Kennet and Avon Canal restoration anniversary marked

The world famous Caen Hill locks were the last section of the restoration to be completed for the reopening in 1990

Canal enthusiasts are to celebrate 25 years of the restoration of the Kennet and Avon Canal.

The waterway was completely restored by volunteers after falling into decline and was officially reopened by the Queen on 8 August 1990.

It was originally opened in 1810, but gradually fell into decline after the Great Western Railway was built.

Volunteers will re-enact the reopening at the Caen Hill lock flight, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument later.

Caen Hill locks had become completely overgrown in the 1970s before they were restored

The 87-mile waterway links the River Thames at Reading to the River Avon in Bath.

The last time the complete length was navigable, before it was restored, was in 1950, when a stoppage at Burghfield near Reading made the canal impassable.

Major structures along its route also include the Dundas and Avoncliff aqueducts and Bruce Tunnel.

Caen Hill locks in 1950

Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal and River Trust, said: "It's all down to the volunteers and the incredible amount of work they did that [the canal] is here.

"The Kennet and Avon Canal really does enrich the lives of everyone around it, and this is a great opportunity to celebrate it and the achievement of those who restored it."

Rob Dean, chairman of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, said: "Restoration of the Kennet and Avon has proved a huge success for our community.

"The volunteers who led the restoration from the 50s to the 90s have given us a great legacy which we're pleased to help care for and improve."

The success of the canal restoration spurred on the other restorations across the country.

Cobblers Lock in 1964

Limpley Stoke Bridge in 1977