Welshpool: Canal and River Trust offers lock walkabout

Enthusiasts were given the chance to walk around an empty Powys canal lock which has just had its huge gates replaced.

The Canal and River Trust held the open day in Welshpool, a week after lifting the two gates into place.

People walked around the drained lock and talked to experts about how the gates were installed, and there were talks about the canal's history.

The old lock gates, installed in 1973, were showing signs of leakage.

Two replacement gates weighing 3.6 tonnes were lowered into place at the Grade II-listed canal lock last week.

They were installed as part of a £50m scheme to replace 104 along 2,000 miles of waterways in Wales and England.

The Canal and River Trust said the work in Welshpool was costing £38,000.

The "historically significant" lock dates from the 1790s.

"We hope that by showcasing the repair works this winter, we can give people a chance to see the scale of the work we do to ensure that the waterways are preserved for today's visitors and future generations," said Vince Moran, the Canal and River Trust operations director.