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British Waterways cares for the old

10th Oct 2005

British Waterways, which cares for more than 2,000 miles of canals and rivers across the UK, has been confirmed by English Heritage as the third largest owner of listed structures in the country.

With over 3,000 designated examples of industrial heritage and engineering feats nationwide, the public corporation wants to encourage even greater numbers of people to visit local waterways and discover the significance these structures have to the industrial past of North Wales.

From soaring aqueducts and deep, dark tunnels to simple mile posts, stable blocks and locks, British Waterways is charged with conserving and maintaining this historical estate for the benefit of the nation. This not only requires the use of traditional techniques and materials such as lime mortar application, it also requires specialist engineering knowledge to care for aspects of a waterway network visited more than 300 million times every year.

The mighty structure that is Pontcysyllte Aqueduct celebrates its 200th birthday on Saturday 26 November with a colourful pageant of festivities, displays and period re-enactments that climax in a dazzling spectacle of music and fireworks. While structures such as Thomas Telford’s memorial towering nearly 130 feet above the Dee Valley are household names, Wales & Border Counties environment & heritage manager, Peter Birch, says lesser known aspects of waterways heritage can be equally inspiring.

“Waterways are teeming with examples of how the canals brought prosperity to the UK during the 18th Century. In addition to their immense educational value for young people, they possess a simplicity of form that can inspire the imagination of adults too. Weathered stone showing signs of towing lines, mileposts constructed using rival railway companies’ materials and literally thousands of locks, bridges and tunnels all bear silent witness to stories that shaped the UK’s industrial past.

“Of course, you don’t need to know the story to enjoy them – you can simply visit a local waterway and spend some time imagining what the past was like,” he added.

To highlight the wealth of industrial heritage in its care, British Waterways and Waterscape.com have teamed up to provide web browsers with ideas for visiting their local waterways. Half the UK population lives within five miles of a waterway, so the hidden treasures on their doorstep are now only a click away. Read more.

Last updated: 22/10/2008