Delivery of the Society’s current restoration project on the Montgomery Canal started in 2023 and carries on from where the last project finished. Continuing southwards towards Llanymynech, this project restores the dry channel between Crickheath Bridge (bridge 85) at Crickheath Basin and Schoolhouse Bridge (bridge 86) at Long Lane, a distance of 750m. From an engineering perspective, it is simpler than the last project with no significant subsidence in evidence.
Preparatory work for this project commenced as far back as 2021 with clearance of saplings from the channel at the north end of the site during the late summer. Activity ramped up dramatically from summer 2022 with the erection of fencing around the site and the establishment of the Crickheath compound. Preparatory work culminated in January 2023 with the relocation of the Society’s welfare and storage containers. The first year (2023) included a pilot scheme to inform the detailed design and specification, notably channel dimensions and where waterproofing is required.
The project is divided into three phases as shown below. Each has its own character and unique features.
Phase 1A covers the first 180 metres of channel south from Crickheath Bridge. This runs through the village with residential properties on both banks and features a former tramway wharf on the off side. In places, the wharf wall had already been repaired or rebuilt but 2/3 of the total length (over 100m) still required repair. Volunteers from the Dry Stone Walling Association joined the Society’s volunteers to complete this work over 2023 and 2024 which included replacing a third of the large coping stones. Further details of the tramway, which ran to the canal wharf from Porthywaen Quarry, can be found on the Oswestry Borderland Heritage website here.
Phase 1B continues southwards from there through open country covering approximately half the remaining distance to Schoolhouse Bridge. Works on Phases 1A and 1B are based out of the Society’s compound at Crickheath. Phase 1A and half of Phase 1B were rewatered over winter 2024-25. The remainder of Phase 1B will be completed and rewatered in 2025. Drone footage travelling from Phase 1A to Phase 1B taken in February 2023 can be found here.
Phase 2 covers the remainder to Schoolhouse Bridge. The channel here is characterised by being in a cutting on both sides, the offside bank being rather steep in places. A wash wall will be built on the approach to the bridge and the channel requires minor realignment in this area. The works compound will relocate to a site by Schoolhouse Bridge in the second half of 2025 to deliver this phase. This compound will also be used to deliver the subsequent phase of restoration between Schoolhouse Bridge (bridge 86) and Malthouse Bridge (bridge 87).
Fuller details of progress month by month can be found in the Restoration Work Party Reports here.
Snapshots of restoration so far over time are available here.