While the title may sound a little like a posh paint brand, they are in fact two locations where we’ve been working to restore navigation.
Let’s start with Wilmcote. To be more precise, we’re talking about Lock 40 on the South Stratford Canal.
The bottom gate quoin – one of the large masonry stones that form part of the lock wall where the gate is anchored – slid forward by around 200mm, with the movement extending into the lock chamber walls. As the gate anchor is set into the top quoin stone, the movement caused the gate head post to drop, making the gate inoperable. The wall had also become unstable and was at risk of collapse.
It’s worth noting that it’s rare to replace the quoin stones and the gate anchor at the same time. The quoin stones are large, durable, stones weighing up to two tonnes – most locks have the original quoin stones still intact so hopefully these ones will last at least another 200 years!
The challenge of the unusual repair was compounded by limited space on site. We installed structural piles along the back of the lock wall to support a telecoms pole on the towpath verge, retain the ground, and enable the removal of the lock wall. We’ve now incorporated these temporary piles into the permanent works by tying the new lock wall to the piles and backfilling the void between the new wall and piles with concrete, with the lower section of wall left in-situ. This has created a new, stronger wall.
Given the complexity of the project, it has required scaffolders, crane operators, stone masons, bricklayers, carpenters and welders to be active on site at various stages. Behind the scenes, they have been supported by project managers and our specialist engineers, ecologists and heritage advisors.
A big thanks must also go to our carpentry team at Bradley Workshop who made a new gate as an emergency, fitting it into their regular planned gate production programme.
Everyone has been focussed on completing this repair, including working weekends, so that the navigation can reopen to boaters – and, as of today, 20 June, it has!
Repairs at Wilmcote Lock, South Stratford (1)
Watford
On the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal, at Lock 5 of the Watford Flight, we’ve also restored navigation after the bottom towpath side gate on Lock 5 came out of its pot (where the bottom of the heel post pivots when being opened and closed).
The team tried to repair it that same day but could not resit the gate in its pot. The following morning, they returned and drained the lock. They were then able to establish that the pinion had become detached from the bottom of the gate post and had to retrieve it from the bottom of the lock - see photo of detached pinion below.
Frustratingly, with the lock gate sat on the bottom of the lock, it would require a crane boat to get it reseated. The day it arrived on site the gate was hoisted back in to place and navigation resumed.
Along with the carpentry and joinery skills of the construction team, thanks go to the crane team and the colleagues who carried out a fish rescue before the lock was drained.
Detached pinion on Lock 5 Watford Flight
Rockbags plug gap on the Huddersfield Narrow
We’ve been ramping up works to repair a stretch of embankment on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, between Mossley and Stalybridge, which slipped following heavy rain earlier this year.
It’s a tricky site to access and we’ve had to get agreement from several third-party landowners to construct a 1km track to access the site, which sits on a narrow shelf above the River Tame.
Work is now underway to start reinstating the embankment using around 700 two-tonne Rockbags – flexible mesh bags filled with angular rocks, which interlock and create a strong retaining structure. They will be put in place using a 40-tonne excavator and then covered with soil and vegetation.
The works to repair the embankment are scheduled to be completed by mid-August, with the works to reinstate the surrounding area, including tree planting and the removal of access tracks, continuing until October.
During the works the towpath between Scout Tunnel and Lock 9 will be closed with local diversions signposted.
Access track to Huddersfield Narrow
Crucial water saving tips
The recent, near record-breaking, dry spring has continued – it was the driest for England in 132 years. As we have moved into summer, there have been a few transient patches of rain, but they have almost immediately been absorbed by parched earth. Just last week it was announced Yorkshire is in drought.
The complex management of water levels and supply by our hydrologists and on-the-ground teams, together with your help to save every drop, means that the waterways have largely been holding up well. There are navigations with some restrictions, mainly where a dearth of rain has been compounded by essential statutory work on some reservoirs. And, as group hydrology manager, Adam Comerford, said in his update in the last edition, historic canal water supply is also, for the first time, having to account for modern legislative abstraction licences – with lower river flows meaning less can be taken for the cut.
While the forecast doesn’t yet show any prolonged periods of rain for any part of the country, there are some things we can all do to help stretch out precious water resources. It’s called THRIFT:
Two in a lock? Share locks
Help keep it in. Make sure gates and paddles are shut
Report any leaks to us
Invite oncoming boats through. Don’t empty or fill locks if someone else can make use of the water
Find another favourite. Explore less busy parts of our network
Think ahead. Plan cruises to minimise use of locks
Drifters offers peace of mind when it comes to network disruptions
Thinking of getting afloat on a hire boat this summer? Drifters offers the choice of over 500 canal boats for hire from 40 locations across England, Wales and Scotland.
