Walkers raised £10,000 towards restoration

A WELL organised sponsored walk by Wey & Arun Canal Trust has raised a staggering £10,000 towards the canal's restoration.

The money was amassed by 150 people who took part in the charity’s annual fundraising walk, the Poddle, at the beginning of June, that included walking along parts of the restored waterway and visiting historic locations on the way.

The picture shows sponsored walkers making their way across farmland during the Wey & Arun Canal Trust's 2017 Poddle.

Delighted

The Poddle organiser, Margaret Darvill, enthused:

“We are delighted with the money raised for the canal restoration fund. With Gift Aid added, the final proceeds from the Poddle will be about £10,000.

“The Trust is really grateful to the people who sponsored our walkers and our thanks go to all those who completed the Poddle and to those who helped with the organisation and on the day.”

London’s Lost Route to the Sea

The Poddle supports the restoration of ‘London’s Lost Route to the Sea’, a 23 miles waterway which ran from the  Arun at Pallingham in West Sussex to the Wey at Shalford in Surrey.

This year’s walkers followed a 12 miles route around the Arun Valley, starting and finishing at Ingfield Manor School at Five Oaks, north of Billingshurst, with lunch at Wisborough Green Scout Hut.

Major restoration scheme

Wey & Arun Canal Trust is currently putting the finishing touches to its first major restoration scheme in Surrey, the new £700,000 Compasses Bridge at the Alfold entrance to the Dunsfold Park aerodrome and business complex.

The bridge is in the middle of the canal’s Summit Level, where around 1¼ miles of waterway are planned to be open to navigation by small boats by the end of this year. This will add to the 3½ miles of fully operational waterway at Loxwood in West Sussex.

A new bridge

A new Gennets Bridge Lock is being constructed north of the current head of navigation on the Surrey/Sussex border and the Trust is in the advanced stages of planning the re-creation of the canal from the Wey at Shalford down to Bramley.