Wednesday 1 December 2010

Anniversary Oak Trees Planted


Above from left:Mark Stephens Waterways Manager, Terry Mundy K&ACT museum curator, James Young BW Regeneration Manager South, Mike Rodd K&ACT General Manager, David Inight chairman of the K&ACT's BoA Branch


To mark the 200th anniversary of the Kennet & Avon Canal, British Waterways have planted 29 oak trees on land alongside the historic Caen Hill Flight in Devizes.

The avenue of 29 oak trees will provide a lasting legacy for the local community and visitors alike. They will also celebrate the two hundred years worth of craftsmanship, engineering, materials and man-power which built, and has preserved, this well-loved piece of working heritage. The lock gates for the inland waterway network are still made by hand at British Waterways’ workshops in Yorkshire and the Midlands.

Still standing in another 200 years

Sarah Brice, project manager for British Waterways said: “These trees will be planted to mark the bicentenary of the canal and will, we hope, still be standing to celebrate it in another 200 years. Oak lock gates, painted black and white, are one of the most iconic features of British Waterways’ 2,000-mile national network.

"While this project celebrates the heritage of our navigations, today the Kennet & Avon Canal and other waterways are as much loved as leisure spaces and green corridors through our towns and cities as for their historic legacy. By creating this avenue of trees for, and with, the help of the local community, this bicentenary project will celebrate both the canal’s past and its future.”

British Waterways’ waterway manager for the Kennet & Avon Canal, Mark Stephens said: “Throughout this bicentenary year, projects around the Kennet & Avon have not only celebrated the navigation itself, but also the role that those who live and work on and alongside it play in maintaining the canal, and securing its future. This planting will enrich the environment around the waterway for future generations as well as marking the fascinating history of the navigation.”

article from www.waterscape.com

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