About Us

The Cotswold Canals Trust is a volunteer-led charity working to restore and preserve the historic waterways running through the Cotswolds. Our mission is to protect this important part of our local heritage and enhance the canal corridor for nature, community, and future generations.

Founded in 1972 as the Stroudwater Canal Society, the Trust became a registered charity in 1975. Since then, we’ve been dedicated to the preservation, maintenance, and improvement of the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames & Severn Canal – collectively known as the Cotswold Canals. In 2001, we became a founding member of the Cotswold Canals Partnership, a collaborative effort to restore the canal route from west to east across the region.

Our Aims:
– To promote the use of the entire towpath as part of The Thames & Severn Way.
– To promote the restoration of the two waterways, balancing the needs of navigation, wildlife, and the local community.
– To achieve the restoration of the Cotswold Canals as a navigable route from Saul Junction to the River Thames.
– To promote, for the benefit of the community, the re-opening of the Cotswold Canals for recreation, education, and heritage enjoyment.

Our Long-Term Goal:

To fully restore the canals between Saul Junction and Lechlade, reconnecting the River Severn and River Thames and creating a continuous navigable waterway that links into the UK’s wider canal network.