CANAL boats are back on the Brecon Canal at Pontywaun following canal restoration work undertaken by Caerphilly County Borough Council.

The council recently completed repairs to the landlocked part of the Crumlin arm of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal following a routine maintenance check. There had been a leak within the channel in the Pontywaun end.

The canal was drained, a new synthetic liner was installed and elements of the retaining wall were re-built. This forms the far bank of the canal channel funded by the council.

To mark the event, the Monmouthshire, Brecon & Abergavenny Canals Trust registered their boat, the Edith Elizabeth, with the council’s licensing department for the month and celebrated with a festival at Pontywaun last Saturday.

Members of the trust and the Pontymister Angling Club took several safety trips up to the terminus on the day.

Following the safety trips with half the electric propelled boat, crew and helpers joined the two boat halves together before members of the public were invited on board.

Anthony Pugh, the boat co-ordinator of the Mon & Brec Canal Trust who is licensed to travel on the canal for the year, said: “It’s excellent to have it now and to work alongside the local fishermen to restock the canal.

“It was absolutely beautiful to travel along it again.

“We plan on working with all the local societies going forward.”

Cabinet member for highways, transportation and engineering, Councillor Tom Williams, said, “The repair works have allowed for the Crumlin arm of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal be restored to its former glory.

“The second phase of the works we are planning will allow the boats to travel even further past Pontywaun to Cwmcarn Aqueduct.”

The Monmouthshire Brecon and Abergavenny Canals Trust are campaigning for the full restoration of the canal and are working to restore locks up to Cwmbran.