Montgomery Canal

There is undoubted potential on the Montgomery Canal. Wales & Border Counties waterwasy will continue to work alongside our partners to achieve the full restoration of this picturesque canal. As a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the canal is vital to its natural communities, supporting rare and interesting aquatic plants and invertebrate species.

To date, the successful Montgomery Canal Partnership has completed almost half of the much needed restoration work. Our plans for the canal will not only enhance its physical and environmental assets, but also balance the needs for increased levels of navigation. We are driving forward this collaborative project, to deliver a 34-mile linear country water park for the enjoyment of both tourists and the wider community.

The first phase of the proposed restoration is likely to cost £45 million and is a vital part of a 10-year programme to connect the navigable section of the Montgomery Canal in England, which currently ends just south of Maesbury Marsh, with the 11-mile section of canal around Welshpool that is currently in water but isolated.

The project will involve the restoration of four miles of dry channel in England and another four miles in Wales, currently blocked by major road crossings. Several major historic structures will also be renovated and access to the canal improved. Ultimately creating a 26 mile channel, stretching from the junction with the busy Llangollen Canal at Frankton Locks, to the existing end of navigation at Refail, south of Welshpool.

Montgomery Canal Partnership
British Waterways
Cadw
Countryside Council for Wales
English Heritage
English Nature
Environment Agency
Inland Waterways Association
Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust
Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust
Oswestry Borough Council
Powys County Council
Royal Commission on Historic and Ancient Monuments in Wales
Shropshire County Council
Shropshire Union Canal Society
Shropshire Wildlife Trust