Old Ford Lock 8 on the Regent’s Canal is currently inoperable after the top gates were struck by a boat on Saturday, causing a split in the heel post.
Ageing lock gates
While routine maintenance takes place throughout their lifetime, lock gates are expected to last for around 30 years – which is important because the five-figure cost of replacing each hand-made, bespoke pair. These gates, which were only installed 21 years ago, are currently scheduled for full replacement in the next financial year, having been prematurely aged by frequent misuse.
The damage has been assessed by engineers and new lock gates will be required. We are trying to determine if a manned solution can safely be offered to narrow beam craft however this might not be possible. Boaters should keep an eye on the stoppage notices page on our website for the latest updates. We will always seek to recoup the cost of repairs like this from insurers if liability can be established and anyone with any information about this incident should contact us.
Other news around London
Elsewhere in the capital, police are investigating a weekend break-in at West India Docks where two individuals pushed two large skip-style bins into the lock, creating a serious hazard to navigation. Our team was able to retrieve one of the bins, however the second will remain until a low enough tide allows it to be removed properly. CCTV footage of the incident is being analysed, and any witnesses should contact the Metropolitan Police quoting incident 01/7990904/25.
Meanwhile a failure to follow drought water control measures resulted in the River Lee being closed to navigation at Tottenham Locks.
Throughout the summer, Tottenham Locks have faced intermittent closures due to drought conditions and the driest spring and summer in many years. The rain-fed streams that normally supply the River Lee below Enfield have been running low, leaving very little water to feed the navigation. Balancing water levels and maintaining the minimum required depth during this period is extremely challenging, which is why boaters must follow water retention measures -such as closing both the top and bottom gates and ensuring all paddles are shut after use.
Unfortunately, some individuals have taken water management into their own hands, opening gates and paddles to supply their own pound, or neglecting to close them properly after passing through. This has forced emergency crews to intervene, shutting locks and redistributing water in an effort to restore safe levels. Such incidents are both time-consuming and costly and cause significant inconvenience to other customers.
An expensive and full-time job
Ros Daniels, our director for London & South East said: “Keeping London’s 200-year-old canals alive is an expensive and full-time job which is made more difficult by vandalism and carelessness on our waterways. At a time when our charity is facing the impact of climate change and a real-terms cut to our funding from government we simply cannot afford these additional cost pressures.
“I’m grateful to the hundreds of individuals who volunteer with us across the capital and to the many more who donate money to our cause, and would ask that anyone with information which could help identify those responsible for these incidents should get in touch, leaving our teams to carry on with the important job of keeping navigation open.”
