Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust

@lhcrt.org.uk

We are a volunteer-led charity, restoring two canals in Staffordshire, and reconnecting them to the BCN and national canal network.

Follow our feeds: #WeDigCanals #UKCanals #FloatingTraders #Lichfield

Find out more: https://lhcrt.org.uk/

@lhcrt.org.uk

We've officially unveiled the name of the liftbridge

Former trustee and designer Peter Buck revealed the name as Buck’s Bridge, celebrating a project made possible by our Big Give 2022 supporters and a generous legacy gift.

Thanks too to Bev Marshall for the brilliant cake! 🍰

#Lichfield #UKCanals

A man in period costume, wearing a black top hat and red waistcoat, pulls a cord to unveil the Buck's Bridge name plaque on the newly installed white lifting bridge during the opening ceremony.A large group of residents, volunteers and community members stand beneath the white lift bridge structure labelled "Buck's Bridge." Many are waving and smiling for the camera on a bright sunny day, with a clear blue sky overhead. Several people wear high-visibility vests, and two dogs sit at the front of the group during the bridge opening celebration.An aerial view of large group of residents, volunteers and community members standing beneath the white lift bridge structure labelled "Buck's Bridge." It's a bright sunny day, with a clear blue sky overhead. Several people wear high-visibility vests, and two dogs sit at the front of the group during the bridge opening celebration.A celebration cake decorated with a detailed model of Buck's Bridge sits on a table. The cake features the Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust logo and a miniature replica of the bridge.
@lhcrt.org.uk

Seven volunteers from Coventry Building Society joined us at Darnford Moors Ecology Park to clear weeds, remove dead flowers and trim hedges.

The autumn tidy-up is nearly complete.

Huge thanks to everyone, especially the volunteer who travelled from South London!

#lichfield #UKCanals

Seven Coventry Building Society volunteers wearing high-visibility vests stand together for a group photo at Darnford Moors Ecology Park after a conservation work session. Strimmers and other equipment lie in the foreground, with trimmed vegetation, trees and open green space visible behind them under a bright blue sky.A volunteer wearing a high-visibility vest, safety helmet and ear protection uses a strimmer to clear vegetation along the bank of a canal at Darnford Moors Ecology Park. Cut plants are piled in the foreground, with trees, open grassland and calm water reflecting the blue sky in the background.A volunteer wearing a high-visibility vest, safety helmet and ear defenders uses a strimmer to cut vegetation along the edge of a canal at Darnford Moors Ecology Park. Freshly cut grass and plants line the bank, while the canal reflects a bright blue sky and surrounding trees.Coventry Building Society volunteers carry cleared vegetation from the canal bank into a large waste sack during a conservation workday at Darnford Moors Ecology Park. Additional volunteers work beside the water using hand tools, with freshly cut vegetation visible along the towpath under a cloudy sky.
@lhcrt.org.uk

At Gallows Reach, the focus was back on the concrete pads this week.

The team also completed a 'rough cut', removing several hundred tonnes of spoil for future base pads. They also need to dig out up to the bridge in order to set out for the surrounding brickwork.

#WeDigCanals #UKCanals #Lichfield

Reinforcement mesh and groundwork prepared for a concrete pad, with excavation continuing towards the bridge for upcoming brickwork installation.Freshly poured concrete base pad within a retained excavation, with steel piling on one side and a muddy access route running alongside.Excavation area following a rough cut, showing spoil removed along the length of the site and workers preparing the ground for future construction.
@lhcrt.org.uk

We were delighted to welcome visitors from Lichfield’s twin towns, Limburg an der Lahn and Sainte‑Foy‑lès‑Lyon, for a canal tour.

Volunteers shared the story of restoration, wildlife improvements and future plans, with guests amazed the project is entirely volunteer-led.

#Lichfield #UKCanals

Visitors gather beside a canal basin during a guided tour, looking out across the water and surrounding wildlife habitat. Reeds line the water's edge, while trees and dense greenery frame the scene on a sunny day.A group of visitors stands on a canal-side path, listening to a guide during a walking tour. Trees, shrubs and canal infrastructure surround the group, with brickwork, railings and water visible under a bright blue sky.Visitors gather around the newly installed canal lift bridge at during a guided tour. The group listens to an explanation of the restoration work while standing on a path beside the bridge structure under a clear blue sky.Visitors on a guided canal tour stand beside the restored canal channel at Gallows Wharf in Lichfield. The group waves to the camera from a towpath next to the water, with brick-lined canal walls, trees and historic wharf buildings visible in bright sunshine.
@lhcrt.org.uk

Dumper issues meant we couldn’t complete this week’s concrete pour, so the team switched focus to drainage.

A 150mm connection and inspection chambers were installed, and the drain crossing onto our land was picked up.

Now backfilled, with benching and covers to follow.

#UKCanals #Lichfield

Construction team standing beside a newly excavated drainage trench and inspection chamber at Gallows Reach. An excavator, spoil heaps and boundary fencing are visible as drainage works progress along the site boundary.Volunteer levelling drainage pipework in a trench beside a new concrete inspection chamber. Additional workers and an excavator are visible nearby as drainage connections are installed before backfilling.Volunteer standing inside a new concrete inspection chamber while colleagues work in a drainage trench behind. Underground pipework is being connected along the trench, with soil stockpiles and an excavator visible in the background.Long drainage trench running alongside a boundary fence and mature trees, with newly installed drainage pipework and an inspection chamber visible before backfilling. Soil stockpiles line the edge of the excavation.
@lhcrt.org.uk

Lovely to see our duck family enjoying Darnford Moors Ecology Park. This section has only been in water since 2023, yet it’s already flourishing. 🪶

Thanks to support from Biffa Award #theLCF this section of the canal has become a rich, thriving environment for wildlife. 🌿

#Lichfield #UKCanals

A male mallard with a green head and yellow bill swims beside a female mallard with mottled brown plumage in a canal. The water is dotted with floating green leaves, and the bank is lined with dense vegetation.A single duck with brown plumage, a greenish head, and a yellow bill floats on calm water near a plant‑covered bank. Small clusters of oval aquatic leaves drift on the surface, surrounded by rocks and thick greenery.Three ducks swim near the edge of a canal bordered by tall grasses and dense vegetation. Lily pads float across the water, and a towpath runs parallel in the background.
@cfstaffordshire.bsky.socialReposted by @lhcrt.org.uk

Today we are happy to announce the finalists of the best large village (south) category in Staffordshire's Best Kept Village & Community awards, sponsored by Housing Plus Group! Congratulations to Alrewas, Gnosall, Perton, Wheaton Aston and Whittington!

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... Margaret and part of the team also checked the towpath from Bobbie’s Bend to Ryknild Street after a public report earlier in the week, cutting back and tidying the full length. The same resident happened to pass by and was really appreciative. (No pics of that bit.)

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