As you may have seen online, a breach on the Llangollen Canal near New Mills Lift Bridge, Whitchurch, happened in the early hours of 22 December.
The incident has been highly distressing for the boat owners affected, with footage online showing the situation unfolding. Heartbreakingly, two boats were washed into the breach hole.
Initially, a further boat, narrowboat Pacemaker, was precariously hanging over the breach hole but Trust colleagues were able to ensure it was saved, using a specialist ‘tracked’ winch bought in from Leicestershire to haul it away from the edge, at around 10pm on 23 December.
Dams put in by the Trust either side of the breach site meant that six further boats, initially grounded on the canal bed after the water beneath them ran out of the canal, were able to be carefully refloated on Christmas Eve.
Engineers and the local canal team have been on site over Christmas and New Year working to ensure that pipes and pumps are in place to safeguard a continued flow of water around the breach site so boats downstream are kept afloat. This is also important because of the role the Llangollen Canal (along with others across the UK) plays today in moving fresh water for public water supply.
Engineers have started investigations into the likely cause of the breach. Speaking from site, chief operating officer Julie Sharman said that the cause of earth embankment failures is not always clear. They are old, in this case around 200 years, and can be complex structures, and whilst there are a number of possibilities as to what might be the cause, it is still too early to be certain. Julie also confirmed that repairs would take much of the year and cost several million pounds.
Recovering the remaining boats
Our attention has now turned to recovering the three remaining boats: narrowboat Pacemaker, winched away from the breach hole before Christmas, and narrowboats Sefton and Ganymede which were washed into the breach hole.
Pacemaker was refloated by winching it into a section of dry canal before the installation of a dam that meant we could refloat it with canal water.
Towards the end of this week (15 & 16 Jan) Sefton and Ganymede will hopefully also be winched from the breach site before they are assessed and refloated. Before that was possible, we had to bring in an excavator and carefully reprofile the steep side of the breach hole so that there was a gradual slope that the boats could be winched along.
Campbell Robb, chief executive, comments: “The Trust’s initial response was to make the site secure and ensure that boaters affected had adequate support, including those needing somewhere for them and their pets to stay.
“Then, over the Christmas period, we were able to install dams and get most of the boats impacted afloat. We were also able to get a flow of water around the breach site reinstated, so important for canal life downstream and for the vital role that this canal plays for public water supply. I’d like to thank colleagues and partners who have worked tirelessly over the holiday period to make these important actions happen.
“This week our attention turns to the recovery of the three remaining boats. This has been a deeply distressing time for these boat owners in particular. I’d like to thank those who have donated to the crowdfunder appeal arranged by the boating community to support them, as well as those donating to our longer-term task of getting this historic canal back open in the weeks and months ahead. Thankfully, breaches of this scale are relatively rare, but, when they do occur, they’re expensive and complicated to fix.”
Thank you
We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we have already received from the boating community, local people and our other supporters as we respond to this breach. Without your donations, we wouldn't be able to continue our work to maintain and protect our canals.
Volunteer by water
Boaters are central to the waterways and not just eye candy for gongoozlers. Many boaters also hold fulfilling volunteer roles with us. As part of a national campaign we’d love more of you to join our volunteer army – we’re inviting people to discover a host of ways to give some time with a programme of welcome sessions announced this week.
Built by hand 250 years ago as the freight arteries that fuelled the Industrial Revolution, you’ll know that canals don’t look after themselves, and generations of people have played their part in the care of the world-famous canal network. Today, many boaters call the canals home while others escape when they can to the calm and beauty that is found afloat.
This appeal forms part of our Volunteer By Water campaign, which launches next week (20 January), and is backed by broadcaster and TV presenter Ranvir Singh. The campaign highlights the vital role volunteers play in caring for canals, from helping maintain locks and towpaths, to welcoming visitors and protecting wildlife.
Last year alone, nearly 5,500 volunteers gave almost 750,000 hours of their time to support our work across England and Wales, making a huge difference to what we can achieve.
Join our growing team of amazing volunteers caring for our canals
Around nine million people live within a ten-minute walk of a canal or river cared for by us, yet many don’t realise these spaces – including thousands of locks, bridges, aqueducts and 2,000 miles of wildlife habitat – are maintained by a charity.
This is why we’re urging people to see volunteering on their local canal as one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to give back to their community. It’s a fantastic way to meet new people and enjoy the great outdoors, making a meaningful difference to boating, nature, wildlife, and the local environment.
To make volunteering by water as accessible as possible, we have created a programme of 70 Volunteer Welcome Sessions, including 19 online sessions, where people will be able to find out more before getting involved. The sessions allow newcomers to meet staff and existing volunteers, ask questions and explore roles that suit their interests, skills and availability, from one-off drop-in opportunities to regular weekly volunteering.
Ranvir Singh said: “The Canal & River Trust looks after an incredible 2,000-mile network of canals across England and Wales. These waterways bring nature, heritage and free green space right into the heart of our communities, but they need people to help care for them. Volunteering by the water is a chance to do something on the doorstep that really matters.
“I’ve volunteered for the Canal & River Trust myself and found the experience incredibly rewarding. It’s satisfying to finish a session and see the difference you’ve made; it makes you feel part of the community and can really lift your mood. If you’re thinking about making a difference this year, come along to a welcome session and see how you can get involved.”
