Couple unable to sell 20-room home next to 'leaking' Welsh canal

A COUPLE living at the bottom of a steep incline say they've been unable to sell their home for years because the adjacent canal leaks into their land.

- JONATHON HILL

Charles and Patricia Lester have lived at Llanfoist House, Govilon, beside the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal since 1973.

The house is at the base of a very high and steep canal bank 70ft below the canal towpath.

They say they have suffered multiple landslides since due to water seeping through the canal banks, with the most recent being within the last decade.

"Not that we were aware of the significance of any of this at the time we bought the property," said Mr Lester.

"Especially as the canal had no record of leaks or collapses in its previous history. But we very quickly realised there was a constant flow of water from the canal bank.

"Our unlined pond was kept full all through the driest periods with leaks from the canal and many leaks into all the neighbours' gardens, including our own. At the time we had no idea or warning of the potential danger, as would be required these days to be in the estate agent's details.

"The more recent legislation about declaring such things as subsidence or flood potential has made it impossible for us to sell this large house enabling us to move to a more manageable and comfortable property in our old age."

It comes after the Canal and River Trust (CRT), which is charged with maintenance of canals and rivers across the UK, said the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal was suffering from a severe water shortage and may have to close.

It has led to the Lesters asking where the water is going and claiming the issue is a huge one for homeowners living beside the canal, which runs from Brecon to Cwmbran. In an interview, Mr Lester asked: "Why has the canal never run out of water before? Why are we talking about this now?"