canal maintenance

Whitchurch canal breach exposes growing cost of underfunding Britain’s waterways

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Mark Lancaster

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November 6, 2026

FUND BRITAIN’S WATERWAYS WITH FRANCES PHASEY The 2026 Whitchurch Canal Festival took place as planned despite the continuing closure of the canal following the breach last December. THE festival was well-attended, and Canal & River Trust staff were on hand to explain the work in progress to restore the canal, which is expected to reopen…
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Hillmorton Locks get a blooming makeover thanks to volunteers

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Web Editor

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October 21, 2026

Volunteer lock-keepers have been sprucing up Hillmorton Locks on the Oxford Canal in Warwickshire, tackling overgrown vegetation, refreshing a flower bed and bringing mooring rings back into use. VOLUNTEER lock-keepers have tidied up along the Oxford Canal at Hillmorton Locks, Warwickshire. They removed encroaching vegetation and refurbished stone edging at several locks and refreshed a…
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Weed-choked waterways spark protest

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Web Editor

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September 30, 2026

PROTESTERS in Lincoln have raised fresh concerns over the state of the Foss Dyke and River Witham, claiming the waterways are now “choked” with thick, fast-growing weed. Boaters and anglers gathered at Brayford Pool, saying they pay significant licence fees yet see little maintenance in return. The protest was organised by members of the Burton…
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‘Boaters deserve better – it’s time to act’

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Web Editor

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September 26, 2026

NABO general secretary Peter Braybrook comments on some more topical issues. I CONFESS: I am not a boater any more. I am still a boat owner, but this year our boat has only moved to turn it round to wash the other side. We planned to cruise the Kennet & Avon this summer as we…
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Focus on reliability as trust steps up support for boaters

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Web Editor

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July 15, 2026

With more boats taking to the waterways as the better weather arrives, the Canal & River Trust is renewing its pledge to do more to tackle the issues most important to boaters. THE trust is encouraging people out on the cut to report faulty paddles, spots that need more dredging, places with overgrown vegetation and…
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Invasive weeds costing canals more than £1m a year as volunteers step in

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Web Editor

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June 26, 2026

This Invasive Species Week (22–28 June), Canal & River Trust is calling on people to help protect their local waterway by joining the volunteers who help keep the nation’s canals clear by removing fast‑growing aquatic weeds. Every year, volunteers join floating pennywort removal parties and “balsam bashing” sessions – removing invasive Himalayan balsam – along the…
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Showcasing the power of volunteering

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Web Editor

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June 20, 2026

From thousands of hours to hands-on enthusiasm, volunteers at the Canal & River Trust are fine examples of what working together can achieve. This is the penultimate article in a series about the teams and individuals who were honoured at the trust’s annual awards ceremony, this time focusing on the Wales and South West region.…
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Bridgewater Canal repair programme moves into next phase following Little Bollington breach

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Web Editor

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February 2, 2026

THE Bridgewater Canal repair programme following the New Year’s Day 2025 breach at Little Bollington has now moved into its next phase, with stabilisation works nearing completion and the formal design process for reinstating the embankment now underway. SLR Consulting appointed as principal consultant As part of this progression, SLR Consulting has been appointed as…
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NEARLY 4000 TONNES of Invasive Weed Cleared From UK Canals

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Web Editor

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January 16, 2026

Nearly 4,000 tonnes of invasive aquatic weed were removed from Britain’s canals and waterways during 2025 by a single contractor, highlighting the growing impact of climate change on one of the UK’s oldest and most important infrastructure networks and underlining the need for urgent action. The scale of the problem has been highlighted by marine…
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VOLUNTEERING EXCELLENCE on nation’s canals

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Web Editor

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December 31, 2025

Volunteering has been one of the standout success stories of the Canal & River Trust since it was formed in 2012. Today, around 5,500 volunteers regularly give their time to support the charity’s work, contributing nearly three-quarters of a million volunteer hours in the past financial year alone. Reflecting both this growth and the increasing…
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BREACH at Whitchurch on the Llangollen Canal: what we know so far

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Web Editor

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December 23, 2025

A major embankment failure on the Llangollen Canal at Whitchurch has led to the closure of a key section of the waterway while emergency services and engineers assess the damage and plan repairs. The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday 22 December 2025, close to New Mills Lift Bridge, and resulted in a…
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canal maintenance

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