Yet Another Restriction at Plank Lane

Boaters face yet another restriction at trouble-hit Plank Lane Lift Bridge on the Leigh Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

As a result of an electrical fault, the bridge will be operated manually by BW staff. There will be just 3 opening periods each day until further notice:
• 9.00 - 10.00 am
• 12.00 noon - 1.00 pm
• 3.00 - 4.00 pm


Boaters arriving at the bridge are required to moor up and notify the bridge keeper of their presence and await further instructions.

The restrictions will continue until the essential repairs can be carried out. A further update notice will be issued once the contractors have assessed the structure.

In March, the bridge was closed to boat traffic for around 24 hours after a barrier was damaged. In 2006, the bridge was closed for some time after the counterweight fell off. [see report and photos].

Enquiries about the current restrictions should be made to BW on 01942 405700.

Police Seek Burnley Blockage

Following a series of stone-throwing incidents at Burnley Embankment, police are asking for the canal across Yorkshire Street aqueduct to be "gated off".

Youngsters recently threw stones at traffic from the aqueduct which carries the Leeds and Liverpool Canal across this busy road midway along Burnley Embankment. A bus and a car had their windscreens smashed.

The Burnley Citizen reports that police are to meet with British Waterways "to try to get them to gate off the section of the canal where the viaduct goes over Yorkshire Street".

It would be a serious reduction in public access and an alarming precedent if the towpath across the aqueduct were to be blocked off.

The dangerous stone-throwing behaviour in the area is not limited to the aqueduct and there have been a number of similar incidents at the nearby Gannow motorway roundabout.

Boaters have commented that the police do not take the same interest when youths throw stones at boats from road bridges.

Rochdale Canal Re-opens

The Rochdale Canal has finally been re-opened between Locks 53 and 54 following vandalism to the bank in January.

Following the incident, local farmer Chris Jones was sent to prison for 3 months for breaching an earlier court injunction banning him from interfering further with the canal bank. [See earlier report]

The canal has remained closed since then until British Waterways engineers could arange access to the private land to inspect the damage and assess the safety of the canal.

Engineering assessments to inspect the canal have now been completed and the canal will re-open to navigation on Saturday 5th April 2008.


The photograph (above) of the location in January shows the repairs to the earlier breach and the disturbed bank to the right.

Boaters wishing to travel between Manchester and the Summit will need to phone BW on 01942 405700 to book passage through locks 83 to 65 and locks 37 to 36.

Another Problem at Plank Lane

There has been another incident at Plank Lane Lift Bridge on the Leigh Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Earlier this week a barrier at the bridge was damaged and was failing to open.

The bridge was closed to boat traffic for around 24 hours until the barrier was repaired. The bridge re-opened to navigation on 27th March.

In 2006 the bridge was closed for a time after the counterweight fell off. [see report and photos].

Rochdale Electrics Fixed

The electrical problems on the Rochdale Canal have now been fixed.

Vandalism at Grimshaw Lane Lift Bridge (Chadderton) and an electrical probolem at Library Lock (Todmorden Guillotine Lock) had meant boaters needed to call BW to come and operate these structures. [See earlier report.]

Fortunately BW has managed to get these problems sorted out in time for the long Easter weekend, so both structures are now boater-operable again.

Tameside Canals Festival Sunk

The annual Tameside Canals Festival will not take place this year as the voluntary organising committee has been disbanded.

The event, which has taken place around Portland Basin at the junction of the Ashton and Peak Forest Canals, has attracted tens of thousands of local families and many boaters over the years.

The event has been taking place since 1975, and some committee members have been involved from the beginning!

Vice Chair, Hazel Maskell said: "Our Committee was aging and several members had already decided to step down after last July's event and so, unfortunately, the remaining members have decided to call it a day."

The first canal festival at Portland Basin was organised by the Inland Waterways Association's Manchester branch, the North Cheshire Cruising Club and the Peak Forest Canal Society to highlight the restoration potential of the nearby Hudderfield Narrow Canal. In later years, the festival was organised by the Huddersfield Canal Society. Since 2001, the event has been run by volunteers supporting and raising funds for Willow Wood Hospice.

"Unfortunately, the weather was particularly poor for the Festival weekend last year," explained Hazel. "Willow Wood decided to withdraw from any involvement in future Festivals and without their charitable status, it made it difficult for us to continue."

If any other local community group wish to discuss taking over the organisation of future Festivals, they can contact Hazel on 01457 837826.

See pictures from past Tameside Canals Festivals.

Power Problems on Rochdale

Further problems lie in wait for boaters travelling on the Rochdale Canal.

The Grimshaw Lane Lift Bridge, between locks 75 and 76 in Chadderton, has suffered an act of vandalism in which the key barrel has been damaged.

