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The charity making life better by water

Giant River Severn gate replacement

Two lock gates, each weighing more than an African Bush Elephant, have been craned into Lincomb Lock on the River Severn in Worcestershire.

River Severn

The hand crafted, seven tonne gates have replaced two old gates which had become worn, meaning they were susceptible to leaking.

The project costs £170,000 and is part of our £38million programme to help repair and restore the nation's 200-year old waterways this winter. Works will include lock gate replacements, restoring historic brick work and draining large sections of water to repair leaking waterway walls.

Mark Abraham, our construction supervisor, says: "The River Severn is a hugely popular waterway, enjoyed by thousands of people whether they are using the water or the towpath. As a charity this is the kind of work that we have to do to maintain the waterway. If we didn't carry out gate replacements such as this then boats couldn't visit the area and local people wouldn't have a safe, full functioning river to visit. It's a big job, swinging massive lock gates out through the air is never easy. The new ones have to fit perfectly, and given that no two locks are the same size, there's always some suspense until we know the new ones fit exactly right. I'd encourage anyone wanting to find out more about the project to tune into our virtual open day, which should be really exciting."

Last Edited: 28 November 2017

photo of a location on the canals
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