The forgotten pioneer who saved Britain’s canals

Hidden in the Cotswolds, on a potholed cul-de-sac, lies a quiet farming hamlet of six houses and a small church where a Norman arch gently turns inwards as the hillside slides imperceptibly downhill. The churchyard of St. Michael's has no visible graves, apart from one unmarked mossy mound. This is the final resting place of Sonia Rolt (1919-2014). She lies next to her husband, Tom Rolt (1910-1974). Fifty years ago, Tom was the first person to be buried in this cemetery. Tom and Sonia had lived most of their married life in a beautiful house a minute's walk away.

Tom ...