Piece of Dee Valley history gets new lease of life

* From left, Nicola Lewis-Smith (Canal and River Trust), Jillian Howe and Kate Thomson (Our Picturesque Landscape project), Ken Skates MS, Cllr Karen Edwards and Cllr Paul Keddie.

A piece of local history in the Dee Valley has been given a new lease of life. 

Ken Skates, Member of the Senedd for Clwyd South, was invited to see the renovation of the Lengthsman’s Hut at the Horseshoe Falls, Llantysilio.

 

The work was done as part of the Our Picturesque Landscape project with the help of grant funding from the Welsh Government, which also saw the surrounding area spruced up.

 

Mr Skates said: “This is a fantastic wider project and this six-month restoration has helped create an improved visitor welcome at the Horseshoe Falls.

 

“The hut has been closed for years, but with the help of funding from the Welsh Government’s Brilliant Basics programme it’s been superbly restored. Local tourism amenities like this often go unnoticed, but they are an important part of people’s experiences when they visit new places.

 

“And it’s not just for the benefit of tourists. We have so many hidden gems in the Dee Valley, and projects like this help to restore pieces of local heritage and are a source of local pride.”

 

The Lengthsman’s Hut can be found opposite the old meter house on the canal towpath just past the Chainbridge Hotel. Denbighshire Council is now looking for volunteers to open it up to the public.

Our Picturesque Landscape Partnership Officer Kate Thomson said: "Thanks to Welsh Government Brilliant Basics and National Lottery Heritage funding, the area around the intake and the meter house has been transformed to create a much-improved visitor welcome.

“To celebrate this, we formally opened the Lengthsman’s Hut to the public for the first time. It has been closed up for many years and after a full restoration has been furnished as if the lengthsman, who would have been responsible for the maintenance of a section or length of canal, has just popped out to work and will be back shortly!”

The Our Picturesque Landscape project is a partnership scheme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, based in the Dee Valley and supported by Canal and River Trust.

Other local projects include the launch of the Saturday Picturesque Bus Service, a circular route linking Llangollen and surrounding villages to popular local attractions including Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Wenffrwd Nature Reserve, Valle Crucis Abbey and the Horseshoe Pass.

There are also plans for restoration works on the gatehouse at Castell Dinas Brân this summer.

·        Volunteers to open up the Lengthsman’s Hut are asked to call 01824 706163 or email our.picturesque.landscape@denbighshire.gov.uk