Repairs have been ordered, but due to the damage, British Waterways assistance is required to operate the bridge (see below).

A similar problem awaits travellers at Library Lock 19, the guillotine lock, at Todmorden. In this instance, because of an electrical failure, BW has for safety reasons isolated the electrical mechanism to the key barrel.

Boaters requiring passage through either bridge should call BW for assistance.

In office hours between 9 am and 4 pm, please call the Wigan office on 01942 405700. Outside of these hours, please call Free Phone Canals on 0800 4799947.

(Please note the Wigan office will close for the Easter weekend at 5pm on Thursday 20 March and will re-open at 8:30am on Tuesday 25 March.)

Another Macclesfield Wall Collapse

Photo: Debby Francis

The force of gravity and the action of water penetration have once again combined to bring down a section of retaining wall onto the towpath of the Macclesfield Canal.

This week's collapse was between Bridges 40 and 41, less than half a mile south of Macclesfield Canal Centre and Hovis Mill.

It is only a few yards from the spot where another wall dropped onto the towpath several years ago.

The towpath is closed between Bridges 40 and 42. The canal is open for navigation but there may be restricted passage while engineers are on site.

An access track runs immediately above the 20 foot high retaining wall and several vehicles are believed to have been stranded by the collapse.

Photo: Roger Olver

New Proposals for Standedge Tunnel Passage

British Waterways is proposing major changes to the way that boats pass through Standedge Tunnel!

The present system (which will continue in operation during 2008) is a complex operation, requiring an electric tug and passenger module pulling customers' boats through in a convoy on just two days a week. A safety vehicle in the adjacent disused railway tunnel shadows the convoy. BW staff are positioned on each boat, fending it off the tunnel sides. The operation is very labour intensive and costly to run.

Tests carried out during 2007 have shown that it is feasible for diesel engines to be operated routinely within the canal tunnel, enabling British Waterways to rethink how boats can be taken through the tunnel.

BW's proposal is that from 2009 customers' boats would pass through the tunnel under their own power, piloted by a trained qualified British Waterways staff member.

Boaters would be able to remain on their boats and pets will also be allowed to remain on board.

To make this feasible, BW proposed some modifcations to the tunnel, including removing some hazardous rock projections and highlighting or fendering others, improving safety signage, adding distance indicators and installing more flexible communications systems within the tunnel.

The proposals, if approved, will result in a faster passage time of around 1.5 hours and improved welfare arrangements for British Waterways staff.

BW will continue talking with partners Network Rail and the Emergency Services regarding the safety issues as the proposals have implications for their operations.

The guided visitor trips from Tunnel End on the glass roofed boat using electric tugs will continue but BW will be keeping the operation under constant review because of concerns about the future reliability of the electric tugs.

BW's Laurence Morgan said:

"We carried out a number of trials this year with a diesel tug operation to establish definitive information about potential problems with noxious fumes, test welfare and emergency responses as well as our control of the tunnel operations.

"The tests showed that gas emissions inside the tunnel were not a cause for concern and it may be possible to reduce the time taken to go through the tunnel down to one and a half hours.

"Moving on from this we are now considering a piloted operation of customers' own boats by British Waterways trained qualified staff. This will be far better than the very complex operation we have at present.

"For 2008 we will be keeping the operation as is but a project team will be running some further low level trials to ensure that the business case is robust.

"Although it is early days yet, we are very enthusiastic about the proposed changes as we feel this will offer our customers a vastly improved level of service and enable them to enjoy the trip through the highest, longest and deepest tunnel in the country far more than is possible at present."

The proposed changes should result in a more flexible operation for boaters, which could include passages on more than the present two days a week.

The piloting of boats by BW staff should reduce concerns that Network Rail may have than adventurous boaters might stop off and investigate the adits through into the active rail tunnel. It would also mean that in the event of an emergency, the qualified BW operative on board would be in radio contact with the tunnel office to ensure that emergency procedures are followed.

The 2008 season at Standedge starts from Saturday 15th March with the first through trips scheduled for Wednesday 19th and Friday 21st March. Boaters wanting to book passage should contact BW on 0113 281 6860.

New Towpath Guide for "Narrow"

A brand new Towpath Guide for the Huddersfield Narrow Canal has just been published by the Huddersfield Canal Society.

The new 90 page guide has over 500 full colour photographs and detailed maps covering the length of the Narrow, plus short sections of the Ashton and Huddersfield Broad Canals.

The illustrations below show a typical double spread, with a detailed map on the left and photos on the right. The photos show the view in both directs along the canal, with the location of each photo indicated on the map.

The guide has been written and compiled by Huddersfield Canal Society Administrator, Dr Bob Gough, who describes it as "a labour of love".

The guide costs just £4.99 + £1.50 for post and packing. It has been subsidised by the Society as part of its aim to promote the canal for the enjoyment of all.

