The Montgomery Canal (), known colloquially as "The Monty", is a partially restored canal in eastern Powys and northwest Shropshire. The canal runs from the Llangollen Canal at Frankton Junction to Newtown via Llanymynech and Welshpool and crosses the England–Wales border. Originally, the canal from Llanymynech to Newtown was known as the Montgomeryshire Canal. It was named after the county of Montgomeryshire that it ran through and it was divided into Western and Eastern branches which met at Garthmyl. At Carreghofa Locks near Llanymynech, the Montgomeryshire Canal connected to the Llanymynech Branch of the Ellesmere Canal. These elements of the present-day Montgomery Canal were unified when they each became part of the Shropshire Union system: the Ellesmere Canal in 1846, the Eastern Branch in 1847 and the Western Branch in 1850. The canal fell into disuse following a breach in 1936 and was officially abandoned in 1944. With the revival of canal use in the late 20th century, the Western and Eastern branches of the Montgomeryshire Canal and the Llanymynech Branch of the Ellesmere Canal together became known as the Montgomery Canal although the canal does not, and never did, go to the town of Montgomery. At present only from Frankton Junction to Gronwen Wharf is navigable and connected to the rest of the national Canal & River Trust network. Separately, a short stretch at Llanymynech and a central section of the canal around Welshpool are also navigable though isolated from the national canal network. Ongoing restoration work continues to expand the navigable sections. History The Montgomeryshire Canal was devised with a different purpose from most other canals of the time. Whereas other canals could generate sufficient revenue from cargo carrying to be financially viable, the Montgomeryshire was planned to serve a more rural area which would not offer such opportunities. Instead, the primary purpose of the canal was to transport lime for agricultural purposes which would allow the Upper Severn Valley to become better agricultural land. As a result, the promoters of the canal included local landowners who hoped to achieve a return on their investment through greater crop yields rather than relying upon share dividends. The original 1792 proposal for the Montgomeryshire Canal was for a route from Llanymynech, where it would join the proposed Llanymynech Branch of the Ellesmere Canal, to Welshpool. By 1793, it had been decided that the canal should continue through to Newtown. The