A busy Montgomery Canal Forum heard news of projects great and small contributing to the restoration of the Montgomery Canal in Shropshire and Mid Wales.
The Forum is organised and run by the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust and this year it saw a return to the premises of Aico in Oswestry.
Three presentations followed an enthusiastic opening by local Shropshire Councillor Andy Davis who lives near the canal.
The first was an update from Michael Limbrey, Chairman of the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust, who described the Montgomery Canal a Canal for All, not limited to one interest group but offering recreation, tourism, boating, nature conservation, heritage and volunteering.
He highlighted the achievements of work parties of the Shropshire Union Canal Society with record volunteer numbers, including teams from local businesses, reinstating the canal channel after decades of dereliction. Historic structures had been repaired at Dolfor Lock, near Newtown, and at Aston Locks, near Queen’s Head, Oswestry. The Canal & River Trust Welshpool volunteer work party, TRAMPS, had undertaken renovations at Garthmyl and Brynderwen.
Michael reminded the Forum of boat trips at Welshpool, run by the Heulwen Trust, but said that trips at Llanymynech (run by a section of the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust) are suspended this year due to low water levels. The visitor centre remains open at weekends as usual.
Issues for consideration included the possibility that Welshpool’s historic lock gates and paddlegear, currently at Stoke Bruerne Waterway Museum, Northants, could be returned to the Montgomery Canal and the suggestion that the boaters’ service block at Maesbury may be closed.
Michael finished by thanking everyone who had contributed to Restore the Montgomery Canal! appeals which had been supported by donors across the country. Planning is now under way, he said, for another important volunteer-led project which can be expected to lead to a new appeal later in the year.
The main presentation was from Jason Leach, Head of Externally Funded Operations for the Canal & River Trust, the canal owners. Jason started by showing that their canals attracted 10.3 million visitors across England and Wales. He explained that five years ago there had been a UK Government grant of £15.4 million for two bridges, two canalside nature reserves and a dredging plan to restore habitats for legally-protected species creating an open channel with benefits for wildlife and visitors.
The first of the two reserves was completed last year and work on the second should start soon. In protecting rare plants the Canal & River Trust ecologists work with Natural Resources Wales and the British Rare Plants Nursery, Builth Wells, and the National Botanic Gardens of Wales. The Canal & River Trust already has successful experience in plant conservation on the Rochdale Canal.
Following these projects the Canal & River Trust is to submit a bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for restoration works to the substantial and historic aqueduct over the River Vyrnwy. If the bid succeeds repairs could start next spring and take a couple of years.
Since 2000, Jason said, the canal had had the benefit of biodiversity funding totalling £1,168,000, including specific funding to remove invasive weeds this summer. The Canal & River Trust were now looking for funding to restore the Vyrnwy Aqueduct and to remove the final trunk road obstructions at Maerdy and Arddleen, on the way to Welshpool.
Jason concluded with the economic benefits of restoring the Canal: job creation and increased visitor spend, enhanced ecology of the canal corridor, volunteer effort, improved physical and mental health and well-being, increased community amenity, more canoeing and paddleboarding and protection of the canal’s 128 listed structures which would enable council policy objectives and could bring Government grants to Mid-Wales.
“The benefits of a fully restored and accessible canal will need a mix of water (powered and unpowered) and towpath uses to ensure the long-term future economic and environmental viability of the canal,” he said.
The final presentation was from Graham Mitchell of Oswestry Borderland Tourism, an independent, volunteer-led, not-for-profit organisation for Oswestry and the Welsh Borderlands, which recently received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service. After outlining what his organisation does and how it helps local tourism, he set out the opportunities for the borderlands as a visitor destination with the Montgomery and Llangollen Canals running through the area.
After the Forum Michael Limbrey said: “We were pleased that the Forum was attended by so many council representatives, canal supporters and members of the public. The three presentations underlined the range of projects on the canal: the Government funded works in Powys extending the canal from the border at Llanymynech, the volunteer works restoring the channel in Shropshire, and other projects to conserve canal-age structures. Particularly notable is the continuing and substantial investment under the canal’s unique Conservation Management Strategy to protect valued flora and fauna.
“The Montgomery Canal restoration is one of the country’s leading canal projects and with a substantial investment of grants, private donations and volunteer time over the years is creating opportunities for tourism, local communities and businesses. It will be very exciting to see the next stages of the restoration come to completion.”
To see two of the presentations made at the Montgomery Canal Forum, please see below.