The Shropshire Union Canal Society work party has seen a record number of volunteer hours clocked up over three days.

The first June work party brought in 580 volunteer hours, with help from Practice Plan in Oswestry and Arcadis.

The former volunteers dealt with overgrowing vegetation, while the latter group lined and blocked the canal.

The work parties split their attention between two locations, Phase 1A and Phase 1B, positioned north and south of the compound by Crickheath Wharf, respectively.

They are separated by a farm crossing which is not in the current project.

Future restorations for this division will be guarded by temporary dams, connected by a pipe bridging both phases.

This project saw an additional 36 metres of the channel was lined and blocked, reaching the location of the temporary dam.

There is considerable work remaining, including towpath and bank development and the construction of the temporary dam.

Approaching the dam location (SUCS)  (Image: Shropshire Union Canal Society)

For Phase 1A, the central task focused on restoring the wharf wall by placing coping stones.

This initiative received a boost, with 16.7 metres of new coping stones funded by a grant from the Association for Industrial Archaeology.

The next length of copings to be placed will comprise the original stone that is in good condition.

To date, 43 metres of coping stones have been replaced, with another 39 metres to go.

With high groundwater levels persistently keeping the channel wet, a handful of extra work parties have been arranged for the summer, aiming to finish before the winter rain refills the channel.