Wigan Stoppage

Boaters on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal face delays as a section of the canal through Wigan is closed.

The stoppage arises because the pound between Lock 86 (Henhurst Lock) and Lock 87 (Bottom Lock) needs to be de-watered so that a paddle at Lock 86 can be repaired. The pound to be drained is the one outside the windows of the Canal and River Trust's North West office!

This stoppage affects boats travelling between Wigan and Burscough. Boats travelling between Wigan Top Lock and the Leigh Branch are not affected.

The Canal and River Trust will issue an update on Thursday 30th August.

Any enquiries regarding this stoppage should be made to the Canal and River Trust on Enquiries: 03030 404040.

Urgent Update Tuesday 28th August, 11.30 am:
A further stoppage notice has been issued. Lock 83 is also to be de-watered to repair a paddle. This means that the whole of the Wigan lock flight is closed.

Further updated will be posted here when they are received.

Update Thursday 30th August, 9.00 am:
Lock 83 has now re-opened to navigation.
Lock 86 and 87 have also re-opened.

Urgent Update Friday 31st August, 9.00 am:
The Wigan flight between Locks 65 and 85 has been closed again to allow for the repair of broken paddles. The Canal and River Trust will issue a further update on Monday 3rd September.

Update Monday 3rd September, 11.00 am:
The Wigan flight between Locks 65 and 85 has now re-opened.

Urgent Update Tuesday 4th September, 11.00 am:
The Wigan flight between Locks 65 and 85 will be closed again on Wednesday 5th September to allow for the replacement of damaged baffles at Lock 83. The work is expected to take just one day.

Update Thursday 6th September, 3.00 pm:
The Wigan flight between Locks 65 and 85 has now re-opened.


Henhurst Lock, Wigan

Further Restrictions at Marple

Boaters using the Peak Forest Canal face new restrictions at Marple Locks after a tail gate balance beam failed at Lock 14.

Canal and River Trust staff will be on hand to help boats through this lock, which means that the flight is closed outside of working hours.

The locks will be open today and tomorrow (22nd and 23rd August) from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm. Last entry to the flight will be 3.00 pm.

It is hoped that the beam can be repaired by Friday.

This restriction comes only a week after the previous restrictions were lifted. The restriction affects boaters navigating the Cheshire Ring.

Any enquiries about this stoppage should be made to the Canal and River Trust on 01782 785703.


Lock 14 on the Marple flight.

Pollution shuts Aire and Calder

A four mile stretch of the Aire and Calder Navigation to the east of Leeds has been closed following a serious pollution incident.

The River Aire has been polluted by oil contamination downstream of Leeds Lock. In order to contain the oil and prevent it from spreading, the navigation has been closed between Leeds Lock (by the Royal Armouries and Clarence Basin) and Fishpond Lock, which is to the east of the M1 motorway viaduct. The Canal and River Trust has asked boaters not to proceed between Leeds Lock and Fishpond Lock.

Contractors have already begun to deal with the incident. An update will be issued at lunchtime on Tuesday 21st August.

Enquiries about this stoppage should be made to the Canal and River Trust on 0303 040 4040.

Lemonroyd Lock, between Fishpond Lock and Castleford, is closed this week for urgent repairs, so hopefully the pollution incident will not inconvenience too many boaters.

Update Wednesday 22nd August:
The polution has been cleared and the navigation is now open between Leeds Lock and Fishponds Lock. Lemonroyd Lock is closed this week for urgent repairs. Flood locks further down the Aire and Calder Navigation have been closed this morning.


River Aire downstream of Leeds

Bridge Failure on Leeds and Liverpool

A bridge failure has resulted in a stoppage on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal near Burscough, between Wigan and Liverpool.

A mechanical and electrical failure means that Bridge 33, Glovers Swing Bridge, is inoperable. This is one mile east of Burscough and a short distance east of the junction with the Rufford Branch.

The Canal and River Trust will issue an update on this stoppage tomorrow, 14th August.

Any enquiries regarding this stoppage should be made to the Canal and River Trust on 03030 404040.

Update Tuesday 14th August, 4.00 pm
The bridge has now re-opened.

Update Wednesday 15th August, 4.00 pm
The bridge is now closed again to navigation, due to a hydraulic failure.


Glovers Swing Bridge, near Burscough

Paddle Problem at Diggle

There could be delays for boaters on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal after the failure of a paddle at Lock 29w at Diggle.

