THEY have been extremely busy at a Denbighshire site.
After six months of preparation, the area around the intake and meter house at the Horseshoe Falls, Llantysilio, has been transformed to create an improved visitor welcome.
The Lengthsman Hut and stop plank shed has been fully restored and an interpretation panel installed, the railings and down pipes on the meter house have been rubbed down and repainted along with the installation of further railings around the intake.
The work was undertaken by the Our Picturesque Landscape project, which is a landscape partnership scheme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund based in the Dee Valley and supported by Canal and River Trust.
Read more: Hop on the bus to see picturesque and historic Dee Valley sites
The work has been made possible by Welsh Government’s Brilliant Basics capital fund, which is supporting local authorities and national parks to deliver the improvements which will benefit both communities and visitors, will support projects to help alleviate pressure in areas that are seeing increased visitor numbers.
Our Picturesque Landscape partnership officer Kate Thomson said: "Thanks to Welsh Government Brilliant Basics and National Lottery Heritage funding, the area around the intake and the meter house has been transformed to create a much improved visitor welcome.
“To celebrate this, we formally opened the Lengthsman’s Hut to the public for the first time.
"It has been closed up for many years and after a full restoration has been furnished as if the lengths man who would have been responsible for the maintenance of a section or length of canal has just popped out to work and will be back shortly!
"The Lengthsman's Hut can be found opposite the meter house on the canal towpath.
“We are keen to recruit volunteers to open it up going forward if anyone would be interested in helping please contact our.picturesque.landscape@denbighshire.gov.uk or telephone 01824 706163."
Welsh Government economy minister Vaughan Gething MS said: “We’re very aware of the important part that local tourism amenities have on someone’s overall experience when on a day trip or on holiday.
"These facilities often go unnoticed, but they are an important part of people’s experiences when they visit Wales, while also benefit those who live in the area.”
Read more: Work begins to restore fire damaged Llantysilio mountain
Our Picturesque Landscape Project centres on the landscape of the Dee Valley and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site.
It takes the theme of inspirational journeys that have been, and continue to be, a feature of the area which is cut by the canal, Telford's A5 and the River Dee.
Visitors have drawn inspiration from this beautiful valley in art and poetry since the 18th century and it continues to draw tourists in search of the sublime.
This landscape is under growing pressure with high numbers of visitors drawn to what are often our most fragile sites.
The communities on its doorstep, born from the industrial endeavours that shaped it, are now less connected to the benefits the landscape offers.
The five-year project will invest in the resilience of key visitor sites and engage communities in its appreciation and management while reinterpreting this rich landscape for a new generation.
Projects have been developed under three themes - conserving the picturesque landscape, accessing the picturesque landscape, and people and the picturesque.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here