The annual Cotswold Canal raft race begins

We ventured into town to watch the Cotswold Canals Trust Raft Race that had been been postponed until today. The rafts set sail along the town's Thames & Severn Canal from Wallbridge Upper Lock as far as Capel's Mill viaduct and back, with crews competing for the crown in the race, which has been dubbed the Golden Duck in honour of charity's 50th anniversary this year.

This is the scene as the first of eleven rafts set off up the course, and as usual there was a degree of splashing between crews on show. This boat managed to return in just over twenty minutes, which I think is remarkably fast. I think they may win, but we left before the last boats had set off.

On the Wallbridge Green just beyond the lock and the bridge were a  few stalls selling food and drink and oddments to raise money for the charity, whilst music was played over the PA sound system.

The race was resurrected in recent years by the owner of the Lock Keeper’s Cafe, which lies right next to the lock. Sadly he passed away a couple of years ago but he is fondly remembered.

The whole canal has been regenerated in the last few years, having been abandoned in the early part of the twentieth century, and is now on course to join up with the national canal network in the near future. A filled-in mile-long stretch of the old route needs to be recreated under the M5 motorway, which was built over it in the 1960s! One of the major elements of the project was to completely rebuild Wallbridge Upper Lock, which is at the heart of the town centre.

I took this picture from the towpath about forty yards east of the lock, opposite the old goods wharf and its fire-damaged warehouse, which will be rebuilt as part of a housing development on the site. I’m adding a couple of links to old blips showing other blipped views of the canal lock and basin.

My journal entries add a bit more background to the canal's recent history:
The wharf and basin above Wallbridge Upper lock

Princess Anne opens the rebuilt lock at Wallbridge