Boaters' Update 10 April 2026

Llangollen Canal breach investigation

As you’ll remember, the Llangollen Canal breached at Whitchurch in late December. While further investigations continue, we’ve published our interim findings into the cause of this distressing event.

The investigation

Prepared by our engineers, supported by technical experts from across the Trust (such as hydrologists), the initial findings suggest the breach was most likely caused by a combination of specific factors in this location. This included a long-term, deep-seated leak beneath the canal bed that was undetectable to our inspection regime, combined with a steep-sided, high embankment predominantly constructed of sand. This long-term leakage is thought to have eroded material below the canal bed and created a void, ultimately resulting in collapse.

The investigation, which continues as the site is drained and cleared, has not identified other factors at play such as heavy rainfall, overtopping, fallen trees or animal excavations. Final conclusions cannot be drawn until the site has been fully cleared and the investigation completed, including inspections of two nearby culverts which are currently not thought to be contributory factors. 

A distressing and frightening experience

Campbell Robb, our chief executive, said: “The breach at Whitchurch was a distressing and frightening experience for all those affected. We remain deeply sorry for the impact this event has had on boaters and the wider community and once again I’d like to thank all who responded so swiftly and generously when this event happened. We are committed to repairing the canal and reinstating navigation as soon as we can do so safely.

“While breaches of this scale remain extremely rare, we are already taking forward a number of recommendations from the investigation. We have a comparable inspection regime to organisations looking after similar infrastructure but we are augmenting this, including exploring different methods of geophysical surveying technology to better inspect beneath canal beds.”

Although it will take most of the year, we're already progressing the repair of the canal, getting the navigation back open as quickly as possible. This includes completing a key 100-metre-long access track across farmland from the A41 which will be used to bring in c20,000 tonnes of aggregate needed to rebuild the canal’s embankment. Construction is likely to start this spring once in-depth ground investigation works are complete as part of due diligence to confirm the design of the embankment rebuild. We’ve also completed an important ecological milestone with the rescue and safe return to the canal of around 1,000 fish that had been washed into the large pool of water that formed in a neighbouring field.

Read the full report

The interim investigation report is now available on our website.  The full investigation is still ongoing and will be completed and published in the coming months. Its ultimate purpose will be to improve our and other historic infrastructure resilience by identifying what may have contributed to the embankment failure and how it can be mitigated.

Everyone knows a Dave

While most of us were enjoying a long relaxing Easter weekend, the same couldn’t be said for some of my operations colleagues. Storm Dave rolled in off the Atlantic and caused road, rail and waterborne disruption.

With winds peaking at over 90mph it won’t surprise you to learn that the biggest impact was from windblown trees. These caused power cuts to some of our sluices as well as blocking navigations and towpaths. You know the old saying that ‘a picture paints a thousand words’, well…

25,000 shopping trolleys

Thankfully, this isn’t an article about the scourge of shopping trolleys in canals (although that remains a perennial issue). Instead, the humble shopping trolley is being used as a unit of measurement. In this instance we’re measuring silt.

Given their prevalence, it’s highly likely that you have a rough idea of what a normal-sized one would hold. Now, multiply that by 25,000 (your average supermarket has a few hundred) and you’ll get a sense of just how much we’re dredging out of the Ashby Canal.

The dredging, which started a few weeks ago and lasts for around nine weeks, will see £400,000 invested, removing around 4,600 cubic metres of sediment to make it easier for you to navigate.

The project focuses on stretches of canal over a 6km length between Sutton Wharf Bridge, near Sutton Cheney, and Wykin Bridge, near Hinckley.

The work is carried out using a digger, which is secured to a barge, and will haul out accumulations of silt from the bottom of the canal and load it into a hopper barge to be taken away. The material will be taken to nearby agricultural land where, once it’s dried, it will be spread onto fields to fertilise the soil.

It’s the second phase of dredging works on the Ashby Canal after works took place last year between Sutton Cheney and Market Bosworth.

As part of the project we’ve also cut back trees overhanging the water, widening the channel available and improving lines of sight along the canal.

Completed in 1804, the Ashby Canal is lock-free which, if you’re a novice boater, makes it a great navigation on which to practise your boating skills. It’s also centrally located and, via a junction with the Coventry Canal, has great access to all parts of the wider network.

