Stroudwater canal seeks volunteers to restore the 'missing mile'.

The Cotswold Canals Trust has a £6.4m National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to restore the 'missing mile' of the Stroudwater Navigation and is seeking more volunteers ahead of work planned for late 2026.

The Cotswold Canals Trust is seeking more volunteers to help restore the 'missing mile' of the Stroudwater Navigation. The trust received a £6.4m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in November to support the project. The stretch was filled in during the 1960s to allow construction of the M5 motorway. The volunteer-run charity has about 450 volunteers and has reopened large sections of the 18th-century canal. The missing mile project is led by Stroud District Council and includes a paid team of engineers and planners, but the trust says volunteers are needed on the ground. Key details: - £6.4m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded in November. - The 'missing mile' was filled in the 1960s to make way for the M5 motorway. - The trust has about 450 volunteers and lists roles from archivist to zoologist. - The project is led by Stroud District Council and includes paid engineers and planners, while volunteers provide much of the on-site work. - Work is expected to start later in 2026 with a reconnection aimed for the canal's 250th anniversary in 2029. Summary: Restoring the missing mile would reconnect the Stroudwater Navigation to the national waterways and continue the trust's ongoing restoration work. Work is due to begin later in 2026, with reconnection planned at Saul Junction for the 250th anniversary in 2029.