The Montgomery Canal in Mid Wales, known locally as "The Monty", is the perfect setting for a gentle autumnal walk along the well-maintained towpath. We chose a sort section to walk by the pretty village of Berriew between Welshpool and Newtown in Montgomeryshire, North Powys.

The walk takes us along the Montgomery Canal from Bridge 128 - the Long Bridge - across the Berriew Aqueduct at the halfway point to end at Bridge 129 Efail Fach (Small Smithy). Berriew Aqueduct is a Grade II listed building constructed between 1794 - 97 to carry the Montgomery Canal over the River Rhiw which runs through the village of Berriew.

The Montgomery Canal is at present only partially restored as an inland waterway. It stretches 56 km in total from Frankton Junction (between Oswestry and Ellesmere in Shropshire) on the English border to Newtown in North Powys. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in England and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in Wales due to its aquatic plants. It is still dry in places and recently received funding for a major refurbishment project to ultimately make it navigable by boats along the entire route. The partnership project is overseen by the Montgomery Canal's owner - The Canal and River Trust.

You can find out more about the planned restoration on The Canal and River Trust's website - https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/...

This walk was made on 13 November 2021. We parked at the Berriew Aqueduct car park. There is a useful map on The Canal and River Trust's website - https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-...

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