NEW MILEPOSTS FOR THE MONTGOMERY CANAL
2nd April 2006
Two new mileposts were placed on the Montgomery Canal on Sunday 2nd April
as part of the program of the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust to
restore these historic features of the waterway scene.
The first was installed south of Sweeps Bridge (Bridge 122).
The second milepost approx.100 yards south of Wernllwyd Bridge (Bridge 124) which is north of Brithdir Lock (behind the Horseshoe Inn).
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The mileposts have been donated by Trust Chairman Michael Limbrey and his
mother Peggy and Inland Waterways Association Shrewsbury, District and North
Wales branch Chairman Alan Platt. They were unveiled by Martin Grundy, a
Vice-President of the Inland Waterways Association, who first visited the
Montgomery Canal nearly 60 years ago.
Trust Chairman Michael Limbrey said, "These traditional cast iron mileposts
tell approaching boaters the distances to the end of the canal at Newtown and
its junction with the Llangollen Canal at Welsh Frankton near Ellesmere. The
first milepost was unveiled at Welsh Frankton by local MP John Biffen over 20
years ago and now we are placing two on the length south of Welshpool which was
reopened in 1996.
"The mileposts of course are only part of the huge effort that has gone into
the restoration of this 35-mile canal over many years. Volunteers have come
from all over the country and abroad to work on locks and other canal
structures. There have also been major projects starting with the restoration
of the Prince of Wales' length, restored with donations from the Variety Club
of Great Britain and other sources, and other major projects funded by local
authorities with assistance from UK and European regional funds.
"Now we have restored half the canal and are looking at the next steps. These
are set out in a new Strategy which was launched in the Welsh Assembly and the
House of Commons last month. The Strategy forms the basis for our application
to the Living Landmarks lottery fund: we hope to hear later in April that the
bid has gone forward to the next stage of assessment."
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Contact –
Michael Limbrey, Chairman, Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust
Greenfields, Weston Lane, Oswestry, Salop. ( (day) 01743 350571; (home)
01691 654081
The Event:
The event started around 12 noon at Sweeps Bridge (Bridge 122) Grid reference SJ
215 051 when the first milepost (Michael and Peggy Limbrey) was unveiled.
This milepost is to record 40 years of enjoyment of canals by the Limbrey
family. Michael Limbrey has been Chairman of Montgomery Waterway Restoration
Trust since 1997 and was awarded the MBE in 2003.
The second milepost is 100 yards north of Brithdir Lock (which
itself is behind the Horseshoe Inn) at Grid reference SJ 202 027: the unveiling
of the milepost took place at about 12.30pm. This milepost was placed
beside the canal by Alan Platt in memory of his wife Louisa who died in 2002.
Alan has a narrowboat on the Shropshire Union main line and has been Chairman
of the Shrewsbury, District and North Wales branch of the Inland Waterways
Association since 2005.
Martin Grundy is a retired District Judge and Recorder who as a teenager in
1944 canoed across Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. In 1949 the Grundy family in their
cruiser Heron travelled with IWA founder Tom Rolt to Llangollen, a trip which
had been impossible the year before due to the derelict nature of the canal.
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