A (paint) brush with the past.

Richard Wyatt,

Elsewhere on this website you will see a story reflecting the sad state of affairs in historic Sydney Gardens.

The ‘Friends’ are helping to put together a Heritage Lottery Fund application to – hopefully – get the money  to arrest the damage and help give the park a real future.

Bath Newseum follower Ian Herve has been in touch to remind me – and you – that there is another feature running through this former Georgian pleasure grounds that IS getting some immediate attention.

That’s thanks to the volunteers working for the Canal and River Trust. The canal – built by designer-engineer John Rennie’s navvies between 1799 and 1810 – cuts through the gardens.

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The canal as it runs through Sydney Gardens.

Ian – who is Vice-Chair of the Bath branch of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust – told Bath Newseum that if you go and look down into the cutting…..

‘You will see the work that volunteers have completed over the summer whilst also cutting back the overgrown vegetation that comes from the park and obstructs the towpath and damages the retaining walls.

You might also have noticed the newly painted railings through the tunnels.  Completed over three days from our workboat.
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Volunteers complete the repairing of the railings – in both tunnels – within three days.
So community involvement is not as dead as you make out, the Bath Towpath Workforce is a shining light along the whole 87 miles of the canal.
I know Apathy would Rule if he could be bothered to get up off the sofa and turn the telly off but there are small groups beavering very happily in places.’
Ian says an improvement scheme for the whole area of the canal where it passes through Sydney Gardens is now being discussed by all interested parties and may well be added to the HLF bid.

Published by Richard Wyatt

Freelance Journalist, broadcaster, columnist and local historian. Director of Bath Newseum. Married and lives in Bath. Interested in local history, architecture and visual display in museums and urban spaces.

1 Comment

  1. The Bath Towpath Task Force meets every Thursday normally at Top Lock 13 from 1000 to 1500, We help to restore and maintain the beautiful K&A to its original glory and are always looking for new volunteers . if anyone would like to find out more please contact myself at t.clark603@btinternet.com. Regards Trevor Clark

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