This page tells you About Us and summarises the Wendover Canal Trust (WCT), which is the operating name of the Wendover Arm Trust (WAT) charity. For more information about the Wendover Canal that the Trust promotes, see the pages below this page in the menu. The last page contains our Governance, Policies and Annual Reports.
Since 1989 we have been restoring what historically was known as the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal. The word Arm in this context meant branch canal, but nowadays few people are aware of that, so it is now usually known as the Wendover Canal. We are a registered charity 801190, we are all volunteers, and we operate as the Wendover Canal Trust.
Technically the Trust is a “company” without share capital and limited by guarantee, registered in England No. 2353392. Our registered address changed in April 2023 and is now Wendover Canal Trust, Unit 16b First Floor, Chiltern Court, Asheridge Rd Industrial Estate, Asheridge Road, Chesham HP5 2PX. The Canal and River Trust manage most canals in England and Wales, including this one, and we work with their agreement.
At the time of formation, there was a danger of the canal suffering further deterioration due to neglect. There was also an imminent risk that the proposal to construct the Aston Clinton by-pass would sever the canal. The aims of WCT are to:
- Maintain and improve the waterway for the use and benefit of all, which also increases biodiversity;
- Promote the fullest use of the canal by all forms of waterborne traffic;
- Encourage the fullest use of the canal for all forms of local amenity, tourist and recreational, and water-related activities for the benefit of the public;
- Promote and educate the public in the history, use and associated wildlife of the Wendover Canal;
- Restore, reconstruct and preserve the Wendover Canal, with a net benefit to the public.