Peak Forest bridge deck to be removed

Following the short notice total closure of Wood End Lift bridge on the Upper Peak Forest Canal on 7th January, after it was damaged by an oversized vehicle, the Canal and River Trust have decided that their only option now is to remove the bridge deck from across the canal and partially demolish the structure so that the canal can be reopened.

The work is planned for Thursday 22nd January and everything is in place for that to happen. The bridge deck has been disconnected from the main structure and lifting points welded to it.

The only thing that might prevent this is the weather and how the snow might affect the work. CRT needs to be able to get lifting equipment safely to the site down an awkward track. If this cannot go ahead tomorrow because of the weather, it will be rearranged for the earliest opportunity afterwards.

Following this work the bridge will not be usable to cross the canal by either pedestrians or vehicles until it can be replaced which CRT are planning to do before Easter.

Wood End Lift bridge is Bridge 24 between Marple and New Mills on the Upper Peak Forest Canal.

Pedestrians should use Bridge 25, Higgins Clough swing bridge, a quarter of a mile towards New Mills.

Information about the closure is posted at the bridge site. For further information about this work please contact CRT at the Red Bull office on 0303 040 4040.

Follow this link to see history of this stoppage.

Update Thursday 22nd January:
The Canal and River Trust have confirmed that the parts from Wood End Lift Bridge have been removed and the canal has now re-opened to navigation.

The bridge cannot now be used to cross the canal by pedestrians or vehicles. CRT will announce later when there is a date for the bridge to be replaced.


Wood End Lift Bridge, Upper Peak Forest Canal. Photo: T.N.C.

Bridge closed on Upper Peak Forest

Wood End Lift Bridge on the Upper Peak Forest Canal has been closed to navigation until it can be repaired.

The bridge, one of three boater-operated bridges between Marple and New Mills, has sustained damage and is inoperable for safety reasons. It has been taken out of action and the canal closed to navigation at this point. The towpath remains open.

Canal and River Trust engineers are assessing the damage and a plan for repair will be drawn up. An update will be issued later.

Update Tuesday 13th January:
The bridge appears to have been hit by an oversized vehicle, damaging the deck and superstructure. The Canal and River Trust need to make some modifications to the bridge to allow navigation to restart, and so that the bridge can be operated by CRT staff.
It is planned to allow passages but only under Trust supervision, hopefully by Friday 16th Jan.

Update Thursday 15th January:
Canal and River Trust are now able to reopen the bridge on a restricted basis, from 10 am to 12 noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until further notice, with CRT staff operating the bridge.

Part of the operation on each occasion will include a period of testing and monitoring before boats pass through and CRT ask for boaters' patience while this takes place.

Update Friday 16th January:
Canal and River Trust have had to close the bridge to navigation again today following an inspection. A more detailed assessment and investigation is required. The bridge is closed again until further notice.

Update Wednesday 21st January:
Canal and River Trust have decided that their only option is to remove the bridge deck from across the canal and partially demolish the structure so that the canal can be reopened.
Follow this link for more details.


Wood End Lift Bridge, Upper Peak Forest Canal. Photo: T.N.C.

A Safety Fence on Marple Aqueduct?

The Canal and River Trust is inviting people to express their views about their proposal to erect a fence along the offside of historic Marple Aqueduct on the Peak Forest Canal.


Marple Aqueduct showing the unfenced off-side

Following the work carried out recently by the Canal and River Trust to improve the experience for visitors to Marple Aqueduct, including cutting back trees to enable a clear view of the structure from the side, a increase in the number of visitors is now expected.

A safety review of the Aqueduct has concluded that additional measures are required to reduce risk to visitors, including a parapet fence on the off-side of the structure (opposite the towpath side). Boaters are at present able to get off onto the unprotected ‘off-side’, while some people are understood to have jumped across the canal channel as a dare.

The Trust is looking for feedback on the safety fencing proposals. Comments can be made by email to aqueduct.fence@canalrivertrust.org.uk

The consultation period will be open until January 31st 2015.

An artist's drawing of what the fence is expected to look like can be seen here:

Artist's impression of proposed safety fence

A similar fence exists at the smaller Paddock Aqueduct in Huddersfield:

Paddock Aqueduct, Huddersfield Narrow Canal

The Trust say that the safety fence will be to be part of a wider programme of improvements including vegetation clearance to reveal the sweep of the Aqueduct, gateway markers, suitable safety signage and improved green space at the entry points to the Aqueduct, creating a sense of arrival at the Grade 1 Listed structure and Scheduled Ancient Monument.

It is not known how many people have fallen from the aqueduct since its opening 215 years ago. Perhaps a local historian can help with that one. The proposal also raises the question of whether such safety measures can be expected to appear on other structures such as the aqueducts at Chirk and Pontcysyllte.

Read about this consultation here: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/consultations/current-consultations and, if you have views, please make them known using the email link above.

Marple Locks and Aqueduct Open Day

As part of the Winter stoppage programme, the Canal and River Trust recently held an "Open Day" at Marple Locks and Aqueduct, so that visitors could see the work that was being done. This attracted a lot of interest, with more than 700 people attending.


A new view of Marple Aqueduct

As well as repairing the lock chamber wall of Lock 2 and replacing the gates of Lock 3, the Trust has re-pointed the wash wall on the Aqueduct and cut back vegetation on the hillside below, to enable visitors to obtain a clear view of the sweep of the historic structure.

The programme of improvements includes safety signage and improved green space at the entry points to the Aqueduct, creating a sense of arrival at the Grade 1 Listed structure and Scheduled Ancient Monument.


Visitors moving between the locks and the aqueduct


Inspecting the lock chamber