Rochdale re-opens with restrictions

The Rochdale Canal is to re-open throughout its length tomorrow for the first time since it was hit by floods a week ago.

As reported earlier, a stranded narrowboat that had been blocking the canal has been removed. This means that boats are now once again able to travel between Hebden Bridge and Todmorden.

However, because of the dangerous condition of the towpath and lock landings at Lock 12 and 13, west of Hebden Bridge, these locks will be operated by BW staff between 12.00 noon and 2.00 pm each day (7 days a week). Outside of these opening hours, these two locks will be padlocked so that they cannot be used.

The floods have eroded the towpath in this area and a lot of soil and stones have been deposited in the canal making it unsafe to attempt to get on or off a boat on the lock landings. The towpath is also not in a fit state for boat crews to walk between locks.

BW say that it is not safe for customers to try to use these locks without assistance in their current condition, which is the reason for them being locked when not manned.

BW also warn boaters to proceed with caution between Locks 11 and 19 as there may be unexpected obstacles below the water that have been washed into the canal. They ask anyone finding such an obstacle to tell them about it.

BW also warns that sections of the towpath are closed, being badly eroded or covered in slippery silt. Walkers are asked to avoid sections blocked off with orange fencing.


Lock 13 showing towpath erosion and material deposited in canal.


Towpath and wall washed away below Lock 12.


Towpath erosion at Lock 16.

BW say there is still a huge amount of work to be done to get the canal back to normal and that they will work towards that over the coming weeks. BW say they would like to thank customers for their patience while they have been working on the problems caused by the flooding.

See also:
Rochdale Canal remains blocked after floods.
Stranded boat re-floated.

Stranded boat re-floated

The narrowboat that has been blocking the Rochdale Canal since last Friday was re-floated in the early hours of this morning.

As river levels rose rapidly last Friday evening and engulfed the canal between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge, the unoccupied narrowboat was pulled from its moorings and carried downstream, where it was swept onto an overflow weir. When the waters receded, the boat was left with its bow on the weir and its stern on the opposite bank. (See earlier article for photo.)

As there was no access to land beside the canal, the boat had to be lifted by a 300-tonne crane positioned on Burnley Road, on the other side of trees and the River Calder. The large crane was needed because of the long reach involved. The operation necessitated a road closure, which was why it took place in the early hours of the morning.

The boat was lifted from its position and re-floated and was moved down into Hebden Bridge.

As the section of canal between Locks 11 and 17 were the worst affected by the floods, the lock landings have been found to be unsafe to use, as access to them is blocked by silt and debris washed down the canal. Boaters will not be able to pass through this section until BW had set up a system of assisted passage.

The towpath is also closed over much of this section, with some parts having been washed away by the fast-moving flood water.

A short video of the boat being lifted can be seen here on the BBC News web site.


Photo: BBC News

Rochdale Canal remains blocked after floods

[Scroll down to see updates.]
The Rochdale Canal will remain closed for several more days following last Friday's flooding. There are also several blockages to the towpath.


Stranded boat near Hebden Bridge

The most serious problem for boaters is a boat blocking the canal near Hebden Bridge. As river levels rose rapidly, a torrent of water flooded onto the canal below Lock 12. A section of towpath was ripped up by the water and a moored boat was torn from its mooring pins and carried half a mile down the canal. The boat was then swept onto an overspill weir and was left stranded across the canal, with its bow resting on the overspill weir and its stern embedded in the opposite bank. Fortunately there was no-one on board the boat at the time.

British Waterways staff are assessing how the boat can be re-floated and the canal will remain closed to through navigation until this has been achieved.


Stranded boat near Hebden Bridge

BW staff are checking structures to assess whether the rest of the canal can be re-opened. It would appear that damage is confined to the towpath, with several sections being washed away.

Below Lock 12, where the towpath is separated from the river by a stone boundary wall, the river rose higher than the towpath, broke down a section of wall and washed away a length of towpath.


Boundary wall and towpath washed away below Lock 12

Meanwhile the river sections of the Calder and Hebble Navigation remain closed and boaters have been instructed not to open the flood gates.

Important update, Monday 25th June, 4.30 pm:
British Waterways say they are pleased that the main lock structures that have been checked appear to be unaffected by flood damage. However, most of the locks between Locks 11 and Lock 19 have been affected to some extent by erosion and the build up of materials at the lock landings making the locks unsafe to use in their current condition.

