Our Ellesmere-based enhancement group, now in its second year, has racked up over 300 hours of volunteer effort on the Llangollen Canal during 2024. A wide variety of light maintenance and improvement activities have been undertaken, both on and off the water, along our allotted length from Ellesmere Yard to Bridge 55. It is amazing what has been achieved by six hours or so of effort on one Saturday a month!
Activity in the early months on the year was concentrated on the Canal and River Trust-owned fields adjacent to Ellesmere Yard. Some 350 trees were planted in the margins of the fields. These will eventually act as a visual barrier and as a nature habitat. Two large areas were seeded with wild flowers. To provide an improved access to this area, three stiles were constructed.
In March, we got the good news that our application to the Tesco Stronger Scheme for funding had been successful. Our project (‘Enhancing Ellesmere’s Canal’) ended up top of the customer vote in the Tesco Ellesmere store which is located, appropriately, at the end of the Ellesmere Arm. As a result, we won £1,500, this money being spent on hand tools and, as will be seen, training for our volunteers. We were allowed to advertise our participation in the Tesco scheme and made copious use of our social media channels to target the Ellesmere area with information about our participation and the voting process in the Tesco store. It worked, so well done to our social media team.
Good weather in May and June was ideal for work to renovate the benches and picnic tables along the length from Ellesmere toward Hampton Bank. These items were, of course, originally installed by the Society twenty odd years ago and all benefited from cleaning and several coats of paint.
The July work party saw the Society’s volunteers start a much-needed programme of offside vegetation clearance in the Ellesmere area. The work was to be done using a workboat kindly loaned by Canal and River Trust and which was to be steered by a Society member. As preparation for this venture three Society volunteers successfully undertook training for the Royal Yachting Association Helmsman certificate. The training, funded from the Tesco money, was undertaken by another Ellesmere-based charity, the Lyneal Trust. The training day was not without excitement. Everything came to a halt whilst cows were removed from the canal and restored to safety on dry land. We are very grateful for the help from both Lyneal Trust and Canal and River Trust in making this training possible.
With the helmsmen training, documentation and insurance requirements sorted out, the actual work afloat started in July. During the next four months, a colossal quantity of brash was cut back and transported to the canal-side tip near Bridge 56 including that from a number of pinch points in the channel. Boaters will be glad to know that the hitherto notorious ‘narrows’ caused by fallen trees near Bridge 56 is no more! It is very heartening that nearly every passing boater thanks us for our work.
The year’s programme of work concluded by ensuring that the Ellesmere Arm towpath was spick and span and the much used waterside furniture on the Arm was given a coat of paint.
Plans for next year? In an attempt to try to balance needs of boaters and walkers we hope next year to include towpath repairs outside the central Ellesmere area in our work, so benefiting the many towpath users in the ‘Shropshire Lake District’.
