Canal & River Trust Ellesmere Yard

Canal & River Trust Ellesmere Yard Heritage, making, and learning at Thomas Telford's workshops. Explore it's future with us, with thanks to National Lottery Players.

We are unable to act on reports via Messager. To report an issue please contact customer services - 0303 040 4040 Ellesmere Yard is a special place to local people and visitors alike. Ellesmere Yard is one of the historic sites sitting on the Llangollen canal in Shropshire. Known locally as Ellesmere Boat Yard, the site is a historic heritage site and we have begun an exciting arts and heritage jo

urney here to re-imagine its amazing histories and connect to artists and makers here in Shropshire. There is a keen desire to explore ways for Ellesmere Yard to be a venue and site for local people and for visitors. We would love to hear your thoughts on what could happen next! Nearby attractions include: the attractive market town of Ellesmere, charming Llangollen Canal in Shropshire, the idyllic Mere, an enchanting lake which is part of ‘Shropshire's Lakeland', Pontcysyllte Aqueduct ( a UNESCO world heritage site).

We had the pleasure of hosting thirty 'Friends of the Trust' on the 12th May for a fantastic event showcasing the impact...
02/06/2026

We had the pleasure of hosting thirty 'Friends of the Trust' on the 12th May for a fantastic event showcasing the impact their support has on the canal network.

Ellesmere Yard was chosen due to its links with engineering legends, Thomas Telford and William Jessop. Attendees learnt about the Yard's rich heritage, explored Saturn Flyboat, and witnessed a live demonstration from our on-site blacksmiths.

Thank you to all volunteers and staff who came together to make the day such a success!

Whilst repair works are continuing at Ellesmere Yard and the Yard tours have paused; we thought it would be a good time ...
21/05/2026

Whilst repair works are continuing at Ellesmere Yard and the Yard tours have paused; we thought it would be a good time to take an armchair view of some of the wonderful and curious objects to be found in the buildings.

In what is known as the Pattern Room the shelves are brimming with carefully carved wooden patterns from the 19th century. Amongst them can be found a most unusual wooden object, not a pattern in fact but something that resembles a giant plug! And indeed it is a plug – a plug especially designed for use in canals!

During the construction of the canals, it was very common to install plugs in the canal to drain sections into a culvert beneath the canal. They were connected to a chain left lying on the canal bed – when they needed to pull a plug they fished with a rake to locate the chain. There are still a lot of plugs left in the canals and not all their locations are known!
Their importance cannot be understated. On 9th August 1978 a team of workers from British Waterways doing dredging work on Chesterfield Canal accidently pulled a plug out of the bed of the canal and drained 1.5 miles of canal. The excavator bucket hooked onto the attached chain!

We're carrying out a series of repairs and conservation work at Ellesmere Yard in Shropshire, one of the last operationa...
11/05/2026

We're carrying out a series of repairs and conservation work at Ellesmere Yard in Shropshire, one of the last operational canal yards of its kind 🛠️

Originally built to serve the Ellesmere Canal Company, the site has been a working canal yard for 220 years and is an important part of the Llangollen Canal’s history.

As part of the project, funded by a grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, we're carrying out much-needed works, including:

- Replacing the Pine Loft’s roof with traditional slate
- Refurbishing 17 historic timber windows dating back to 1806
- Timber repairs and redecoration to the historic weigh station
- Rebuilding a deteriorated chimney at the Mess Room
- Limewashing the Engine Room walls
- Refurbishing the Foreman’s Office window and lookout

This project will help conserve the yard's rich history, as well as ensure it remains a living, working part of the canal network for years to come.

📷 Ian P Roberts

The repair works at Ellesmere Yard are progressing well this spring with many of the improvements now clearly visible!Ac...
23/04/2026

The repair works at Ellesmere Yard are progressing well this spring with many of the improvements now clearly visible!

Across the site gutters have been replaced, timber framed windows refurbished and walls redecorated with traditional limewash. The exterior photos also show the completion of the Chimney to the Mess Room.

Funding for the improvements came from Shropshire Council's Shared Prosperity Fund and is part of The Forging Ahead project at Ellesmere Yard.

A reminder too that if you are local and interested in volunteering with the Canal and River Trust we are hosting a Welcome Session here on Friday 24th April.

This Welcome Session will give you the opportunity to meet the local teams, get a feel for our roles and see how you can get involved whether that’s outside on the canals, onsite at the yard, or even researching things from the comfort of home.

You don’t need to have any prior knowledge about canals or bring anything but yourself!

See details below:

📍 Friday April 24th from 10 am to 2 pm GMT, Ellesmere Yard, Birch Road, SY12 9AA

👉Please follow the link below for more information and to sign up:
https://volunteer.canalrivertrust.org.uk/opportunities/109529-welcome-session-forging-ahead-at-ellesmere-yard-2026-03-05

An enthusiastic group of creatives recently participated in a free creative workshop at Ellesmere Yard. Following a guid...
27/03/2026

An enthusiastic group of creatives recently participated in a free creative workshop at Ellesmere Yard.

