Wey and Arun canal restoration takes step forward

The Gennets Farm section of the Wey and Arun Canal has been purchased so it can be restored by volunteers

A Trust dedicated to restoring an historic canal through Surrey and Sussex has taken another step towards its goal.

The Wey and Arun Canal Trust has announced the purchase of a section of the waterway near Loxwood, West Sussex.

Following a previous purchase in May, the Trust now owns a mile (1.5km) of the route.

The Trust aims to restore the 23-mile route to full navigability, providing a link between the English Channel and Britain's inland waterways.

The canal used to run from Guildford to the River Arun, which flows out to the Channel.

Sally Schupke, chair of the Trust, said: "The first task will be to put in a new tow path.

"At the moment we are extending each section bit by bit. Our major work is at Birtley, just south of Bramley in Surrey.

"We have two lift bridges going in and we hope that project will be finished by the end of the year."

The Trust restored the Gennets Bridge Lock, which is on the section it has just purchased, in 2018.

It also leases a 3 mile (5km) stretch of the canal in the centre of Loxwood, Surrey, where it runs boat trips to raise funds.