It’s been the biggest project undertaken on the entire canal network this winter and has cost nearly £3million. A 1km stretch of canal at Llangattock is soon to become navigable again after major repairs, and to celebrate, members of the public are invited to come and walk along the bed of this part of the 200-year-old Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal ahead of the grand reopening.

In this one-off showcase on Sunday, March 19 by charity Glandwr Cymru – the Canal & River Trust in Wales, visitors will have the chance to go where no else has been before by walking in the bottom of the canal before it’s filled with water. The charity’s team of experts will be on hand to explain about their specialist skills and the heritage techniques still used today, plus the environment in and around this part of the canal.

Visitors will also be able to learn about Arts Alive Wales, a local arts charity which uses arts to inspire and enhance the quality of life of people in local rural communities, by visiting their mobile art studio in a horse box which will be canal-side on the day.

There will be lime mortaring demonstrations and history talks on top of the lime kilns - the Llangattock lime kilns originally produced lime for use as fertiliser, this was then transported by canal boats to farms. The Llangattock Woodland Community Group will also be there to explain about their vital work to manage the local woodland.

Nick Lewis, project manager for the Canal & River Trust, says: “The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal is one of the real gems of our canal system, but it’s not an easy one to take care of. It requires constant maintenance to keep it running smoothly, a job made all the more challenging when it’s built half way up a hill!

“I really want to encourage people to come along and learn about the important work we do as a charity and see up close the team’s five months of hard work which we’ve worked continuously on throughout the bitter winter months to complete.”

The project faced challenges along the way, namely when the Trust changed the plans in order to save 40 trees along the towpath; the trees are also home to many nesting bats and an important part of the local ecosystem.

Identified as essential work, £2.53million of the total cost was funded by Welsh Government. It’s taken a large team of 30 people from the Trust and Kier to carry out the work - the project started in November 2016, will be completed on 29th March and opened to the public on 31st March.

Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, says: “The Trust cares for a remarkable network of historic waterways which are still working just as they were designed to 200 years ago. Keeping them open and safe requires a huge amount of planning and investment and involves a wide range of experts, from civil engineers and hydrologists to heritage experts and ecologists.”

Event details:

· Address: Llangattock Wharf, Llangattock, Powys, NP8 1LZ.

· Parking is available at Beacon Park Boats, The Boathouse, Hillside Road, Llangattock, Powys, NP8 1EQ.

· Timing: 10am-4pm, last entry into the canal will be 3.30pm.

· No pre-booking is required.

· Sturdy footwear is recommended for walking in the drained canal, if footwear is deemed inappropriate entry will not be allowed.

· Disabled access is available via a ramp into the canal.

To find out more about the open days happening across the country go to www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/open-days.