Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust

A construction site where three workers in orange high‑visibility jackets and yellow hard hats are excavating a deep trench. One worker operates an orange Develon excavator with a piling attachment, while another uses a measuring staff and a third works with a tripod‑mounted surveying instrument. Corrugated metal sheets line the trench for support. Bright yellow daffodils bloom along the top edge of the excavation, contrasting with the industrial scene.

A fenced‑off construction area sits beside a pedestrian path lined with brick flower beds and wooden benches. Workers in orange safety gear and machinery are visible behind the fencing, with red‑brick houses in the background. On the opposite side of the path, raised beds are filled with blooming yellow daffodils and pale purple flowers, creating a calm garden space next to the active building works.

Love the contrast between the mud of the building site and the daffodils. 🌿

We’ll check back on the ones in the piling area once the work is finished.

📷 photos by Stuart Sampson.

#WeDigCanals #Lichfield #Staffordshire

A graphic showing a cramped, dim welfare cabin on the left with volunteers in orange safety gear sitting shoulder to shoulder, labelled “from this…”, contrasted with a bright, modern eco‑friendly welfare unit on the right with solar panels, a green door marked, and three smiling volunteers, labelled “…to this”. The background is dark blue with the text “Help us improve volunteer welfare” and the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust logo.

Our volunteers are rebuilding the Lichfield Canal in all weathers.

They deserve somewhere to make a hot drink, wash their hands and change PPE.

We’ve hired a welfare unit, but need to reach our target to keep it there.

Please donate if you can
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/lhcrt-welf...

#WeDigCanals

Come and join the Lichfield Canal Camp

waterways.org.uk/support/ways...

#WeDigCanals

A group of construction workers in orange high‑visibility clothing and helmets work on a muddy infrastructure site. One worker stands on a metal structure beside large concrete drainage pipes, while others operate and guide a small excavator. A dumper truck is parked nearby, and water pools across the ground. A brick retaining wall and fenced embankment rise behind the site, with leafless trees and a clear blue sky in the background.

Excavated canal construction site at Gallows Wharf with muddy ground, pipes and building materials visible. A small concrete chamber and diversion pipe are partly installed in the earth bank, with houses and spring daffodils in the background.

...Walsh Construction has also completed the first section of the waling beam, meaning we should be able to start the concrete base next week.

Their 300mm diversion pipe is in too – just the chamber to build. Then it’s the final 40m of reinforcing wall and sheet piling for them to do.

Five construction volunteers in high‑visibility gear stand on and around a large horizontal concrete pipe at a muddy worksite. A black corrugated pipe is supported above it on concrete blocks. Tools and wooden planks lie on top of the pipe. Behind them, a brick bridge features a painted boat mural, and a sign on the wall reads “Herkenrode Stained Glass Lichfield Cathedral Fragile.”

A muddy construction site with several volunteers in high‑visibility clothing installing or inspecting large pipes. Two black corrugated pipes are raised on concrete blocks, with an older concrete pipe running below them in water. A small excavator, fencing, and a brick wall border the site, with houses and trees visible in the background.

A construction volunteer wearing a high‑visibility vest and hard hat lays concrete blocks on a partially built wall. Tools, mortar, and stacked blocks surround the worker. A large black corrugated pipe and a brick retaining wall sit behind them, with a colourful narrowboat mural painted on the underside of a nearby bridge.

Four construction volunteers in high‑visibility clothing stand in a muddy excavation where large drainage pipes are being installed. One in an orange jacket leans on a wide concrete pipe, while another in a blue helmet adjusts a black corrugated pipe above it. Wooden supports, a digger bucket, and scattered tools surround the pipes. A brick bridge is visible in the background.

Big progress this week at Gallows Wharf/Reach, helped along by some spring-like weather!

Our volunteers have installed most of the 450mm diversion pipe, and the tank wall is really starting to take shape.

#Lichfield #WeDigCanals

A muddy canal construction site with a partially built brick wall covered in black protective sheeting. Scaffolding stands in front of the wall, and the ground is churned up with deep tyre tracks. Large concrete pipes and scattered construction materials sit to one side, with exposed soil and roots visible behind the wall.

