Storytellers and performers will be wandering along the banks of the Stroudwater canal this weekend (Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 May) entertaining people with stories of the canal’s heritage.
Live performances will include a skiffle band, juggler, storytellers and another chance to catch the Owl & the Pussycat re-enacted on the water.
And play Canal Heritage Bingo card by spotting key sites along the canal corridor.
The Heritage Weekend is part of the month-long `slow canal trail’ to celebrate the beginning of the final stage of canal restoration which will connect the Stroudwater canal to the national inland waterways network.
The Canal Heritage Weekend line-up is:
𝙎𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙮 22 𝙈𝙖𝙮:
𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀 tells the story of a well- known architect brought low by geology in 1780 at Ryeford Lock. 10am-12pm at Ryeford Lock.
𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗘𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗲 will be telling stories and histories of the Cotswold canals from her book Tales from the Towpath. Suitable for all over the age of 7. 11am – 3pm between ‘The Ocean’ and Ryeford.
𝗞𝗮𝗶 𝗚𝘄𝘆𝗻𝗻, 𝗷𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗿 and regular canal side walker, is looking forward to being able to juggle in front of an audience again after a long year of social deprivation! 12pm – 2pm from Capels Mill, heading towards Dudbridge.
𝗝𝗼𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗽𝘀, 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿. 12.30pm – 2.30pm from Capels Mill to Dudbridge.
𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿. 2.30pm – 4.30pm from Fromehall Mill, heading towards Queen Elizabeth’s Field.
𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙮 23 𝙈𝙖𝙮:
𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀 tells the story of a well- known architect brought low by geology in 1780 at Ryeford Lock. 10am-12pm at Ryeford Lock.
𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁, 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 will introduce you to historic characters of Stroud: meet James Ferabee the maker of the first lawnmower & his Skew Bridge; Mill owner Mister Clissold and how he got into trouble with the canal and Isambard Kingdom Brunel the railway builder himself. 12pm-3pm at selected points along the canal from Ebley Mill to Stonehouse.
𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 will bring roots rock and skiffle music. Performances often feature homemade instruments, improvised jam sessions and a dynamic line up.
𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲 will perform 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘄𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝘀𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗮𝘁 on the water (in their beautiful pea green boat) at Ryford. 3pm – 5pm
All performances will be subject to the weather.
Visitors can upload stories, photos and videos taken along the routes to an online community map for others to be inspired by. It means the canal and canal-based activities are available to people that can’t be there in person, including those who are still shielding.
The event is a relaxed, family-friendly way to discover the canal and surrounding areas, and includes surprise pop up performances, an interactive light and sound installation, art exhibitions, audio posts, wildlife and heritage bingo cards, wheelchair accessible boat trips and more.
More information, including maps and bingo cards to download are on the website www.cotswoldcanalsconnected.org and on the Cotwold Canals Connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Share your canal trail experiences here on our interactive Cotswold Canals Connected community map.
To download the click bingo card click on it and either “save image as” or “add to photos“
Read more about the Slow Canal Trail under `News and Events’ at the top of the page
