Leeds & Liverpool closed until New Year

NOTWITHSTANDING the rainfall over the past weeks, lack of water is closing the Leeds & Liverpool Canal until the New Year.

The closure will begin at the end of next week and carry on into 2019 but with no ending date, Keith Gudgin tells us.

Closed from Skipton to Wigan

The waterway will be closed from Holme Bridge Lock (30) near Skipton all the way through to Wigan at Lock 85 the bottom of Wigan Flight. This means the major flights on the waterways will once again be secured to prevent navigation.

However we are informed that there may possibly be occasional Saturdays when navigation may be allowed over certain sections should demand arise, but as Christmas falls during the week there is not intimation it will be open for the holiday period.

Continued leaking

 As boaters have informed us that there has been little boating traffic over the past weeks, once again the obvious cause of the lack of water is because so much leaks though badly maintained lock gates and so subsequently drains away.

Until proper maintenance, instead of the current 'wait until it breaks' system is reinstated the closure of waterways will continue, and in fact obviously become worse.

Rufford Branch closed

The 'wait until it breaks' has already closed one section of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, with the cill on the River Lock of the Rufford Branch finally giving way and closing the lock, with stop planks now installed. Though luckily there would be no traffic onto the river at this time of year.