Monty work parties start year on a high note
PREPARATION for the new season made great progress as volunteers arrived for the first Shropshire Union Canal Society work party of the year on the Montgomery Canal.
Restoration project manager Tom Fulda said: “The design is finalised and there is real momentum. The channel in Phase 1B was sufficiently dry to make a start on final profiling of the banks and for the channel bed to be graded to correct depth.
“Waterproofing – lining and blocking – which is required in this section, will commence in early spring.”
He explained: “The rain since the last work party has been almost continuous so the channel in Phase 1A, by the tramway wharf, was literally full to overflowing and volunteers arrived to find an overflow from the channel running through the compound gate under the welfare container and out the other side. Thankfully, the deluges had stopped a week before.”
Hedge laying occupied most volunteers and this continued along the towpath southwards from Phase 1B, where the shaping was also taking place, to a section into Phase 2, further down the canal towards Schoolhouse Bridge.
A total of 36m was laid with further clearance and preparation of the area beyond. With authorisation from the Canal & River Trust ecologist, a start was also made on clearing piles of brash from the channel at the north end of Phase 2.
On the Friday and Saturday, a handful of volunteers concluded the pump installation work that was started last work party at Redwith newt ponds, which were originally created some years ago and are now requiring a little TLC.
If you want to get involved, just go to www.shropshireunion.org. uk – you’ll be surprised at the many ways you can help.