Gnosall Towpath Restoration (GTR)
In Gnosall, we are very lucky to have a splendid historic canal running through our village. It is approaching 200 years old and takes some looking after.
The Canal and Rivers Trust (CRT) is a charity that looks after most of our inland navigations in England and Wales. It was created in 2012 from British Waterways (BW or previously BWB).
CRT maintains the canal and towpath (which is not a public right of way) from limited resources. There is some government funding, and income from fishing, boat licensing and boat moorings. There is a backlog of maintenance and so CRT has looked for innovative ways to get work done.
In many areas local communities have adopted “their” stretch of canal agreeing to do minor maintenance, tidying up and reporting problems. This spring, the parish council, supported by BKV agreed to adopt “our” length of canal on behalf of the village.
I am the contact point for this adoption and the group has been christened GTR. We work on the canal covering the length from Cowley Tunnel in the south to Bridge 36 (the footpath beyond the railway) in the North. We are independent from BKV but work closely with them.
Come and find us on the towpath!
BARRY WITTS