The navigability of the channel has not yet been tested, and it is possible that there may be new sand bars or underwater obstacles preventing passage.

BW say it is not clear when they can re-open the canal and warn that people should plan for the canal remaining closed for a period of a few weeks.

In addition to the washed-away sections of towpath mentioned above, BW warn towpath users that much of the towpath between Locks 11 and 19 is covered in a thick silt that is very slippery and walkers are advised to find alternative routes.

Update, Tuesday 26th June, 9.30 am:
The Calder and Hebble Navigation is now open to navigation again. BW staff are opening the flood gates but it could be several hours before these have all been opened.

Update, Wednesday 27th June, 3.00 pm:
The following sections of the Rochdale Canal are now open to navigation:
- between Lock 1 Sowerby Bridge and Lock 9 Hebden Bridge.
- from Lock 17 Todmorden westwards
Winding is available by the dry dock below Lock 9 in Hebden Bridge and at Baltimore Marina above Lock 17 in Todmorden.
The canal is navigable between Locks 9 and 11 but there is no winding point available.

The canal remains closed between Lock 11 and Lock 17.
The boat pictured above is still blocking the canal. BW is hoping to be able to move it tonight. The channel has not been tested. There was severe damage to towpaths in this area so the channel may be obstructed with sand bars and dislodged masonry.

When the stranded boat has been removed BW will start a system of assisted passages between Locks 11 and 17. In many instances it is not possible to bring a boat in to the lock landings because of silt and other debris washed into the canal.

BW will issue information about these assisted passages in the next few days. Even once this section has been re-opened, boaters should proceed with care as there may be unexpected obstructions below the water.

Update, Thursday 28th June, 1.00 pm:
The stranded boat was refloated in the early hours of this morning using a large crane positioned across the river on Burnley Road. It was done at this time as a road closure was required. The canal between Locks 11 and 17 remains closed until BW puts into place a system of assisted passage. The lock landings of many of these locks are inaccessible because of silt or debris that has been washed into the canal. BW will issue an update about assisted passage shortly.

Flooding disrupts navigation in Yorkshire

Very heavy rain yesterday in the South Pennines is causing disruption to navigation today.

BW reports that flooding between in the Calder Valley has made the Yorkshire part of the Rochdale Canal unnavigable and boaters are asked to remain moored up until water levels subside.

Although no announcements have been made so far, it is likely that the river sections of the Calder and Hebble Navigation will also be unnavigable, with flood gates closed.

This page will be updated if any further information is received.

Update 23rd June 4.30 pm:
BW says the canal is likely to remain impassable until the middle of the coming week at the earliest.

It is not believed that the flooding has caused any catastrophic damage but there are locations on the canal that are obstructed. BW will issue further updates when they have been able to complete the necessary engineering assessments on Monday.

Update Monday 24th June:
See Monday's news update [click here] for details of the problems left by the floods.

Update, Tuesday 26th June, 9.30 am:
The Calder and Hebble Navigation is now open to navigation again. BW staff are opening the flood gates but it could be several hours before these have all been opened.

Car blocks Rochdale Canal

Navigation on the Rochdale Canal has been blocked by a car in the canal at Bridge 34 (Hollins Bridge) in Walsden. This is on the section between Todmorden and the Summit level.

British Waterways say that police and Fire teams are on scene and British Waterways are making every effort to recover the vehicle.

Boaters are asked to moor up above Bridge 34 or below lock 26 and await further instructions from British Waterways staff on site. A further update will be issued.


Hollins Bridge, Walsden.

Half Day Huddersfield Hold-up

Boaters using the eastern end of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal could be held up by a half day stoppage at Lock 1e today (21st June).

There are problems with the gate paddles leaking water. British Waterways will close the lock between 12.00 noon and 4.00 pm so that investigations can be made to see what repairs are required.

Boaters travelling eastwards into Huddersfield should time their journey so that they do not arrive at Lock 2e during this period.

There have been long-standing problems with the pound above this lock losing water.


Lock 1e, Huddersfield

Leeds and Liverpool bridge stoppage

A swing bridge is out of action causing a stoppage on a busy section of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

There is an intermittent fault at Bridge 187, Warehouse Swing Bridge, at Kilnwick, on the popular stretch between Skipton and Bingley. The bridge has been closed to navigation until further notice while investigations are carried out.

