1. Welshpool Wharf

Cymraeg

Wildlife comes to town

The canal brings wildlife right through the centre of Welshpool. Be prepared to spot the vivid blue kingfisher, the super-cute water vole, or traces of the so‑secretive otter…

Before we set off on our one mile wildlife expedition, here’s a quick look at the canal’s history.

Canal’s rise and fall

The Montgomery Canal was built between 1796 and 1819. It was an important trade route, with horse‑drawn boats carrying goods like lime and timber.

Use of the Montgomery Canal slowly declined as rail and road networks improved. It was finally abandoned after it burst its banks in 1936.

Use of the Montgomery Canal slowly declined as rail and road networks improved. It was finally abandoned after it burst its banks in 1936.

Wildlife moves in

As boat numbers decreased, the wildlife increased. It has become one of the UK’s best wildlife sites, recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

Caring for the canal

Following its restoration, more people are using the canal for leisure. The challenge for the Canal & River Trust is to find a balance so that the wildlife can thrive alongside people.

Directions

Walk down the steps, then left onto the towpath. The house on your left was once a watermill, powered by Lledan Brook. The next stop is less than 50 metres along the towpath beside the white signboard. 

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Listen

If you hear this sound, look around you for the vivid blue flash of a kingfisher.

2. Canal Warehouse

Strange squatters

From bats under bridges to weird plants splattered on stonework, the old buildings along the canal have been overrun with wildlife…

Going batty at dusk

In spring and summer, bats feed at dusk, snapping up insects over the canal. We get Pipistrelle and Daubenton’s bats here, living in old buildings, bridges, trees and ivy. 

Ivy hide‑out

The ivy that clings to the stone walls is a safe nesting place for birds, and its berries are an important winter food source. Its flowers provide nectar for bees and other insects.

Nature’s graffiti artists

The patterns on walls, like splatters of paint, are lichens. These strange organisms are a mixture of algae and fungus. Lichens can live for 100s of years, so some will be as old as the canal itself. 

The walls are also festooned with mosses, liverworts and ferns, able to survive even when the stone is completely dried out. 

Underwater world

Below the surface, the stonework is home to creatures like the white-clawed crayfish, a relative of the lobster, and freshwater sponges.

Don’t disturb

The stonework is so important for wildlife that Trust staff are careful to minimise disruption when carrying out repairs.

Listen

The best way to hear bats is to use a bat detector. The detector translates their echolocation calls into an audible sound ‑ this is what a Pipistrelle sounds like [link or play button].

Directions

Continue along the towpath to the lock. Cross the bridge, and you’ll find the next stop on the other side of the canal beside the lock gates.