Decades of restoration work have finally rendered a concealed canal usable again... weather permitting.

The Grey Owl narrowboat was launched on the Thames and Medway Canal at Gravesend on Sunday in front of crowds of onlookers, including the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr John Caller, as part of a joint celebration to mark the reopening of one of its swing bridges.

It was the first time in 80 years a narrowboat had been run on the waters.

Heavy rain and blustery wind meant that the milestone journey consisted of no more than about 50 yards.

Nevertheless, the director of the Thames and Medway Canal Association (TMCA), Bernard Snell, insisted the fact that a boat touched its waters was the most important thing.

He said: “It was blowing the boat all over the place and we sucked up a plastic bag so we had to stop.

“But we proved our point. We had run the boat on the canal – that is what we set out to do.”

The waterway, which links the River Thames at Gravesend to the River Medway at Strood, fell into a poor state after it was bombed during the Second World War.

Since 1976, the TMCA has worked to restore the canal back to its former glory.

The swing bridge brought back into use on Sunday took over a year to repair, according to Mr Snell, and forms just part of the work the group has been doing to maintain the route.

The work to repair the bridge was done by a team of engineers led by David Parnell.

Mr Snell said: “We wanted to raise publicity in Gravesend that the town actually has a canal because not many people who live here actually know.

“It was built when we were at war with France back in 1824, but not long after then the war ended and so there wasn’t as much use for it.”

The events formed part of an open day featuring radio-controlled model boats, photographic displays of the history of the canal and a prize draw featuring gifts donated by local businesses.

The firms included Thomas Cook, Co-operative Travel, Asda Community Life, The Woodville, the Ship and Lobster, and the Canal Tavern. It was also attended by TMCA chairman David Rouse.