July 2026
One regular summer job facing TMCA volunteers is keeping the canalside reeds from encroaching on the towpath. They grow so fast and so thick that they can defeat many conventional mowers, especially when the brambles have got a grip in there too. Some time ago the we applied for a grant to buy a vehicle with an arm-mounted flail cutter as this seemed the only machine that could cope.
Now thanks to the very significant generosity of the National Grid, we have just the thing. This is a small tractor narrow enough to negotiate the towpath safely, which is fitted with an arm that can be elevated and angled in multiple ways to allow us to respond to a wide variety of mowing challenges.
No excuses now for not keeping that path clear and accessible!
June 2026
A welcome boost was given to our busy summer weekly schedule with the temporary addition of volunteers from the National Grid. They helped with clearing rubbish, replacing chippings at a popular viewpoint, and worked at installing new bin. Much was done in a short time.
May 2026
TMCA volunteers organised and hosted a stand at FORT! – a family friendly event held at the Riverside Gardens of the New Tavern Fort in Gravesend.
Re-enactments, music, uniforms and wartime displays added to the atmosphere. The park was busy all weekend.
.
April 2026
The bridge in an open position to allow passage into or out of the basin
Gravesend’s historic bridge at the mouth of the canal basin re-opened on 21 April 2026. It was swung by hand in the presence of the Mayor of Gravesham, Jenny Wallace. She cut a ribbon to allow access across the lock for the first time in three years.
A partnership between the Embankment Marina and Kent County Council funded the repair of the Grade II listed structure. TMCA volunteers were on hand to test the restored route.