Grantham Canal Society aims to raise £5,000 to restore canal wharf and weigh house at Muston Gorse, near Bottesford

Money is being raised to breathe new life into an important piece of a canal history.

The Grantham Canal Society is trying to raise £5,000 to restore a canal wharf and weigh house at Muston Gorse, near Bottesford.

The money being raised will be used for a new roof, brickwork repairs and restoration. It will also be used to remove overgrown bushes from the wharf and install new fencing to improve the overall appearance of the site.

Peter Stubbs, of the society, said: “Our volunteers have all the skills necessary to carry out the work so that brings a massive saving on labour costs.

“Unfortunately, our society's limited resources cannot afford the special materials.

“Our volunteers are ready for an immediate start as some activities are currently curbed during the bird nesting season.

“We are hoping this restoration will be of interest to users of the canal and local communities and hopefully in the longer term, increase our volunteer numbers.”

The Duke of Rutland’s Grantham Canal Wharf, which was located at Muston Gorse, was historically connected to Belvoir Castle via the Butterley Ironworks, established in 1815 and was one of England’s earliest horsedrawn railways.

This tramway facilitated the transportation for goods between the canal and castle.

At the Muston Gorse Wharf, a weigh bridge was installed to measure the weight of the goods being transported.

Anyone who would like to donate can go to https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/gcsweigh-house.

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