A lot, as it happens! Whilst much media coverage of late has been focused on the breach on the Llangollen Canal at Whitchurch, elsewhere on the network, colleagues and volunteers have achieved a huge amount away from the media spotlight as part of our winter stoppage programme.
The map below shows the location of every site where we’ve either replaced or refurbished lock gates. It’s worth remembering that every single one of those dots represents a major engineering project that, on average, costs around £150,000.
As you’ll know, when canals and rivers were built there was no standard template for lock gates. They were constructed using a variety of designs and dimensions. As a result, no two locks on our canals and rivers are exactly alike, so when we're building new lock gates, each one has to be sized up and built to the exact specifications for the lock.
An average lock gate lasts for about 25 years. As they come to the end of their working life they will get a visit from our carpenters, who measure them up, ready to be rebuilt back at the workshop. It usually takes a couple of carpenters two weeks to build a pair of lock gates, but for the biggest gates it can take over a month.
This of course is only half the job as gates have to be transported and then fitted. With gates often weighing over 2 tonnes and with some locks being in remote places this can often be a real logistical challenge.
Map of lock gate stoppages. Courtesy of Google.
But we’re not just about lock gates. A mind-boggling array of expertise is needed to maintain your navigations.
Elsewhere we’ve been busy working on other projects that are in our winter works programme – and here’s a flavour of what they’ve included:
Full hydraulic and electrical renewal (usually involving the complete replacement of entire systems) at two bridges – Sutton Weaver on the Weaver Navigation and Manchester Road Bridge at South Dock (Docklands).
Coping stone repairs at Batchworth moorings on the Grand Union.
Canal bed leak investigations and repairs on the Rochdale, Monmouthshire & Brecon, Tame Valley and Peak Forest canals.
Grouting lock chambers to reduce leaks on the Leeds & Liverpool, Rochdale, and Huddersfield Narrow canals.
Washwall repairs on the Trent & Mersey, Rochdale and Huddersfield Broad canals.
Underwater structural inspection of Ellesmere Tunnel.
Culvert clearance and relining on the Coventry and Peak Forest canals.
When considering the scale and breadth of what’s been achieved since the start of last November it should be remembered that this is only our winter works programme! It doesn’t include our routine work (planned preventative maintenance such as lubricating paddle mechanisms) or our, sometimes major, reactive work such as the embankment failure on the Llangollen.
Sutton Weaver Swing Bridge - removal of existing wedge system
We’re not done yet
With three quarters of the programme now delivered, here’s a list of what is still to come before the end of March:
More lock gate replacements on the likes of the Grand Union, Stourbridge and Birmingham & Fazeley canals.
Paddle repairs on the Calder & Hebble, Rochdale and Nottingham & Beeston canals.
Stop gate replacement on the Shropshire Union Canal.
Boat Licensing Commission – update on recommendations
You will remember that the Report from the independent Commission on Boat Licensing, published at the end of last year, contained recommendations. Below you’ll find out how we plan to address them, as part of a wider plan to improve the experience of boating on the waterways.
The Report includes 36 recommendations designed to make licensing requirements clearer and improve the management of the waterways. We acknowledge the Report’s findings that the current landscape is not working for many boaters or for the management of the network on behalf of boaters.
We aim to act swiftly upon the recommendations where possible, noting that some actions will take some time to implement. Many will involve consultation with boaters. A summary of our response to each recommendation will be published in late spring, along with a timetable for engagement and consultation for those it will be consulting on.
Phase 1
Already underway with changes that can be started immediately, including a review of our many communications with boaters to make them clearer, improve tone, and to recognise and understand the varying communications needs of boaters. Options for enhancing welfare support will be outlined, for implementation in Phase 2, and testing of a new Boater App will be underway by the summer. Phase 1 will also include a programme to increase the removal of sunken and abandoned boats on the canal network.
Phase 2 (likely to last until end of 2027)
This covers recommendations that will involve consultation with boaters and boating organisations. This will include clarification of movement requirements for boats without a home mooring, a review of boat safety and insurance requirements to ensure boats are fit for navigation, and a review of licence fee discounts.
Phase 3 (expected to be 2028 and beyond)
Will look at changes that would require new legislation. These recommendations are around seeking additional powers to manage the waterways fairly and effectively, including measures to help manage congested areas and new powers around issuing and enforcing licences, while ensuring legal safeguards for boaters. We will engage with boaters throughout, including through formal consultation.
In the same vein of improving the experience out on the cut, we’ve also announced a £2 million additional investment in the year ahead to fix leaking locks, tackle overgrowing trees and encroaching weeds and start a phased increase in dredging. We are continuing the investment introduced last year to target broken paddles and fix boater facilities more quickly, bringing the total investment to over £10 million in two years to improve canals for boaters. Boaters can see how the charity is performing via dashboards on our website.
Campbell Robb, chief executive, said: “The independent Commission’s Report shines a light on how waterways are used by boaters today. The recommendations offer a chance to reset our relationship with boaters and for us to work together so that boating will continue to thrive on our waterways into the future.
