It is not often that the towpath meets one of the country’s oldest civic offices, but that is what has happened in Cheshire.
A waterways career, now a High Sheriff of Cheshire
Lynn Pegler, a communications specialist for the Canal & River Trust and a former British Waterways communications manager, has been installed as High Sheriff of Cheshire. She was formally sworn in at a ceremonial event at Norton Priory Museum and Gardens in Runcorn. The role is the oldest secular office in the UK outside the monarchy, dating back more than 1,000 years to Saxon times; it is now largely ceremonial and is appointed by the King for a one-year term. The story was reported in the August 2026 edition of Towpath Talk.
Her connection to the water runs deep. As British Waterways’ regional communications manager, based in Northwich, she promoted the region’s canals and river navigations, and her work included the relaunch of the restored Anderton Boat Lift in 2002. She has said her year in office will focus on promoting arts and culture and Cheshire’s waterways, alongside supporting the Canal & River Trust and local charities.
There is a nice touch to the role, too. In place of the traditional ceremonial sword, she will carry an official pen crafted by a member of the Cheshire Woodturners Guild — a nod to the old line that the pen is “mightier than the sword”.
It is good to see someone who has spent a career speaking up for the waterways take on a role like this, and to know Cheshire’s canals will have a champion in the county’s civic year ahead.
