AS part of its first annual waterway stoppage programme, Glandwr Cymru, the Canal & River Trust in Wales, has undertaken essential maintenance works on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal at Llangattock. This section of canal is being rewatered today, Tuesday 19th March 2013, and is expected to be navigable by Friday.

The project has seen 470 metres of the canal relined above the village of Llangattock at a cost of £1.2m, this is in addition to the 180 metres of relining which was completed in 2008 above the village of Dardy. This equates to 6600m2 in total or to put it into context, two thirds the area of the Millennium Stadium pitch. The area impounds 5000m3 of water, the equivalent of 51 double decker buses, or two Olympic-sized swimming pools!

The deputy minister for skills and technology, Jeff Cuthbert, visited the work to look in greater detail at the environmental and heritage skills required during the maintenance work. The deputy minister commented: "The varied work being carried out on one of Wales' most iconic working heritage assets is providing unique construction skills to local workers. The canal network of Wales offers a diverse setting for skills development, and I was pleased to meet Glandwr Cymru's apprentice Liam Davis on site. Apprenticeships such as these are important for providing the mixed economy Wales needs, and I look forward to working with Glandwr Cymru in the future."

This is part of the Canal & River Trust's £50m spend this winter on conservation and maintenance works across 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales including work on around 100 locks across the country, replacing 174 lock gates.

Dr Mark Lang, chair of Glandwr Cymru, says: 'The relining of this stretch of the beautiful Mon & Brec canal is part of the essential maintenance needed by the local canal network which is used by boaters, cyclists, anglers and walkers supporting local businesses. It is so exciting to be able to finally have it reopened for everyone to enjoy.'

Vince Moran, the Canal & River Trust operations director, said: "Repairing, maintaining and caring for the canal and river infrastructure underpins the cause of the Trust. We spend around £50m every winter on lock gate repairs and replacements, brick work repairs to lock chambers as well as embankment maintenance, essential works on reservoirs and many other activities. We care for over 25,000 different structures across England and Wales. Our work requires a wide range of expertise including civil engineering, operational specialists, heritage and environmental experts, hydrologists and education and interpretation professionals..

Eddie Quinn, framework manager for the Canal & River Trust at May Gurney stated: "We are incredibly proud to play our part in the Trust's essential work to conserve the canals and rivers of England and Wales. Few people realise that the many canal locks, buildings and structures of the waterway network comprise one of the finest working pieces of Britain's industrial revolution.

"Repairing and maintaining these waterways is a painstaking task, which requires traditional materials and methods to be used to preserve this vital part of our heritage. However, they've become more than just a historical monument; they're now wildly recognised for being crucial for wildlife and are a well-loved leisure resource for millions of people every year."