The Best Canal Restorations of 2023

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Paul Whitewick - ‪@pwhitewick‬
Lichfield Videos - @LHCRT
A Year in Restoration - • A year in Restoration ...
Why is this Lock Fresstanding? - • Why is this lock free ...
Diverting A Lock - • Diverting a Lock | Lic...
Digging a New Canal - • Digging a new canal | ...
Restoring Nature Fosseway Heath - • Restoring Nature Fosse...
HS2 and the Lichfield Canal - • HS2 and the Lichfield ...
HS2 and The Lichfield Canal Update - • HS2 & the Lichfield Ca...
Buckingham Canal
Opening a Canal - • Opening a Canal | Buck...
Cromford Canal - • Turning a Disused Rail...
Leominster Canal -
Rea Aqueduct - • Colossal Collapsed Can...
Collapsed tunnels - • The Failed Tunnels of ...
Teme Aqueduct - • World War 2 and demoli...
Cotswold Canals - • Inside an Abandoned Lo...
Sapperton Tunnel - • What Lies Beneath the ...
Wilts and Berks Pewsham - • Transforming a Histori...
Monty Canal - • Building Bridges on th...
Welcome to my best bits of 2023.
from the Lichfield canal to the Monty where did I most enjoy visiting?
KESCRG here - kescrgonline.co.uk
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[@stephensaines7100]

I arrived at this channel through Paul and Rebecca a few months ago. Love it! I'm subscribed.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thank you and I hope you are enjoying my videos

[@SparkySparks-dg2dn]

Very very interesting I love people like you who share their experiences and always make a very good video thank you

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

No problem, thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching

[@TheByard]

Having worked on large construction projects most of my working life I love watching canal restoration projects. I did own a Dunkirk Little Ship for 15 years and sailed her from the Medway up the East Coast into the Humber and along the Aire and Calder to Castleford where she was built in 1930. It's good to see projects like HS2 helping with canal crossing instead of just dozing their way through. Thanks for post and keeping me out of the sun in Vietnam my retirement home.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

They did try to just bulldoze through but there was kick off and they were made to pay for the works needed. Very nice, I hope to own a boat one day, for now it’s all day trips and maybe some holidays! Enjoy your retirement, Vietnam is on my list!

[@45jacobite]

You'd be welcome Steve, to travel up north to the Lancaster Canal, 6 miles south of Kendal to have a look at restoration work on a section of the 'northern reaches' , bridge 173 to Well Heads lane. The bridge at well heads was demolished when they built the A590. A WRG camp is there this week.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Hello, I’ve been following the WRG work camp and have shared some posts on my facebook page, I’ve worked with the wrgies before both helping out and filming so I do follow them when I can. I’d love to pop up but it would probably be one for later in the year when the days are longer, it’s about a 4 hour drive so I’d stay up and try and make the most of a weekend.

[@markhoneywoodmobile]

Might be a stretch travelling for you but the Staveley puddlebank restoration should start on the Chesterfield canal in 2024.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

I was planning to do some on the Chesterfield earlier in the year when they had the waterways conference but it was my wife’s birthday and we had a meal planned so I couldn’t go. I’m always happy to travel

[@martinmarsola6477]

An amazing update on what you saw, did, and now reporting on at the end of 2023. Thank you for the dedication in time and research to this video on facts and photography in the past and present. I really appreciate it, Steve. Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and yours. See you on the next! ❤️🇬🇧🙂👍🇺🇸

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thank you, have a great Christmas and new year.

[@gwilymselwood]

What a lovely find ❤ good luck to all those involved in canal restoration

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

The volunteers really do an amazing job

[@martynbuzzing3327]

The drone shots puts it all into perspective. Thanks for sharing.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

No worries! It’s a game changer isn’t it

[@rmk]

Thank you very much for all your videos, documenting the progress that these projects are making. Merry Christmas and hope you have a happy new year.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thank you and merry Christmas to you too

[@adriancrow9952]

The Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation is my home canal and has interesting features like a sea lock at Heybridge Basin and a tidal weir at Beeleigh. It’s fully navigable, but wrgies visit often as it is run by a sister charity Essex Waterways

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

I'll have a look into it, it's not one I'm familiar with

[@malcolmrichardson3881]

Really great series which I think are particularly valuable in conveying both the scale and progress of various restoration projects, as well as the high degree of technical, managerial and ecological expertise involved. Most, if not all, seem to have developed a high degree of professionalism, which is really gratifying.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Yes they definitely have, it’s changed a lot in the last few years.m, it used to be just volunteers digging out old stuff and now they are proper charities

[@wattster71]

Thanks,Steve, for all of your efforts this year. Merry Christmas!

