Crofton Beam Engines is part of the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust which purchased it in 1968 for conservation and restoration, and brought it back to life.
In the 1950s the Kennet & Avon Canal was derelict and about to be formally closed. We campaigned to bring the K&A back to life. We raised funds, we chivvied and we recruited. Gradually we won over the sceptical and hostile.
Over 40 years, many thousands of volunteers gave millions of hours of hard work on the ground to restore the Canal to the wonderful natural habitat, leisure and tourist waterway it is now.
Today, we are still a volunteer-run charity. We work just hard and successfully to care for the Canal as we did in the early days. In fact, we’re the only organisation that campaigns solely for the Kennet & Avon today.
Our strength is in our local knowledge and representation through our branches based along the waterway not only at Crofton but at Reading, Newbury, Hungerford, Devizes, Bradford on Avon and Bath & Bristol.
We’d like to invite you to join us as a member. K&A members get free* visits to Crofton and receive ‘The Butty’, our news magazine, and support the Trust in many ways.
To find out more information about membership please contact us using the web contact form below and one of our team will be in touch!
*except on steaming and designated Crofton special event days