A section of canal under restoration, with water in the bottom of the channel and brick retaining walls on both sides. Scaffolding and a wooden platform extend over the water on the left. On the right, piles of bricks, blocks, tools, and plastic sheeting line the towpath edge. A wheelbarrow and a large concrete pipe sit in the foreground, with safety fencing enclosing the work area.

Another busy day on site at Tamworth Road Narrows — towpath coming along nicely, some fancy brickwork hidden away and mud doing what mud does best.

#WeDigCanals #Lichfield #Staffordshire

@staffordshireuk.bsky.social

I have set up a feed for Staffordshire

bsky.app/profile/did:...

Welfare Unit Appeal YouTube video by Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust

Our volunteers work tirelessly to restore the Lichfield Canal, whatever the weather. Their dedication is incredible - but our welfare facilities simply aren’t good enough.

We’re fundraising to provide proper welfare units for the team.

#WeDigCanals

youtu.be/8-X_aUpYzTg

Narrowboater Error Creates a Surprise Unintended Video. Who Needs a Plan Anyway? Vlog No 254 YouTube video by Narrowboat Natterings

Our friend Paul Lumsden has shared a brilliant new vlog (if you joined us at Huddlesford Heritage Gathering, you might remember his incredible singing).

In this vlog there's an overview of the Huddlesford end plus a look at some of our current work.

#UKCanals #Lichfield

youtu.be/bljv5VG31JQ?...

Several volunteers in high‑visibility vests use shovels to dig in a grassy area beside a canal. A green structure and signboard stand nearby, with fields, trees, and power lines in the background.

Four people in high‑visibility vests work along a grassy, muddy path beside a waterway. One vest reads “LHCRT VOLUNTEER.” They use tools, including a pitchfork, to tend the ground under cloudy skies with power lines in the distance.

A group of volunteers in high‑visibility vests dig and work the soil along a dirt path in a rural area. Some kneel with trowels while others use shovels, with grassy fields and power lines behind them.

Two people in high‑visibility vests and gloves arrange cut gorse bushes along a wooden fence beside a canal. The unpaved path runs parallel to the water, with fields and leafless trees in the background.

🌼 Continued clearing ground for the new wildflower meadow
🌱 Started planting snowdrops “in the green”
🌿 Cleared gorse from the approach road

A very productive morning and a great example of teamwork making a real difference.

3/3

A person in a high‑visibility jacket and gloves works on a hedgerow, bending and cutting branches as part of hedge‑laying in a grassy field with trees in the background.

A person in a high‑visibility vest and gloves bends down in a wooded area to arrange a small pile of sticks and branches into a fence on mulch-covered ground, surrounded by leafless trees and low plants.

A muddy woodland path with metal stakes placed along the edge next to a dark hole in the ground. Two people walk along the path, one wearing a high‑visibility vest.

🪵 Built up natural fencing using dead wood from fallen trees
🦊 Marked various fox and badger holes to keep visitors safe

2/3

Three people in high‑visibility vests work together outdoors, shovelling and moving a large pile of wood chips. One person uses a shovel, another holds a wheelbarrow, and a third stands on the pile. Parked cars and buildings are visible in the background.

A volunteer in a high‑visibility vest pushes a wheelbarrow full of wood chips along a woodland path. The path is being covered with wood chips, and leafless trees line the scene.

A volunteer wearing a high‑visibility vest uses a rake to spread wood chips along a woodland path. The surrounding area has leafless trees, fallen branches, and patches of green grass.

Saturday at Darnford Moors Ecology Park was a brilliant team effort!

We had 13 fantastic DofE volunteers and 5 members of our Green and Grounds team who absolutely got stuck in.

Together they:
🌳 Laid more bark chip along the paths in Bull Wood

1/3

#Lichfield #WeDigCanals

So #WeDigCanals and build bridges.

Find out more and please donate, if you can: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/lhcrt-welf...

Welfare Unit Appeal YouTube video by Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust

Our volunteers work tirelessly to restore the Lichfield Canal, whatever the weather. Their dedication is incredible - but our welfare facilities simply aren’t good enough.

We’re fundraising to provide proper welfare units for the team.

#WeDigCanals

youtu.be/8-X_aUpYzTg

It’s never our favourite job. In fact… we genuinely hate it. But sometimes, sadly, there’s no alternative.

