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In March 1955 the Board of Survey reported and recommended the disposal of 771 miles of waterway including some canals like the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the Barnsley Canal that had already been abandoned and closed to traffic. These "Group 3" waterways also included the Ashton, Peak Forest, Macclesfield, Bridgwater and Taunton, Chesterfield, Cromford, Dearne and Dove, Erewash, Forth & Clyde, Grand Western, Grantham, Kennet & Avon, Lancaster, Manchester, Bolton & Bury, Monmouthshire & Brecon, Nottingham, Oxford (southern section), Pocklington, Ripon, Llangollen, Montgomery, Stratford-upon-Avon (southern section), Swansea and Edinburgh & Glasgow Union canals as well as the River Witham.
In response IWA advocate a National Waterway Conservancy to look after all our waterways and point out that it is cheaper to restore and use waterways than to eliminate them.
The Shropshire Union Canal Society was founded in 1964 to promote all parts of the Shropshire Union system and particulaly the Montgomery Canal.
In 1973 support for the Montgomery Canal restoration came from the Prince of Wales Committee.
The much delayed restoration of the Montgomery Canal was started in 1978.
In 1979 restoration work continued on the Montgomery Canal.
The Montgomery Waterway Trust was formed in 1980 and and was visited by the Prince of Wales, whose Committee was to play a major part in the restoration of the Montgomery Canal.
The Top Lock at Frankton, on the Montgomery Canal, was restored and the top gate ceremonially hung by John Biffen, Secertary of State for Trade.
In September 1987 the first boat passed through the restored Frankton Locks on the Montgomery Canal, see photograph by Waterway Images.
IWA lauched an appeal in 1993 for the Ashton Nature Reserve on the Montgomery Canal which had to be built before the Ashton Locks could be reopened.
In 1995 another mile and a half of the Montgomery Canal was reopened below Frankton Locks.
The National Trailboat Festival was held near Welshpool in 1996 and another stretch of the canal was opened to the Queens Head.
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