Following a guided tour of the historic buildings in the yard the group were introduced to the art of stained-glass painting by resident artist Harriet Love

Taking inspiration from the site’s historic buildings, canal-side setting and natural environment, the group were guided through the process of translating their ideas onto glass.

During a relaxed and informative session, the group gained hands-on experience in this traditional craft.

The participants took to the medium readily and produced a series of glass pieces that once fired will eventually be incorporated into a larger collaborative stained-glass panel.

Many thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for helping us make workshops like this possible.

Join us to explore future opportunities for small businesses at Ellesmere Yard a historic canal maintenance yard being t...
20/03/2026

Join us to explore future opportunities for small businesses at Ellesmere Yard a historic canal maintenance yard being transformed.

For 200 years, Ellesmere Yard has been where heritage crafts and traditional skills come to life. A historic canal maintenance yard with unbroken operations, it's being reimagined for the next generation of makers.

If you're a crafter, creative, heritage maker, or small business owner, please come and join us for a relaxed coffee morning at Ellesmere Yard.

Whether you’re looking for a studio, workshop, office, or pop-up opportunity - or just want to find out what’s planned - come along, meet the team, see the buildings, and discover how you could be part of the next chapter.

📍Date and time:
Thursday Apr 16th from 10 am to 11.30am GMT, Ellesmere Yard, Birch Road, SY12 9AA

👉For more information and to reserve a place please follow the link below:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ellesmere-yard-prospective-tenants-coffee-morning-tickets-1985140631066?aff=oddtdtcreator

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us recently! 🙏We partnered with Accessible Places UK to host focus groups and he...
19/03/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us recently! 🙏

We partnered with Accessible Places UK to host focus groups and hear directly from local people about our development plans, specifically how we can make Ellesmere Yard a welcoming space for visitors with disabilities.

The feedback was thoughtful and positive, and will directly influence the future activities and visitor offer. 💙

Are you interested in volunteering locally with the Canal and River Trust? In April we will be hosting a Volunteer Open ...
13/03/2026

Are you interested in volunteering locally with the Canal and River Trust? In April we will be hosting a Volunteer Open Day at Ellesmere Yard in where you can discover more about what opportunities are on offer here as part of the Forging Ahead project.

Forging Ahead is our ambitious five-year National Lottery Heritage Funded project to breathe new life into one of the oldest continuously operational canal maintenance yards in the country. With over 200 years of stories to tell and new ones being written through our work here there is sure to be something to appeal to everyone.

The Open Day is the perfect place to meet the local teams, get a feel for our roles and see how you can get involved whether that’s outside on the canals, onsite at the yard, or even researching things from the comfort of home.

If you are local and interested in playing a part in these exciting future plans for the site join us at Ellesmere Yard. This event is free but sign up is required. Date and details below:

📍Friday Apr 24th from 10 am to 2 pm GMT, Ellesmere Yard, Birch Road, SY12 9AA
👉For more information and to sign up please follow the link below:
https://volunteer.canalrivertrust.org.uk/opportunities/109529-welcome-session-forging-ahead-at-ellesmere-yard-2026-03-05

Opportunity to participate in a free creative workshop at Ellesmere Yard and gain hands on experience learning a traditi...
17/02/2026

Opportunity to participate in a free creative workshop at Ellesmere Yard and gain hands on experience learning a traditional craft.

An introductory workshop into the art of stained-glass painting will be led by resident stained-glass artist Harriet Love . Drawing inspiration from the historic environment at Ellesmere Yard participants will be guided through the creative process to produce pieces of glass that will eventually form part of a larger collaborative panel.

No previous experience is required. Places are limited, so please book in advance see details below:

📍Date and time:
Saturday, Mar 14 from 11 am to 2 pm GMT, Ellesmere Yard, Birch Road, SY12 9AA
👉 For further information and booking please follow link to Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stained-glass-painting-workshop-at-ellesmere-yard-tickets-1982506531403?aff=oddtdtcreator

If you’re at a loose this weekend why not pop down to Ellesmere Yard this weekend to attend one of our popular monthly H...
06/02/2026

If you’re at a loose this weekend why not pop down to Ellesmere Yard this weekend to attend one of our popular monthly Heritage Tours.

Visitors are assured a warm welcome and an informative and engaging tour. There is also the chance to visit Saturn, the Shropshire Union fly-boat currently moored here over the winter.

Date and time as follows:

📍Sunday 8th February @ 11am, Ellesmere Yard, Birch Road, SY12 9AA

👉Please follow the link below to reserve your free ticket:

https://utm.io/ujzgu

Address

Birch Road
Ellesmere
SY129AA

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