Lichfield Branch

Canal between Great Haywood and Alrewas, and from Fradley Junction all the way down the Coventry Canal to Atherstone. “We have to do the stretches where CRT want the work doing”, Neil continues. “This winter we were supposed to be re-doing from Great Haywood to Fradley”. “It’s been 5 years since we last did it and whilst some places have held up quite well, there are a few particularly bad places where the re-growth has been prolific and is once again encroaching a long way over the canal, particularly so at a bendy section just north of Colwich”.

Unfortunately this hasn’t been possible this year because HS2 are upgrading the towpath from Fradley to Rugeley and for some reason do not want us working the same stretch even though we would be working on the opposite side of the canal. Another issue is that CRT Fradley’s boundary of responsibility has recently changed whereby it now ends at Armitage Tunnel instead of Great Haywood, meaning that the aforementioned overgrown stretch near Colwich will now fall under CRT Stoke’s remit.

“It’s anybody’s guess where we will be asked to work next year”, Neil says. “As well as the need to re-do those parts of the Trent & Mersey, there are places on the Staffs & Worcester Canal and a few along the Birmingham and Fazeley which could do with a trim”.

With such limited resources it’s difficult to keep on top of it all but Neil says that CRT tend to concentrate on the places where they have received the most complaints about, and encourages you to contact their customer service department either online or by phone and report anywhere you think is badly in need of addressing whether it be offside overgrowth, issues with water depth,