Linny Beaumont, regional director, said: “Dredging isn’t a glamorous job but it’s an essential part of our ongoing work to ensure that boats can continue to navigate our historic waterways.

“Boaters have been navigating the Ashby Canal for over 200 years and it’s vital that they can continue to do so, as boats bring so much colour and life to our canals. They also bring economic benefits, with boaters stopping off to visit local pubs, cafes and shops – so these works are good news for the whole area.

“With time and climate change taking their toll on the nation’s ageing waterways, our charity is grateful for the public support we receive to help us carry out projects like this and ensure we keep our canals alive for future generations.”

Maintenance, repair and restoration work this weekend

As someone who’s out on, or by, the water more often than most, you’ll know that there are times when we need to fix things that unexpectedly break.

When this does happen, or we have to unexpectedly repair something, we get notices up on to our website as soon as we can – it’s always best to have a scan while you’re planning your cruise and also just before you set off. You can find out how to get stoppage notification alerts on your smartphone in this article.

See where navigations are shut this weekend.

If you have any questions about a specific closure, or spot an error in our system, please get in touch.

Sustainable boating

The boating community has long been known for its  eagerness to adapt in the name of sustainability. Alex Hennessey, national boating manager, says that this trend continues to grow among boaters: “With environmental concerns increasingly on the mind of consumers, sustainability is a key area of innovation for the inland waterways sector.

“Each year more boaters are asking us about ways to make boating more sustainable. Their concerns range from the damaging effect of plastic pollution in our waterways, to electric engine charging points and waste disposal. 

“Across our 2,000-mile network of inland waterways, we look to work with a range of partners and projects to support the Government’s decarbonisation agenda and help mitigate the physical effects of climate change.

“From water sourced heat pumps for heating and cooling canalside buildings and generating hydro-electric power on our rivers, to promoting active travel and the recovery of nature, there are many powerful ways our waterways can help reduce carbon emissions and make an important contribution.

“Just last year, in our comprehensive submission to the government’s Spending Review process we made the case for the significant environmental benefits, among others, that our canals continue to provide.”

While you’ll no doubt do lots of your own research here are 14 tips that you might find useful:

1. Switch to electric or hybrid engines – electric boat engines are a vital component of our journey towards net zero in 2050, and for boats kept in marinas with electric charging points, fully electric engines are a great option. But while the electric charging infrastructure on our network is still in its infancy, hybrid engines can reduce the fuel burned to one third of a standard diesel installation.
2. Fit a generator – boaters can massively reduce their carbon emissions by fitting a 240V generator to their boat engines, making the power they produce more versatile and useful.  Using a diesel engine designed for motive power to heat the water on board is not an efficient use of energy.  But using the engine to run a generator to power on board electrical systems is much more efficient.
3. Power sharing – one canal boat engine could be used to power the electrical systems of up to 30 boats, reducing costs and CO2 emissions. This only requires co-operation and simple equipment to distribute power from one engine to many boats. 
4. Invest in Lithium batteries – replace lead acid batteries with lithium batteries: they take less engine time to charge and they don’t need to be charged until full. Lithium batteries will do around 10 times more charges over their life cycle and they cost less to charge, particularly with careful charging management. So while their upfront costs might be higher than a lead acid battery, they save money and CO2 emissions over the longer term.
5. Choose HVO fuel – the IWA has been trialling Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as fuel in a variety of boats.  For the short to medium term, the IWA believes that HVO is a viable alternative to diesel, and one that most boaters can use immediately, reducing CO2 emissions by 90 per cent.
6. Invest in solar panels – photovoltaic panels are increasingly efficient and boaters can choose from a wide range of solar panel products to heat their hot water systems and charge their batteries. Only a couple of weeks ago the Government announced that they are actively enabling ‘plug-and-play’ solar panels and they’d be available in shops within months. Wind turbines can also help with battery charging.
7. Save water – by catching the first litre or so of water when going for a shower and use for rinsing in the kitchen, and by using washing up water to flush the loo.
8. Fit a water source heat pump – some canal boat builders are fitting water source heat pumps to their boats, transferring heat from the canal water to reduce other power consumption.
9. Use eco products on board – use eco products with lower phosphates for washing up on board and washing your boat and make sure your toothpaste and shower gels are micro bead free.  Avoid items with ‘polypropylene’ or ‘polyethylene’ on the ingredients list and go for natural biodegradable alternatives.  Use bees wax wraps instead of cling film and try bamboo toothbrushes.
10. Choose water-based paints – using water-based epoxy paint systems reduces the time between painting coats and lowers the amount of hazardous chemicals introduced into the water system.
11. Reduce plastic waste – a staggering 80 per cent of marine debris comes from inland sources.  Reduce plastic waste by using refillable water bottles, coffee cups and shopping bags.  Also, make sure your rubbish is tied securely and put in bins with closable lids. Almost all of our refuse points have now been upgraded to the new ‘Simpler Recycling’ standards which make it easier to ensure that the maximum amount of waste is recycled.
12. Control those fenders – a frightening number of plastic fenders end up at the bottom of our locks.  Consider changing to natural rope fenders and prevent your fenders adding to the plastic in the canal by making sure you don’t leave them dangling when cruising – except bow and stern fenders.  When your fenders are in use, normally only whilst moored up, make sure they are properly secured.
13. #PlasticsChallenge – join our #PlasticsChallenge by committing to pick up at least one piece of plastic litter when you walk along a towpathand discover your canal creature alter-ego by taking the quiz. Are you a duck, kingfisher, otter or pike?
14. Help us clean up – join one of our Plastic Patrols or Towpath Taskforces and help us clean up the litter that is dropped along our waterways. There are lots of events to choose across the country, some involving paddle boarding and canoeing if you are feeling adventurous. Find out more by visiting our marquee at the show or on our website.

