How to get there - Coming south from Welshpool, travel for 5 miles to the bridge over the river at Berriew. Turn right immediately after the bridge.After a quarter of a mile you will see the canal crossing the road on an aqueduct. Turn into a car park/ picnic area on the left before the aqueduct. For those with SatNav a nearby postcode is SY21 8BU.
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Suggested Launch Site - Carry canoes up to the canal and launch over the rubberised area designed for the purpose.
General
Description - There are three locks on this trip and there are several sections where the canal has been culverted under the main road which will require portaging. If you have a portage trolley don't forget it.
Head south for about a mile until Garthmyl for the first portage. After getting out of the canal you are best to portage at the road junction at the Nags Head and relaunch through the gate onto the towpath.
A further mile south and the canal crosses the A483 under another culverted bridge necessitating another portage, followed by yet another a half mile further on. That may be the last road portage but shortly you will come to Brynderwyn Lock and the first of three lock portages. The canal continues with the road on one side and the river on the other until the next road crossing under a new bridge at Abermwl. A quarter of a mile now brings you to Byles Lock and another portage, closely followd by Newhouse lock (with it's small but attractive picnic area) in another quarter of a mile. The current end of the canal is a mile further on but the last access point is at Aberbechan Kiln Bridge (no. 151) parking is extremely limited here so if you have left a car be sure that you haven't restricted access for any of the natives.
The Friends of The Montgomery Canal have Canadian Style Canoes, with equipment, available for use on most of the 35 mile length of the canal. The more that boaters use the canal the better it keeps the weeds down. The canoes are based at Pool Quay and Maesbury and can be borrowed for a donation .Tel:- 01938 590543 or Tel:- 01691 831455.
