Featherbed Lane Bridge, Stratford Canal

Image: © Stephen McKay Taken: 2 Jan 2015

At first sight this bridge, no 59, looks unremarkable, but it has an important place in the history not only of this canal but also of the entire modern narrow canal network. It is not exactly clear when the southern section of the Stratford Canal was last used for commercial carrying, but it is believed to have been in the 1920s and even then the boat had to be partially unloaded to enable it to get through. The canal subsequently deteriorated further; the last through passages by boat were probably made in the late 1940s and by the 1950s the canal had become impassable to all but canoes. A major problem was the bridge here at Wilmcote which had to be shored up with baulks of timber, completely blocking the canal. Warwickshire County Council was keen to replace the bridge with a culvert - a much cheaper project than rebuilding it as a bridge. To do this the council needed to obtain a warrant for the canal's abandonment meaning that there would no longer be a right of navigation. It was this imminent threat that spurred the Inland Waterways Association and the Stratford upon Avon Canal Society into action, mounting a determined, and ultimately successful, campaign to save the canal. Eventually the canal was restored, officially reopening in 1964, and it became a template for restoration work across the whole network - a process still continuing to this day with enthusiasts taking on ever greater challenges. The story of the Stratford Canal is told in Guy Johnson's book 'Save the Stratford Canal', published in 1983 by David & Charles.

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