Two new publications about the Wey & Arun Canal restoration project have been launched by W&A Enterprises Ltd (WAEL), the trading arm of the Wey & Arun Canal Trust.

The first, The Wey & Arun Canal at Loxwood - A Short Guide - is a full-colour guide to the restored mid-section of the canal near the West Sussex/Surrey border, from Devil's Hole Lock to the Long Meadow winding hole (turning point for boats) below Drungewick Lock. It has been produced in response to demand from visitors to the canal, both those enjoying boat trips and those who have come to see the sights and walk the towpath.

The guide is intended to tell the story of this part of the canal, mainly in pictures (including many from the Canal Trust's archives). It includes specially-drawn maps to point the way to the sights along the towpath. Other sections deal with how the major restoration projects along this stretch of waterway were planned, funded, and executed, the story of the boats used on the canal, and a guide to the plants and wildlife that the visitor may spot.

The Wey & Arun Canal at Loxwood - A Short Guide is priced at a bargain £2.00 (£2.30 by mail order).

The second new launch from WAEL is a completely new, updated and expanded, version of A Guide to Restoration Progress. The new edition has been masterminded by former working party leader Colin Gibbs. Aimed at those with a more serious interest in the canal and its restoration, this 40-page booklet includes full-colour versions of the series of 10 sectional maps that cover the whole canal route from Shalford, near Guildford in Surrey, to Pallingham, where it joins the River Arun near Pulborough in West Sussex. To complement the maps, there are articles written by Colin and other experts from the Canal Trust, plus a selection of photographs to illustrate the restoration story. A Guide to Restoration Progress is priced at £4.00 (£4.80 by mail order).

Both publications are available by mail order from John Wood, 24 Griffiths Avenue, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 0HW; cheques payable to "W&A Enterprises Ltd". Payment by card is possible - please contact the Wey and Arun Canal Trust office, on 01403 752403. The office (The Granary, Flitchfold Farm, Loxwood, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 0RH) can also answer general enquiries about the canal and the boat trips at Loxwood.

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Notes for Editors

Information is available from Bill Thomson, bill_thomson@weyandarun.co.uk, 01403 210347

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 five 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 50-seater electrically-powered Wiggonholt.