Maccessfield Canal reopens to boats following £350K repair to embankment

The works

Our engineers created a repair design, and agreements were secured with several third-party landowners to access the remote rural location between Bridge 51, Cowley Bridge and Bosley Lock 12. A 400m-long metal track and ramps were then laid to allow vehicles and machinery to safely gain access and excavate the damaged towpath, embankment and canal bed.

They then rebuilt the canal by lining the bed with around 150 tonnes of clay and compacting it, ensuring it is watertight. The damaged wall of the culvert, which channels a stream under the canal, was also repaired, and metal trench sheeting was installed along a 12m section of the canal wall to strengthen it. Around 40m of new fencing and hedging have also been put in along the towpath.

Over the last 90 days the charity’s engineers have also carried out repairs to the canal bed and wash wall between Bridge 26 and Bridge 27 in Bollington, and a small sink hole at Lock 3 on the Bosley Lock Flight.

All the works are now complete, and the canal and towpath reopened on schedule (25 June). However, after one of the driest springs on record and ongoing works at Toddbrook Reservoir, restrictions on opening hours for boats navigating the Bosley Lock Flight are being implemented from Friday, 4 July, to help preserve water resources.

Overcoming challenges

Simon Harding, our project manager, said: “We’ve been working hard since March to repair the canal and get it back open for boaters and towpath users as quickly as possible.

“We’ve had to overcome some challenges, but we’re pleased to have restored the structural integrity of the canal, ensured its long-term stability and protected the embankment from future erosion. Thankfully, all that hard work has paid off, the repairs have been completed, and navigation has now re-opened for boaters.”

On the day of the incident our emergency team helped move around 15 boats away from the affected area and installed stop planks to prevent any further loss of water. A fish rescue was carried out and temporary dams were put in place, as well as flumes to transfer water through the repair site to allow the Trust to manage water resources and maintain the canal’s water levels.

Simon added: “We know how important the Macclesfield Canal is to so many people and we would like to thank everyone, especially boaters and the local community, for their patience and support whilst these works have been carried out.”

Opened in 1831 the Macclesfield Canal runs 26 miles, from Marple in Cheshire to Hall Green, near the northern end of the Harecastle Tunnel, with 12 locks concentrated in a single flight at Bosley. It was one of the last narrow-gauge canals (7ft wide) to be built.