When booking our passage we were told to be at the locks for 12 noon as all boats booked that day would go between 12-2pm. Our return trip was booked for a couple of days later.
So on the day we passed down a staircase of 2 that was closely followed by 2 single locks and started our trip of approximately 6 miles to the end of navigation at Maesbury Marsh.This canal is in fact 35 miles long but a large middle section has upto now not been re-opened.
In fact Frankton locks were restored and re-opened 1987 and the aqueduct across the River Perry l 1/2 miles along the canal was put back in use in 1996. This was after the complete aqueduct was re-placed.
Parts of the Montgomery canal have speed limits of 2/3 mph and white posts have been put up
along the towpath to help you monitor your speed. At 3mph it will take 10secs to pass between each post and at 2mph it will take 15 secs.A very rural stretch of canal with just a couple of pubs and not much else untill you reach the turn round point at Maesbury Marsh and there on the edge of the canal stands a post office.
Ok so what`s so special about a PO i hear you say. Well this is no bricks and mortar building but all wood that comes from sustainable forests and contains on the ground floor the post office, a small grocery shop and a tea room. Now if you look at the picture the staircase on the left is the private entrance to a self cotained holiday flat that will sleep 6. A huge glass sliding door leads onto the balcony in the picture and the view is across fields.
The hot water system is solar powered and the wall insulation is of re-cycled newspapers. Bathroom facilities include a low flush eco toilet. The whole site is less than a year old and guests will be loaned a laptop to access the internet.
This accomadation would make an ideal base for walkers as well as car trips to explore the surrouding Shropshire countryside.
WWW.CANALCENTRAL.CO.UK will take you to the site and contact details.
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