Trent & Mersey to be closed for three days

THERE will be no navigation through Stone on the Trent & Mersey Canal for three days.

Next Tuesday (18th) work has to be carried out on Star Lock (27) in Stone that will close the navigation for three full days, Keith Gudgin reports.

Emergency repairs

Canal & River Trust maintain it is having to carry out emergency repairs at Star Lock, to repair the towpath side lock gates, which are 'starting to bow and oversail the offside gates when the lock is full'.

It tells that while they are still operable at present, they are likely to deteriorate further soon, thus the lock will be closed on the 18th, 19th and 20th of this month.

Contractors are to strengthen the gates with steel plates at the top and midpoint, working from a floating pontoon, with the work being done without having to dewater the canal.

Winter works?

It is understood that this work should have been completed in the winter as the problem has been ongoing.

Boaters intending cruising the navigation through Stone during that period will obviously not be able to.

Simon Lord tells us he reported this in August 2021 with the bottom near side gate made a big creaking sound and a bang and twisted. Clearly it was ignored.