Major financial boost for historic canal restoration project
A bid to open up a canal's historic working yard to the public has received a huge financial boost.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
The Canal & Rivers Trust has been looking to revive the Ellesmere Yard on the Llangollen Canal, in Ellesmere.
The project has now received £409,933 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, alongside backing from Historic England and Shropshire Council’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
The money will allow the Canal & River Trust charity to develop plans and a funding bid, which could see the site become a home for more independent craftspeople, as well as a visitor destination alongside its role as a working canal maintenance yard.
The charity's ambitions require much-needed investment in the historic buildings on site.
Ellesmere Yard was built in 1806.
It is an important operational base for the Canal & River Trust and was the office and workshops of the Ellesmere Canal Company.
It is considered a rare example of a historic purpose-built canal maintenance yard and gives a sense of ‘stepping back in time’.
Kathryn Woodroffe, project manager, at the Canal & River Trust said: “Ellesmere Yard is a site steeped in history, having played a central role in the development of the area for over two centuries.
"It remains an active and vital canal maintenance yard, one of the oldest still in operation.
"We are thrilled to explore new ways these unique buildings can continue to serve the maintenance needs of the canal whilst also being repurposed to support and enrich the local community, ensuring that Ellesmere Yard continues to be a cornerstone of our heritage and future.”
Louise Brennan, Historic England regional director for the Midlands, said: “We’re so pleased to able to help fund the works at Ellesmere Yard. It played a vital role in the development of the area, and the refurbishment will ensure that it continues to have a central role in the community for years to come – full steam ahead!”
The trust said that over the next 12 months it will use the Heritage Fund to carry out important assessments of the site, including heritage, architectural and access audits.
It added that it plans to consult with local residents, businesses and others to explore the ways in which the site could benefit the local community.
The agreed plans, which would include the refurbishment of the many heritage buildings on site to make them watertight and fit for purpose, will then be submitted for funding to the Heritage Fund.
The project could open up opportunities to introduce workshops, commercial and shared spaces in unoccupied buildings, improving the visitor experience.
