THE failure of the Top Lock of the rather battered Claydon Flight on the Oxford Canal has caused the waterway to be closed until it is repaired.
With the boating season now under way and many hire companies situated on the Oxford Canal, it is essential that the repair be quickly undertaken.
Dewatered
Jackie Brown's photographs show the work in progress today (Wednesday) with the five men having dewatered the lock prior to removing the top gate, that is causing the problem.
The people at the site told Jackie that it appears that the problem is with 'the pin at the base of the gate hinge', and that the work is expected to take 'around two days'.
Leaking
It was Victor who first drew attention to the state of Claydon Flight when cruising the Oxford last September, not only pointing out that this particular gate was extremely difficult, with a walker often helping boaters to move it, which really should have been attended to during the winter maintenance, but that the bottom gate of the Bottom Lock was leaking like a sieve—and most likely still is.
LATEST:
The work has now been completed and the waterway reopened.