The Cotswold Canals Trust is a British registered charity that aims to protect and restore the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames and Severn Canal. Formed in 1972, the organisation has a goal to restore navigability on the two waterways between Saul Junction and the River Thames. Since then, it has overseen restoration of the waterways, with many bridges, locks, and cuttings being rebuilt and reinstated.
The Coates portal of the Sapperton Tunnel during its restoration in 1976
The partly restored Whitminster Lock on the Stroudwater Navigation, beyond which the cut is infilled
The 2004 Gateway Bridge at South Cerney was built with sufficient clearance for navigation
The Stroudwater Navigation is a canal in Gloucestershire, England which linked Stroud to the River Severn. It was authorised in 1776, although part had already been built, as the proprietors believed that an Act of Parliament obtained in 1730 gave them the necessary powers. Opened in 1779, it was a commercial success, its main cargo being coal. It was 8 miles (13 km) in length and had a rise of 102 ft 5 in (31.22 m) through 12 locks. Following the opening of the Thames and Severn Canal in 1789, it formed part of a through route from Bristol to London, although much of its trade vanished when the Kennet and Avon Canal provided a more direct route in 1810. Despite competition from the railways, the canal continued to pay dividends to shareholders until 1922, and was not finally abandoned until 1954.
Nutshell Bridge on the Stroudwater Navigation
The bridge under the Bristol to Gloucester railway line at Ocean was replaced by a culvert in the 1960s.
The restored canal to the west of Ebley Mill is flanked by a new housing development.
Pre-cast bridge components awaiting installation at Stonehouse