CANAL volunteer Jon Pontefract is going the extra mile to unearth the historic waterway’s rich heritage.

As restoration works continue, Jon has set himself the task of locating all 52 original milestone markers that once lined the Thames and Severn Canal between Wallbridge in Stroud and Inglesham, near Lechlade.

Attached to each stone was a cast iron plate, signalling the distance between the two points but many disappeared or were swallowed up by undergrowth when the canal closed from 1927 to 1933.

When Jon started the project, the whereabouts of just 20 stones and 14 plates were know and so far he has unearthed eight each with the search for the remaining 44 continuing.

"I am sure many were taken either by souvenir hunters or people wanting to make sure they stayed safe," said Jon, who is Stroud District Council’s canal volunteer manager and spends his spare time working for the Cotswold Canals Trust.

"I am asking people who may have a stone or plate in their shed, attic or garden to get in touch with me so we can record it properly and in the future take a cast of it.

"It would be good to think that one day all of the original plates could be displayed in a single central location."

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of an original stone marker and is willing to donate it can contact Jon on 01453 754 287 or email jon.pontefract@stroud.gov.uk