Returning the Stolen Water involved ice keys created with water ‘stolen’ from the Worcester Bar.

They were released back into the water from a barge, as part of an event involving a sound tape relating past and recent histories of the site. The freezing process took 3 months, the melting process took 3.5 minutes.

The Worcester Bar was the site of a dispute between two canal companies, who accused each other of stealing water. They created a dam to keep their water to themselves, resulting in goods having to be manhandled over the barrier. The goods often were ‘lost’ in this process.