Marsden lock gate on 'Blue Peter'.

A new lock gate in Marsden will feature in BBC's flagship children's programme 'Blue Peter' tonight.

The feature will focus on the new gate at Lock 37e on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Marsden. Presenter Barney Harwood rolled up his sleeves and got stuck into making a new lock gate and then fitting it during two full day filming sessions with Canal & River Trust staff from the Manchester & Pennine Waterway team and carpenters from the Trust’s Stanley Ferry Workshop, near Wakefield.


The BBC production team with the CRT team in February, by the newly installed lock gate and balance beam. Photo: CRT

Lock 37 east was due to be replaced as part of the Trust’s routine winter maintenance programme. When Blue Peter producers heard what was involved, they thought it would make an ideal feature on the programme.

The first filming day was in September 2014 when Barney enjoyed a trip into nearby Standedge Tunnel, Britain’s highest, longest, deepest canal tunnel, helped Trust carpenters measure up on site and then make the new oak gate at the Stanley Ferry Workshop.

Trust construction and operations supervisors Mark Wigley and Nick Atkinson were on hand to act as his waterways guides and then carpenters Andrew Bayliss and apprentice Josh Hindson assisted with the making of the gates and carving the Blue Peter logo into the balance beam.

In February Barney and the Blue Peter filming team returned again to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Marsden to watch the old gate being craned out and the new Blue Peter lock gate being craned in and fitted, again under the expert guidance of construction supervisor Mark Wigley.

Mark said later: “It was great fun welcoming the Blue Peter team to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal and the Stanley Ferry Workshop. We were impressed Barney just got stuck in and threw himself into the job with real enthusiasm. This is a great way to introduce children to the waterways and the work involved in caring for them.”


Barney Harwood presenting Blue Peter badges to CRT staff Mark Wigley and Nick Atkinson after filming in September. Photo: CRT

Visitors to Lock 37e will now be able to spot the Blue Peter Lock by a special plaque and Blue Peter logo carved into the balance beam next to the towpath.

If you miss the programme when it is broadcast on 23rd April, it will be repeated at 9.00 am on Sunday 26th April and will be available on BBC iPlayer.

Easier to get to Liverpool

It will become easier for boaters to get to the Liverpool Waterfront when CRT simplify the arrangements for getting there this Summer.

Liverpool has become increasingly popular as a canal destination and boaters have had to book a long time ahead to avoid disappointment. Following consultation with boaters, passage to and from Liverpool will be available on more days.

The changes come into effect on 1st August and bookings are being taken for this period now.


Liverpool Canal Link

• It will be possible for boaters to cruise to Eldonian Village, at the end of the canal's main line, without the need to book the Liverpool Canal Link.
• Passage along the Liverpool Canal Link will still be six days a week (no passage on Tuesdays) but will be available in both directions, i.e. up to 6 boats in and 6 boats out on each day.
• In order to maximise the greater flexibility, the maximum free stay on the pontoons in Salthouse Dock will be reduced from 14 days to 7 days.
• The period of notice of cancellation is being increased to 5 days to enable CRT to re-allocate booked slots to boaters on the waiting list. ( A charge is made to boaters who fail to turn up and have not cancelled their booking.)
• More volunteers are to be recruited to assist boaters at Stanley Dock branch and the locks on the Canal Link.
These steps should increase the number of boaters able to visit Liverpool and reduce the time it takes to get a passage.

Boaters who do not have a booking for the Canal Link but who wish to travel as far as Eldonian Village will need to be at Hancocks Bridge (Wango Lane) at 9 am with the boats that have bookings.

These revised arrangements do not start until 1st August and more details will be given by CRT at that time.
The current booking arrangements can be found on the CRT website here.


Salthouse Dock

Bridge badly damaged by lorry

Yet another canal bridge has been damaged by a lorry. This time it was Walton Bridge, which crosses the Bridgewater Canal just west of Warrington.

Warrington Road, which crosses the bridge, makes a sharp turn across the bridge. It is an unclassified road and it is believed that the driver of the articulated lorry was following SatNav directions.

The bridge is a Grade II Listed structure and it is hoped that the lorry' insurance will cover the cost to the Bridgewater Canal Company of reconstructing the parapet in brickwork that matches the original.

The bridge has been made safe for boats to pass below, although the towpath has been temporarily closed.

For more photographs and the full story, please see the article on the Warrington Worldwide website.


Walton Bridge. Photo: Warrington Worldwide

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

Boat sinks twice on Huddersfield

One boater had more than his share of misfortune on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal this week when his boat sank not once but twice.

On Thursday the boat was descending Lock 23w at Dobcross when the stern became caught on the cill. Although the boater tried to take steps to remedy the situation, the boat sank. Canal and River Trust staff helped to refloat the boat and move it out of the lock.

On Friday the boater returned to the vessel with the intention of moving it through one more lock to a place where he could more easily deal with the mess inside the boat. Unfortunately the boat still had a great deal of water inside and was low in the water. When the boat reached lock 22w near Uppermill it began sinking again, this time due to taking on water.

A team from River and Canal Rescue attended the boat this afternoon to refloat it again. The boater was clearly upset by his disastrous journey but expressed relief that nobody had been hurt.


Boat on the bottom of Lock 22w

Lock problem closes Rochdale Nine

The Rochdale Nine lock flight through the centre of Manchester is temporarily closed after problems developed with Lock 91.

There was a problem with a wooden cill, so that the gate could not be made watertight, making the lock inoperable. A section of canal was drained to allow an inspection. The cills have now been replaced but further work is required before the gates can be made watertight.

