Waterway Community May Day at Church Lawton

The Stoke on Trent branch of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) invite you to a WATERWAY COMMUNITY DAY at Church Lawton on Saturday 1 May 2010, from 10.00 to 5.00pm

Find us by Lock 51, Trent & Mersey Canal, Church Lawton: East of where the A50 crosses the canal at bridge 138. Cherry Tree Avenue is parallel to the locks; the public footpath from outside the old school leads to Lock 51.  (Postcode: ST7 3EL) (Grid Reference: SJ 814 562)

Enjoy a walk along the Trent & Mersey Canal, discover more about the project to improve the Cheshire Locks for all and tell IWA how you value the canal at the heart of your community as part of our SOS campaign to Save Our System of unique inland waterways.

Watch boats go through the locks, see displays about our local canals and their traditional art, and children can enjoy a FREE activity, designing their own boat ‘livery’ – naming and designing a narrow boat, in the style of the boats that carried cargo through the locks at Church Lawton, to and from Stoke-on-Trent.

The ‘SOS’ event is aimed at generating publicity and public support for the waterways in the local area, and will be one of many events organised nationally by the IWA on and around May Day as part of its campaign for better waterways funding in the run up to the general election. In doing so it hopes to focus public attention on the importance of the nation’s inland waterways as a ‘linear national park’ of over 4,000 miles which is available for everyone to enjoy, free of charge. 

In addition to providing a valuable recreational resource for families wanting to go for a walk, go cycling or fishing, or to go boating, the waterways are also a great place to see wildlife, and are the guardians of over 200 years of heritage; with over 2,700 listed buildings and 99 scheduled monuments. Currently there are 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country that have a waterway adjacent to or integral to them.

The waterways are currently under threat due to lack of adequate funding, and many supporters fear that they will suffer as a result.