Please see this page on the Canal Society's website for more details, including an order form.

Canalside Railings Theft

Canal-side railings have been stolen by metal thieves at Sowerby Bridge.

A number of horizontal bars have been removed from the railings alongside the Rochdale Canal, near to Tuel Lane Lock.

British Waterways say: "The railings were not a priority for replacement as they did not form an integral safety aspect of the waterway."

There are, in fact, gaps in the railings to allow pedestrian access to the towpath, so no additional safety hazard has been introduced, but this would be different if railings were to be removed from alongside the lock, which is the deepest canal lock in England.

The photo (right) shows the railings before the theft.

Canal Protest Farmer Goes to Prison

A Rochdale farmer has been sent to prison following a further act of vandalism to the canal near his farm.

Christopher Jones of Maden Fold Farm, Castleton has been involved in a long-running dispute with British Waterways originating from the routing of the Rochdale Canal through a tunnel under the M62 that had previously been used for farm access. It was reported that Mr Jones was not happy with the alternative route provided, which included two new bridges across the canal.

In 2001, when the canal first re-opened, Mr Jones blocked Lock 53 with the arm of his fork lift truck as a protest. He made the news again in 2002 when he jumped into the water ahead of the boat carrying the VIPs to the official opening ceremony of the Rochdale Canal.

During 2007 a number of incidents occurred near Maden Fold Farm, including the canal bank being breached with machinery and the balance beams of the nearby lock being sawn through.

Balance beams sawn through, May 2007
In February 2007, Mr Jones was issued with a court injunction requiring him not to cause further damage to the canal. However, following a further incident in April, Mr Jones appeared in court in June and was given a 3-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, subject to his not breaching the injunction within that period.

Further damage to the canal was allegedly carried out in January, as a result of which, Mr Jones has now been sent to prison.

British Waterways has issued the following statement:

"Over the last 12 months Mr Christopher Jones of Maden Fold Farm has breached the Rochdale Canal with an excavator on a number of occasions.

British Waterways, acting on behalf of the Rochdale Canal Company and The Waterways Trust sought and obtained an injunction last year from Manchester High Court stopping him from interfering with the canal. Later in the year he was given a three month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for breaching the canal again.

He again breached the canal in January 2008, and yesterday (Monday 25 February) was found guilty of breaching the court injunction. The suspended sentence was lifted and he began his three month sentence. The court felt the Mr Jones had been given every possible generosity but that this had been rejected.

British Waterways has pursued this application after serious consideration, and has not taken these steps lightly. The organisation cannot condone actions of this kind which lead to damage of property, along with the high resultant costs to the tax payer. They are not wishing to be either vindictive nor malicious, but simply wish to peacefully operate the canal for the enjoyment of all users."

Historic Wharf could be lost

A remote wharf on the Macclesfield Canal is at risk of being stanked off, drained and returned to nature.

Vaudrey's Wharf is a short arm off the Macclesfield Canal near Bridge 72, east of Conlgleton.

Photo: Tim Boddington
It was built in 1835 to serve Charles Vaudrey's Bath Vale mills. When the North Stafforshire Railway opened a line in 1860, passing under the canal nearby, the wharf became used as an interchange.

When the railway closed the track and the wharf passed into the ownership of Congleton Council. There have been long-term leaks from the arm through the embankment of the railway cutting but the council has not felt able to fund the repairs.

The leak is now more serious and, apart from being an unacceptable loss of water, there is also a potential risk of a breach on this nine-mile pound, threatening property in Congleton.

The canal arm is unusual in belonging to the council rather than British Waterways. BW was unwilling to take on the liability for the repairs. An agreement was being drawn up whereby the council would pay for the repairs and then BW would take over ownership.

BW was then forced to withdraw from the proposed agreement because funding cuts had left them without the necessary money.

Because the leak is a continuing threat to the Macclesfield Canal, BW is considering stanking off the arm at its own expense.

The result of this could be that the arm and wharf becomes overgrown making any future repais and restoration much more expensive, so the wharf could be lost for ever.

Follow this link for full details of the problem and possible solutions.

Festival to Light up Standedge

The annual Imbolc Celtic Fire Festival is to be celebrated on Saturday 2nd February at Standedge Tunnel.

The spectacle, which has been held for 14 years, includes a torchlit procession, starting from Marsden Railway Station car park at 7.00 pm, along Reddisher Road to Tunnel End.

The crowds will be entertained by drummers, live music and spectacular fireworks.

Imbolc is a 2000 year old Celtic Festival which marks the first signs of spring, marking the time when the Earth begins to wake-up after its winter sleep. The lighting of candles and fires represents the return of warmth and the increasing power of the Sun.

Members of the public are asked not to bring dogs as the fireworks may distress animals.