The Montgomery Canal Photography Exhibition features the work of community photographers, as well as fascinating black and white archive pictures of the Welshpool Big Dig of 1969. The exhibition is curated by the Trust and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of a £4 million Montgomery Canal restoration project.
The Trust's community development officer for the Montgomery Canal, Sylvia Edwards, talks about the exhibitions appeal for canal enthusiasts in Shropshire.
She said: “The exhibition provides a brilliant window into a fascinating world of canal restoration with some great shots of structures and wildlife. Visitors will also be able to compare past and current canal restoration techniques employed by the hard-working, enthusiastic Shropshire Union Canal Society volunteers.”
We are 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.
The major canal restoration project is 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 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.
Opening times
The Montgomery Canal photographic exhibition will be at Oswestry Library 3- 31 January 2019. The opening times are:
Monday: 9.30am-5.00pm
Tuesday: 9.30am-5.00pm
Wednesday: 9.30am-6.00pm
Thursday: 9.30am-5.00pm
Friday: 9.30am-5.00pm
Saturday: 9.30am- 4.00pm
Sunday: Closed
