Around 30 trees blown down on the Mon & Brec

IN ADDITION to the tree that damaged the Mon & Brec at Cross Oak there have been many more blocking the waterway.

Recent storms

Canal & River Trust has been working to repair the damage caused by a number of trees falling onto the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, with around 30 trees blown down along the waterway during the recent storms.

Whilst most have been removed, three have been especially difficult to tackle due to their extremely large size and the remoteness of the sites near Llanellen and Llangattock

These, together with a freak event where the limb of a tree punctured the bed of the canal to damage a culvert beneath (as previously reported) will mean a short delay in the canal reopening following winter maintenance.

Caused havoc

Mark Evans, Director of Wales and the South West at Canal & River Trust, explained:

“The recent storms caused havoc, blowing down many trees on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal. I give my sincere apologies to boaters as the remaining handful of trees still to be cleared, together with the repairs now required to the canal bed and culvert, will mean a delay in reopening the canal from this week to early April.

 “The trees that fell are unusually large and, coupled with the difficulty in accessing the remote sites, have proved a real challenge to our team and contractors, who are working hard to safely remove them. They also damaged one of the culverts under the canal: fortunately the canal was already intentionally drained for works, meaning more damage wasn’t caused by water escaping uncontrolled from the canal.

“I know what an impact this will have on boaters, local businesses, visitors and the community, who will have been hoping to get moving and enjoy the canal after the long winter. I apologise for the delay and assure you we are making every effort to complete the works as quickly and safely as possible.”