SSSI and interesting sights on the Monty

According to Wikipedia wildlife flourished on the Montgomery Canal after it closed, leading to all of the section in Wales and parts in England being designated sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs). Rednal Basin, which I called "overgrown" two days ago, is apparently one of these.

I gather it's because of the SSSIs that boat numbers are restricted on this canal. I think the lockie at Frankton said that 2500 boats per year is the maximum allowed, but I seem to recall reading somewhere that that figure is to be increased.


By Aston Locks there's what appears to be a weedy flooded field which has received money from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This, according to a BW press release last year is Aston Nature Reserve and is a "canalside attraction". It ...

... is the result of eight months specialist work by British Waterways staff and volunteers. The five acre site was physically dug out and shaped to create a diverse wildlife habitat for native species such as dragonflies and a wide range of aquatic plants. It is hoped the increasingly rare water vole may also choose to relocate into the reserve.

For the final phase of work, pupils from Maesbury Primary School are teaming up with local landowner Tudor Griffiths of Griffiths Estates to mark its completion.

The £300,000 project has been financed by the Heritage Lottery Fund, European Interreg III Programme and British Waterways and features:

• Two acres of new habitat pools connected to the Montgomery Canal;
• A circular heritage walk around the reserve, with towpath access at Aston Locks;
• New information boards at Aston Top Lock and along the canal towpath.

The event has been arranged by Montgomery Canal Partnership, the umbrella group tasked with promoting the canal's sustainable restoration.

The "event" referred to was the official opening of the nature reserve on 5th September 2008.

Two miles below Aston Nature Reserve is Maesbury Marsh, which is where I'd hoped to tie up for the night, but the lockie had forewarned us that the pub was closed on Mondays, so we made sure we were back at Queen's Head for the Queen's Head pub. Nicholson's talks about a "fine crane" at Maesbury Marsh, "thought to be the only surviving example of a 15 cwt crane". Well, I'm sorry, but I was not impressed. Did I miss another one? Perhaps the jib is off for restoration somewhere.


Back at Aston Locks there's a house with fake windows, in the same vein as the Doll's House at Runcorn.