Protesters out in force over Shropshire and Mid Wales pylon plans

The protest was held at the British Ironworks Centre near Oswestry against the National Grid's proposed Mid Wales Connection Project, which will see power generated by five planned wind farms carried by overhead and underground cables through the region's countryside.

The connection would meet up with the national supply at Welsh Frankton, near Oswestry, but the current planned route will see the pylons cut across the sculpture park being created at the British Ironworks Centre.

Clive Knowles, owner of the British Ironworks Centre, said people from across the country joined in with the protest yesterday alongside vehicles from the Shropshire Military Vehicles Association.

"We've had an amazing turnout with up to 300 people - I stopped counting after we reached 200," he said. "We had people bringing their own pickets. It's been quite unexpected and an amazing amount of support.

"A stunning turnout and they were all so vocal and marvellous. We've shouted ourselves hoarse."

Mr Knowles said he hoped the turnout would show National Grid the strength of feeling over its plans to erect large pylons through Shropshire while being willing to run cabling underground through the Meifod Valley in Powys.

He said: "National Grid came to see us last week and I really believe they took on board that they can't blight the sculpture park and it has a value to Shropshire. I hope they will be coming back with some alternative solutions either to go further south, still on our land but out of view of the public, or to go underground.

"We have Shropshire's latest tourist attraction here and we're very worried about this. You can't spend millions of pounds only for someone to then ride roughshot across it.

"We have something unique here that is in danger of being destroyed."