Canal Restoration

In the far flung days of my youth, I once spent a wonderful week dredging part of the then derelict Ashton Canal in Dukinfield, Manchester with a Waterways Recovery Group working party. Many canals fell into complete disrepair during the early 20th Century and it's only through the work of Canal Societies and other volunteers that most of the system is now fully navigable. The Inland Waterways Association is one of the guardians of the system and was one of those who contributed to the restoration of the Kennet & Avon Canal. The Caen Hill flight at Devises was completely derelict until comparatively recently [indeed the Kennet & Avon continues to have navigation restrictions placed on it until a new pumping system is brought into service soon].