Newent's canal that became a railway and will be a canal again

Once upon a time the Hereford & Gloucestershire canal ran past the little town of Newent.  The canal had opened between Gloucester and Ledbury in 1798, at the height of 'canal mania', was extended to Hereford in 1845 and then, having cost far more that its enthusiastic promotors expected, immediately tried to sell itself to a railway company. 

In 1881 the Great Western Railway took over the moribund operation and made plans to convert the Gloucester-Newent section to a railway – the Gloucester & Ledbury – that opened in 1885. 79 years later it too closed, a victim of the infamous Beeching Axe.

In 1983 a society was formed with the aim of restoring the old canal. Since a large length had been obliterated by the railway and the rest had descended into an extreme state of disrepair, this was going to be a huge undertaking that would take decades to accomplish.  Many a doubting Thomas would surely have dismissed the society's plans as an over-ambitious pipe dream, but preservation societies like this one clearly don't understand the meaning of 'impossible'.  Moreover, they have the backing of the Canal & River Trust, who are responsible for maintaining our existing network and have seen over 200 miles of derelict canals returned to use in the last two decades. 

I'd heard that the preservation society had been active around Newent, so went to investigate. First, I walked along the Geopark Way, hoping to get to the mouth of Oxenhall Tunnel (near Holder's Farm on the map above). I have a fascination for tunnels and this one had the bonus of an arched structure nearby called "Leggers' Rest" where, according to the society's website, a gang of men, retained to assist boats through the tunnel, would await their next job. 

The first part of the Geopark Way was easy walking.  I saw a restored aqueduct and plenty of evidence of the canal channel having been dredged.  The highlight, however, was the restored House Lock (top left on my first two maps) and its lovely lockkeeper's cottage.  In a hundred years' time I'd love to come back, live in that cottage and sell ice creams to passing canal boaters!

Beyond House Lock there's a lovely stretch of path beside a large lake – Furnace Pond – but after this the path deteriorates, with muddy stretches and rampant undergrowth.

By the time I reached Cold Harbour Lane Bridge I was battling 10ft high undergrowth. Would I ever make it to the tunnel?

NO. A sign just beyond the bridge declared that there was no public access beyond that point, so my exploration of Legger's Rest will have to wait for the hard-working preservation society volunteers to clear a way.

I made my way back towards Newent, partly by road to avoid the mud and weeds, then set off to find the old railway station.  This is what it looked like in its heyday...

Photo: Wikipedia

... and this is what it looks like in 2024, though only after preservation society members had expended an enormous amount of effort to remove 50 years' worth of rubbish and undergrowth.

Here the canal restorers have a bit of a problem as the old canal lies buried about 6 feet beneath the track bed. In order to cross the B4125, west of the station, canal boats will have to be raised to track level, then higher again, before being lowered at the other side.  I imagine that three locks would do the job, but it seems that the associated earthworks would be rather too intrusive. According to Wikipedia —

In 2019 they therefore proposed the use of an inclined plane, using a cradle running on rails to raise boats from the canal level up to the station, with a level section between the platforms, followed by another incline to reach the height required to cross the road and another incline to return boats to the level of the canal on the other side.

Now that should be impressive!  Though I doubt that I'll live to see it.

 

Hereforedshire & Gloucestershire Canal Trust