Shroppie breach

Published: Sunday, 16 August 2009

THIS is the scene at the breach on the Shropshire Union Canal, with the hole plugged and the leaking stopped.

They finally stopped the coffer dam leaking and started to pump water past the dewatered section while I was there at around 6pm writes Richard Hall, but the long pound from Knighton to Tyrley is now so low that it will probably take all night to get the levels up again. May be all day tomorrow (Sunday) too. The picture shows the grounded boats at Cadbury's Wharf, brought into mid channel.

The leak has apparently created a huge cavity under the towpath and in the side of the embankment. The picture of the leak doesn't show the extent of the leak but the whole area where the trees are cut down is running water even though the section above has been drained.

Likewise the picture of the hole in the canal doesn't show the full extent as British Waterway people have been shovelling clay into it, more in hope than expectation I suspect.

[Richard walked three miles around the leak to get the photographs, which of course we greatly appreciate.]