Marple Flight remains closed

THE promised opening of the Marple Flight for May Bank Holiday will not now take place.

The work on Lock 15 that was to be finished in time for an Easter opening did not happen, with the next date for opening  being the 4th May in time for the Bank Holiday, but this too will not take place, Keith Gudgin tells us.

Open for next May holiday

The date now given for the flight to re-open is the 25th of May, the Friday before the next public holiday.

We are told that the work has suffered another set-back, as the brickwork at the base of the lock wall was found to be in very poor condition and is being replaced, that will give the lock wall a solid foundation.

Closed over eight months

It was back in September last year when the lock failed, but in January we were told that good progress had been made and the flight would re-open on the 29th March, but this did not happen, then various other dates were given, the last one being the 25th May, resulting in the flight being closed for over eight months.

This of course means that the access to and from the northern waterways is restricted to the Bridgewater Canal, with so many boaters wary of the access by the tidal Trent.  And of course the Cheshire Ring is also closed.