Connecting Communities and Nature Along Bolton’s Canals

Project overview

Working in partnership with Manchester Bolton and Bury Canal Society, Bolton CVS, Be One Homes and the Canal & Rivers Trust, Groundwork and partners brought together residents, community organisations and landowners to begin restoring and reimagining the canal corridor through Darcy Lever, Little Lever, Kearsley and surrounding areas of Bolton canals.

Work focused on:

Connecting people with the Bolton Canals

A programme of guided walks, community events and celebration activities helped local people discover the canal’s wildlife, heritage and history, while sharing their ideas for its future.

Working alongside local experts and the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Society (MBBCS), the project delivered guided walks that encouraged residents to explore new parts of the canal corridor, learn about local ecology and restoration efforts, and connect with nature and local history.

In total, 280 people engaged with the project through Groundwork and MBBCS activities, including:

  • 32 people attending Groundwork Greater Manchester guided walks
  • 125 people attending MBBCS guided walks
  • 59 people engaging through community events, including Bolton Big Green Week and the South Asian Heritage Festival
  • 27 people attending the project celebration event
  • 5 people taking part in consultation activities in local community spaces

Feedback highlighted the positive impact of the activities, with participants describing the walks as informative, welcoming and inspiring. Many reported discovering new places to visit, learning more about local wildlife and history, and wanting to take part in similar activities in the future.

  • “Excellent guided walk, well organised, knowledgeable guide and lovely group of people. Great atmosphere! Would 100% recommend.”
  • “Now found a new place to walk. Thank you. Very interesting walk with nature detail/info and local history. Please keep going.”
  • “I enjoyed the walk today immensely. I have never taken part in a guided walk in nature like this. Absolutely loved it!”

To support ongoing engagement, MBBCS also developed walking maps to help more people explore and enjoy the canal corridor independently.

Understanding habitats

To inform future restoration plans, Groundwork commissioned habitat surveys of the canal and surrounding green spaces in partnership with the Canal & River Trust.

The surveys identified a diverse network of aquatic, woodland, grassland and wetland habitats supporting a wide range of wildlife, including otters, bats, hedgehogs and more than 200 bird species.

While many areas were found to be in good ecological condition, the surveys also highlighted challenges including invasive non-native species, declining water quality, excessive shading and low plant diversity. The findings identified opportunities to improve habitat connectivity, enhance biodiversity and guide future restoration through targeted habitat management and monitoring.

The survey provides a valuable evidence base to help partners prioritise future habitat improvements and attract investment for long-term restoration work.

Canal development

The project worked with local residents to develop ideas for future canal-side improvements through a co-design process shaped by community feedback.

Groundwork’s Landscape Architect, Nick, produced concept designs informed by conversations with residents, community events, children’s activities and an online survey. Children shared drawings of their vision for the canal, while residents highlighted priorities for future investment.

The online survey received 14 responses, with suggestions including canal dredging, weed clearance and habitat management, reopening the bridge in Radcliffe, and more community volunteering opportunities such as litter picks and wildlife surveys.

Ideas gathered through consultation activities included:

  • Accessible planters
  • Additional canal-themed benches
  • Interpretation boards celebrating the canal’s history
  • Sensory gardens
  • School visits and learning opportunities linked to maintaining community spaces
  • Canal-themed public art and sculptures

These ideas were incorporated into concept designs that could help create a more welcoming, accessible and engaging canal environment.

Looking ahead

The project has created a strong foundation for future restoration and community-led improvements along the Bolton canals corridor.

A total of 177 people signed up to receive further updates and learn more about future opportunities to get involved. Building on the ideas generated through the project, the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal Society is planning to apply to the Green Spaces Fund to help bring some of the community’s priorities and canal improvement proposals to life.

The Canal Communities Project was made possible thanks to funding from Bolton Community and Voluntary Services.