Montgomery Canal Restoration Weekend in Shropshire

We have secured an amazing opportunity to be part of the restoration of the Montgomery canal!

The Montgomery canal (the "Monty") runs from Lower Frankton in Shropshire to Newtown in Powys and is one of the most beautiful rural canals in the UK. Restoration efforts are now focusing on reshaping and lining the canal bed at the south of the Shropshire part of the canal. Activities typically include scrub clearing, liner laying, block laying etc. More details of restoration activities can be found here, including reports from previous work parties which give a sense of what we will be doing across the weekend: https://shropshireunion.org.uk/restoration/ 

Practically, this event will require some physical work but will be based on what you feel able to do and will be under the supervision of experienced volunteers. There will be a health and safety briefing on the morning you join the event.

The volunteering will start between 8am and 9am on Friday 10th April 2026, but you have the option to join 8am to 9am on Saturday 11th April 2026 if you can't make the Friday. Please message me when you sign up to indicate whether you will start on Friday or Saturday. If starting Saturday, please let me know if you will arrive Friday night or Saturday morning.

There are local options for B&B and campsites. For those who want to camp, subject to having enough numbers, https://www.wildcontentment.com/ have agreed to open a weekend early for us and accommodate us! They have some amazing bathrooms as part of their campsite - please take a look. Please let me know if you would like to camp as part of a group when you sign up (which will be subject to direct payment to the campsite). 

I will look to co-ordinate a dinner on the Saturday evening once we have more clarity on numbers. Please let me know if you would like to be included in a Saturday evening pub dinner when you sign up.

The Monty has been part of my life for about 20 years now and it truly is a beautiful part of the borderlands. I hope you can come and join in the mission to help close the last few hundred metres of dry canal so we can get the canal fully restored for future generations to enjoy.