RESTORATION work on a section of the Montgomery Canal near Oswestry has been completed.
The restoration of the Tramway Wharf Wall at Crickheath, between Llynclys and Llanymynech, is now complete, having started in April last year.
The Shropshire Union Canal Society has had support from members of the Dry Stone Walling Association.
“There have been plenty of challenges along the way, not least from the condition of the wall but most notably from a site that steadfastly remained under water much longer than expected due to the extraordinarily wet winter,” said a spokesperson for the Shropshire Union Canal Society.
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“But by Saturday teatime, the remaining 15 metres of copings had been placed. A big thank you to all the wallers and volunteers who have helped. The result looks impressive.
“On Friday, we were joined by nine corporate volunteers from Practice Plan in Oswestry. With careful direction they undertook valuable vegetation clearance work around recently planted hedging whips.
“With the society’s regular volunteers fully occupied with channel and towpath restoration activities, this was an enormous help.”
It is 227 years since the wharf was originally built. Despite deep mud in the bed of the channel, the area where the remaining copings had been placed has now been profiled, the banks above the wharf wall have been tidied along the full length and the channel bed has been flattened down to grade.
Profiling the channel is now all but complete. The southern end is ready for lining and blocking; and the northern end does not require waterproofing.
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Whilst plant operations in the channel were underway, other volunteers worked on the towpath in another area and great progress has been made.
A further 60 metres was completed, adding to the 40 metres previously constructed. The final wear course of quarry dust will be applied once the entire length has been constructed.
Finally, as has been traditional, a current year coin – a 2024 King Charles III 50p – has been hidden somewhere in the repaired wall. The location will remain secret until it may be found by future restorers.
The society is always looking for new volunteers and members; visit shropshireunion.org.uk for more details.
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