Editing Bridgwater and Taunton Canal (section)

==Restoration==
From the late 1960s, there was a growing awareness of the benefits of retaining the canal. The [[Inland Waterways Association]] produced a report, entitled ''The Bridgwater and Taunton Canal - Waterway with a Future'',<ref name=haskell11>{{harvnb |Haskell |1994 |pp=113–132}}</ref> suggesting that the canal had the potential for development as a linear Country Park, and the County Planning Officer for [[Somerset County Council]] produced a second report,<ref name=haskell11/> suggesting that funds should be made available for maintenance and restoration, which the County Council duly adopted. The [[Countryside Act 1968]] provided a framework for such action, and a visit in 1971 to see the work being done on the [[Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal]] as part of the creation of the [[Brecon Beacons]] National Park convinced the Council of the wisdom of such a course of action. By 1974, Higher and Lower Maunsel locks,<ref name=haskell11/> which are [[listed building]]s,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/15948|title=Lower Maunsell Lock No 3 and Lower Maunsell Bridge|work=Somerset Historic Environment Record|publisher=Somerset County Council|access-date=2008-10-11|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003095522/http://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/15948|archive-date=3 October 2016}}</ref> had been refurbished by the [[British Waterways|British Waterways Board]], with funding from the County Council. Funding for towpath maintenance and weed cutting was also provided.<ref name=haskell11/>

[[Image:Bridgwater and Taunton shored up cutting.jpg|thumb|The canal emerging from the tunnel beneath West Street, showing the timbers used to shore up the cutting walls after their partial collapse in 1968]]
In December 1974, the Council bought Bridgwater Dock from [[British Rail]]ways. The concrete wall across the barge lock was removed, but there was no intention to restore the ship lock. By 1980, the council had invested over £50,000 in the restoration, which included Kings and Standards locks, and the bottom gates of Newtown Lock. Some bridges had been raised, but only to {{convert|4|ft|m}}, which allowed canoeing, but prevented bigger boats from using the waterway. Work on the deep cutting between West Street and Albert Street started in September 1978, jointly funded by the County Council and [[Sedgemoor#Sedgemoor District Council|Sedgemoor District Council]], using direct labour, while a [[Manpower Services Commission]] scheme to dredge the canal from the dock to the cutting and to widen the towpath was funded by the District Council in 1981.<ref name=haskell11/>

The condition of the swing bridge at Bathpool caused a change in policy. There were objections to the plan to replace it with a fixed bridge with limited headroom, and the planning application was deferred. By 1983, a six-year plan to restore the canal was fully costed, and it was adopted by the British Waterways Board, the County Council, Sedgemoor District Council and [[Taunton Deane]] Borough Council in the following year. The scheme was supported by the West Country Branch of the [[Inland Waterways Association]], who offered the services of the [[Waterway Recovery Group]], to do some of the work. The swing bridges at Crossways, Boat and Anchor, and [[Fordgate]] were rebuilt, and by 1987, {{convert|4.5|mi|km}} of canal were available for navigation. After some teething problems, it was decided that many of the rest of the [[accommodation bridge]]s would be raised to give {{convert|8|ft|m}} of headroom, rather than rebuilding them as swing bridges.<ref name=haskell11/> Restoration of the bridges at the Taunton end continued during the early 1990s, and the canal was finally re-opened in 1994.<ref>{{harvnb |Cumberlidge |2009 |pp=86–87}}</ref>