Improving the Dog in the Doublet

Published: Monday, 07 June 2010

THE latest of the Nene locks to be refurbished is the Dog in a Doublet Lock near Peterborough.

The Environment Agency has now begun work to refurbish the nearby sluice, and work will follow on the lock, which will be closed to navigation for just over a week, to install a new  electrical operating system and to prepare the structure for automation, Alan Tilbury reports.

Deteriorating

The sluice is at present not operating properly because the north sluice is jammed, and is in a deteriorating condition.

A spokesman for the agency tells us:

"While we understand this closure may cause some inconvenience, these works are vital if the Dog in a Doublet sluice and lock are going to continue to fulfil their purpose.

"If the sluice were to fail, its tidal location would cause the upstream channel to become saline preventing water abstraction for irrigation, causing potential damage to the neighbouring Site of Special Scientific Interest and preventing us from being able to control river levels for navigation."

As the sluice and lock are in a relatively inaccessible location, an access track has been built  to allow the 80 tonne crane that will be used during the works to be taken to site.