Volunteers brave freezing temperatures to continue restoration work on Montgomery canal

Severe cold weather in the days before and during the Shropshire Union Canal Society's most recent work party resulted in frozen ground, a frozen channel and plenty of black ice. 

As a result, some planned activities such as hedge planting and hedge laying were therefore postponed. But, with extensive vegetation clearance also planned, the perfect opportunity arose for volunteers to keep warm.

Aided by the desire to keep toasty, the felling rate was described as "relentless" with "heroic efforts by relays of volunteers" to haul the material along the towpath to a bonfire site.

Tom Fulda, restoration project manager, said: "Work is progressing rapidly, and we expect to relocate from the Crickheath compound to a compound site by Schoolhouse Bridge later this year." 

As well as channel clearance, work was taking place to improve access from the current compound for larger delivery vehicles - with a ramp from the road being "substantially improved by widening and reducing the gradient".

"A further 80 metres of channel, continuing on from the areas completed last year, requires lining and profiling the channel in this area was started. Once the thick crust of frozen ground was broken through this proved relatively straightforward," Tom added.

"Just before Christmas, the stop planks at Crickheath Bridge were cracked open allowing the water level in phase 1A by Crickheath Wharf to equalize with the navigable waterway at Crickheath Basin. 

"Thick ice covering the channel provided some attractive photo opportunities but prevented making the pipe connection between phase 1A and the isolated 1B (which has already been largely filled with rainwater). This job that will now have to wait to a future date."