The Canal and River Trust completed an examination of the paddles this morningn and found that the repair is not simple as the paddle frames have to be removed for
the new paddles to be installed. This is a time consuming process.

It is estimated that the canal will be reopened by first thing on Friday morning, 10th August.

The Canal and River Trust will be contacting boaters with bookings for Standedge Tunnel
to discuss their options with them.

Any enquiries about this stoppage should be made to the Canal and River Trust on 01782 785703.

Update Friday 10th August, 6.00 pm:
The repairs to Lock 29w are now complete. However, following difficulties with water resources following completion of the repairs, the Canal and River Trust has decided to keep the flight closed to navigation between locks 24w and 32w over the weekend. (Locks 24w and 32w will be padlocked.) This is to allow water resources to recover fully in time for tunnel passages next week.

Diggle lock flight will re-open on Monday morning, 13th August.


Looking towards Lock 29w at Diggle

Lemonroyd to shut for a week

The Canal and River Trust has given advance warning of a stoppage later this month at Lemonroyd Lock on the Aire and Calder Navigation between Leeds and Castleford.

Lemonroyd Lock will be closed from Monday 20th August until Saturday 25th August. This unplanned closure is needed to carry out urgent repairs to the lock gate and sluice mechanisms. The lock requires dewatering and for stop planks to be installed for this work.

Any enquiries about this stoppage should be made to the Canal and River Trust on 0303 0404040.

Update Friday 24th August:
Leomonroyd Lock is now open to navigation once again. The repairs are mostly complete but part of the walkway on the upstream gates will remain fenced off. Boaters will be able to get through the lock as normal.


Lemonroyd Lock

Marple Locks Restricted Opening

Following the closure of Marple Locks on Tuesday, they will re-open on a restricted basis until repair work is complete.

Water was leaking from the pound between Locks 15 and 16, making the locks unusable. After lengthy investigations, the source of the leak was found yesterday evening. A temporary repair had been made and the pound was re-watered by 10.00 pm.

By this morning (2nd August) the repair was still holding, so the boats that were waiting above and below the locks were assisted through the lock flight. The pound between Locks 15 and 16 was then de-watered again and a start made on a permanent repair. The repair work will take until Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Starting tomorrow the locks will be open for passage on a restricted basis at the following times:
- Friday 3rd August: 7.30 am to 12.00 noon.* Closed all pm.
- Saturday 4th August: open with lock-keeper in attendance 8.00 am to 5.00 pm.
- Sunday 5th August: open with lock-keeper in attendance 8.00 am to 5.00 pm.
- Monday 6th August: 7.30 am to 12.00 noon.* Closed all pm.
- Tuesday 7th August: 7.30 am to 12.00 noon.* Closed all pm.
- Wednesday 7th August: open normally if all goes to plan.

* Last entry to lock flight on these days:
Last entry to Lock 1 (bottom) 9.00 am
Last entry to Lock 16 (top) 11.00 am

Urgent update Saturday 4th August:
The Canal and River Trust has announced that, "due to a safety issue," they have closed Marple Locks until further notice. They say a further update will be available on Monday 6th August.

Update Monday 6th August:
A retaining wall just below Lock 7 has collapsed. The situation has become worse over the weekend. The restricted opening times mentioned above no longer apply and the lock flight will remain closed to navigation. This is a different problem from the leak between Locks 15 and 16 that caused last week's problems. A further update is expected later today once the Canal and River Trust engineer has assessed the situation.

Update Tuesday 7th August:
The Marple flight has re-opened on a restricted basis:

Boats will be able to enter the flight between 9.00 am and 11.00 am only until further notice.

Boats will be assisted between locks 16 and 15 to control water levels. This is to allow the completion of emergency engineering works. Boats should wait for assistance at lock 16 or 15.

Update Friday 10th August:
The Marple flight will continue to operate on a restricted basis until further notice:

Boats will be able to enter the flight between 9.00 am and 11.00 am only until further notice.

Boats will be assisted between locks 16 and 15 to control water levels. This is to allow the completion of emergency engineering works. Boats should wait for assistance at lock 16 or 15.

These restrictions affect boaters navigating the Cheshire Ring.

Any enquiries regarding this stoppage should be made to the River and Canal Trust on 01782 785703.

