All the locks require careful inspection, repair and eventually replacement. That’s why we’re incredibly grateful to a longstanding supporter of the Trust whose generous gift in their Will allowed us to carry out a series of lock gate replacements along the canal last winter.
The lock gate replacement at Kelston Lock, needed after a boat fire damaged the gates beyond repair last year, was by far the largest and most complex project of all the works. Each bespoke lock gate weighed in at 3.5 tonnes, making them amongst the heaviest gates to be fitted by our teams last year.
The work also required divers who helped install steel stop planks to form dams; a crane barge, over 400 square meters of pointing and masonry repair, scaffolding, as well as the manufacture and transportation of the bespoke lock gates.
