Inspired by the canal ‘lengthsmen’ of yesteryear, a volunteer team are working regularly at Aston Locks nature reserve, on the Montgomery Canal, at Queens Head, near Oswestry, Shropshire. They plan to only use handheld, non-motorised tools and equipment, as the canal workers of one hundred years ago would have done, with scythes, loppers, billhooks and sequiturs being the tools of choice in the clearance of walkways and the management of invasive species but no implements are necessary for the wildlife surveys they are also carrying out.
Lina Patel, Canal & River Trust volunteer coordinator explained,
“We at CRT are striving to engage with the public and make them aware of the treasures that exist on the wonderful, Montgomery Canal. The Aston Crew – as I like to call us – are operating as the Lengthsmen would have done, and just to explain, they were traditional waterway workers responsible for the routine maintenance and upkeep of a specific stretch – or “length” – of a canal, and I realised that it was the best way to clear without destroying and preserve the tranquillity for wildlife and humans alike. I’d particularly like to thank Sarah and Steve Jerman for buying and donating the two, hand crafted Scythes – they’re great – and what a difference they’ll make”.
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- Traditional skills
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- Under instruction
The Montgomery canal was abandoned way back in the 1930s and became a haven for flora and fauna so when restoration of the navigation became an option, it was decided that nature reserves would be built to offset any disruption. In the mid-1990s the first Aston Locks nature reserve was built followed thirty years later by two larger pools next to it. With a changing climate and limited funds, CRT need the public to get involved, have fun and help keep these delightful places accessible to all.
Lina continued,
“I think that volunteering has its own rewards in the form of exercise, comradery and a sense of achievement so I’d love to hear from anyone interested in joining our crew”.
For more information, go to www.canalrivertrust.org.uk and search Aston Nature Reserve.
Feature image: The Aston Crew with scythes in hand.