Update Wednesday 15th August, 4.00 pm
The latest update notice would appear to suggest that the navigation is now open as normal and the restrictions lifted.

Leeds and Liverpool Stoppage

The Johnson's Hillock lock flight on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal has been closed. This follows an "incident" at Johnson's Hillock top lock, number 86.

The Canal and River Trust will issue an update tomorrow, Friday 3rd August.

Any enquiries regarding this stoppage should be made to the Canal and River Trust on 030 30 40 40 40.

Update Friday 3rd August, 8.30 am:
The boat that had sunk in Lock 86 has been removed and the canal has now re-opened to navigation through the lock flight.


Lock 58 at Johnson's Hillock.

Marple Locks Stoppage

Boaters on the Peak Forest Canal are facing a stoppage at Marple Locks.
Because a large volume of water is leaking from the pound between the Locks 15 and 16, it is not possible to pass through the locks.

The lock flight has been closed and repairs are to be attempted today (31st July) but the Canal and River Trust say that at the moment the exact point of the water leaving the pound cannot be determined with any certainty.
Boaters are asked to moor up at the top or bottom of the lock flight - above Lock 16 or below Lock 1.

An update will be issued at 2.00 pm. Boaters requiring further information should contact the Canal and River Trust on 01782 785703.

This stoppage will affect boaters navigating the Cheshire Ring.

Update Tuesday 31st July, 4.00 pm:
The Canal and River Trust say that exploratory probing has been carried out but the source of the leak has not yet been located. They will bring in machinery to speed the process up.

At present the estimate is that the canal will re open on Friday 3rd August at midday. Further updates will be issued at 2.00 pm daily until the issue is resolved.

Update Thursday 2nd August, 4.00 pm:
The source of the leak was found yesterday evening. A temporary repair had been made and the pound re-watered by 10 pm. This morning the repair was still holding so the boats that were waiting above and below the locks were assisted through the locks. The pound was then de-watered again and a start made on a permanent repair. The repair work will take until Monday or Tuesday of next week.

The locks will be open for passage at the following times:
- Friday 3rd August: 7.30 am to 12.00 noon. Closed all pm.
- Saturday 4th August: open all day, with lock-keeper in attendance 8.00 am to 5.00 pm.
- Sunday 5th August: open all day, with lock-keeper in attendance 8.00 am to 5.00 pm.
- Monday 6th August: 7.30 am to 12.00 noon. Closed all pm.
- Tuesday 7th August: 7.30 am to 12.00 noon. Closed all pm.
- Wednesday 7th August: open normally if all goes to plan.

More recent updates can be found here.


The pound between Locks 15 and 16, Marple

Rochdale Nine Update

It was reported here last Friday that the Rochdale Nine locks through Central Manchester were closed following an incident with a boat. [See original article.]

The lock flight remains closed today and it would appear that repair work has not yet been carried out. The photo shows water gushing up from under the towpath side head gate. This is because the gate has been lifted out of the pot that enables it to pivot and rotate. Not only does this make the gate difficult to operate, but the lack of a seal prevents the lock from being emptied. (The lock is three quarters full in spite of one of the tail gate paddles being completely raised.)

The Canal and River Trust have investigated the situation and found that the gate has sustained damage which requires the gate to be lifted out and repaired. This will involves the use of scaffolding and a temporary road closure to facilitate the use of a crane. The Canal and River Trust hopes to have the work completed by the end of Friday 27th July.

One report suggests that the bow of a boat became stuck under the beam as the lock was filling and lifted the gate. Another report suggests that a boater was using the boat to open the gate, although it is difficult to see how that could lift the gate.

The Rochdale Nine forms part of the busy Cheshire Ring route and the stoppage at the height of summer has caused disruption to boaters' plans and to boat hire companies, whose customers doing the Cheshire Ring have had to be turned around to retrace their steps.

Enquiries about this stoppage should be made to the Canal and River Trust on 01782 785703.


Lock 89, Rochdale Canal

Rochdale Nine Closed

The "Rochdale Nine" flight of locks in Central Manchester is currently closed after a boat lifted a gate out of the seating pot on one of the locks.

As mooring is not possible on the flight, boaters need to wait at Castlefield, below Lock 92, or in the Piccadilly Basin/Ducie Street area above Lock 84.

