Shrewsbury & North Wales Branch

Welcome to the branch area which includes two World Heritage Sites. One straddles two countries and includes the the highest navigable aqueduct ever built. The other includes the world's first cast iron bridge.

 

It was great to meet 50 walkers on 7 January for our exploration of the Shrewsbury Canal and River Severn ..... also see right >

Forthcoming Events in 2012

Check what's on offer by scrolling down to EVENTS on this page.

 

FIRE ON WATER

Make a bold diary note to join us at the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on 30 May 2012 to see the Olympic torch cross the aqueduct on a hand drawn narrow boat.

Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games said: “We are thrilled to confirm that the Olympic Flame will be visiting the famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct as part of its journey around the UK."

Click here to find out more about the top end of the superb Llangollen Canal.

Restoration in progress - watch videos

Volunteers from the Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) of the Inland Waterways Association returned to a derelict section of the Montgomery Canal to continue its restoration with four week-long work camps, ending 3 September 2011. The site is between bridges 84 and 85, east of Crickheath Wharf between Redwith and Llynclys.

Three Videos

Take a look at our videos to see what's been achieved and then take a walk along the towpath to see the work for yourself.

 

 

I W A L K

Twenty-five canal enthusiasts joined IWAlk, the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) sponsored walk organised by the Shrewsbury, District and North Wales branch along the towpath of the Montgomery Canal in August 2011,  Proceeds will be  divided between IWA National Campaign for Inglesham Lock (the gateway to the Cotswold canals restoration)  and pre-funding Maesbury Festival 2012. 

One summer day, four waterway venues, and two world firsts

- our DAY OUT in east Shropshire

Members boarded the mc Hafren to cruise the River Severn beneath the world's first cast iron bridge, then lunched at the Bucks Head before walking over the world's first cast iron aqueduct at nearby Longdon-on-Tern.

Watch a video of our cruise.

Our busy day concluded at Wappenshall Wharf where members of the Shrewsbury & Newport Canal Trust gave us a guided tour of the historic warehouses.

Watch a video of our tour of the Longdon aqueduct.

Join us

If you enjoy reading these pages and are not an IWA member please consider joining fellow enthusiasts and take a look at our membership options available.

Did you make it to the Waterways Festival, 2011?

Our Branch had a display stand at the excellent IWA Waterways Festival at Burton upon Trent, 29 - 31 July 2011, alongside about 250 exhibitors and some 350 boats, tightly packed along the Trent and Mersey Canal.

If you didn't get there, you can take a look at some of what you missed in a short video by clicking this link.

 

MONTGOMERY CANAL GRANT APPLICATIONS

The 2011 annual Montgomery Canal Forum featured an update on major funding possibilities. Alex Ball of British Waterways, who is 4 months into a 12 month contract to prepare funding bids, said she was preparing bids totalling £2.7 million to build more nature reserves on the English and Welsh sides of the border and the subsequent channel restorations in the same areas. These bids will be lodged by February 2012 and, if successful, the resulting monies could be available in 2013.

Commenting on the additional nature reserves, a Shropshire Councillor said he couldn't understand why something which is not maintained at present is to be planted up and allowed time to establish, thus requiring on-going maintenance costs, before any more canal restoration is undertaken which would allow economic benefts to be realised in the area.

Julie Sharman of British Waterways said the Llangollen Canal has around 15,000 boat movements a year and it was anticipated that a restored Montgomery would attract around 7000 bm/yr which equates to the number of nature reserves in the plans.

Simon Paprill of Oldham Council, spoke of the successful restorations of the Rochdale and Huddersfield Narrow Canals. Huge obstacles had been overcome including a supermarket on the line of the canal. . Boat movements of around 400/year are relatively few because of the heavily locked nature of both waterways but the wider benefits of the regeneration of the area and successful partnerships had carried these projects to fruition.

 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

 

Check out the heritage treats enjoyed by members attending our 2011 Branch AGM by using the left hand navigation column.

 

CAN YOU HELP?
We need a volunteer to take our Branch display boards to libraries and museums.
For more details please contact us by clicking here.

 

 

 

PLAN YOUR OWN WALK

Click one of the Towpath Walks listed in the left hand navigation column and download the details to make an excursion at your own convenience.

 

GET INVOLVED

Take a look at the forthcoming events in our area (listed below on this page) and check your diary to see if you can get along to some of them. Members of our Branch committee will be at each event and would very much welcome the chance to meet face-to-face with other IWA members and enthusiasts.

 

Shrewsbury's busy river scene

... venue for our IWA WINTER WALK 2012

 

Once a flourishing river port and also a canal terminus but today, although Shrewsbury is no longer on any canal maps, the town does still boast a very busy river scene.

 

Click for details

 

If you would like more information about any waterways matters in our area

OR

if you can send us reports and pictures of waterways activities

do please contact us