Update, June 20th, 2.15 pm:
The problem with the bridge has been rectified and the canal is now open to navigation through Kildwick.

Any enquiries regarding this stoppage should be made to BW on 01942 405700.


Bridge 187, Kildwick

Rochdale Nine Stoppage

Boaters passing through Manchester found the "Rochdale Nine" flight closed today. British Waterways have announced that the pound between Locks 85 (Piccadilly) and 86 (Canal Street) had to be de-watered, although they did not give a reason.

BW said that it is expected that the canal will be navigable again by tomorrow morning (19th June).

Enquiries about this stoppage should be made to BW on 01782 785703.

Update, Tuesday 19th June, 4.15 pm:
The pound has been re-filled and the navigation has now re-opened.


Pounds between Lock 85 and 86, Rochdale Canal

Wigan Waterless Once More

Boaters intending to use the Wigan lock flight of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal have been once again hit by problems with low water levels.

This time it would seem that acts of vandalism have caused the lock flight to become unnavigable. The whole of the lock flight is closed, along with Pagefield and Ell Meadow Locks below Wigan (Locks 65 to 89).

Teams from British Waterways will be working throughout the day to re-water the flight.

Any enquiries about this stoppage should be made to British Waterways on 01942 405700.


Wigan flight

Barrowford Stoppage

An emergency stoppage has been announced on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Barrowford lock flight.

Lock 50, the second lock up the flight, is closed for repairs to the cill and tail gate.

BW will issue an update tomorrow, 25th May.

Any queries regarding this stoppage should be made to BW on 01942 405700.

Update, 25th May, 4.00 pm:
It has been discovered that the heel post and paddle of Lock 50 are damaged, requiring further work. The lock will remain closed to navigation. BW will issue a further update on Monday 28th May.

Update, 28th May, 2.30 pm:
A temporary repair has now been made and the lock has re-opened to navigation.

However, Barrowford lock flight will be closed again on Thursday 31st May to allow the faulty paddles on this lock to be replaced.


Looking from Lock 51 to Lock 50, Barrowford

Another Wigan Stoppage

Boaters on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal face another stoppage in the area. This time it is at Lock 90, Ell Meadow Lock, just west of Wigan.

Ell Meadow Lock was closed today (23rd May) so that BW staff can carry out an investigation and repair work on faulty ground paddles.

The length of the stoppage is not yet certain, but an update will be issued tomorrow, Thursday 24th May.

Update 24th May, 2.30 pm:
Repairs are complete and the navigation has re-opened.


Ell Meadow Loc, Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Rochdale Stoppage at Sowerby Bridge

The Rochdale Canal is currently closed between Lock 1 and Tuel Lane Lock 3/4 in Sowerby Bridge, and will remain closed tomorrow and Thursday.

Water is leaking from the canal into an adjacent property and urgent pointing work needs to be carried out. The canal will be closed between Lock 1 and Tuel Lane Lock 3/4 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Normal passage is expected to resume on Friday morning, 25th May.

Any enquiries regarding this stoppage should be made to BW on 01782 785703.

Update, 23rd May, 4.30 pm:
The pointing work has been completed and the navigation has now re-opened.


Lock 2, Rochdale Canal, Sowerby Bridge

Why the Huddersfield Narrow is still closed

This year's boating season has not got off to a good start on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. Firstly there was the delay in re-opening Lock 20w after grouting had seeped up through the lock floor and prevented the gates from moving. Then a boat sinking in Lock 1w took several days to sort out. Now Lock 1w is closed yet again as emergency repairs are carried out.

What at first look appeared to be a problem with the tail gate hydraulic paddles then seemed to be damage to the lock chamber floor and lower cill. Finally there was found to be extensive cracking in the heel posts of the bottom gates, so that the lock could not be filled. This necessitated the gates being taken off so that repairs could be carried out.

All this is very unfortunate but understandable.

The gates have now been repaired and are back in position. However the lock cannot yet be re-opened. The reason is clear when you look at the photograph below. It seems that health and safety requirements mean that no work can be done at a lock that has been drained unless the lock chamber is completely surrounded by scaffolding railings. The work may be finished but BW now need to wait for the scaffolding contractors to come back and remove the scaffolding. So, instead of the waiting boats being able to get through tonight (Monday), they are having to wait until Wednesday afternoon!


Lock 1w, Huddersfield Narrow Canal this afternoon

(Click on image for larger view, click Back button to come back to this page.)

