THE steady progression of restoration work on the Shropshire Union Canal has seen the working party move ahead of schedule – and members also discovered the remains of a haunted ‘ghost’ ship!
Members of the Shropshire Union Canal Society working party met in July to upgrade the towpath in the area of Crickheath Wharf, constructing a total of 32 metres, and finish off blocking and lining in what was described as a ‘heroic’ effort.
The SUCS is a registered charity run entirely by volunteers, and its restoration work focuses on opening up the dry section of the Montgomery Canal in Shropshire, linking the Welsh section with the national network. In 2023, a further 11/4 miles were opened up to navigation. Two miles remain, and the Crickheath South project to restore a further half-mile is well under way.
The Crickheath South project is split into three phases, designated 1A, 1B and 2. 1A focuses on 180 metres of channel south from Crickheath Bridge, where the wharf wall has already been repaired or rebuilt in places, but two-thirds of the total length still requires work, while 1B continues southwards through open country covering about half of the remaining distance to Schoolhouse Bridge. Phase 2 covers the remainder.
“Due to the extremely wet winter and high ground water levels, works at the north end of the site by Crickheath Wharf have been delayed,” said a SUCS spokesperson. “To ensure all necessary work is completed before this section fills with water again, a contractor was engaged to profile the channel. Society volunteers continued the job during the work party and enormous progress has now been made.
“Work to upgrade the towpath in this area has also started. Last year, thanks to a generous grant from the Oswestry Rural Parish Council, the towpath was improved from a muddy slip and trip hazard to a hard surface.
“Now, as heavy plant operations conclude in much of this area, the finished-spec towpath can be constructed without fear of damage by the heavier works. During this work party, a total of 32 metres of towpath was constructed.
“Phase 1B also saw tremendous progress with towpath construction completed, construction of a temporary dam at the north end of the section and, with a heroic effort on the Saturday, lining and blocking finished by close of play.
“Thanks to all the volunteers who pulled out all the stops to achieve this on a wet and muddy site.”
And there was a surprise for the working party in July, when the remains of a ‘ghost boat’ were unearthed. “A local resident, Roy, advises the boat was reputedly haunted after the owner was killed by a guillotine lock,” said the spokesperson. “No one else wished to operate the boat and it was eventually abandoned at the south end of Crickheath Wharf.”
Over the years, a wide variety of enhancement and restoration activities have been undertaken by the society, from towpath and mooring improvements to rebuilding locks and restoring a disused channel. Restoration of the Montgomery Canal between Pryces Bridge and Crickheath Basin, which took seven years and added a further 1¼ miles of navigation to the national network, was completed in 2022.
A further two miles of dry channel restoration remains before the restored canal at Llanymynech is reached; for the first time in more than 100 years, it will be possible to navigate from the national network to the Montgomery Canal in Wales.
