Marsh Lock

Our teams have carried out initial investigations at Marsh Lock to enable boat movements and to support navigation between the Weaver Navigation and our other waterways.

Following recent on-site work and assessment, early indications suggest that it may be possible to operate the lock for a single gate manual operation, allowing narrowboats only at this stage to pass through. We are working hard to make these limited lock movements possible as soon as we can and are aiming to arrange this before the completion of the ongoing works between Bridge 131 and Bridge 133 on the Shropshire Union Canal.

In the meantime, some further works are planned over the coming weeks to ensure the lock can be safely and reliably operated in this reduced capacity. Alongside these efforts, our teams and engineers continue to investigate and plan for the larger, long-term repairs required to return the lock to full operation.

For customers currently on the Weaver Navigation and wishing to leave via Marsh Lock, or for those on the Shropshire Union Canal looking to join the Weaver, please contact our North West Customer Service Team on 0303 0404 040 to ensure we have you booked in and we can prioritise communications once we have further details on the date of a planned passage.

Our priority remains supporting customers in returning home safely and keeping navigation routes accessible wherever possible. We would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while our teams continue to do everything possible to repair the lock.

We will provide a further update on or before Thursday, 31 October.

Our teams, working closely with our engineers, who have been evaluating the issues on site. The issues involved are complex and require further investigation before a long-term solution can be confirmed. In the meantime, we continue to investigate intermediate solutions.

We want to reassure our customers that we are actively considering all possible solutions. Our priority is to bring the lock back into safe operation as soon as possible.

Safety remains our highest priority, and we will provide a further update by Friday, 17 October.

Unfortunately, due to ongoing electrical issues that have been identified, the lock remains out of operation and unavailable for use. Our specialist team is actively exploring the possibility of implementing a short-term solution, while further investigations are carried out to assess the full extent of the required works.

Our priority is to ensure the lock can be operated safely. We will provide a further update by Friday, 3rd October.  

During a routine inspection at Marsh Lock, our team identified a number of electrical safety issues that require attention. In the interests of safety, we have taken the precaution of isolating the equipment.

Unfortunately, this means the lock is currently out of operation and cannot be used until the necessary remediation work has been planned and carried out. At this stage, the scope and complexity of the issues identified mean that further investigations are needed. These investigations will allow us to fully understand the extent of the work, ensure that the lock can be returned to service safely.

We appreciate that the closure of the lock may cause inconvenience, and we would like to thank you for your patience and understanding while these essential safety measures are undertaken. Please be assured that resolving the situation is a priority for our teams, and we are working to progress the necessary steps as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

A further update will be provided by Friday 19th, September.