And, following on from the article above, even in the driest periods, the vast majority of our network has remained open and accessible for boats to navigate during the cruising season. In summer 2022, one of the UK's hottest and driest summers ever recorded, more than 85% of the network remained fully navigable.
In the rare event that planned holiday routes are significantly impacted, hire boat operators proactively reach out to discuss suitable alternatives, whether that's relocating the holiday or finding other solutions to ensure guests remain satisfied.
Maintenance, repair and restoration work this weekend
As you’ll know, there are times when parts of such an old network need unscheduled work to keep them open and navigable. It’s a 200+ year old living, breathing national treasure that takes a lot of TLC. This is why, when something is damaged or breaks, we set about getting it repaired and operational as soon as we can. This means that from time to time we have to carry out repairs outside of our major winter stoppage programme. So below, you’ll find a list of navigations that have ongoing restrictions that may affect you if you’re planning to get out on the water this weekend:
When restrictions to navigation happen, we get them up on to our website as soon as we can – always best to have a scan before you set off. You can find out how to get stoppage notification alerts on your smartphone in this article.
If you have any questions about a specific closure, or spot an error in our system, please get in touch.
Winter stoppage consultation
As you may know, we plan and prioritise the winter repairs programme so that every penny of spend counts. The first round of consultation for the forthcoming winter stoppage programme closed at the end of May.
We’re now reviewing the feedback and will publish a revised plan at the end of this month so that, should you want to, you’ll be able to give more feedback. As you’ll expect, I’ll make sure I mention it when the time comes!
Richard Parry reflects on 12 years at the tiller
Continuing on from the last edition, here are three more topics that Richard was asked to reflect on at the Crick Boat Show as he enters his final weeks as chief executive of the Trust:
Here Richard talks about some of his most challenging times.
Will canals close as a result of the Government Grant Review? Richard shares his thoughts.
And finally, Richard gives an overview on how the funding gap could be filled.
Boat licensing Commission gives update
In January, the Commission which is looking into boat licensing on our canals and rivers, met for the first time. Since then, many of you have shared your views through an engagement survey – thank you to everyone who took part. The 4,678 responses, which include a wide range of comments, is informing the Commission’s ongoing work.
The Commission members – Andrew Cowan, a former senior partner at Devonshire's law firm; Penelope Barber, an elected boating representative on our Council; and trustee Sir Chris Kelly, a former senior civil servant and former boat owner – are now having conversations with a wide range of boating organisations, as well as walking the towpaths to gain an understanding of life on the cut and hear boaters’ thoughts.
On top of that, they are reviewing a wide range of background, history, and data, and have attended several briefing days where they’ve questioned and challenged the Trust’s ways of thinking and asked for more information so they can continue their research.
Given the scale and seriousness of the task, the Commission now expects to make their recommendations to our Board of Trustees in November.
Commission chair Andrew Cowan said: “Learning about boating on the canals and hearing the voices of boaters has been fascinating. From the freight-carrying origins, through the near loss of navigation last century, to the popularity of both leisure boating and, increasingly living aboard, the canals and boats are inseparable. We want to understand the needs of not just today’s boaters but those who come after, so we can think about whether the current licensing framework is fit for the future and recommend how it can be used to best support boaters while enabling the Trust to meet its charitable obligations to safeguard the canals for the public benefit, for wildlife, and for heritage. I’ve particularly enjoyed seeing canal life first hand and would like to thank all those boaters, and people within the Trust, who have been so welcoming, and continue to share their knowledge with us.”
New chair for our Welsh Board
We’ve welcomed Fay Jones-Poole, director of external affairs at the Crown Estate and the former MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, as the new chair of the advisory board that oversees our charitable activity across Wales.
Fay, who joins Glandŵr Cymru as a volunteer on a three-year term, says: “It’s an honour to lead the Trust’s Welsh Board. The canals have been part of Wales’s story for more than two centuries, and today they remain uniquely valuable as havens for wildlife, places to improve wellbeing and as contributors to the economy. Without our intervention, these manmade habitats simply would not survive.
“We’re committed to doing everything we can to achieve a sustainable future for these special places – keeping them safe, resilient and maximising their value for people, nature and the Welsh economy. I’m passionate about securing the ongoing support our canals need and, in particular, I’ll be looking for a timely solution for the Mon & Brec Canal, which runs a stone’s throw from my home. It’s an irreplaceable part of Welsh life and we need government and partners to work with us to safeguard this national treasure for future generations.”
We’ve also published our first-ever Our Work in Wales report, shining a spotlight on the significant contribution Wales’s historic canals make to the nation’s economy, communities, heritage and environment – read it here!
Fay Jones-Poole, chair of Glandŵr Cymru, the Canal & River Trust in Wales
Last Edited: 20 June 2025
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