Updates
09/09/2022 16:08
Due to recent improvements in the water level in our Stanley Reservoir, which feeds the Canal, we are now able to re-open the navigation from Lock 29 to Lock 71 on the Trent & Mersey Canal from 9am, Monday 12 September, thus providing for boat movement along the entire Canal.
Depending on weather over the next month, there is a possibility that the Canal may need to close again at a week's notice - but we are hopeful that there will be sufficient rainfall in the weeks ahead to sustain reservoir levels and avert this. We will keep the situation under review and will provide updates on a weekly basis.
Navigation through Harecastle Tunnel will resume from Monday 12 September for pre-arranged bookings only. Please contact our West Midlands team on 0303 040 4040 or enquiries.westmidlands@canalrivertrust.org.uk.
Lock 1 Bedford Street to Froghall Basin Lock on the Caldon Canal will remain closed to navigation. To read more on this, please click below:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/23296-etruria-junction-to-froghall-basin-caldon-canal
01/08/2022 12:21
Please note that Harecastle Tunnel will remain open between 8am and 12noon each day throughout this period, but there is no need to book passage: just turn up and we'll get you through.
Description
This notice supersedes previous notices for the Caldon and Trent and Mersey canals.
Despite some recent rainfall, there has been no significant impact on our reservoir holdings that supply the Trent & Mersey and Caldon Canals as this has been absorbed into an already dry landscape. In order to protect our infrastructure and the wildlife that inhabit these waterways, we will be implementing closures on the lock flights below:
Trent & Mersey Canal
- Lock 41 to Lock 71 will remain closed
- Passage through Lock 40 to Lock 36 and Harecastle Tunnel will remain possible between 8.00am and 12.00pm daily until last passage on Sunday 7 August
- Lock 40 to Lock 29 will then close to navigation from 8.00 am on Monday 8 August
Caldon Canal
- Hazelhurst Locks to Froghall will remain closed
- Lock 9, Top Lock at Stockton Brook to Lock 1, Bedford Street, Etruria will be closed from 8.00 am Monday 8 August
Whilst these closures will prevent use of the lock flights, cruising between the locks and through Harecastle Tunnel (pre booked passages only between 8.00am and 12.00pm daily) will remain available.
The local team have been in contact with customers affected by the closure to assist them off the Cheshire Flight (locks 41 – 71). If you have not been contacted and are waiting to leave the flight, please contact our North West team on 0303 0404 040 as soon as possible.
We're continuing conversations with customers affected on the Caldon Canal and the Trent & Mersey from Stoke to Stone (lock 29 to 40). If you have not been contacted and would like assistance in leaving this section, please contact our West Midlands team on 0303 040 4040 or enquiries.westmidlands@canalrivertrust.org.uk as soon as possible.
It is not clear how long the restrictions will be in place. We appreciate this is disappointing news for our customers and we hope that by providing notice of these closures, it will help our customers plan their upcoming journeys or move to alternative locations to avoid the impact of the closures on their cruising plans.
To conserve as much water as possible whilst these closures are in place, the lock flights will be padlocked closed and secured against operation with the gates 'ashed up' to reduce leakage. Implementing these closures now means that we can conserve water, allowing the reservoirs to start to refill should we have significant rainfall. Although the Trent & Mersey Canal will remain open north of Great Haywood junction, we are encouraging boaters to minimise travel towards Stone, and consider other available routes, to help conserve water in the area.
We apologise for the inconvenience this will undoubtedly cause our boating customers and boating businesses.
Our teams will continue to monitor our reservoir holdings and surface water feeders and we will provide updates on the water position throughout the closed period.
