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Celebrations mark the reopening of the Droitwich Canals - July 2011

The only canal in the UK to be fully restored from end to end in the past decade, the £12m project follows nearly 40 years of community-led campaigning and volunteering to restore the canals to their former glory.

240 years after they first opened on 27 June 1771, the newly restored waterway is the final link in a brand new ‘cruising circuit’ – the Mid Worcestershire Ring. The Ring allows boats, cyclists and ramblers to make a 21-mile circular journey through some of the UK’s most beautiful and historic countryside, from the Worcester & Birmingham Canal to the River Severn, through the city of Worcester and back to Droitwich.

Secretary of State for DEFRA, Caroline Spelman, says: “I pay tribute to everyone involved in this wonderful restoration. Reconnecting and reopening the two canals is a great engineering achievement. I’m delighted by the environmental sensitivity of the work. The new Coney Meadow reedbed is a marvellous example of ecological offsetting.

“The Droitwich Canals Restoration Partnership shows what can be achieved when local communities and national bodies come together and share responsibility for the waterways, generating support and volunteer efforts, with funds from varied sources. Localism and partnership of this sort show that the future of the waterways in the charitable sector will be bright.”

A colourful display of canoes, narrowboats and historic canal working boats will be on show, followed by a weekend of celebrations including a special water festival (please see attached press release for more information) and the Droitwich Music and Arts Festival.

As part of the waterway’s restoration, a linear park has been created providing picnic sites, fishing pegs, and new stop off points for visitors. Miles of towpath have also been upgraded, with new and improved access points and visitor moorings. The area is also rich in wildlife and the creation of reed beds along the restored canals, using reeds saved from the canal during its restoration, means everyone can enjoy the sights and sounds of nature up close.

James Brindley, arguably the greatest canal engineer of the age, described the Droitwich Canals as one of his “proudest achievements”. The dedication and determination of the local community, supported by the project partners were the catalyst to restoring the canals, which are now set to attract thousands more visitors to the area and bring a major long-term boost to the area, generating an estimated £2.75m a year for the local economy.

To recognise the work of all the volunteers who have been involved in the project, there was an unveiling of a special plaque on Saturday, 2 July at 12.30pm.

Droitwich Canals Trust Partner quotes:

Tony Hales, chair of British Waterways - “As a resident of Droitwich, when the Droitwich Canals Trust was formed, this is a wonderful day. A day that recognises vision, determination, skill, great patience and the real partnership between the local community, local and regional government and major national organisations.As British Waterways moves to a charity, this is exactly the sort of model we want going forward when the national skills and resources of our team work hand in hand with our stakeholders in particular local communities as has been the case here, to deliver something for which we all share responsibility and ownership into the future.”

Cllr Paul Middlebrough, Wychavon District Council and chair of Droitwich Canal Restoration Partnership -“Today is a tribute to everyone who has helped make the dream of re-opening Droitwich’s canals a reality. The commitment and determination of local people and the partner organisations has delivered a massive boost to tourism and other businesses in the town. The completion of the canal link makes Droitwich more appealing than ever, and will help build the town’s reputation and economy for a bright future.”

Cllr Alwyn Davies, Worcestershire County Council -"I'm very pleased to see the result of so much hard work by all of the partners and particularly by the volunteers, without whom this exceptional project would not have been possible. The economic benefits of the restored Droitwich Canals will be felt throughout the county for generations to come. I hope that people, businesses and community groups from the local area and the whole of Worcestershire alike will take full advantage of the opportunities created by the restoration and realise their full potential. I'm delighted that Worcestershire County Council has played a key role in such a great success."

Vaughan Welch, chair of Droitwich Canals Trust -“Today we see the results of the many who have volunteered their time and given their money over the last 40 years to achieve the vision of the few way back in 1971 when the project started. Without them we would not be celebrating the opening today and our thanks go to them all, especially those who are no longer with us. Few will remember the waste land that is now Vines Park, yet during a weekend in March 1971, and over another in October 1973, over 1,000 people volunteered to excavate the former canal transforming the site into what we know today. The reopened canals should be dedicated to all of them. We can now all enjoy the fruits of their labours and look forward to a successful Mid Worcestershire Cruising Ring that will bring many more visitors to Droitwich.

Roger Hanbury, chief executive of The Waterways Trust:
“The restoration of the Droitwich Canals has been possible thanks to the support of members of the public from across the county, who have given their time and money to make this project a success. It has involved the whole community, from school children creating the design for a new play area, to businesses that helped create a new reed bed. Older residents of the town came forward with their memories of the canal and the general public generously supported our fundraising appeal.

“Thanks to this support, and that of our funders, the canals are now inviting and inspiring place to visit which everyone can enjoy.”
Anne Jenkins, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands:
“This event marks the culmination of many years of hard work and enthusiasm from the volunteers and organisations involved in the restoration of the Droitwich Barge and Canals project. Now complete, this wonderful heritage asset can be enjoyed by many generations to come.”

Droitwich Canals Regeneration Facts:

The Droitwich Canals’ Restoration Partnership was established in 2000 between British Waterways, Droitwich Canals Trust, The Waterways Trust, Wychavon District Council and Worcestershire County Council in order to further the restoration project creating a linear canal park and establishing a 21 mile cruising ring.

Both the Junction and Barge Canals have been fully restored with funding secured from Advantage West Midlands, Heritage Lottery Fund, Wychavon District Council, Worcestershire County Council and Inland Waterways Association. Additional funding has come from the Welcome to our futures, Awards for all and the Dulverton Trust.

During the project Within 5 years of completion

4 new locks & 500m of channel built - New Tunnel under the A449 - Dredging of approx 5 miles of canal - Establishment of an offline reedbed - Creation of 21mile (33.5km) cruising ring - 31 Heritage structures conserved - 2,500 volunteer days - 12 new or improved access points - 8 school weeks - 604 people received training - 11 Interpretation / Community Art Projects - 744 person yrs construction employment - 46 visitor moorings - £2.75m additional visitor spend - 196 FTE jobs - 322,000 additional visitor days plus - 12,000 p.a. cycling visits - 2,000 p.a. canoe visits - 3,500 angling visits - £3,088,800 uplift values for adjacent houses - £144,000 annual health benefits - 20% increase on W&BC & River Severn - 3,300 new boat movements - 87 permanent moorings - 24 ha of brownfield land regenerated - 10 to 15 new businesses established.