Canal photo exhibition to launch
Curated by Glandŵr Cymru, the Canal & River Trust charity in Wales, as part of a £4 million Montgomery Canal restoration project, the exhibition features the work of dozens of community photographers, as well as fascinating black and white archive pictures of the Welshpool Big Dig of 1969.
The Trust, which cares for the Montgomery Canal and 2,000 miles of waterways, is currently working on a major project to restore a section of the Montgomery on the Shropshire/Welsh border, which is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
At the launch event, 3pm-7pm, the Trust’s Montgomery Canal community development officer Sylvia Edwards will be on hand to provide the latest updates to visitors about the project and the ground-breaking work to create new nature reserve ponds next to Aston Locks.
Sylvia said: “This exhibition is a great opportunity to view different aspects of the Montgomery Canal through the eyes of people of all ages.
“The canal is currently going through a fascinating period of change and development and we would be delighted to hear what people think. We first hosted a community photographic exhibition last year and the feedback was so positive that we’re delighted to return with an even bigger collection this autumn.”
The canal restoration project is being funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s Freshwater First ERDF Programme, supported by the Montgomery Canal Partnership, and delivered by the Canal & River Trust. Only around half of the canal is currently navigable but, with the help of the Shropshire Union Canal Society and other volunteers, this latest major phase should be completed by 2020.
Work is progressing well on upgrading nearly five miles of towpath, restoring 1¼ miles of the canal to navigation from Maesbury to Crickheath and creating a dedicated turning point for narrowboats, known as a ‘winding hole’. This will enable boats to return to the area for the first time since 1936 when the canal was closed.
The Montgomery Canal photographic exhibition will be at Powysland Museum, Canal Wharf, Welshpool, until mid-December before it goes on tour. Opening hours are weekdays: 11am-1pm and 2pm-5pm; Saturday 11am-2pm.
For more information about the Montgomery Canal, becoming a Friend of the Canal & River Trust or supporting canal restoration, go online at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk or phone 0303 040 4040.
If you would like to support the wider restoration effort of the Montgomery Canal, go to http://restorethemontgomerycanal.uk/
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