Coombeswood Canal Trust: The Hidden Gem at the End of the Canal

There are some places that feel as though they’ve been quietly waiting to be discovered. Tucked away among the industrial estates of Halesowen, Hawne Basin is one of them. At first glance, it is exactly what you might expect from a historic Black Country canal basin: rows of colourful narrowboats resting peacefully on the water, birdsong punctuated by the rhythmic sound of the forge hammer from the foundry next door and volunteers quietly getting on with the jobs that keep the place going.

Spend a little longer there, however, and you realise that Hawne Basin is much more than a place to moor boats. It is home to Coombeswood Canal Trust, a volunteer-led charity that has spent decades preserving an important part of Dudley’s industrial heritage while quietly building something equally valuable – a thriving community.

I recently spent time with trustees Bob and Gill, who began by taking me back more than fifty years to when the Trust’s story began, with a small group of boating enthusiasts recognising the potential of the neglected basin and working with Dudley Council to secure its future. Their aim was simple but ambitious: create moorings, protect the historic site and, ultimately, restore the Dudley No. 2 Canal.

Over the years, that vision has steadily evolved. Today, the Trust owns Hawne Basin itself and leases the adjoining canal from the Canal & River Trust. Around ninety boats now call the basin home, with a vibrant community of boaters, volunteers and visitors helping to bring the site to life throughout the year.

As Bob and Gill explain, however, the boats are only part of the story. “If all we wanted to do was provide moorings,” Bob reflects, “we’d be a marina.” Instead, the Trust sees itself as a custodian of local heritage and a place where people can come together, share their skills, learn new ones and make a lasting contribution to their community.

School groups regularly spend the day at Hawne Basin, learning about the history of the canals, exploring traditional narrowboats and discovering how waterways helped shape the Black Country. For many children it is their first experience of stepping aboard a working boat, and volunteers delight in seeing their curiosity come to life as they explore a world that feels very different from their everyday experience.

The basin is also becoming an increasingly important community hub, with the Trust opening its facilities to local groups and hosting everything from ukulele rehearsals to community lunches, film afternoons and social events. New members continue to join, many arriving simply out of curiosity before discovering opportunities to volunteer and become part of the Hawne Basin community.

Like many charities, Coombeswood Canal Trust faces significant challenges. Restoring historic waterways is expensive, technically demanding and governed by modern environmental and safety standards that make many projects far more complex than they might first appear. Yet what is striking is not the scale of those challenges, but the way the Trust approaches them.

Throughout our conversation, Bob and Gill return to the importance of careful planning, realistic budgeting, building partnerships and recognising when specialist expertise is needed. Rather than rushing towards ambitious projects, they have invested time in developing a strategic plan, costing future work properly and strengthening relationships with organisations that share their vision. It is a quietly impressive example of good charity governance in action.

There are no grand claims or lofty mission statements. Instead, there is a steady commitment to making informed decisions, planning for the future and ensuring that the organisation remains sustainable for the next generation of volunteers. That next generation is never far from their minds.

Working with schools and colleges has become an important part of the Trust’s approach, not simply because it helps young people understand the region’s industrial heritage, but because today’s visitors may become tomorrow’s volunteers. Equally important is recognising that everyone has something to contribute. “You don’t have to know anything about canals,” Gill explains. “If you can make tea, paint a fence, chat to visitors or plant flowers, you’ve got something valuable to offer.”

It is perhaps this inclusive approach that gives Hawne Basin its distinctive atmosphere. Visitors quickly discover that the boats are only the backdrop to a much richer story—one about friendships, shared purpose and a community that has grown steadily over many years through hard work and the generosity of volunteers.

There is also a quiet optimism about the future. Plans are already taking shape to continue restoring sections of the Dudley No. 2 Canal, improve facilities at the basin and strengthen educational opportunities for local schools. The work will take time, but nobody at Hawne Basin appears to be in a hurry. They understand that places like this are built over decades, one project, one volunteer and one conversation at a time.

Not only are Coombeswood Canal Trust preserving an important piece of the Black Country’s heritage and protecting a beautiful corner of Dudley that many people have yet to discover, but they are also quietly demonstrating what happens when a volunteer-led organisation combines passion with thoughtful leadership, careful planning and a genuine commitment to the community it serves.

Hawne Basin may be one of Dudley’s hidden gems, but thanks to the dedication of the volunteers behind Coombeswood Canal Trust, it is a place with an important story to tell. Whether you have an interest in local history, volunteering or simply discovering somewhere new, it is well worth a visit.

Click here to find out more about Coombeswood Canal Trust