WATERWAYS charity, Canal & River Trust, is offering the public a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at an open day.

The event will be held on Sunday, January 21, at the National Waterways Museum in Ellesmere Port.

The free-to-access event will showcase the vital conservation work needed to keep the historic canal network in working order. 

As well as free entry into the museum, visitors will be able to see the works being undertaken at the ‘bottom narrow lock’ on the Shropshire Union Canal, where new handmade tail gates are being fitted.

There will also be volunteer demonstrations and a volunteer welcome day stand offering people the opportunity to become actively involved in the trust. 

The winter schedule of works will continue until March and sees the trust’s expert teams working on sites across the region, including on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Macclesfield Canal, Trent & Mersey Canal, Shropshire Union Canal and Peak Forest Canal. 

The trust’s programme to preserve and protect the nation’s historic canals will see worn-out lock gates being replaced, historic bridges repaired, tunnels inspected, canals dredged, and a host of other important heritage and conservation tasks carried out to keep this important part of the North West’s infrastructure available for boaters and towpath users to enjoy.  

For those who aren’t local, or who prefer to ‘visit’ from the comfort of their own home, the trust will also be hosting a series of virtual open days on its website, including lock gate replacement and repairs on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Middlewich.  

Still navigated by boats as they have been for hundreds of years, and acting as linear parks benefiting people and wildlife, canals in the North West are as important now as they were at the height of the Industrial Revolution, when they were the freight ‘motorways’ of their day. 

But age and the extreme weather that is becoming more common due to climate change mean the year-round work of the trust, including the support it is given by thousands of volunteers, is vital in looking after the network.  

To book at place at the open day at the National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port, visit:  Ellesmere Port, Shropshire Union Canal open day Registration, Sun, Jan 21, 2024 at 11:00 AM | Eventbrite

Jon Horsfall, regional director for the Canal & River Trust, said: “Our region’s canals are hundreds of years old, but they aren’t locked away in a museum.

"They are here to be used and enjoyed daily by millions of people and provide important habitats for nature and wildlife. The work of our skilled teams, aided by our volunteers and partners, will make sure the North West’s canals are kept open and shipshape.  

“This year, we’ve faced some of the greatest threats to the future of the canals in over 60 years. Battered by storms and floods, the cost of keeping these ageing canals safe has soared. Against this backdrop, the government has announced significant cuts in the vital funding they will be making available for the care of this historic network. 

“We are determined to safeguard the canals and all the benefits they bring to our local communities, so we’re rolling up our sleeves to deliver the care and maintenance required, and to fundraise the money needed.

The work we are carrying out this winter is part of our ongoing effort to keep canals in the North West alive and accessible for local people.”