Narrowboats return to Shropshire border canal after 80 years

It has taken volunteers six years to restore 450 metres of the Montgomery Canal, and their achievement was celebrated in style when some of those who have spend thousands of hours working on the project were given permission to cruise up the re-watered stretch before its official opening to the public. They spent Saturday along the section between Redwith Bridge and Pryces Bridge near Llynclys.

They included project manager Mike Friend and his wife Jan, who were both involved in the project from the beginning 10 years ago.

The past six years have seen them join monthly weekend work parties on the short stretch. "The volunteers have been incredible," Mrs Friend said. "They have come from all over, including a man now in his 80s, who travels up from Pembrokeshire. The highlight of the project for me has been the people we have met over the years."

Water was let in to the restored channel over four days, the culmination of the £44,000 project.

Mr Friend said: "The project has been a pioneering exercise in that the canal has been lined with a revolutionary high-tech, geo-textile membrane to make it watertight. We have built a towpath wall for the whole length and restored the towpath. A 100m retaining wall also had to be built."

Mike and Jan's narrowboat, aptly named The Monty, joined others making the first trip on the re-watered stretch of canal since 1935.

The canal will be officially opened by the Canal and Rivers Trust this year.