STOVER Canal towpath has officially reopened following the successful completion of a major engineering project to repair a flood-damaged embankment.

Clay firm Sibelco’s £1 million-plus flood response and embankment repair scheme has reinstated the popular footpath near Kingsteignton.

The embankment, alongside Sibelco’s former East Golds quarry, was severely damaged during a series of floods.

A 40m section of embankment was destroyed, causing flooding into the quarry and forcing the closure of a section of the Stover Canal path between Newton Abbot and Exeter Road.

Sibelco has now completed a comprehensive programme of repairs developed with geotechnical specialists and working with partners including the Stover Canal Trust, Environment Agency, Teignbridge District Council, Devon County Council and Teigngrace Parish Council.

The scheme involved rebuilding the damaged embankment, canal bed and banks using about 6,000 tonnes of engineered ball clay, together with imported limestone and specialist geotechnical materials.

The solution has been designed to improve the long-term resilience of the structure against future extreme weather events.

The embankment was damaged during a series of significant floods affecting the Teign catchment between November 2024 and early 2026.

Substantial volumes of water flowed into the former East Golds quarry from neighbouring land within the River Teign floodplain.

In November 2024 alone, about one million tonnes of water entered the site, with further large inflows recorded during later storms.

While this damaged the embankment and surrounding infrastructure, including the nearby old railway embankment, the Stover Canal bed and towpath and the Stover Trail cycleway, it also meant large volumes of water were temporarily held within the quarry rather than continuing unchecked downstream.

A report by Devon County Council following the November 2024 noted this may have prevented more extreme flooding downstream in Newton Abbot.

The flood response and repair works are designed to ensure the long-term stability of the embankment and surrounding area.

They also support the wider goals of the Stover Canal Trust, which Sibelco has long supported, to preserve and enhance the canal and its towpaths as a piece of living history, a haven for wildlife and a valued community resource for walkers and local residents.

Paul Taper, Chairman of Stover Canal Trust, said: ‘The trust is greatly indebted to Sibelco for its assistance in reconstructing the canal bed and tow path.

‘An enormous amount of material was scoured out during the Storm Bert event destroying a 40m length of the canal.

‘The trust is a small charitable organisation run by dedicated volunteers and funding the replacement material and heavy plant required to place it would have been impossible to fund.’

Richard Giles, Kingsteignton Manager (Operations) for Sibelco, said: ‘We’re delighted to see the towpath open again and available for the community to enjoy.

‘This has been a complex project following successive storm events and we have worked closely with specialist engineers and our partners to design and deliver a robust, long-term solution that restores this important local route.

‘I’d like to thank everyone for their patience while the works were carried out.’

Zara Beale of the Environment Agency said: ‘We worked closely with Sibelco on the restoration, helping to ensure the works were delivered safely and with due regard for flood risk and the environment.

‘Our support included environmental, regulatory and fisheries advice to minimise pollution risks and protect local wildlife.’