TV Personality Robbie Cumming Joins Wendover Canal Trust as Patron

TV personality and vlogger Robbie Cumming has become a patron of the Wendover Canal Trust (WCT) as the charity celebrates its 25th anniversary since work began on the canal’s restoration.

Robbie, who presents BBC Four’s ‘Canal Boat Diaries’ which records his experiences whilst cruising the canals on his boat ‘Naughty Lass’, joins current patron, actor Sir David Suchet CBE of ‘Poirot’ fame.

Said Robbie: ‘I’m delighted to become a patron of the Trust in its anniversary year. I can’t think of a better cause for a boater than supporting volunteers to restore a stretch of canal to make it navigable again. The effort that has gone into this to date is extraordinary.’

After a modest start in 1997 work began on the restoration of the Wendover canal under the direction of the WCT with the support of more than 200 volunteers, contributing more than 100,000 hours to date.

Most recently, in the year to mid-2022, an average of 720 volunteer hours per month were worked by 58 volunteers.

The canal, which is actually a rare chalk stream, starts in Wendover, runs for nearly seven miles (11 kilometres) through Weston Turville, Halton, Aston Clinton, Buckland Wharf, Drayton Beauchamp and Little Tring, joining the Grand Union Canal at Bulbourne Junction near Tring. Critically, the Grand Union Canal at the ‘Tring summit’ depends on the Wendover Canal to keep its locks supplied with water.

Apart from the fundamental goal of restoring the canal to a fully functioning waterway the WCT has two other aims; to create a major area for leisure, relaxation, health & well-being for all, and to improve the environment and increase biodiversity.

Said Clive Johnson, Chairman of the WCT: ‘This is a story of passion, determination and dedication. It’s involved a whole range of skills and disciplines drawing on the support of volunteers who share the vision of creating an environmentally friendly leisure area close to rapidly expanding urban developments. There’s still much to be done and we hope we can sustain the support and funding to complete this marathon project.’

‘I am very much aware of all the hard work and time that has been given to this project by so many people,’ said Sir David Suchet. ‘I wish the WCT every success for its future plans.’

The project has been divided into three phases: in the first, the Grand Union Canal from Bulbourne to Little Tring now has full navigation for narrowboats following restoration work and the complete rebuilding of the bridge at Little Tring.

The second phase, from Little Tring to Buckland Wharf, is currently underway. The stretch used to be almost impassable and is now being transformed into a watertight navigable canal with extensive biodiversity. By the end of this phase the whole canal will be in water for the first time in over 100 years.

Significantly, the entire length of the canal’s towpath will be made continuous in this phase which will enable year-round use for walkers, runners, cyclists and those whose mobility is impaired.

The water level will also be raised between Buckland and Wendover, enabling use by smaller craft such as rowing boats, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and trail boats.

In parallel with restoration of the canal, WCT also campaigns for funding for towpath upgrades, and the first major project of these will take place early next year, starting at Wendover.

As well as canal restoration, volunteers have also undertaken much landscaping and planting to provide a ‘pocket park’ for general community benefit, including the planting of 1,500 trees and 1,000 daffodil bulbs and the sowing of wildflower seeds.

In the third phase, when the canal is restored via dredging to sufficient navigable depth, and three bridges have been raised, narrowboats will be able to reach Wendover.