Heritage Lottery Fund Grant for Montgomery Canal Restoration Project
The Shropshire Union Canal Society are pleased to announce that the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded them, in collaboration with British Waterways, a grant of £50,000 towards the costs of their latest restoration project on the Montgomery Canal.
This £101,000 project will see the restoration of the Northern Section of Crickheath Wharf, near Oswestry, on the dry section of the Montgomery Canal in Shropshire. The wharf is an important historical site, once receiving large quantities of limestone, by mineral tramway from Porth-y-waen Quarry, near Llynclys. The project will also create a picnic area linked to a new lay-by proposed by Shropshire Highways and carry out towpath improvement works, encouraging more walkers and other visitors to the area.
Commenting on the project, HLF regional manager Anne Jenkins said, “The canals are a strong part of our heritage in the West Midlands so I am pleased that work can now begin on the improvement to Montgomery Canal. It’s a unique area, once receiving large quantities of limestone, not to mention the wildlife that inhabits the waterway so it’s vital that we preserve the area for our children’s children to enjoy.”
British Waterways’ project manager for the canal restoration, Stephen Lees, welcomed the news, saying:- “This project continues the strong partnership British Waterways have had with the canal society over many years. The involvement of so many volunteers demonstrates the value put on the canal by the local community.”
Work on the project started on 4th November 2006 when over twenty volunteers from the Society made an excellent start on clearing the site of vegetation.
After a break for the winter the volunteers will then be working on the site on the first weekend of every month through much of 2007 .
On hearing news of the HLF grant Owen Paterson, M.P. for North Shropshire said, "The award of £50,000 towards the restoration of this section of the Montgomery Canal is excellent news and a great credit to the efforts of the Shropshire Union Canal Society, who have worked so hard for the Canal. I believe that this is a worthwhile use of Lottery money, which will help to make a long term contribution to the local economy by encouraging tourism and improving the environment."
The works at Crickheath form another important part of linking the canal between Maesbury, the current head of navigation and Llanymynech, where a trip boat now operates on the canal. With other works on the channel, this project will enable the re-opening of a further one and quarter miles of canal and provide a turning point for boats at the new head of navigation.
Works are scheduled to take two years, with a further year to establish the wildlife margins for which the canal is important. The Society plan to see boats re-using this section again in three years time.
This project also links in with and complements the Llanymynech Limeworks Project, led by Shropshire County Council. The Llanymynech project includes restoration of limekilns adjacent to the canal, and also seeks to develop the area as an important base for community events and education, covering local history, industrial archaeology and wildlife.
The Montgomery Canal restoration is guided by the Montgomery Canal Conservation Management Strategy. This links a wide range of interests, and is promoting the canal restoration as a tool for wider rural regeneration in the canal corridor.
Shropshire Union Canal Society recently completed a major restoration of Newhouse Lock, a £160,000 project. The lock was officially opened by Lembit Opik MP in July this year.
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