The Shrewsury and Newport Canals Trust (SNCT) was formed in October 2000 and is run by 12 dedicated trustees. We now have over 1,400 members who share our passion for restoring canals and their structures. All restoration work is carried out by volunteers; there are no paid staff.
Wappenshall Wharf is our first major project, and we’re proud to welcome visitors to discover what we do. Please book a group visit below or download a leaflet for more information.
The Shrewsbury and Newport Canals Trust (SNCT) works to protect, conserve, and improve the canals and their structures for the benefit of the community and environment.
For more details, visit the SNCT website by clicking the button below.
The Shrewsbury Canal opened in 1797 and passed through Wappenshall mainly carrying coal to Shrewsbury.
At this time all that was at Wappenshall was the West Basin, a passing place for boats.
The Birmingham and Liverpool Junction (BLJ) Canal opened this year, including the Newport Canal which connected to our Wharf.
The Shrewsbury and Newport Canals were officially abandoned by the 1944 Act of Parliament.
This act, much like the similar Beeching reforms of the railways, reduced the number of canals managed by a financially-challenged post war government to the minimum of the major canals still used for commerce and industry.
The Shrewsbury and Newport Canals Trust (SNCT) was formed in 2000 to return the Shrewsbury & Newport Canals back to navigation.
Very little of the line of the canals has been built on and no insuperable engineering problems lie in the way of restoration.
Telford and Wrekin council (T&W) buys Wappenshall Wharf to protect it from developers.
T&W granted a lease to the SNCT for 125 years to maintain and restore the derelict buildings and the East Basin.
14th December 2025 was a historic day when our café (the first stage of our visitor centre) opened to the public!
