A special year in the history of the Mon and Brec Canal got off to a great start at a special anniversary dinner held at the Angel Hotel, Abergavenny. Why the Angel Hotel? Why this particular date? The answer lies in the minutes of the Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal Navigation:
Meeting of the Committee of the Company of Proprietors of the Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal Navigation
The Angel Inn, Abergavenny, 7th February 1812
The Committee set out to view the Canal towards Pontymoile and at Mr. Waddington’s Boat House in Lanover, met him, and embarked there on board his Boat, and proceeded in the same all the way from thence to, and through, the Stop Lock at the Junction into the Monmouthshire Canal – being the first entrance from this Canal into that – amidst the acclamation of a very numerous body of the inhabitants as a token of their Joy at an Event so very beneficial to this Country – And the Committee have in their progress the satisfaction to find the whole of the Canal in such a state as now to be throughout perfectly Navigable having Three feet and a half of Water, And the Banks, Bridges and Towing Path requiring no very considerable additions to render them compleat.
Transcript by John Norris, kindly donated to the MBACT Archive
Despite the weather there was a goodly turn out by many for a splendid celebration. The evening not only looked back in time, but also provided an opportunity to reflect on how the canal could continue to meet future needs thanks to the speeches of Tony Hales, Chairman of British Waterways and Glenn Millar, BW Econonomic Development Manager. Thanks also go to Phil Hughes for making the occasion go off smoothly.
