Canal towpath to be repaired in mid-October

Works to reopen a towpath next to a canal in Bridgwater will begin in mid-October.

Albert Street Cutting on the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal had to be closed after timber props installed in the 1970s became rotten.

Waterways charity the Canal & River Trust plans to remove these timber props, which do not provide any critical support, and will be reusing the timber to create a terraced flower bed on site.

The trust is holding a public engagement event on 1 October so local people can find out more about the repairs.

The trust will also install remote monitoring equipment to measure for any movement on the walls of the cutting, clear overgrowing vegetation along the towpath, and drill additional "weep holes" into the walls to prevent the potential build-up of groundwater pressure.

Work is due to begin in mid-October and is estimated to be finished within six weeks.

Once completed, people will be able to walk along the canal through Bridgwater towards Bridgwater Docks.

Ben Carroll, project manager at Canal & River Trust, said: "As well as reopening the towpath and canal, these works will make this stretch a safer and more pleasant place to spend time.

"We are inviting members of the public to join us to find out more about what the improvements are going to involve and to discover more about our work as a charity to keep canals alive."

The Bridgwater and Taunton Canal stretches over 14.5 miles (23km) between Bridgwater and Taunton, and earlier this year celebrated the 30th anniversary of its reopening.