This podcast highlights the Trust's 2025 "momentum," celebrating over 40,000 volunteer hours worth more than £1 million. Key milestones include the first complete clearing of Uffington Gorse in a century and new water-filled sections in Swindon. The hosts also address the SESRO reservoir threat, which risks £25 million in annual benefits, while championing the 70-mile "Blue-Green Corridor".

⁠⁠Journals/ Magazines⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Illustrated History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wilts & Berks Canal Trust⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this captivating re-enacted interview, William Ainsworth recounts his transition from a 15-year-old grocer's apprentice in 1870 to his challenging tenure as the Manager of the Wilts & Berks Canal starting in 1891. Ainsworth provides a firsthand account of his "spirited attempt" to resuscitate the decaying 68-mile waterway, detailing his efforts to combat mud, weeds, and vandalism while facing insurmountable competition from the Great Western Railway. Beyond the canal's eventual abandonment and his 1906 testimony to the Royal Commission, he discusses his diverse later career as an auctioneer, his service during World War I, and his eventual return to Bath. It is a poignant look at a life defined by professional resilience, religious faith, and a tireless commitment to public service.

⁠Journals/ Magazines⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Illustrated History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wilts & Berks Canal Trust⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, your hosts Laura & Matthew explore the life of William J. Ainsworth, described as “The Last Canal Manager,” tracing his journey from a determined boy walking six miles to school, through his apprenticeship and rise into canal management, to the demanding role of overseeing the Wilts and Berks Canal during its long decline. Using archival details, this episode paints a vivid portrait of a man whose work blended physical stamina, practical management, legal disputes, and civic responsibility, while also revealing his wider life as a family man, entrepreneur, preacher, political activist, and volunteer. It’s a thoughtful and engaging look at endurance, change, and the human story behind the end of Britain’s canal age.

Journals/ Magazines⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Illustrated History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wilts & Berks Canal Trust⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