There is nothing quite like showing a visitor round to remind you how far a project has come. This week the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust welcomed Josh Newbury, MP for Cannock Chase, for a tour of the restoration in progress.
Josh began at the fully restored Borrowcop Locks Canal Park, now back in water and thriving with wildlife, before moving on to the active construction zones at Tamworth Road Narrows and Gallows Reach. Although his constituency covers the Hatherton Canal rather than the Lichfield line, he was keen to see how the two projects connect within the Trust’s wider vision.
Volunteers walked him through the work, talking through the challenges of heritage restoration, the importance of sustained funding, and the long-term dream of reconnecting the canal network. He also saw the site of the future culvert under Cricket Lane and the completed liftbridge.
It is always encouraging when the people who shape policy come to see volunteer-led restoration up close. Hats off to the LHCRT team for another great day on the towpath.
Read the Trust’s original report here: Josh Newbury MP visits the Lichfield Canal.
