Working to repair Shropshire Union breach

FOLLOWING a breach on the Shropshire Union Canal back in January contractors for the Canal & River Trust have been repairing the damage.

Attributed to the effects of Storm Cristoph, the breach between Wharton’s Lock 10 and the Beeston Iron Lock 11 in Cheshire washed away part of the towpath, which has also required rebuilding.

The site is fairly inaccessible to heavy machinery so a temporary roadway had to be laid from a nearby country lane across a farmer’s field.

The canal was drained of water down to Wharton’s Lock while a dam was installed above the breach site to enable the water levels towards Beeston Iron Lock to be maintained.

Contractors have removed the debris prior to starting work to install the new embankment followed by a new canal bed and washwall. The Canal & River Trust hopes that navigation can resume in time for the spring bank holiday weekend at the end of May.

PHOTOS: COLIN WAREING, COLIN AND CAROLE’S CREATIONS Above the dam the water levels have been restored towards Beeston Iron Lock so Chas Harden’s holiday boat hire fleet at Beeston could start operating again when restrictions were eased. The towpath towards the breach site has been blocked with the large fence to the left of this picture.

The drained canal near Wharton’s Lock.

Contractors working on the breach site between Locks 10 and 11 on the Shropshire Union Canal.