Christine Mellor, head of volunteering, added: “Our volunteers make an extraordinary difference. Last year they gave nearly three-quarters of a million hours to help keep our 250-year-old canal network open and thriving. But the challenges facing our waterways are growing, from ageing infrastructure to the impact of storms, droughts and floods, and they need help now more than ever. Volunteering is flexible, rewarding and open to everyone. If you’re looking to do something positive for the boating or local community, make new friends, and make a big difference in 2026, we’d love to welcome you to meet the team.”
Volunteers attending a Welcome Session can expect to get involved within weeks, with a wide range of seasonal and year-round opportunities available across England and Wales.
£220,000 project under way to restore 200-year-old water-saving canal engineering
Work is under way on an Historic England-funded project to restore a piece of 200-year-old water-saving canal engineering.
As you’ll know, each movement of boats through locks requires thousands of litres of water, which must be replenished from reservoirs, river flows, boreholes or other sources.
Georgian engineers understood this challenge, and, in 1815, around 20 years after the flight of six locks at Hanwell, West London, was built as part of the then Grand Junction Canal between London and Birmingham, side ponds were constructed at each lock.
These meant that when the lock chamber emptied to lower a boat down to the next level of the flight, instead of the water being lost to the lower canal pound, paddles connecting the lock to the side pond were opened and it was “put aside” and stored to assist in refilling the lock.
But over two centuries, these ingeniously frugal - but ultimately non-essential - features fell into disuse and disrepair, in a world that wasn’t yet tuned in to the challenges of climate change.
Silt removal work at Hanwell Flight
In 1975 the Hanwell flight of locks and brick boundary wall of St Bernard's Hospital were listed as a Scheduled Monument, with the then Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England noting the presence of side ponds at every Lock from 92 to 97 in the citation.
Fast forward to 2025 and such careful conservation of water supply has never been more relevant, with a number of navigation restrictions introduced over the summer to help prevent the network running dry.
The Hanwell Flight of Locks repair and restoration project is being funded by Historic England’s regional Heritage at Risk repair grant to clear, stabilise and restore the derelict side ponds at Locks 94 and 95, demonstrating the genius of the early canal engineers.
While this project itself – with a grant from Historic England, Inland Waterways Association and the Trust – is not intended to restore the side ponds at Hanwell to operational use, it could inform any such project in the future, and point the way towards how inland navigations might make better use of increasingly precious water resources.
The programme of conservation brickwork repairs will include a week-long “Canal Camp” by the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) Waterway Recovery Group and training sessions with the Trust's volunteers led by contracted conservation brickwork specialists in spring and early summer next year.
The project will create a more beautiful space, offering improved physical and mental wellbeing, educational opportunities, and local pride. It builds on the Southall Wellbeing Way and complements the proposed Ealing Regional Park, embedding the historic waterway within a wider green infrastructure network.
Our heritage advisor Phil Emery said: “It’s hard to overstate the historical importance of these side ponds, situated on a stretch of what is now the Grand Union Canal that has been immortalised by the painter JMW Turner and which offer a direct connection to the engineering prowess and foresight of the Georgian canal builders.
“The clearance of vegetation and silt from the ponds at Locks 94 & 95 under archaeological supervision will give a better idea of the scale of any structural damage and inform the later stages of the project.”
Maintenance, repair and restoration work this weekend
As you’ll know, 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 next year’s cruising. You can find out where we’ve started work with this link.
Of course, as we enter 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.
Below, you’ll find a list of navigations that have ongoing restrictions, that aren’t part of our winter stoppage programme, that may affect you if you’re planning to get out on the water this weekend:
If you have any questions about a specific closure, or spot an error in our system, please get in touch.
Floating encampment linked to illegal activity removed
Removing boats from the waterways is a last resort. Our main tool is the power for the Trust to “Section 8” unlicensed boats. This relates to power given in the British Waterways Act 1983 (and transferred to Canal & River Trust). It allows us to remove boats from the waterway if they are there without our permission or persistently in breach of our licence terms and conditions, including not having a licence.
If a boat is also someone's home, before exercising these powers, we take the added precaution of getting a court order to remove the boat from the waterway. Sometimes we’re left with no choice.
Take an unauthorised floating encampment for example. It was linked to reports of antisocial behaviour and alleged illegal activity. It has now been removed from the River Lee Navigation near Bow Locks.
Teams, supported with security including officers from the Metropolitan Police, carried out the operation under Section 8. The floating structure had been attached to third party land on the offside of the navigation, and the operation took place amid concern for the welfare of dogs, intimidation of residents and individuals accessing the site across private land.
Items recovered included an extensive pontoon structure, a stolen boat, a second unlicensed boat, two tenders, gazebos and scaffolding erected on site.
Similar action has been taken in other regions but, as mentioned above, it is a last resort. We do work with a number of boaters who struggle to pay their licence, so more information about the support available is on our vulnerable boaters page.
Assessing the structure, River Lea
Bits and Bobs
Are you a boater based in the Tring area? If so, and you’re looking for some support, then why not come along, on 6 February, to Cowroast Marina between 10am and 1pm to the Tring Outreach Hub.
Working with the Department for Work and Pensions, the hub can help connect you to local services and offer advice on a whole range of topics from benefits through to mental health.
The full address of the hub is: Waterside & Marina, Wharf Lane, Tring, Herts HP23 5RE
Last Edited: 15 January 2026
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