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Cotswold Canals

Cotswold Canals

Closed for over 50 years, these glorious waterways through the Cotswolds are now being reborn.

Two canals - the Thames & Severn Canal and the Stroudwater Navigation - once linked the River Thames to the River Severn. A route of exceptional beauty took them through the rolling Cotswold countryside, passing the source of the Thames and the woollen mills of the Stroud Valley.
Though they were closed fifty years ago, the waterways are still very much a part of the local landscape. This is in no small part thanks to the efforts of the Cotswold Canals Trust, whose commitment and enthusiasm have inspired local councils and national bodies to take up the cause of restoring the canals to navigation. A walk along the towpath is now a highly enjoyable experience, passing attractively rebuilt locks, new bridges, and distinctive architecture - from the woollen mills of Stroud to the beauty of St Cyr's Church at Stonehouse.
The work still goes on. In 2004 an £11m Heritage Lottery Fund grant was earmarked for further restoration. So although you cannot yet take a boat from end to end, there is much for the day-tripper to discover.