Up to 2,000 people came together to light up the Brecon Canal for a week of celebrations to mark its 225th anniversary.

Communities in Gilwern, Llangynidr, Talybont and Brecon all hosted spectacular lantern parades across four evenings to herald a special milestone in the history of the canal.

Crowds gathered to celebrate 225 years of the historic canal
Crowds gathered to celebrate 225 years of the historic canal (.)
The illuminated swan on the canal
The illuminated swan on the canal (.)
Left to right: Ben Cottam regional director, Fay Jones Welsh Chair, Campbell Robb CEO Canal & River Trust
Left to right: Ben Cottam regional director, Fay Jones Welsh Chair, Campbell Robb CEO Canal & River Trust (.)
Boaters decorated their vessels with lights as part of the celebrations. Behind are some of the illuminated animals
Boaters decorated their vessels with lights as part of the celebrations. Behind are some of the illuminated animals (.)
Lanterns, live music and illuminated boats created a striking scene along the canal in
Lanterns, live music and illuminated boats created a striking scene along the canal (.)
Hundreds gathered along the towpath in Brecon as the canal was lit up
Hundreds gathered along the towpath in Brecon as the canal was lit up (.)

Each night a procession of people saw hundreds line the towpath as the parade headed north towards Brecon. In addition to the lanterns, there was live music, a special life-size illuminated horse and otter on the towpath, plus boaters along the canal who decorated their boats in lights displays to add to the spectacular setting. Members of the public rowed in illuminated canoes while a floating lit-up swan model glistened on the water.

Starting in Gilwern on Monday, the week culminated in a special entrance into a lit-up Brecon Basin on Friday evening, as the celebrations concluded outside Theatr Brycheiniog at the most northerly point of the canal in the centre of Brecon.

The evenings have been part of Glandŵr Cymru's year-long celebrations to mark the anniversary. The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, known affectionately as the Mon & Brec, began life as two separate canals – the Monmouthshire Canal and the Brecknock & Abergavenny Canal. Although the two were joined in 1812 at Pontymoile, the 225th year celebrates the completion of the more northern Brecon Canal twelve years earlier when the first cargo of coal reached Brecon Basin on Christmas Eve 1800.

David Morgan, development manager for Wales at Glandŵr Cymru, said: "To see up to 2,000 people coming to the canal to mark the anniversary is a reflection of the love there is for this special waterway and the role it plays in the communities it runs through in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and into Brecon.

"Every night we were joined by hundreds of people of all ages with lanterns, costumes and a fantastic energy that certainly saw us 'Light Up the Brecon Canal' to remember the people who built the canal and the impact that it has made in the local area over the centuries.

"These unique celebrations wouldn't have been possible without the amazing support and enthusiasm for the canal from local people, including in Llangattock where the weather sadly stopped that evening’s celebration. We are thankful to the community councils, partners and all the people and volunteers who helped make these events possible and we hope everyone who joined us went away not only having had a great time but recognising how vital the Mon & Brec is in this part of Wales."

The events followed the news two weeks ago that new funding from the Welsh Government announced by Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies will safeguard businesses, communities and wildlife that rely on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal. The funding will support a vital water supply agreement for the canal between Glandŵr Cymru and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water for the next five years. The Welsh Government will provide cover for up to £400,000 every year with Glandŵr Cymru contributing up to £100,000 annually. The canal contributes over £30m to the Welsh economy and supports more than 1,000 jobs.