Arrangements are now being finalised for the Wey & Arun Canal Trust's next major event on Saturday 17th April. That's the date when Devils Hole Lock, near Loxwood in West Sussex, is to be formally reopened, and the latest addition to the Trust's fleet of trip boats is to be named.

Devils Hole Lock has had an interesting history. When the canal was originally built in the early 19th century, the adjacent River Lox was straightened to ease the building of the lock, resulting in an oxbow lake and a steep cliff - the 'Devil's Hole'. Then, in the 1940s, some 70 years after the canal had been abandoned, the lock was used for practice in laying explosives by Canadian Army Engineers. The Canadians, stationed in the locality, were practicing before taking part in the 1942 WWII Dieppe raid. This destroyed much of the top end of the stone-built lock. Following the start of the restoration project in the 1970s, the bridge at the foot of the lock was rebuilt by a job creation programme in 1982. This was followed by work by WACT on the chamber that began in 1996. Problems including a landslip on the non-towpath side delayed further rebuilding, then the opening in 2009 of the Loxwood road crossing and the desire to extend the operating section of the canal focused attention again on Devils Hole. During 2009/2010 the chamber restoration was completed, the opportunity being seized to lengthen the lock from the original measurements, and the new gates and back-pumps installed.

To mark the Canadian connection, the Trust is pleased to welcome a party from the Canadian High Commission, including: Col Paul Rutherford, Senior Army Adviser; Lt-Col Pal Mann, Engineer Liaison Officer, and Lt-Col Denis Janelle, Assistant Army Adviser. A special welcome will be extended to a number of Canadian veterans who settled in Sussex and Surrey after the war The celebrations on 17th April get under way at 1130am when the new 12-person trip boat will be named at Loxwood Lock by Lady Egremont, wife of WACT President Lord Egremont of Petworth House. The 3rd Earl of Egremont was the main driving force behind the Wey & Arun Junction Canal in the early 19th century. The boat will be named Josias Jessop, after the engineer who designed the original canal.

The VIP party will then travel to Devils Hole Lock by boat, and Col Rutherford, as the senior Canadian present, will cut the ribbon to open the lock at 12 noon.

The formal part of the proceedings will be followed by refreshments and entertainment at Devils Hole and the Onslow Arms in Loxwood, and an informal rally of small boats on the canal, plus public boat trips running from the Onslow Arms

Further information about the Wey & Arun Canal Trust is available from the Trust's office, on 01403 752403.News Index

Notes for Editors

The Wey & Arun Canal Trust

The Wey & Arun Canal, "London's lost route to the sea" was originally opened in 1816 between the River Wey at Shalford, near Guildford, and Pallingham, near Pulborough, the head of navigation of the River Arun. It closed in 1871, due to railway competition. Since the 1970s the 23-mile waterway has been the subject of a campaign by volunteers led by the Wey & Arun Canal Trust to restore the route to navigation. Work has been undertaken in a number of locations, most notably the stretch near the Sussex/Surrey border at Loxwood. Over two miles in length, this includes four working locks, two public road crossings, an aqueduct, two farm bridges, and numerous minor works, all built or rebuilt through voluntary effort. Boat trips are available on this stretch, onboard several craft, including the new 50-seater electrically-powered Wiggonholt. See www.weyandarun.co.uk