“Alongside this, we’re continuing to increase our investment in the things that we have heard matter most to boaters, spending more on cutting back overgrowing trees, dredging and fixing leaking lock gates. This builds on the measures we introduced last year and, despite the challenges of the extended summer drought and winter storms, we hope boaters are seeing a difference. There’s a huge amount of work to do over the coming months and years, but we are already getting stuck in so that we can improve things for boaters.”
Extra £6.5 million from DEFRA helps us get more done
We are thrilled to announce that extra financial support has been given by DEFRA. Here’s what it had to say on this positive development:
‘England’s and Wales’ iconic canals will be better set up for the future with an additional £6.5 million government funding to help build long-term resilience across the network and ensure it continues to operate safely.
‘The 200-year-old waterway network covers roughly 2,000 miles and is used by millions of people annually for walks, bike rides and to spend time near nature.
‘With the canals facing pressure from extreme weather and maintenance costs the funding will go to the Canal and River Trust (CRT) and comes in addition to the £52.6 million of annual government funding already provided to the Trust.
‘This investment will extend the life of critical canal assets such as canal embankments, culverts and reservoirs and reduce future repair bills. It will also enable essential works to be completed on schedule, supporting public safety and keeping waterways open and operational for boats and millions of visitors.’
Water Minister Emma Hardy said:
“Our historic canals and waterways are not only world famous and precious to communities across the country - they are also a vital part of our national infrastructure, delivering environmental, social and economic benefits.
“This investment will help future-proof the Canal & River Trust’s network, ensuring it is better equipped to withstand the challenges of climate change while continuing to operate safely and reliably for the public.
“Key projects include works on the Peak Forest Canal, Tame Valley Canal, and the lift bridge connecting London Docklands to the River Thames.
“A number of the nation’s oldest reservoirs built to feed fresh water into the canal system will benefit, improving their resilience and ensuring they continue to supply water. These include reservoirs from the industrial age that supply the Birmingham Canal Navigations, Grand Union Canal, Huddersfield Narrow Canal, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Peak Forest Canal and Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.
Campbell Robb, Chief Executive of the Canal & River Trust, comments:
“Increased extreme weather events and rising maintenance costs have placed additional strain on the nation’s historic canal infrastructure and this funding from Government recognises the important role they are able to play in helping to build resilience.
“Although built in the industrial age, a resilient canal network is perfectly placed to help meet many of the challenges of modern society. The investment in reservoirs speaks to the potential of navigable canals to store and move water around the country for domestic supply, serving the nation by moving water from areas with excess to areas where there isn’t enough.
Annual Lockage Report 2025
Many readers will have had their boating plans disrupted by last summer's record drought. This is summed up by the newly published lockage report for 2025.
Before getting into the stats, as a reminder, lockage can be defined simply as lock usage through the filling and emptying of a lock chamber, which in turn allows the movement of water and passage of boats.
Nationally, the total comparable recorded lockage in 2025 was around 12% lower than in 2024. The busiest site recorded was Lock 2, New Marton on the Llangollen Canal, which saw a total of 7,035 in 2025. This was a 4% increase compared with 2024. Lock 21 Colwich, which was the busiest site for 2024, was the next busiest lock with 6,034 lockages, although it saw a decrease of 13% from the previous year.
Although we might look daft doing it during one of the forecasted downpours, I guess we’d better keep ‘rain dancing’ to be on the safe side!
Maintenance, repair and restoration work this weekend
As described above, our major winter repair and restoration programme is underway. This means there will be more closures than usual as we replace lock gates, mend sluices and complete a whole range of jobs to prepare the network for cruising. You can find out where we’ve started, and in some cases finished, work with this link.
Of course, as we’re in the more volatile months of winter there’s a higher chance of extreme weather which may also impact navigation.
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.
Follow this link to 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.
Have your say on the Grand Union Canal Transfer scheme
A consultation on the Grand Union Canal Water Transfer project has now begun with more information now available. In case you missed it, the Grand Union Canal Transfer is an exciting project to use the navigable canals system to move public water supply from the Midlands to help keep people’s taps running for Affinity Water customers in the southeast. It will bring additional investment to make the canal resilient and, of course, additional water, including in the summer when it is most needed for navigation. Your thoughts and feedback are invited until Thursday 2 April.
How to get involved
You can find out more information about the Grand Union Canal Transfer on the dedicated project website: guctransfer.co.uk. Feedback can be provided online (via guctransfer.co.uk), by email ([email protected]), or in writing (by posting a hard copy feedback form or written response to Freepost GRAND UNION CANAL TRANSFER).
All comments should be submitted on or before Thursday 2 April 2026.
You’ll also be able to meet members of the project team and find out more information by attending a public information event. A series of consultation and pop-up events are being held at various locations along the route. The full programme of public information events can be found on the project website.
You can also register to receive regular updates about the scheme at: guctransfer.co.uk/contact-us/.
Last Edited: 12 February 2026
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