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Wolverhampton Lock Flight

Type: Navigation Restriction

Waterway(s): Old Main Line

From: 1 June 2026, 5pm

To: On-going

Region: West Midlands

Reason: Suspected Vandalism

Subject to review on: 30 June 2026

Location

Closest waterwayOld Main Line
Starts atLock 21, Wolverhampton
Ends atLock 1, Top Lock, Wolverhampton

Descriptions

Update 19 June 2026, 3pm

Please note that navigation is currently closed at Wolverhampton Lock Flight due to an issue with Lock 5. For more information, please click to link below.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/019edb36-1875-7b6f-b369-79eff522b3ab

Update 12 June 2026, 9:07am

Water levels have not yet returned to the levels we would expect. The Rushall Canal has now reopened; however, the restriction on the Wolverhampton Level (between 9am and 2pm) will remain in place until further notice.

Update 8 June 2026, 3:28pm

Water levels have shown some improvement; however, they remain below the level required for navigation.

We are aiming to lift the navigation restriction and resume normal passage by Wednesday, and will provide a further update at that time

Update 5 June 2026, 3:34pm

Please be advised that navigation through the Wolverhampton Lock Flight remains restricted. Passage remains between 9am and 2pm.

Our teams will continue to closely monitor the situation and manage levels as far as possible. We will provide a further update on Monday.

Original 1 June 2026, 4:19pm

The Wolverhampton Lock Flight is currently experiencing significant water loss due to vandalism and misuse, including gates being left open and paddles left raised.

To support recovery, passage will be restricted to 9am and 2pm daily. Outside of these hours, the flight will be locked to conserve water. Boaters are asked to plan journeys accordingly.

These measures are necessary due to critically low water levels, limited improvement despite continuous pumping at Bradley, and ongoing overnight losses. Restrictions are required to protect water resources and maintain navigation across the wider network. It will also allow water levels on the Rushall Canal to recover.

Our teams will continue to closely monitor the situation and we will provide an updates as the situation develops.

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