thumb|The canal emerging from the tunnel beneath West Street, showing the timbers used to shore up the cutting walls after their partial collapse in 1968 In December 1974, the Council bought Bridgwater Dock from British Railways. The concrete wall across the barge lock was removed, but there was no intention to restore the ship lock. By 1980, the council had invested over £50,000 in the restoration, which included Kings and Standards locks, and the bottom gates of Newtown Lock. Some bridges had been raised, but only to , which allowed canoeing, but prevented bigger boats from using the waterway. Work on the deep cutting between West Street and Albert Street started in September 1978, jointly funded by the County Council and Sedgemoor District Council, using direct labour, while a Manpower Services Commission scheme to dredge the canal from the dock to the cutting and to widen the towpath was funded by the District Council in 1981.
thumb|The canal emerging from the tunnel beneath West Street, showing the timbers used ,to shore up the cutting walls after their partial collapse in 1968 In December 1974, the Council bought Bridgwater Dock from British Railways. The concrete wall across the barge lock was removed, but there was no intention to restore the ship lock. By 1980, the council had invested over £50,000 in the restoration which included Kings and Standards locks, and the bottom gates of Newtown Lock. Some bridges had been raised, but only to  which allowed canoeing, but prevented bigger boats from using the waterway. Work on the deep cutting between West Street and Albert Street started in September 1978, jointly funded by the County Council and Sedgemoor District Council using direct labour, while a Manpower Services Commi,ssion scheme to, dredge the canal from the dock to the cutting and to widen the towpath was funded by the District Council in 1981.