What's happening ? 

Oops ! All those promises of quarterly updates to the website, and I've only just got round to it. Needless to say, the towpath world has not been still over the intervening months, even if I have.

The Rochdale Canal south of Castleton remains something of an annoyance for us. Since the restored canal channel was put through the M62 underpass that we had walked for a couple of decades or more, the long-suffering pedestrian user now has to take a long detour via Manchester Road. BW's proposal to employ a retractable towpath through the culvert, which was an integral part of the planning application to extinguish the existing towpath route and was enough of a sop for TAG and others to withhold objections, was suddenly (once the canal had been put through) "discovered" by BW to be a totally impractical solution and was dropped. Despite a string of letters to the papers, the planners, MPs etc we have thus far not succeeded in getting BW to offer anything in return for the path that was 'stolen', but following recent intervention by Rochdale planners, we might have some better news to report soon.

Good news on the River Weaver, where there is now a direct footpath link between Northwich and the Anderton Boat Lift. Until recently, the optimal route involved having to walk a long distance up the Witton Brook towards Marbury Park, this brook's junction with the Weaver being the impediment to a through riverside walk. 

In November, the new Carden's Ferry footbridge was installed at the mouth of the brook, in conjunction with the formal opening of Carey Park immediately north of Northwich's principal shopping area. So there is not only a good new walking route up to the Lift, but easy and attractive access to it from the town.

And more good news from the Wey & Arun. Following the restoration of the aqueduct at Drungewick Lane, which completed a one-hundred yard stretch of major improvements, including a slipway, heavy plant crossing and road bridge as well as the aqueduct itself (pictured here), the Wey & Arun Canal Trust have managed to secure permissive access to the canal towpath south from Drungewick Lane Bridge to Drungewick Lock. 

The path unfortunately stops at the lock, so it's a there-and-back walk, but well done to the Trust for securing the route, and here's hoping it can be extended in due course.

If anyone has any other snippets that may be of interest either for the Newsletter, or for this site, please get in touch with me at andyscreen @ towpath.org.uk

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