THE month of May kept up with April with the dreaded 'Navigation: Closed' notices over the month.
Once again it was 29 waterways given the 'official' figure that were stated as being closed over the month, as reported by our Keith Gudgin, but the April total was updated by Allan Richards showing others also closed but with no notices.
Five closures on 'Narrow'
During May the poor Huddersfield Narrow Canal came off worst with it having five closures, comprising we were told of a damaged cill, Lock 25E padlocked, then a 'blown' cill, then a detached cill finishing with a culvert leak!
The Leeds & Liverpool Canal did not come off too badly during May with just two swing bridges failing—as they do. The fire closing the Blackburn Flight on the Leeds & Liverpool was of course not included.
The good news was that its Eshton Road Lock was repaired at last on the Leeds & Liverpool, as in fact was Oxclose Lock on the Ripon Canal.
Navigation: Closed':
In order of failure
1 Aire & Calder—Knostrop Lock structure failure
2 Huddersfield Narrow—damaged cill 26W
3 Ripon Lock—still voids
4 Grand Union—Buckley Lock 7 reline gates to prevent excessive leaking
5 Macclesfield—Royal Oak Swing Bridge electrical fault
6 Leeds & Liverpool—Eshton Road Lock closed until 25th May
7 Rochdale—Lock 65 closed until further notice
8 Ouse—Boothferry Bridge closed since September
9 Ripon—hole still not filled
10 Huddersfield Narrow—Lock 25E padlocked
11 Trent—Nether Lock electrical fault
12 Tame Valley Canal—Rushall and Salford Junction no reason given
13 Huddersfield Narrow—24W blown cill
14 Selby Canal—swing bridge sun too hot!
15 Ouse—closed for maintenance
16 Leeds & Liverpool—Hancock's Swing Bridge needs more repairs
17 Macclesfield—Royal Oak Swing Bridge again
18 North Stratford—Lock 17 broken beam
19 Rochdale—removing concrete slab and debris
20 Asby—removing fallen tree delay
21 Leeds & Liverpool—Warehouse Swing Bridge failure
22 Huddersfield Narrow—detached Lock 17 W cill
23 Grand Union—closed at locks 75 and 76, no reason given
24 Bridgewater & Taunton—Lock 6 structural damage
25 Harecastle Tunnel—lack of water
26 Netherton Tunnel—double booked
27 Rochdale—Lock 72 out of order
28 Trent & Mersey/Bridgewater—upper gate post collapsed
29 Huddersfield Narrow—culvert leak.
The Canal & River Trust was formed in July 2012 with its statement:
To protect, manage and improve the nation’s canals and river navigations for the millions who enjoy them.