Shrewsbury & Newport Canals

The aim is to open a site to the west of the Berwick Tunnel as a local attraction, restoring the tunnel portal and adjacent lengthsman’s hut and creating an accessible path along both sides of the canal to make a circular walk. This will hopefully raise awareness of the canal and gain support for the eventual reopening to navigation. Also, the south portal has been worked on to open the towpath from the Uffington Road, through Widow’s Bridge up to the portal.

Wappenshall Wharf

This is the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust’s “Flagship” project. It will see two fine Grade II Listed warehouses restored to become a visitor centre, with a quality café and the East basin re-watered. There will be space for local businesses and the community to meet, plus numerous special events. Funds raised from the café and from paying visitors will be used to then restore the canals themselves.

Newport

The Trust has already carried out work at Forton Aqueduct east of Newport, with the short-term target of re-watering this length. The medium term goal is to reopen the canal from Norbury to Newport. Work has also taken place on the Newport section that is still in water. This project has seen volunteers building a new bridge at Meretown, preparing the canal bed and towpath to extend the watered section to the A41 in readiness to restore the canal under this road to connect with the Forton section.