Locks 1 to 17

The window of passage for the Northampton Arm has now finished and the navigation has closed again.

We continue to monitor the situation but cannot yet confirm if further windows of passage will be available during October. We will provide an update as soon as we have further information, and by 24th October at the latest.

Following customer feedback, the proposed window of opening has been brought forward to 8am on Friday 10th October to 4pm on Monday 13th October, with last boat in at 1pm Monday to allow sufficient time to get through the flight by 4pm.

We cannot yet confirm if further windows of passage will be available on the Northampton Arm during October but will continue to monitor the situation and will provide an update on 24th October or sooner if we have more information.

While the prolonged period of dry weather has now ended and rainfall so far this month is above average, there has been little to no recovery in reservoir water levels since the closure.   However, we are hopeful that based on the anticipated increase in rainfall over the coming weeks, that we may be able to lift the closure and offer limited passage to allow movement before the start of the winter stoppage programme.  

If no further issues arise then the proposed opening times will be as follows:

 Monday 27th October from 8am to Friday 31st October 4pm

We hope that this window of opportunity to travel will support boaters and boating businesses but strongly advise that everyone continue to check these notices for any updates and plan their journeys to ensure they have enough time to navigate through the restricted areas of the network.

We will update this notice to confirm the proposed plans on 24th October or sooner if we have further information.

For more information on the water resource position please click here to read our position statement.

Despite the recent rainfall, the water levels have not improved enough to allow us to relax the current navigation restrictions and closures.    To support boaters and boating businesses, we are now working towards offering a limited window of passage during the final two weeks of October (i.e. from Monday 20th October). This will enable:

• Boaters to return to their home moorings.
• Those needing to move closer to essential services ahead of our planned winter works programme, which begins in early November, to do so.
• Commercial operators to make the most of the final weeks of the season.

  We will share further details in October, once we have a clearer picture of water availability.

We have continued to monitor the exceptionally dry conditions, and the impact on our reservoirs. Unfortunately, despite our operational efforts and those of our boaters to reduce the demand for water, as rainfall has remained well below the long-term average we've seen a rapid decline in the situation.   To help us conserve water and maintain safe navigation, we will be closing the Northampton Arm to passage from 4pm on Wednesday 20th August.   We are constantly reviewing the situation and as soon as conditions improve enough, we will do our upmost to provide temporary windows of passage through locks to allow boat movement.  This will be dependent on water levels improving adequately which will require sufficient and prolonged rainfall.     We understand that this continues to be disappointing news, and our priority is to reopen the canal to full navigation as soon as possible. We thank you for your support in reducing water use across our network, and reporting leaks or concerns via 0303 040 4040 or our Contact Us page.

This restriction remains in place to reduce water demand and allow water levels to recover. Our priority is to reopen the canal to full navigation as soon as possible. 

We will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates if conditions change. Despite the measures we're taking, there may be extreme local circumstances that require us to take immediate action to temporarily close some stretches to navigation.

We thank you for your support in reducing water use across our network, and reporting leaks or concerns via 0303 040 4040 or our [Contact Us page]

We have continued to monitor the exceptionally dry conditions, and the impact on our reservoirs. Unfortunately, despite all our operational efforts to reduce the demand for water, as rainfall has remained well below the long-term average the situation has not improved.

To help us conserve water and maintain safe navigation, we will be bringing forward the measures to we announced on 25 June.

Starting on Wednesday 2 July, we will be adjusting lock operations as follows:

• Locks 1 to 17 will be closed from 4pm on a Wednesday to 8am on a Monday

This will help us preserve water levels while still allowing boaters to enjoy access for part of the week.

We will continue to monitor the situation and will provide fortnightly updates, or sooner if conditions change. Despite the measures we're taking, there may be extreme local circumstances that require us to take immediate action to temporarily close some stretches to navigation.

We understand that this continues to be disappointing news, and our priority is to reopen the canal to full navigation as soon as possible. We thank you for your support in reducing water use across our network, and reporting leaks or concerns via 0303 040 4040 or our Contact Us page.

Following the driest spring in a century, water levels in some of our reservoirs have dropped. To help conserve the remaining water, from Wednesday 9 July we will be closing Locks 1 to 17 on the Northampton Arm (Grand Union Canal) from Thursday through to Sunday. 

The locks will be open for passage from 8am each Monday to 4pm on a Wednesday.

The aim of this restriction is to reduce water demand and allow water levels to recover, which will mean that there will be more water available between Monday and Wednesday, and to conserve water on the Grand Union mainline. We hope this action will allow for your continued enjoyment of our waterways throughout the summer and that providing this advance warning will allow you to make suitable plans.

Thank you for your understanding. You can read about other ways you can help preserve water supplies on our website here.

An update will be provided by Friday 1 August or sooner if the situation changes.