Festival to mark 200th anniversary of canal

The North Walsham and Dilham Canal Trust will be holding a very special bicentennial festival at the end of August to mark the 200th anniversary of the waterway’s opening.

On August 29 1826, thousands of people cheered and sang along the banks and from boats on the water along the nearly nine miles of the newly completed canal.

And 200 years to the day, on Saturday August 29, a boat and light craft flotilla will officially open the two-day festival to mark the anniversary.

WONDERFUL WATERWAY: Pictures from a previous canal festival.

Free entry to the event and parking are offered and there will be a host of attractions to showcase the canal. There are spaces for 20 passengers – paying £20 each – to be part of the flotilla. You will be greeted by a brass band and you are welcome to come dressed in period costume if you wish.

You can also take an adventure along Norfolk’s unique waterway by hiring a canoe or paddle board or take a boat trip on the replica wherry Newun on either day or the steamboat Falcon on Saturday. Other attractions include a dog show on the Saturday from noon, which will include an Agility Demo by Animal Magic and a chance for have-a-go agility with your own dog. There will be fete games and a chance to test your aim with archery, shooting, and axe throwing, plus food, craft and art stands, a licenced bar and live music. Local First Responders are giving demos on CPR and the use of defibrillators, while you can also learn about why the history of the canal wasn’t all “plain sailing” through the crime stories in the history and wildlife tent.
Any donations made to the North Walsham and Dilham Canal Trust will be used towards the restoration of the canal.

The festival will be held at Oak Road, Dilham, NR28 9PW, with the generous support of Luke and Louise Paterson of Dilham Hall Retreats.
The festival runs on Saturday August 29 from 10am to 6pm and Sunday August 30 from 10 am to 4pm. Advance booking for the flotilla is essential. Email chair@nwdct.org, call 07770 661 784 or book direct on: https://tinyurl.com/Flotilla-GOLD