Stranded boats at Hillmorton to be released late tomorrow

ALL the boats that were prevented access through Hillmorton Flight will be allowed through late tomorrow.

Incorrect stoppage notice

It was Canal & River Trust that gave an incorrect stoppage notice stating that the flight would open when in fact it was closed that caused boats to be stranded, with boater Brian D Jarrett writing in narrowboatworld:

"It’s one thing to give incorrect stoppage notices I guess it another to give no notice!  Just arrived at the top of Hillmorton locks to be told along with another seven boats that the locks are out until 19th December!"

Boater Alan N Estherby had arrived at his planned overnight mooring just below Hillmorton locks intending to pass through the locks as the stoppage notice stated they were open, but, as he wrote in narrowboatworld:

Stranded and inconvenienced

"Instead, thanks to CaRT’s incompetence and inaccurate stoppage information I, and many other boaters are stranded and inconvenienced.

"It is worth noting ... more than 24 hours after the closure CaRT have still not updated their website, nor have they issued a stoppage notice via email (I am on their mailing list for these)."

Image—the expensive lock beam poetry at Hillmorton comes into its own...

Alan now tells us the trust has at last issued a correct stoppage notice, and heeding all the complaints, has arranged for the flight to be open for navigation tomorrow, Friday, to allow the stranded boats through the flight, Alan adding:

Will be too dark

"The revised notice is couched in very apologetic terms, with a promise of an internal inquiry to try to avoid future repetition, but this is one that should not have happened in the first place.

"Latest news is that the flight will reopen late Friday; with the dark evenings this means, realistically that first passages through Hillmorton locks will be Saturday morning, 13th November."