Tree work is currently taking place along Tamworth Road, and we know people will have questions. So here’s Leon to talk you through exactly what’s happening and why.

#Lichfield #WeDigCanals

Narrowboat Nige! Now in my 60’s, my long term plan is to carry on working and stay fit and healthy and at some point, only a few years from now, to live and cruise the great canals of the United Kingdom.

You'll find the other videos here:

youtube.com/@narrowboatn...

Are you confused about what will happen with the Big Pipe at Gallows Reach?

Fear not, here’s the first part of an explanation from Narrowboat Nige, breaking down exactly what’s going on and why. The next two parts are over on his YouTube channel if you want the full story.

#Lichfield #WeDigCanals

A small orange excavator sits on a muddy construction track beside a grassy embankment lined with blooming yellow daffodils. A temporary metal fence separates the flowers from the work area. The site includes a newly built retaining wall made of concrete and metal sheet piles, with scattered construction materials and tools. Houses and trees stand in the background.

A construction site for a canal channel, bordered by temporary metal fencing. On the left, a partially built concrete channel holds muddy water and a small wheeled cart. On the right, the excavated bank is reinforced with vertical metal sheet piles. Construction workers and equipment are visible near a bridge in the background.

Excavation works beside a sheet-piled retaining wall, with a large exposed concrete pipe running through a muddy trench. A new plastic pipe has been installed adjacent to the concrete pipe and us partially buried. A high-visibility jacket and clothing rest on the concrete pipe, with scattered timber and rubble nearby. Grass borders the edge of the dig.

And...

- Walsh Construction progressing sheet piling and casting new towpath support wall sections
- Diversion chamber started (yes, that nemesis pipe again!) and first bypass pipe laid.

It’s really starting to take shape now 👏

2/2

A muddy canal channel containing a large concrete drainage pipe, with a small excavator positioned beside it. A brick wall is being built along the left side, and construction materials such as bricks and a cement bag are scattered around. Water pools at the bottom of the channel.

Two construction volunteers in high‑visibility clothing stand in a muddy work area. One worker in a blue helmet positions a large black plastic pipe into a circular opening in a concrete wall. Another worker in an orange suit stands nearby. Tools, hoses, and piles of soil surround the site.

A construction area beneath a brick bridge, with a large concrete pipe running through a muddy, partially excavated trench. Bricks, tools, and two large metal pipe fittings lie nearby. A stairway with orange safety netting rises to the road above.

Huge progress at Gallows Wharf/Reach this week from both volunteers and contractors! 💪

- Shelf wall completed, extending the wharf foundation
- Tank wall for the diversion pipe now underway

1/2

#WeDigCanals #Lichfield

A shallow canal runs through a wooded area with bare trees on both banks. The water reflects the sky and branches. A small green bridge crosses the stream in the background, adding a human-made element to the natural scene.

A muddy canal winds through a wooded area. Leafless trees stand on the left beside a structure partly covered with a striped tarp. The ground is a mix of green grass and fallen leaves, and a small brick wharf curves in the background.

A calm canal runs between two banks. The left bank has a fence and glimpses of nearby houses behind leafless trees, while the right bank is higher and covered in dense ivy and vegetation. The water reflects the blue sky and branches.

Spring at Summerhill 🌿

Ok, so it shouldn't have any water in it yet, but it does give an idea of how it will look when it's finished.

We're not due to work here again just yet, but we'll be back.

#WeDigCanals #Lichfield #UKCanals

Two canal restoration volunteers stand in a brick-lined canal channel. One, wearing an orange safety suit and helmet, smiles and points toward the other. The second volunteer, in a yellow reflective vest and orange gloves, stands below with arms raised. Additional workers are visible further along the canal under a bright blue sky.

Caption this moment of Narrowboat Nige and Tony being absolute stars on site.

#WeDigCanals #Lichfield #Staffordshire

Membership for individuals - Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Membership for individuals - Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust Become a member of Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust and help restore Staffordshire’s historic waterways. LHC...

2/2

Want early access next time? Join today and be the first to read the full details of what’s happening on site.

lhcrt.org.uk/membership/m...

