Dig to reveal history of Shropshire canal
A canal wharf in Shropshire could give up its historic secrets in a Time Team-style archaeological dig later this month.
The Montgomery Canal wharf, smelting house and bone manure works at Maesbury Marsh, near Oswestry, will be the focus for the historic project organised by the Canal & River Trust.
Experts, who have already started inspecting the site, say they may not only discover more about the 18th century remains but even find prehistoric remains.
Working with specialists from Nexus Heritage, the trust is hoping to attract dozens of amateur, archaeologists to take part in an excavation of the important historical canal site from April 21- 26.
Members of the public can also inspect the hard work at a special open day on April 25 from 11am-3pm when visitors will be able to speak to the archaeologists and see what treasures have been unearthed.
The excavation, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, is a stepping stone in the £6 million project to restore the Montgomery Canal and will be focused on a small area next to the Navigation Inn.
During the dig, archaeologists are keen to discover more about the 18th century canal wharf and smelting house, and a 19th century bone manure works.
Kate Churchill, principal archaeologist with Nexus Heritage, said: "We are hoping to find out what remains of these industries and what they can tell us about the people who lived and worked there. Previous excavations in the area have also unearthed prehistoric tools."