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thank you so much for your support

[@markhoneywoodmobile]

If you have nothing to do on Tuesday (2nd), I've heard they are emptying the Pontcysyllte aqueduct.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

I was there yesterday, it’s a 3 1/2 hour drive for me so unfortunately I won’t make it, from what I hear though they are pumping it out rather than opening the plug

[@TheHoveHeretic]

Well that's me subscribed! Great video, thanks!👍 Couldn't help but look at those pre-stessed concrete bridge sections being so expertly craned in and think back a few moments in your roundup, to the multiple layers of brickwork visible on that semi-demolished aqueduct on the Leominster Canal. I bet THAT took a fair bit longer to erect! Your comment on the Wilts & Berks being so attuned to environmental issues is just as true of the Wey & Arun, which by the way is another place you'll see the welcome sight of hedgelaying, a craft which produces an infinitely better result than the overgrown lawnmower attachment used to scalp too many scrappy linear shrubberies (you just can't call them hedges!). The more of our canals which can provide suitable locations for hedgelaying contests, the better and the National Hedgelaying Society are always up for additional locations, as resurgent interest in the craft grows. I've been following progress on the Lichfield Canal on and off for a few years now, so thanks for the update.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Yes i wonder how long it’ll last? It’s arguably stronger than a brick arch but certainly not as fascinating, I’d love to have watched some of these brick structures going in in the 1700-1800s

[@PCMenten]

What a fun video! Thanks for all you do and merry Christmas.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Thank you, merry Christmas to you too and thanks for all your support this year

[@marybradley7791]

i know that they are doing restouration on the Derbyshire Canal to.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

I must admit that’s one I know little about I follow the society on Facebook, I must delve deeper, it’s Derby and Sandiacre or something like that isn’t it?

[@Razer68]

Great video again Steve. Love your videos. They’re always very informative and interesting. Look forward to seeing more in the coming year. Glad I’m not the only one! I was badly stung when I was photographing and disturbed a wasps nest at the Cannock end of the Lichfield & Hatherton Canal. Right at the very end where it stops at the M6. No idea where the nest was. I ended up with 16 stings. Was throbbing for a few days afterwards. Ouch! 🐝. Merry Christmas, and hope to see you again at some point soon. Rob. C.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

It’s just a shame Paul or Rebecca didn’t get it on camera, I was running around flapping like a mad man 😂

[@Razer68]

@@CourtAboveTheCut 😂 I was too. If anyone could have seen me they would have thought I was having a fight with the invisible man! 😂🐝🐝🐝

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

@@Razer68 😂😂 yeah they were really confused, I’ll never forget Rebecca’s what the heck is he doing face 😂

[@Razer68]

@@CourtAboveTheCut 😂😂😂🐝🐝🐝

[@ianhutchinson8162]

Thanks for the videos, and especially the WRG work sites. I would love you to visit the Cromford canal further north and the history in the area, with Aqueduct cottage see Friends of Aqueduct Cottage

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

I’ll have a look into it, I really really want to get into Butterley Tunnel and I know Paul Whitewick does as well.

[@davidmam]

Used to live in Steventon so keen on more from the wilts and berks

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

I’ve just got back in the car after filming a video on the Dunnington aqueduct near to Royal Wootton Bassett, it’s a bit of a wet one but should be interesting. I’m also working on a year in restoration video but being 71 miles it’s a bit of a long video! I’ve got plans to visit grove lock etc at some point soon though! I don’t know your end quite so well so I need to do some research first

[@PCMenten]

Help us understand all the benefits of these canals; boat travel, walking paths, natural habitat, local history. BTW, I have been binging on a history channel that explores iron age through Roman occupation age archaeology. Is there any interesting archaeology that intersects with the canals? Any sites accessible to canal travelers? I’m thinking in terms of taking a vacation, hopefully with some good friends, and want to take in this sort of sightseeing.

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

I have some plans for a couple of videos to pick up some local landmarks and with the stuff where I used to do walking videos along the whole route I want to do the same

[@johnward9421]

Need to include the Wey and Arun Canal as it’s an top project

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

I’ve been promising to visit for nearly a year, the weather always seems to get in the way

[@dazwalkingman]

Do the massive water companies that take from the water systems pay anything to the CRT to keep the water system running and clean

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

The Cotswold canal trust are trying to get thames water to pay for a large part of the restoration of the canal so they can transport water from the west to london. Water companies do pay quite a bit for this privilege

[@paulturner7837]

Thanks very much for all your hard work, it’s been a great year to look back on. I watch on iPad but don’t have the join button?

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

It’s in the description but will add the link on my next message

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

kzbin.info/door/YByDH3Jbos0kFWrvIlmzYwjoin

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

For some reason it doesn’t always show up on phones and tablets

[@paulturner7837]

@@CourtAboveTheCut cheers, will join up 👍

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

@@paulturner7837 thank you so much

[@paulthomas3841]

about 5 years ago me and my Second wife we used to walked 100 of miles of canal, but Alison left me a use less male

[@CourtAboveTheCut]

Never useless, life is for living