New lock to open

AN OPENING ceremony later this month will mark the official completion of rebuilding work at Southland Lock, near Ifold and Loxwood on the Wey & Arun Canal in West Sussex.

The section of canal available for navigation is now over three miles long, with six restored, new or rebuilt locks. One of the Trust's work boats, the May Upton reached Southland Lock as volunteers continued preparations for the official opening on the 21st June.

Dismantled

Local builders dismantled the original Southland Lock in the early years of the 20th century, after the canal became disused, with the Wey & Arun Canal Trust finding only a few remains, so had to rebuild the lock completely.

Its appearance is similar to the original, thanks to the use of local bricks, although the dimensions are slightly larger and modern piles and concrete sit behind the brick facing.

The volunteer-led rebuilding project has taken three years, at a cost of about £350,000, all raised by the Canal Trust itself.