A magazine titled Cut Both Ways, Issue 126 (February 2026), lies open. The cover shows a group of canal restoration volunteers wearing high‑visibility jackets and hard hats standing in front of a brick wall. The open pages display an article with several photos of construction work on the Lichfield Canal, including volunteers casting concrete foundations, preparing base slabs, and working with heavy equipment. Visible text describes progress on an eighty‑metre section of wharf wall and mentions learning from earlier issues. The article is written by work‑party volunteer Mike Babb.

If you’re not one of our members, you'll have missed Michael Babb’s latest workparty report in our magazine… 👀

Good news – it’s now live on the website (members always get the first look 😉)

lhcrt.org.uk/2026/02/21/g...

#WeDigCanals #Lichfield

1/2

Two volunteers in high‑visibility vests work beside a water channel; one holds a sledgehammer while the other adjusts a red‑and‑yellow safety barrier. The scene is outdoors in a grassy, rural area with bare trees.

Three volunteers in high‑visibility vests dig and turn soil near an information sign about the Lichfield Canal. A wooden planter box filled with soil sits in the foreground, with open grassy ground and power lines behind them.

... repair safety fencing and prepare the ground for a future wildflower meadow.

Thank you to everyone who gave up their time and energy to make a real difference.

3/3

Five volunteers in high‑visibility vests shovel a pile of mulch into a wheelbarrow on a gravel path beside a grassy field, working together as part of an outdoor conservation or maintenance task.

A person wearing gloves, tan trousers, and a black jacket pushes a wheelbarrow full of mulch along a gravel path beside a canal, with open fields, trees, and pylons in the background.

Two volunteers in high‑visibility vests spread woodchip along a woodland path; one uses a rake while the other points to indicate where to work next, surrounded by leafless trees.

...move and lay bark chip to create paths in Bull Wood and...

2/3

A group of three volunteers in high‑visibility vests work outdoors among young saplings protected by green tree guards and wire fencing. They are planting or tending the trees on uneven ground with leafless trees in the background.

A volunteer wearing a high‑visibility vest and gloves bends down to work the soil in a rural field. Several white plastic tree guards and wooden stakes stand nearby, with a wire fence and bare trees in the distance.

A volunteer in a high‑visibility vest kneels among rows of young saplings protected by green tree guards. The area is fenced with wire mesh, and a grassy field and leafless trees stretch out behind them under a cloudy sky.

A productive Saturday at Darnford Moors Ecology Park. Five of our Green and Grounds team joined 11 Duke of Edinburgh volunteers to:

Replant saplings that had matured in our nursery...

1/3

#WeDigCanals #Lichfield

We’re raising funds to provide proper welfare facilities for our volunteers. A place to warm up with a hot drink, wash after a hard day’s work, and change out of wet gear. It’s not a luxury, it’s something they’ve earned.

Please support the appeal:
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/lhcrt-welf...

#Lichfield

A canal construction site with a towpath on the left and a metal railing along the water on the right. A brick retaining wall spells out “LICHFIELD” in darker bricks. An orange excavator sits on a mound of earth in the background, with scaffolding and buildings behind it.

A canal construction site with a towpath running past on the left and stacks of cement blocks, pallets, and a cement mixer on the right. A brick wall borders the canal, and an orange construction vehicle sits on a mound of earth in the background, with houses visible further back.

Wide view of a canal restoration construction site on an overcast day. In the foreground, a muddy towpath runs between metal safety railings and a brick wall, with stacks of old red bricks, pipes and tools scattered along it. To the right, part of a brick structure is covered with a protective tarp and scaffolding. In the background, large mounds of excavated earth fill the site, and an orange excavator sits on top of the soil. Beyond the site fencing are residential houses and leafless trees.

The handrail is up along Tamworth Road Narrows and more of the towpath is now open!

You can stand, take it all in, and view the Narrows in full awe 🙌

Better still — you can now see the route of the future towpath as it heads towards (and then beneath) Cricket Lane.

#WeDigCanals #Lichfield

Narrowboat Nige Daily - YouTube

Have you seen the daily videos from Narrowboat Nige?

We've set up a handy playlist so you can watch them all. Head over to the other place to find out what's been going on this week.

youtube.com/playlist?lis...

#WeDigCanals #Lichfield