The Restoration of Fosseway lane

The Restoration of Fosseway - Part 1

The Fosseway Lane section covers a distance of just over a half-mile through locks 18 and 19 from Fosseway Lane to the new Lichfield southern bypass, Falkland Road. A new route is needed from this point because of building on the original line through the city. This section now forms the Fosseway Heath Nature Reserve and Wetlands. (Formerly known as the Lichfield Haven Nature Reserve.)

Built between 1794 and 1797 as part of the Wyrley and Essington Canal, the right to navigation was extinguished by The British Transport Commission Act, 1954 and much of the canal was drained and filled in during the 1960s.

OpenStreetMap View Larger Map

Simplified map to place Fosseway Lane and Fosseway Heath in context on the new route (roughly Lock 19 to Lock 23)

The Early Years

Lock 18 Restoration c. 1996/7

Work at Fosseway actually began back in 1992 when some of the land was cleared. After a four year absence the team returned in February 1996 to find much of the gorse and brambles had grown back. Scrub bashing and burning continued apace until April, a plant compound was also established. Before restoration only mounds of earth indicated that there may be something lurking beneath. (CBW9)

Work continued on the 1st Sunday of each month led by John Horton with additional WRG weekends. The work of clearing and repairing Lock 18 was partly funded by a £1000 grant from the Lichfield District Council's heritage fund. Assisted by Navvies Anonymous in November, WRG Northwest in December and WRG BITM (Bit in the middle) in February (CBW11) and July. It took a little over a year to excavate the lock from what was a once a landfill site.