Canal Restoration at Oxenhall

Oxenhall lies between Ledbury and Newent, not far south of the M50 motorway.

Immediately south of the tunnel is the “Legger’s Rest”, a unique, arched recess built into the bank alongside the tunnel portal, where, history has it, the gang of men retained to assist passage of narrow boats through the tunnel, would await their next job.

20 years ago, the structures of the Legger’s Rest and the tunnel portal where in very poor condition, but both have been fully restored by the Canal Society, and more recently by the Trust.

A short way from the tunnel is Cold Harbour Bridge. As part of some of the first restoration work undertaken by Trust volunteers on the canal, the walls of the Canal beneath the bridge were strengthened with concrete and then re-faced with masonry.

The Coal Branch, Oxenhall House Lock and Cottage, and Ell Brook Aqueduct

Beyond Cold Harbour Bridge, the Canal continues to the junction with the Coal Branch, built to serve the former collieries that once operated around the town of Newent. The Coal Branch was never a success, as the coal was of very poor quality, and it quickly fell into disuse. Here, the Top Lock has completely disappeared, but the pound above is kept in water by a dam across the Canal.

This section of the Canal, between Cold Harbour Lane and Top Lock, close to Winters Lane Bridge, was extensively dredged and the canal channel fully restored by the Trust in 1992. As a result of this work, a significant length of canal remains fully in water, providing an attractive walk much enjoyed by the local population.

The Canal continues to House Lock, complete with an original Hereford and Gloucester Canal lock keepers cottage. Before restoration of the Canal had been considered, the lock chamber, overspill weir and the cottage were virtually derelict. By dint of hard work on the part of the Trust and the property owner respectively, these grade II listed structures have now been fully restored to as close to their original condition as possible.

Below House Lock the canal continues through No 2 lock (no longer in existence), where a temporary dam has been built to create a pound, and then shortly crosses the Ell Brook on a stone built, single arch aqueduct. Here the weather and the scouring of the water since the canal closed have caused serious deterioration to both spandrel walls which had collapsed into the brook. Once again, a not inconsiderable effort by the Trust volunteers has seen both walls rebuilt to their original height and minor repairs underneath the arch have now completed the restoration of the whole structure (2009).

Oxenhall Updates Past and Present…