Finally, we know you’re an innovative bunch so it’d be great to learn of any boating energy efficiency and sustainability tips that you think others would benefit from knowing. Please do send them in and I will compile and publish them in a future edition. Thanks!

Bits & Bobs – Rochdale Canal and recycling in Wales

Rochdale Canal

Following reflection on last summer’s water struggles, locks 1 to 13 on the Rochdale Canal will have set opening times. This change is being put in place to provide greater certainty for you when navigating and to help us keep the canal open for as long as possible through the summer months.

By managing lock operation within defined time periods, we can use water more efficiently and economically, reducing unnecessary losses and better protecting water levels during prolonged dry weather. Our aim is to balance the needs of navigation with the realities of limited water resources, while continuing to support safe and reliable passage wherever possible.

Any changes to the operational window will be shared if, and as soon as, they are revised.

The following windows are now being implemented:

• Tuel Lane Passage – Monday’s - 8am to 10am and 2pm to 4pm, no booking needed. Friday’s – 8am to 4pm, no booking needed

From Monday 13 April:

• Hebden Bridge, Locks 8 to 11 – passage available 10am to 6pm daily with last entry to all areas at 5pm. Outside of these times all these locks will be unavailable.

Recycling in Wales

Earlier this week, from 6 April, a change to what can be thrown away at our waste sites in Wales came into force. Any electrical, electronic equipment or battery must not be included in any rubbish disposed of at a Trust customer service bin. All items must be taken to a dedicated small waste electrical and electronic equipment (sWEEE) recycling point.

While this regulation change currently only covers sites in Wales, electrical waste, including batteries, should not be disposed of at sites in England for the same reasons. The links to alternative options below, cover the whole of the UK.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment includes batteries and anything with a plug, battery or cable. Unwanted electricals are the fastest growing waste stream in the world, and the UK, and they can be recycled.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment cannot be placed into Trust customer service bins.  Many items can be hazardous waste. Throwing batteries, like those found in vapes, or old electricals in with our general rubbish or recycling bins can cause fires when they are crushed in the bin or recycling lorries.

You may already know that free in-store recycling – if you’re buying a new toaster, kettle, charger, or any new electrical item – is available. You can recycle your old one at the same store where the new is purchased. All retailers selling electrical goods are obliged to take back items for recycling. This has been live since 1 January 2021 with the Retailer Take-back scheme and applies across the whole of the UK.  There are online sites that can direct you to the nearest recycling location.

Signage will be installed at all Welsh locations as soon as possible.  Thank you.