Not looking good for the Ashton

IT HAS been discovered that the Ashton Canal did suffer what Canal & River Trust call a 'blown' cill on Tuesday.

This means the cill is broken and not holding the lock gate securely, Keith Gudgin reports.

The navigation is now closed from Lock 1 to Lock 18 with the trust telling it has identified the damage and the cill has become detached and requires urgent repairs.

Safe working conditions

Now it has first to ensure safe working conditions then its team, in collaboration with contractors, will be on-site with the necessary equipment to de-water the canal and carry out the repairs.

However, usually contractors take weeks to repair cills, the broken cill on the Wigan Flight taking nine weeks.