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BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Foxton locks to host procession of historic boats
A procession of historic boats will descend Foxton Locks during an event to mark the 75th anniversary of a campaign to save the nation's inland waterways. The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) was set up to protect the nation's rivers and canals in 1946 and held a Festival of Boats and Arts in Market Harborough in 1950, which it says was the "tipping point of a waterways revival". To mark 75 years since the event, the Leicestershire IWA branch has organised an event on Saturday June 7 where a flotilla of historic working boats will descend Foxton Locks from 10:00 procession will then head to Union Wharf, which hosted the 1950 festival, before making its way back to Foxton. The event will continue from 10:00 BST until 16:00 on Sunday June 8, when a Sunday service will be held in the event field at Foxton. The Quorn Ukulele Orchestra will provide live music, while Alarum Productions will tell the stories of the women who worked on the waterways through story-telling theatre and there will also be live traders will be present at the event, while on dry land there will be activities, exhibitions and stalls. Foxton Locks is a Grade II listed site, is set in 34 acres (14 hectares) and is home to the longest staircase flight of locks in Britain. It attracts more than 400,000 visitors a year, according to Canal & River Beaumont, East Midlands director for Canal & River Trust, said: "There's nowhere better to watch boats than at Foxton Locks and we can't wait to welcome people to this fantastic celebration of Leicestershire's rich canal heritage."
BBC News
09-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Local views wanted to help preserve Wolverhampton nature reserve
Wolverhampton residents are being invited to give their views on ways to protect and develop the wildlife, heritage and natural beauty of Smestow Valley Local Nature Valley and rail network is a 4.5km long site - forming part of the Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark - with a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times. The online consultation is looking at the reasons why people visit the nature reserve, why it is important to them and how it can be improved to benefit all communities across the is also exploring how to best protect and promote the unique historic features at the valley, and how to improve signage and information about the heritage of the site. As well as the online survey, in-person consultations are gathering opinions on improving access into and throughout the results will help inform the next phase of the ongoing project to Explore, Enhance, Protect and Promote Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve, according to City of Wolverhampton year, the council, together with partners Canal & River Trust and Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, secured funding of £217,000 from The Heritage Lottery Fund to put towards developing plans for a full application of around £2m, to be submitted in the application for this delivery phase is successful, renovation of the Meccano bridge is planned, along with other structures linked to the disused railway line which forms the main path through Smestow council said gathering views and opinions through the consultation would be essential in helping to secure funding to deliver these future improvements, and would also help to share the heritage of the valley with a wider the initial development phase, the council has worked with partners Canal & River Trust and Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust as well as the Wildside Activity Centre, Friends of Smestow Valley and Waterside to the local authority, the partnership approach has seen a wide range of activity at the site, including improvements to the canal towpath, planting wildflower meadows, restoring historic ponds and hedges and planting native flowers, including bluebells and wild activities, which were funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, helped develop a range of volunteering opportunities, as well as an approach to volunteering for the future. Over time, the whole project at Smestow Valley aims to increase engagement through school visits, heritage-focused volunteering opportunities, biodiversity enhancements, community events, artwork and interpretation, as well as online Bhupinder Gakhal said: "Smestow Valley is a real hidden gem in the city and we'd love anyone who enjoys visiting it to come forward and give their thoughts on how it can be developed and protected for the future." Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