I wonder if anyone has any statistics showing how many BW staff or other people have fallen into locks that have been drained for repairs. I suspect the numbers might be very low, if not non-existent!

Of course, these problem with the gates at Lock 1w would not have happened had the gates been replaced as planned three years ago. The gates and the paddles are operated remotely by windlass-operated hydraulics and are very slow and heavy work. There is also a serious safety issue in that the paddles cannot be closed quickly in an emergency. They were due to have been replaced with new gates with ratchet paddles and crooked beams, like the ones that replaced the similar hydraulic gates at Lock 2w.

However, in order for these beams to be operated, it was necessary to retrieve a small piece of land from the site that BW was renting to a garden centre. This seemed to be something that BW's legal eagles were not able to sort out with any speed. I understand the latest position is that BW has sold the land to the garden centre, minus the bit that is needed for the balance beam sweep. Nothing appears to have changed on the ground, though. The new gates have not been fitted, with the result that the heel posts on these really old gates have failed and required costly repairs.

Update, 23rd May, 4.30 pm:
The work at Lock 1w has been completed and the navigation has now re-opened.

Tesco and BW reach Trolley Agreement in Stalybridge

Boaters will be pleased to hear that Tesco and British Waterways have come to an agreement over the long-running problem of trolleys in the canal in Stalybridge.

Rubbish in the canal, particularly trolleys, has been seen to be a deterrent to boaters using the waterway. This is depriving the town from enjoying more visits by boats with the consequent loss of trade, and the town being less attractive to visitors. The "Stalybridge Town Team" sees attracting boaters and visitors to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal as a crucial part of its plans.

In the past three years more than 200 trolleys have been retrieved from this stretch of the canal, taking British Waterways resources away from other projects. Even fitting trolleys with devices so that the wheels lock if they are pushed over a line has failed to solve the problem.

Working in partnership with Tesco, British Waterways have now agreed to make regular visits to the stretch of the canal to keep it clear of trolleys and other debris – with the clean-up costs being met by Tesco!

BW's David Baldacchino said: "Litter is a huge problem for the waterways, especially when people are using the canal as a dumping ground for litter and - at this particular location - shopping trolleys.　

"We have been working closely with Tesco to try and reach a solution to this on-going problem which is spoiling the environment and causing damage to boats. I am pleased that we have agreed to carry out regular clean-ups with the help of Tesco.

"The new Canal & River Trust will be calling on the help and support of the local community in Stalybridge to get involved with their local waterway by volunteering and helping care for their canal."

Anna Wisnoiwski, manager of Tesco Stalybridge, said: "We work hard to ensure that our trolleys are collected and secured every night. We are always looking for new ways to prevent trolleys being stolen and we're grateful to customers who make us aware of abandoned trolleys, as it enables us to collect them quickly. We are pleased to join British Waterways in this new initiative to help keep Stalybridge canal clean and safe for everyone to enjoy."

Jonathan Reynolds, MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, welcomed the agreement, saying: "Given its picturesque location next to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, Stalybridge should be attractive to tourists and to shoppers, as well as being an ideal place to spend a day out. But far from being an attraction, debris in the canal can make it an eyesore and discarded shopping trolleys can make it hazardous for boaters.

"I have been talking to Tesco and British Waterways about this issue for a number of weeks and I am delighted that they are now taking such an active role to clear up the canal.

"Taking action to ensure the water is clear of debris will help to make it a much more attractive destination for boaters, as well as those looking for a stroll along the towpath.

"Supermarkets are clearly not responsible for the anti-social behaviour of those who think it is acceptable to dump litter and trolleys in this way. But the canal-side location of this particular store makes it a particular problem in Stalybridge, so I am pleased that British Waterways and Tesco are taking this pro-active approach."

There have been many reports of boats becoming stuck on trolleys in this area. It was recently learnt that one boater could not get past the trolley reef and turned back. The canal through Stalybridge has a concrete bottom. A boat cannot push trolleys into the mud, as can happen at other locations, and so, depending on the draught of the boat, a trolley here can be an impassible obstacle.

We look forward to hearing of similar agreements being made with other stores elsewhere!


With trolleys on the footbridge across the canal include, from left, Tesco's Anna Wisnoiwski, local MP Jonathan Reynolds and BW's David Baldacchino. Photo: Jason Prince