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But,
starting in the 1960s and 70s, a revival began that has only recently
attracted the support of British Waterways and even the Government.
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Shrewsbury
& Newport Canal
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The
restoration plan
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Now
a new golden age of canals is forecast - and Britain's inland waterways
form a huge part of the country's leisure industry.
And
wherever a canal re-opens, the tourists and canal boats follow.
The
restoration of the Shrewsbury and Newport Canals and re-connection
to the national network in the form of the Shropshire Union Canal
has long been on the agenda of enthusiasts. And the canal is now
the only one of those shut down by the LMS in 1944 that hasn't been
re-opened.
But
in the 1960s their attention was drawn elsewhere when road schemes
threatened the future of the Montgomery Canal.
There's
no doubt that any restoration of the Shrewsbury and Newport Canals
would cost a small fortune - but this sort of restoration has been
done before.
And
such schemes have been highly succesful in attracting lottery cash,
as well as grant aid from other sources: For example, British Waterways
recently spent 拢7 million restoring the remarkable Anderton
Boat Lift at Northwich(see sidebar for more details).
Those
who want to see the Shrewsbury and Newport Canals re-open know that
quite a task awaits them.
Much
of the line of the canal has been sold off, and other parts have
been blocked by roads. For example, the section south of the new
A5 near Shrewsbury including Berwick Tunnel may be bypassed because
the road was built almost at water level.
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The
Dukes Drive Aqueduct between Wappenshall Junction and Newport
is one of the canal's structures which didn't survive
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There
are similar problems to be faced in Shrewsbury, where much of the
canal route has been built over. Any detailed proposal could include
a brand new route into the town, which would join the Severn above
the Sydney Avenue weir and perhaps even lead to the development
of a marina.
But
canals are not just popular with boating people. They also make
popular haunts for a wide range of leisure activities, including
angling, walking, cycling and wildlife study.
Once
the canal route is opened, say the campaigners, the leisure opportunities
will open up all along the canal route, such as boatyards, visitor
attractions, shops and pubs.
And
restoration would allow the protected buildings and structures along
the route - various canal buildings, bridges, and of course the
Longden upon Tern aqueduct to be restored to their former glory
- and be returned to their original uses.
The
Shrewsbury and Newport Canals Trust has been set up with the aim
of making restoration happen, but in the short term its main focus
is in preserving what remains today.
To
find out more on the restoration plans, click on the link to the
Shrewsbury & Newport Canals Trust in the sidebar.
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