MORE than 300 visitors had the rare opportunity to venture to the bottom of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal in Llangynidr at the weekend.

They walked along the newly relined section of canal and through to the drained lock chamber, seeing up close one of the finest examples of working heritage in the world.

The investment of £1m, by charity Glandwr Cymru - the Canal & River Trust in Wales, has seen five months of work along a 480-metre stretch of the canal, from lock 64 to bridge 131. The works started in November and the canal is due to be open to the public by the end of March.

The works have involved highly-skilled craftsmanship, including brickwork, grouting and repointing as part of the lock chamber refurbishment, and the bed of the canal had been relined. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to walk along the newly relined section and through to the drained lock chamber, seeing up close one of the finest examples of working heritage in the world.

Kevin Phillips, customer operations manager for the Canal & River Trust, said: “It was great to see so many people come along and learn about what we’re doing here and why it’s so important, especially in the bitter cold.

“Repairing the lock chamber and canal bed on this section of the Mon & Brec is part of the essential maintenance needed to enable the local canal network to be used and enjoyed by boaters, cyclists, anglers and walkers. It’s a busy lock and last year it saw nearly 3,000 boats travel through it.”

Dating back to 1812, the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is a historic highlight of the Brecon Beacons National Park, as well as popular with boaters, allowing visitors a blue route through the famous landscape. It’s also home to a wide range of wildlife, including rare birds and otters.

Kevin said: “The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is one of the real gems of the UK’s canal system, but it’s not an easy one to take care of. It requires constant maintenance to keep it running smoothly, a job made all the more challenging when it‚Äôs built half way up a hill.”

As part of its maintenance programme, the Trust will be working on around 164 lock gates across the country as well as carrying out repairs to aqueducts, reservoirs and tunnels. Many of the biggest projects are carried out during the winter months to minimise the impact on waterway users.

Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, said: “We care for a remarkable network of historic waterways which are still working just as they were designed to 200 years ago. Keeping them open and safe requires a huge amount of planning, investment and craftsmanship and involves a wide range

of experts, from civil engineers and hydrologists to heritage experts and ecologists.”

To find out more about the Restoration & Repairs programme and the open days happening across the country go to www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/restoration-and-repair-open-days.