Canal and River Trust staff are trying to remedy the situation but it is likely that the locks will be closed throughout the weekend. An update will be published on Monday 23rd July.

This stoppage affects boaters navigating the Cheshire Ring.

Enquiries regarding this stoppage should be made to the Canal and River Trust on 01782 785703.

Update, Monday 23rd July:
Investigations have shown that the gate has sustained more damage than was first thought. As a result, the gate needs to be lifted off, repaired and reset. This involves the use of a crane, scaffolding and a temporary road closure to enable the use of the crane.

The Canal and River Trust say they expect work to be completed by the end of Friday 27th July. This means that the "Rochdale Nine" flight will be closed all week from Lock 84 to Lock 92.

An update will be issued if works are completed before that date.

See photo and update of 25th July here.

Calder and Hebble Closed Again

The river sections of the Calder and Hebble Navigation are again closed to navigation.

The flood gates at Anchor Pitt, Cooper Bridge, Battyeford and Ledgard were closed this morning as water levels were rising. This afternoon the Canal and River Trust announced that all the flood locks on the Calder and Hebble are now closed.

The Canal and River Trust will review the water levels tomorrow morning.

Enquiries: 0303 0404040

Update, Friday 20th July, 9.00 am:
The following flood locks are still closed:
Anchor Pitt, Cooper Bridge, Battyeford and Ledgard.
Other flood locks have now re-opened.

Update, Friday 20th July, 5.00 pm:
Due to high water, all flood locks along the Calder and Hebble are closed and will remain inoperable until further notice. For up to date information over the weekend, please contact Freephone canals on 0800 47 999 47.


Thornes Flood Lock

Silt blocking Huddersfield Narrow

The eastern side of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal is currently blocked by silt and debris following heavy rainfall in the area this week.

The affected section is the pound between Locks 14e and 15e, between Linthwaite and Slaithwaite. This is in a location where a stream flows into the canal from the steep hillside and boaters have for years been experiencing difficulty getting over the silt that has built up. British Waterways, aware of this problem, had been working on a scheme to address this but a schedule for the work had not as yet been arranged.

It is not known at this stage whether the Canal and River Trust will bring forward the proposed dredging work now that the issue has become an emergency.

The Canal and River Trust say that they will issue an update as soon as more is known and have asked boaters with particular concerns, such as those with boats over 60 ft trapped to the east of the blockage, to contact them on 0303 040 4040.

Update Friday 13th July:
The Canal and River Trust say they are continuing to review and investigate the work needed to clear the channel in this area. They say it is already clear that the work required is likely to be extensive. Their contractor is being engaged with a view to them starting work next week.

As yet no end date can be given for the work but the current estimate is that this is likely to be at least 2 weeks.

Boaters with bookings for Standedge Tunnel between now and 6th August will be contacted by the Canal and River Trust to update them of the situation. No new bookings are being taken for the period up to to 30th July. Any bookings taken for after that date will be subject to short notice cancellation.

Update Tuesday 17th July:
The contractor will begin work on Monday 23rd July. The silt will be cleared and stored so that cannot re-enter the canal. It will then be removed from the area completely later in the year.

The Canal and River Trust plan for the channel to be re-opened by the end of Friday 27th July although if it can be re-opened sooner an update to that effect will be issued.

Update Tuesday 24th July:
A navigable channel has now been cleared and boats have been allowed past the affected area. Boaters are advised to proceed slowly past the work. The contractors expect to have completed the work by the end of Thursday, with some 80 tonnes of silt having been removed.


Pound above Lock 14e.

Nicholas Crane coasts through Standedge Tunnel

Television presenter Nicholas Crane was at Standedge Tunnel today filming for a new BBC series.

Nicholas has featured in series such as "Coast" and "Map Man" but this programme is for a new series of the programme "Town", due to air next year, in which Nicholas explores aspects of various towns around Britain. The programme being made looks at Huddersfield and it is good to see that one of the area's features that the programme makers felt to be worthy of inclusion is the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.

The programme will include scenes of Nicholas legging a boat through part of the tunnel but, unlike other programmes in which celebrities have legged a British Waterways work boat, Nicholas had the use of Maria, a genuine horse-drawn boat. The crew also filmed the boat emerging from the Marsden portal at Tunnel End. The film crew were assisted by members of the Horseboating Society.


Nicholas Crane gets ready to try his foot at tunnel legging.