Volunteers chip in with Montgomery Canal clear-up - video and pictures

The £4.2 million project will be a major leap forward in the restoration of the Montgomery Canal, which has seen about half of the 33 miles brought back in use.

The canal, which runs from just outside Ellesmere, past Oswestry and across the Welsh border through Welshpool to Newtown, won a £2.53m Heritage Lottery grant to reopen a mile-and-a-quarter stretch of canal in the Pant and Llanymynech area.

[gallery order="DESC"]

At the weekend, members of the Waterway Recovery Group, part of The Inland Waterways Association (IWA), worked on a disused railway embankment which blocks the canal.

Michael Limbrey, chairman of the Shrewsbury District & North Wales branch of the IWA, said the weekend had proved "very successful".

He said: "A lot has been achieved this weekend, the volunteers worked extremely hard felling trees from the embankment and making sure access to the canal itself was clear of trees, ready for when the machines remove the embankment.

"This weekend also saw volunteers of Shropshire Union Canal Society continue their work on the canal at Redwith, preparing for next month's start of the Heritage Lottery Fund-supported project to reopen the canal to Crickheath Wharf where boats can turn."

Ahead of the weekend, Mr Limbrey said it was the biggest Waterway Recovery Group party to visit the Montgomery Canal for some time.

Mr Limbrey said once that work is complete there will be just two miles of dry canal to Llanymynech, including the railway embankment.

He also said the work completed this weekend, improved access on the towpath, which is popular with local walkers.

"As well as benefitting walkers in the area, it will also be useful for those taking part in the triathlon in May," he said.

Mr Limbrey said the popular, annual Montgomery Canal Triathlon, taking place on May 6, was already a quarter booked up.