Bells ring out to celebrate Monmouthshire canal’s 200 years (From Free Press Series)

Bells ring out to celebrate Monmouthshire canal’s 200 years

3:10pm Saturday 11th February 2012 in News

ALMOST 30 Gwent churches rang their bells yesterday to celebrate 200 years of history.

The churches rang their bells between 12pm and 7pm to recreate the opening ceremony of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal 200 years ago.

The special event marked the anniversary of the joining of the Monmouthshire, Brecknock and Abergavenny Canals in 1812.

The canal winds its way 49 miles from Brecon to Cwmbran, Newport and Cwmcarn, and was originally built to carry coal and iron.

At 12pm Torfaen council leader councillor Bob Wellington and Robin Herbert - the great-great-grandson of Sir Benjamin Hall who gave the name Big Ben to the bell of the clock installed in the tower of the Houses of Parliament - rang a 200kg bell 12 times.

This initial bell started the ringing of church bells from Pontymoile Basin to Brecon in one direction and from Newport to Cwmcarn in the other.

Church bells were also sounded from Hay-on-Wye to Brecon.

The celebrations continued at Pontymoile Basin with performances from West Monmouthshire School, Pontymoile Primary School, Accord Singers and St Cadocs Millennium Chimes.

A group of cyclists from Abergavenny Cycle Group also led a bike ride along the canal from Pontymoile to Llanfoist yesterday for the celebrations and invited local people to take part.

Project co-ordinator David Morgan said: "It is fantastic to see such great community engagement and involvement to help mark this historic occasion."