Funding helps secure future of historic canal yard

A working canal yard in Shropshire has been award more than £400,000 towards plans for it to become a visitor centre.

Ellesmere Yard on the Llangollen Canal was built in 1806 and is considered a rare example of a historic purpose-built canal maintenance yard, the Canal and River Trust said.

The money from the National Lottery Heritage Fund will be used to assess the historical buildings and prepare further plans to make it a visitor destination.

Kathryn Woodroffe from trust said they were "thrilled" to explore new ways to maintain the site.

The yard is an important operational base for the charity and was the office and workshops of the Ellesmere Canal Company, the trust said, but investment was needed in the historic buildings.

The money, alongside funding from Historic England and Shropshire Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation, will allow the charity to develop plans to refurbish them and a further funding bid, it said.

The plans include making the site a home for more independent crafts people and a visitor destination, alongside its role as a working canal maintenance yard.

Over the next year, the trust said it would also consult with local residents and businesses to discuss ways in which the site could benefit the community.

Ms Woodroffe, project manager at the trust, said the yard was "steeped in history" and remained a vital maintenance site.

"We are thrilled to explore new ways these unique buildings can continue to serve the maintenance needs of the canal whilst also being repurposed to support and enrich the local community, ensuring that Ellesmere Yard continues to be a cornerstone of our heritage and future," she said.

Louise Brennan, Historic England regional director for the Midlands, said: “We’re so pleased to able to help fund the works at Ellesmere Yard.

"It played a vital role in the development of the area, and the refurbishment will ensure that it continues to have a central role in the community for years to come – full steam ahead.”

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.