But, starting in the 1960s and 70s, a revival began that has only recently attracted the support of British Waterways and even the Government. Shrewsbury & Newport Canal | | | | The restoration plan |
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 £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.  | The Dukes Drive Aqueduct between Wappenshall Junction and Newport is one of the canal's structures which didn't survive |
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. | 
