Only a short stretch of canal

Published: Sunday, 07 October 2018

HELEN CRIPPS asks about the Grantham Canal, writes John Bamford.

There is only a short stretch of canal from the first lock, that runs alongside the Environment Agency offices, and which peters out where they built the new approach road to the Lady Bay Bridge.

GranthamTrentAnother main road

This used to be a railway bridge that connected to the Midland Station, but was a victim of Beeching in the 60’s. In the late 1970’s the council decided to make the old track bed and bridge another main road into the city for commuters from the South, and that led to other infrastructure problems being created in restoring the first mile or so.

Because of the engineering difficulties of that (and lack of council support) the restoration is based on doing some of the easier stuff first; it’s going to be quite an expense to re-establish the canal link into the Trent.

The society

For more information see the society’s webpages, particularly http://www.granthamcanal.org/trent-link/ and the alternative approaches the restoration society has looked at.