Leeds & Liverpool Canal closed on Monday

THE Leeds & Liverpool Canal will be closed on Monday with locks chained-up.

Somewhat unclear

As is now usual however, the stoppage information is somewhat unclear, it stating the stoppage starts at Lock 85, Lock 21 and ends at Lock 30, Keith Gudgin reports.

Canal & River Trust blame the continued 'drawdown' of the reservoirs and the prolonged low rainfall causing temporary closures to navigation between Wigan Flight (from below lock 85) and Gargrave (from below lock 30) commencing on Monday 30th July.

Prevent leakage

This means that all the lock flights at Wigan (locks 65 to 85), Johnsons Hillocks (58 to 64), Blackburn Flight (locks 52 to 57), Barrowford Locks (45 to 51), Greenberfield Locks (42 to 44), Bank Newton Locks (36 to 41) and Gargrave (locks 35 to 30) will be padlocked closed and the gates will be ashed up to reduce leakage.

With that statement the trust admits once again that a cause of the closure of the locks is caused through leakage, with many boaters at a loss to understand why so much money is being spent on nature and new directors, whilst locks gates are either not repaired or renewed to prvent such leakage.

Last chance to escape

The last chance boaters have to get free will be 3pm on Monday, otherwise they will be stuck for the duration, as to prevent unauthorised use, measures will be taken to make the locks inoperable.

As in the case of the closure of the Rochdale, it is not clear how long it will last, but it’s likely to be throughout August and even beyond if there is no significant, sustained rainfall.