Continued restoration work on the Wilts & Berks canal at Mouldon Hill to the west of Swindon is assured thanks to a donation of over £27,000 made by Swindon waste disposal company Crapper & Sons.

The payment in-lieu of tax payable to the government under land fill legislation permits work on the canal which is part of the Cricklade Country Way leisure corridor incorporating the Swindon & Cricklade steam railway and footpaths.

The donation by Crapper & Sons, who advertise Express Skips on The Link front page, will be used to make further repairs to the Moredon aquaduct over the River Ray and make navigable a one-mile stretch of canal north of the Moredon Road, adjacent to Taw Hill. It will also allow completion of Mouldon Lock.

Walkers and horse riders already enjoy the canal towpath and in due course it will be used for boating and angling. It is also developing into an area rich in wildlife.

Canal committee corporate member Harry Bromley welcomed Crapper & Sons continued support. "The funding from this environmentally aware company will contribute to the greater leisure enjoyment of the countryside."

The next phase of the project will involve restoring the route south to the Kingshill section of the canal.

The North Swindon Development Company has agreed to build a culvert under the Moredon Road when it constructs the northern orbital road to Lady Lane. However this is held up because of the delays to the 6,000 home Haydon III development. Work on the new road will not start for at least four months with the culvert being installed at some time in the next year.