Taking advantage

ADVANTAGE was taken of the closure of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, with British Waterways undertaking four major works projects and many other smaller jobs.

The major works included:

• Lock gate refurbishment at Johnsons Hill (lock 61)
• Lock gate refurbishment at Wigan Flight (Lock 65)
• Lock gate replacement at Greenberfield (Lock 44)
• Lowering of the weir at East Martin

The other jobs included three leak repairs at Grimshaw Park Road, Blackburn; Lowther Street, Nelson; Giants Hall Aqueduct; Leigh Culvert 100; Washwall repairs at Whitebear Bridge. All the pounds were cleared of rubbish and debris at Barrowford.

The locks

• Lock works included:
• Lock 45, renewed the paddle & rack, towpath side ground paddle
• Lock 46, repaired towpath side ground paddle
• Lock 47, repaired towpath side ground paddle and rack
• Lock 48, new offside ground paddle and frame fitted
• Towpath side ground paddle cleared rubbish and repaired
• Lock 49, repaired offside ground paddle, towpath side new paddle and frame
• Lock 50, repaired towpath side ground paddle
• Lock 61, replaced offside ground oaddle and back frame, cut out section of stone quoin and replaced with timber
• Lock 63, replaced hand rails and moved the bridge to make it more secure
• Lock 64, repaired towpath side tail gate paddle and repair to foot bridge fencing
• Lock 65, repored off side ground paddle, reattached head gate paddle on towpath side
• Lock 68 replaced lock down on head and tail gates
• Lock 76, replaced towpath side ground paddle
• Lock 77, replaced paddles at the head gates
  Greenberfield
• Lock 44, replaced offside and towpath side ground paddles and frames
• Lock 43, replaced offside and towpath side paddles and frames, new stalk to towpath side
• Lock 42, replaced offside and towpath side paddles and frames
  Bank Newton
• Lock 41, removed towpath side paddle, replace backplate and refit
• Lock 40, tail gates new breast fenders fitted
• Lock 39, repair dominos in tail gates, repair breast fenders to top and tail gates
• Lock 38, repair dominos in tail gates, repair breast fenders and back planking
• Lock 35, repair stegneck & dominos in bottom gates, refit ands and brackets to offside paddle
• Lock 34, repair scarland, replace offside and topside ground paddle frames and new backplates fitted.

Debbie Lumb, Waterway Manager for British Waterways North West, explained:

"The closure of the Leeds & Liverpool canal was a very difficult decision taken in highly unusual circumstances. We tried to use the time the canal was closed to carry out lots of smaller repair works which we might not ordinarily have had the chance to do.

"There are a number of other stoppages planned for the winter including, gate, paddle and cill repairs at Oddy, Office, Appley and Poolstock locks. In addition, we will also be carrying out dredging on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and work on its reservoirs."

So the stoppage was obviously used to advantage, making the Leeds & Liverpool now much easier for boaters.