crickheath

The canal campaigners who refused to let the Monty run dry

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Mark Lancaster

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June 12, 2026

Sixty years after a last-ditch meeting in a Newport hotel, the Shropshire Union Canal Society is still fighting for the waterways of the historic Shropshire Union network – turning threatened closures into volunteer-powered restorations and keeping up the pressure to bridge the final ‘Shropshire Gap.’ THE Shropshire Union Canal Society (SUCS) began life on Wednesday,…
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Shropshire Union Canal Society – June 2026 work party report

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Web Editor

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June 11, 2026

A very busy work party. 5 days, record volunteer numbers (again), multiple different activities. Apologies if this report is a little longer than normal. “June was the second successive work party with two days of preparation before the main work party started on Friday. And once again, two full days of profiling the channel was…
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A frosty finale – but ending the year with a warm glow

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Web Editor

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December 22, 2023

“FROSTBITE! – thankfully not,” said Tom Fulda, Shropshire Union Canal Society restoration project manager at Crickheath South on the Montgomery Canal. “But winter certainly arrived for the December work party with heavy frost and cloudless skies on the Friday and Saturday followed by snow and mist on Sunday. Nevertheless, there is much to report,” he…
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Traditional skills revive tramway wharf

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Web Editor

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December 1, 2023

IN A world stuffed with technology it’s great to see that traditional skills and methods are still being used to great effect. This is true at Grinshill Stone Quarry where masons are dressing large coping IN A world stuffed with technology it’s great to see that traditional skills and methods are still being used to…
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More good news for the Monty Canal!

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Web Editor

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July 27, 2023

THE Shropshire Union Canal Society has received a £14,600 restoration grant from the Association for Industrial Archaeology towards the cost of restoring the historic tramway wharf on the Montgomery Canal at Crickheath. It was the terminus of a 2½ mile horse-drawn tramway from the limestone quarry at Porth-y-waen. Built by navvies during the construction of…
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Boats and beer celebration

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Web Editor

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July 15, 2023

THE final chapter of the latest restoration project on the Montgomery Canal south of Crickheath Bridge near Oswestry was enacted on Saturday, June 2. Another 700m has now been restored, to advance the restoration towards Llanymynech, including a Winding Hole at Crickheath which enables boats to turn round there. This section is now in water…
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More good news for the Monty Canal

by

Phil Pickin

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July 11, 2023

Association of Industrial Archaeology awards grant for tramway wharf restoration The Shropshire Union Canal Society gratefully acknowledges the support of a £14,600 restoration grant from the Association for Industrial Archaeology towards the cost of restoring the historic tramway wharf on the canal at Crickheath. The canal wharf was the terminal of a 2½ mile horse-drawn…
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Montgomery Canal Forum

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Mark Lancaster

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June 14, 2023

Wednesday 21 June 2023 New restoration projects – benefits of the reopened canal – plans for the future This year’s Montgomery Canal Forum will be hosted at the Aico Centre of Excellence, Maesbury Road, Oswestry SY10 8NR, a short distance from the canal, on Wednesday, 21 June 2023, at 2.30 pm. The Forum follows Presentations…
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First work boat on the Monty for decades

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Web Editor

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December 10, 2022

SHROPSHIRE Union Canal volunteers saw the fruition of seven years of toil on arrival at the first work party in November. The Canal and River Trust had commissioned a dredger and barge which, after some very tight manoeuvres to get them on site, were eventually craned into the 600 metres of restored channel on the…
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Machines move mountains

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Mark Lancaster

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December 3, 2021

SHROPSHIRE Union Canal volunteers have been continuing with the restoration of the 330m dry section of the Montgomery Canal at Crickheath. The second work party in October was almost totally machine based with the major job being the continuation of reducing the width of a 70m section of the channel at the eastern end of…
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