Things to come
Planned events.
1881 census
Howse details
Article
Newspaper
1950 report
Pictures
New Album
1st November
T&S Bridge
Weymoor Bridge
exposed--pictures
T&S
Bridge
Weymoor Bridge
update from "The
Trow"
Latton Village
Kelly's directory
1895
Before Alfred
there was
Joseph Aldworth
Howse
Family
A glimpse into the distant past
Genealogy
Howse
world-wide
North Wilts
1810-1820
History
1851 Census
Who lived in the area in
1851
Staunch
Last working
boat through Latton.
Butterfield
Victorian 'photo album.
Habgood
Strange goings on by an old Latton
family.
The Future
There are two major restorations currently underway that directly effect the future of the historic canal basin.
Cotswold Canal Trust.
Restoring the Stroudwater and Thames and Severn Canals.
Wilts & Berks Canal Trust.
Restoring the Wilts & Berks and North Wilts Canals.
The good news is that the Thames & Severn is being restored on it's original line past the old junction. The bad news is that a restored North Wilts Canal will not use the old line from Cricklade to the junction. It will be diverted to the east of Cricklade to form a new junction (Eisey junction). This unavoidable diversion is necessary due to the expansion of the town.
What does this mean to the basin? It is inconceivable that three major, original structures of the old canal should not be restored and eventually brought back in to use. A short aqueduct over the River Churn is all that is needed to join the Thames and Severn to the basin. The basin (as can be seen from the photographs) is in very good condition. The lock is almost certainly intact buried beneath a few tons of soil. The four arch brick flood relief aqueduct is still there, but is being damaged by tree roots. This aqueduct allows for excess water to run off the adjacent field, and if it were to fail would have to be totally removed.
The original North Wilts Canal line is a public footpath linking the Thames and Severn towpath to the Thames Path, and is an extremely popular walk.
With no road crossings and just two more small aqueducts the canal could be re-instated to the north of Cricklade. This opens the way for easy access to Cricklade facilities for boaters and to the canals for for visitors. The potential for moorings and boat hiring would be enormous.
The basin and the canal line are in private ownership, although not serving any useful purpose. Restoring and bringing back in to use this delightful length of canal and the historic junction would be a genuine legacy for future generations.
Just imagine cruising down the Latton Arm, mooring up and strolling down the Thames path on a glorious summer day. Or driving to Cricklade, following the Thames path, and then the canal towpath to the junction to watch the boats and, possibly, sample local refreshments.