Montgomery Canal

Quick Facts

• Length: 35 miles total, of which approximately 20 miles currently navigable in two separated sections (Welshpool section and the connected northern section to Crickheath, extended in 2023)
• Locks: 25 originally; the connected section includes the Frankton flight (4 locks) and several individual locks down to Crickheath
• Connects: Frankton Junction (Llangollen Canal) → Welsh border → Welshpool → Newtown (terminus, currently isolated)
• Build period & engineer: built in stages between 1796 and 1819. Closed 1944 after a breach; restoration ongoing.
• Boat dimensions: 72 ft long by 7 ft beam (narrow)
• Typical cruise time: 1 day each way to Crickheath from Frankton; 2-day round trip recommended

What's it like to cruise?

A quiet, scenic, low-traffic backwater that rewards boaters who enjoy slow, rural cruising. The connected section from Frankton runs south through the Shropshire countryside via Maesbury and the Llanymynech limeworks to Crickheath, the current head of navigation. Wildlife is a feature — the Montgomery is a nationally important SSSI for aquatic plants, so passage is restricted by booking and water levels are managed carefully. The isolated Welshpool section runs through some of the prettiest river-vale scenery in mid-Wales but is reached only by trailable boat.

Highlights along the route

• Frankton Locks — 4 narrow locks dropping from the Llangollen onto the Montgomery.
• Llanymynech Heritage Area — the limeworks and inclined plane, and the Welsh border.
• Aston Locks Nature Reserve — the canal as wildlife corridor; floating-leaf plant beds.
• Welshpool (isolated section) — handsome border town with the canal running through.
• Newtown — the long-term restoration target.
• The aqueduct at Vyrnwy — one of the major engineering features, in the currently isolated central section.

Connections & cruising rings

Branches off the Llangollen Canal at Frankton. Does not currently form a ring. The restoration goal is to reopen the full Frankton–Newtown route, which would link the connected section to the isolated Welshpool one.

Suitable for

Beginners and confident first-timers — the connected section is short, lock-light beyond Frankton, and very relaxed. Booking with CRT is required for Frankton passage (limited daily slots, conservation-driven). The isolated Welshpool section is for trailable boats only.

Practicalities

• Bookings: Frankton Locks passage requires advance booking through CRT. Limited daily slots in season.
• Water and elsan: at Frankton, Maesbury and the Welshpool section service points.
• Mobile signal: patchy in the rural Shropshire/border section.
• Pump-out: limited — plan ahead.

Best time to cruise

May to September. Frankton booking pressure is highest in school holidays. The wildlife is at its best in early summer.