The Canal and River Trust hope to re-open the locks at around 1.00 pm tomorrow, 28th August, after the work has been completed and the pound re-filled.


Lock 91, Rochdale Canal

Swing Bridge delays at Bingley

Boaters on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal face delays at Bingley because of problems with Micklethwaite Swing Bridge, half a mile upsteam of the Five Rise Locks.

Since 20th August the electrically operated bridge has been manned by Canal and River Trust staff because of technical problems. However, in an updated notice, the bridge has been closed until further notice.

A further update will be issued on Tuesday 26 August 2014.

Update Tuesday 26th August, 5:00 pm:
The bridge remains closed. Contractors will carry out investigations at the bridge tomorrow (27th Aug), after which a further update will be issued.

Update Wednesday 27th August, 5:00 pm:
The bridge remains closed. Work being carried out includes the resolution of hydraulic issues, the replacement of relay bases and the fitting of indicator lamps to prevent users from trying to open the barriers too quickly.

Testing will be completed on Friday 29th August and it is expected that the bridge will re-open to boater operation by Friday afternoon.

Update Friday 29h August, 11.50 am:
Work on the bridge has now been completed and the bridge has re-opened to navigation.


Micklethwaite Swing Bridge

Ashton Canal set to re-open Sunday

New gates in place at Lock 10, Ashton Canal

The Ashton Canal is to re-open on Sunday 27th July following a stoppage of over three weeks after a boat seriously damaged a gate at Lock 10 (Vinegar Lock).

New gates had to be made at Stanley Ferry and these have now been fitted. They are 6 metres high as Lock 10 is the deepest narrow lock in the country, with a rise of 4.22 metres (13ft 10in). New wooden cills have been fitted to make the bottom of the gates water-tight.

Canal and River Trust staff have been fitting the balance beams and paddle gear. (The hydraulic paddle gear, considered inappropriate by some, is being re-fitted.)

Fenders will then be fitted to the gates and an engineering inspection carried out. If that goes well, work to dismantle the work site will take place on Saturday. This will involve removing safety scaffolding from the lock and the heavy duty security fencing that has been erected around the lock.

The canal should then be re-opened to navigation on Sunday morning (27th July).

It is not clear how the damage occurred as the impact appeared to have been at normal water level. However, when canal staff arrived at the scene there was a boat trapped in the lock and the pound below the lock was very low, so one theory being suggested is that the boater may have been attempting to flush the boat from the lock, with the water causing the gate to close just as the boat surged forward.

It is understood that the gates were around 20 years old and should have been good for a few more years. However, the damage was such that repairs could not be carried out in situ, so with the expense involved in removing and refitting the gates, it was more economical to replace them now rather than remove them for repair and then replace them with new gates in a few years time.

The Ashton Canal is part of the popular Cheshire Ring and also the South Pennine Ring , so the stoppage has meant that many hirers and others planning to navigate these rings have had to change their plans.


Lock 10, showing portable gantry still in place and safety scaffolding.


Below Lock 10, with the work boats used to transport the gates and equipment.

Rochdale Canal paddle problem

A paddle failure on the bottom gates of Lock 64 (Kays Lane Lock, Chadderton) on the Rochdale Canal means that the canal is currently closed at this location to facilitate the repair works needed.

The Canal and River Trust is mobilising work teams to the site and it is hoped the canal will be re-opened quickly.

Update Thursday 10th May:
Assisted passage through Lock 64 is available by phoning the Canal and River Trust (01782 785703) when you are approaching the lock.

Update Friday 11th May:
The failed paddle has now been made water-tight and the lock has re-opened to unrestricted navigation but with only one bottom gate paddle working.


Lock 64, Rochdale Canal

Lock damage shuts Ashton Canal

Damage to a gate at Lock 10 on the Ashton Canal has closed the canal between Lock 1 and Lock 18.

The damage to the lower gate, which appears to have been caused by a boater, is so severe that an on-the-spot repair cannot be carried out. The gate will have to be removed to a workshop. Arrangements are being made for the gate removal but access to the lock is difficult.

The Canal and River Trust do not know how long the repair will take but are advising that the canal could be closed here for several weeks.

Lock 10 (Vinegar Lock) is the deepest narrow lock on the canal system, with a rise of 13' 10". This stoppage affects boaters navigating the Cheshire Ring and the South Pennine Ring.

Update Monday 14th May:
The Canal and River Trust expects to take delivery of the new gates needed for Lock 10 next Saturday, 19th July. Fitting the gates is expected to take a week, including fitting new wooden cills. They are hoping to re-open the canal over the weekend of 26th/27th July.

Anyone waiting to navigate the canal as soon as it re-opens is asked to contact Ellie or Milly at the Red Bull office on 0303 0404040 so that the volume of traffic will be known and the re-opening can go smoothly.


Photo: Canal and River Trust

Marple Locks Stoppage

Increasing problems at Lock 2 have resulted in a stoppage on the Marple Lock flight, Peak Forest Canal.

The Canal and River Trust report that during the day today, operation of Lock 2 has become increasingly difficult. They suspect that there is a developing problem with the cill that has become critical.

The flight has now been closed to allow an inspection of the cill and repairs as necessary. The water level will be reduced first thing tomorrow (Tuesday) to allow the inspection to take place and an update will be issued as soon as possible.

Boaters wishing to use the locks are asked to wait on the mooring points above and below the lock flight.

Canal and River Trust add that they know it is a busy time and that this closure will cause some frustration, but they are working as quickly as possible to make sure that there is no unnecessary delay in reopening the canal.

The locks are expected to be closed at least until Wednesday 21st May.


Lock 2, Marple.