Rescue

Our canals are places to enjoy walking, boating, wildlife and heritage - not swimming.

Stay safe and look out for one another this summer 💙

23/05/2026

🚤📢 New Accessible Mooring for our Lechlade Charter Cruises

The Trust’s East End charter boat, Inglesham, has a new home at The Trout Inn with a brand-new riverside mooring and passenger embarkation point beside the pub’s field car park.

For many years, the boat operated from alongside the nearby island, but the new location offers easier access and a more practical arrangement for passengers and crew alike. To make the site safe and accessible, our East End Construction Team carried out a series of upgrades to the landing stage.

The work included new steps, lowered decking for easier boarding, treated timber throughout, handrails, kickboards, anti-slip surfaces and high-visibility safety markings - all designed to improve accessibility, particularly for elderly passengers. The previous mooring has also now been removed and recycled for future canal projects.

👏 A huge thank you to all the volunteers involved in delivering these improvements.

Interested in booking a private cruise? Our Lechlade private charters are now available to book online:
www.cotswoldcanals.org/canals-guide/boat-trips-and-charters/lechlade-boat-charters/

22/05/2026

🕰️✨ Flashback Friday
Thames & Severn Canal (East) | Dudgrove Double Lock | Locks 42–43

One of the most unusual and fascinating structures on the Thames and Severn Canal, Dudgrove Double Lock sits just three quarters of a mile from the River Thames near Lechlade.

Originally built as a conventional single lock when the canal opened in 1789, the structure had to be altered after disagreements with the Thames Commissioners over exactly where the canal would join the river. The solution? An extra lock chamber was effectively “tacked on” afterwards, creating the unique double lock we see today.

The upper chamber is a classic Thames & Severn design with brick walls and stone detailing, while the lower chamber feels completely different - largely built from dry stone walling with no mortar. The lower chamber was also made much longer to prevent flooding when the upper lock emptied into it.

Remarkably, much of the original timberwork survived for many years, including gates, balance beams and paddle gear, thanks largely to the lock’s remote location on private land.

An 1814 engraving even shows the lock in operation, although perhaps with a little artistic licence (see painting in images)! Today, the structure remains largely intact but hidden amongst heavy vegetation - a rare surviving glimpse into the engineering challenges of the canal’s early days.

⚠️ Please remember: Dudgrove Double Lock is located on private property and there is no public access.

🔎 Find out more: www.cotswoldcanals.net/dudgrove-double-lock
🖥️ Restoration projects: www.cotswoldcanals.org/about-us/restoration/
📑 Learn the history of Dudgrove: www.stroudwater.co.uk/t&scanal/inglesham/inglesham.html

20/05/2026

Helping Protect Our Canals Together 💚

Thank you to the Stroud News & Journal for recently highlighting the ongoing issues of anti-social behaviour, including littering, graffiti and dog fouling, affecting sections of our canals.

Over the past 50 years, volunteers have worked tirelessly to restore these historic waterways for the benefit of both the community and the environment. Today, our dedicated volunteer lengthspeople and lock keepers continue that work, maintaining and caring for the canals – but increasingly they are also having to deal with litter picking, graffiti removal and cleaning up dog mess alongside their regular duties.

We are very grateful to Cllr Gill Thomas, Cllr Maggie Dutton, Simon Opher MP, and supporting groups for helping to raise awareness of these issues and encouraging partnership working to help protect our canals for future generations.

The canals belong to all of us – please help us keep them clean, safe and welcoming for people, wildlife, and future visitors 💚

If you’d like to get involved and join one of our Canal Walk & Talk sessions to help tackle these ongoing concerns, please come along:

• Friday 5th June, 18:00 – Bowbridge Lock to Stroud Brewery
• Wednesday 1st July, 15:00 – Ebley to Stonehouse
• Thursday 6th August, 19:00 – Ebley to Wallbridge

ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour, graffiti and litter are blighting the canal towpath in Stroud, say volunteers.

18/05/2026

🦢🌿 New Life on the Canal 🌿🦆

Wonderful news - there is new life on the canal, with the resident swans hatching their cygnets! Alongside them, we’re also seeing plenty of ducklings appearing along the waterways as spring wildlife begins to thrive.

We’d like to kindly remind everyone to give nesting swans, cygnets and ducklings plenty of space while enjoying the towpaths. Please avoid disturbing nesting areas and remember that fishing should only take place in designated areas with the appropriate licences in place.

Thank you for helping us keep the canals a safe and peaceful haven for both wildlife and visitors alike 💚

For information on permitted fishing along the canal, please visit the Stroud Valleys Canal Company Fishing Guidance.
🖥️ www.stroudvalleyscanal.co.uk/fishing

📷Swans of Stroud