The Monmouthshire - Brecon Canal is another post-industrial artifact that engenders a sense of watery eyed nostalgia among some. Retirees give up their time to point brickwork and sit on stewardship committees hoping to arrest decaying processes. It's a somewhat thankless rear guard action, compounded by the clinical hands of post war newtown planners. From the tranquil rural landscape of Monmouthshire the canal feeds through the grey infrastructure of Pontypool and on to Cwmbran. Here this aged transport channel has been severed like one big waterway vasectomy cut into a series of barely connected parts. No longer will the marriage of urban and rural be consummated.
Despite the periodic displays of public affection the canal environment is a litmus test of what society really thinks of this green urban thoroughfare. A short walk through any built up section will more often than not produce a shopping trolley or two or a floating polystyrene takeaway container with associated lager cans. Where the vegetation thins, peer into the water for more historic evidence of Calor gas bottles, chopper bikes and ring pull drinks cans. And the towpath has a liberal helping of dog faeces.
For modern day ecologists who believe the prevalence of non-native species is a reality of globalism - see The New Wild by Fred Peace - the canal offers rich pickings. Above the layers of inter-generational fly-tipping and silt accumulation this wetland supports a cosmopolitan array of biodiversity from around the world. Botanically Himalyan balsam, and Japanesse knotweed sit cheek by jowl with American water fern, South American parrot's feather, Canadian pondweed and New Zealand pygmyweed. Canada goose, American mink and red-eyed terrapin from Ninjiland are all commonplace. And then there's the goldfish and koi crap from where I do not know!
Looking beyond the non-natives you will find some gems. As highlighted in a previous post the canal is poorly recorded. This week a couple of meadow long-horn moths was noteworthy.
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