The Abandoned Canal of Lichfield

[@keithadams1538]

It has all changed so much. If you overlaid old maps you would see the old line. With a bit of perseverance in the 70s the old canal route could easily have been saved. As an army cadet in 1971. The cadets were approached for voluntary work on the canal system restoration. I was up for it but it never happened. Great show

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

The problem is not many people cared about canals and the benefits in the 70s, it was all about more roads

[@longie751]

Shows how much u can achieve, how much u can create, how much u can improve & develop the environment for the better, it's a shame our governments aren't this creative, inventive and forward thinking....

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Often there’s only one thing that really matters to those involved in approving or planning projects and it’s not the environment. Thankfully we have trusts like LHCRT and other canal trusts trying to fight to bring some blue and green into the urban sprawl

[@martinmarsola6477]

Thank you for the walking and drone video this day. Always great to see. See you on the next, Steve. Enjoy your weekend! 🇬🇧👍🙂🇺🇸

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thanks for watching!

[@malcolmrichardson3881]

Shame about the loss of the old line, but it looks as if the new section will also have many interesting features. Good news about the funding, if I've understood you right. It's a very well-run project with an excellent team, so it promises to be a successful re-connection, bypassing the new estates. A pity that the developers missed out on a great opportunity to preserve and restore the existing line as in other instances - Wilts and Berks, Stroudwater. Thanks for an interesting video.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Yes, the Lichfield is probably the most open and well run trusts I deal with, they are incredible organised with a fantastic team both on the ground and behind the scenes. They make my job so easy as we are in regular contact. The land is all promised to the trust and some of the structures are being funded/built by the developers so although there is still some serious fundraising ahead the canal is very achievable in 10 years (imo) and with the great organisation of the trust it makes fundraising much easier for them.

[@paulturner7837]

It’s a shame we’ve lost the old route in this section and any historic locks,bridges and buildings,but great they’ve come up with an alternative one. Thanks for showing us around 👍

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

It always amazes me how unprotected these routes are, even a small arm with a mooring basin on the end would have been good

[@paulturner7837]

@@CourtAboveTheCut exactly, the houses and roads on much of it looked fairly recent additions

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

@@paulturner7837 I’d never visited Lichfield before last year but from what I gather it’s grown massively in the past few decades, most of those houses must have been 90s onwards. Each end of the diversion is the last few years.

[@paulturner7837]

@@CourtAboveTheCut yeah it looks that way. They must have known about the restoration project at that time too. That’s what makes it all the more disappointing.

[@LHCRT]

@@paulturner7837 that particular estate by the pumping station was built in the early 2000s, but the one by the car show room was earlier. It was that one that cased the issue. Thankfully, the route is now protected.

[@25mileswest86]

Really great walk Steve, enjoyed that, thanks.! I think it's the first time I've seen this from someone, a trek along the original/abandoned route here. Very interesting. Loved the old pumping station along the way too, beautiful building...

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

I might try and get inside it for a video, I really do love that building!

[@25mileswest86]

@@CourtAboveTheCut nice... be great if you do 🙂I think Peter Buck got access a while back, as part of a guided walking tour of LHCRT restoration progress in the area; can't recall if it was filmed though...

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

@@25mileswest86 I haven’t seen anything from LHCRT so I’m going to guess that they didn’t film it. I was thinking with the work going on at fosseway Heath I can tie a visit to the pumping station with an update video, it would give them some exposure as well. I’ll see what access I can get

[@AbandonedCityCamoCrewExplorers]

Nice info walk through

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thanks!

[@markspittle9360]

Is that railway that runs along the old canal, disused now?

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Yes, after making this video they started clearing it so it’ll be a walking route now!

[@markspittle9360]

Thats good then. When ever they come to go under that Railways bridge, at least it won’t cause much disruption