GIANT LOCK ON THE RIVER WEAVER UNDERGOES IMPORTANT REPAIRS

[Ray T]

21 December 2016

 

GIANT LOCK ON THE RIVER WEAVER UNDERGOES IMPORTANT REPAIRS

 

Marsh Lock, one of the largest locks on the River Weaver in Runcorn, Cheshire, is undergoing important repairs as part of a winter makeover.

 

The Canal & River Trust, the charity that cares for 2,000 miles of canals and rivers in England and Wales, is spending £500,000 to repair the huge ship lock. Specialist divers working 6ft below water have installed a temporary dam using 54 large steel planks, allowing the lock to be drained of water for the first time in almost 50 years.

 

Now empty, engineers from the Trust are carrying out important repairs to the lock’s large oak timber gates.

 

Simon Harding, project manager at the Canal & River Trust said: “Marsh Lock is a large ship lock built in 1895 to link the Weaver Navigation to the Manchester Ship Canal and allow commercial boat traffic at that time to transport salt and all manner of goods to serve industry. To give some idea of the scale of the project, most locks we repair fit one narrowboat at a time- Marsh Lock is big enough to fit in 29!”

 

The repairs to the lock include refurbishing the outer lock gates, carrying out mechanical and electrical repairs to gate operating systems and other repairs within the lock chamber as needed. Once finished the lock will be back in use and easier to operate for many years to come.

 

The repairs to Marsh Lock are part of a £43 million restoration and repair programme taking place this winter on canals and rivers across the country.

 

To find out more about the Canal & River Trust and how you can volunteer or donate, visit: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk

 

ENDS

 

For further media requests please contact:

Helen Hall on 07717 760284

 

Helen.Hall@canalrivertrust.org.uk

 

[Cheshire cat]

It doesn't seem like good use of money to me. All the industry it was built to serve has been closed down.

[frangar]

It doesn't seem like good use of money to me. All the industry it was built to serve has been closed down.

Speaking as someone who has used it to transit the ship canal I'm glad they are spending money on maintaince for it......it would be very easy to let it fall into disrepair as admittedly it's not excactly a honeypot site....and that could be the start of a slippery slope.

 

Gareth

[Captain Pegg]

It doesn't seem like good use of money to me. All the industry it was built to serve has been closed down.

It's probably a statutory obligation for CRT to keep the lock in a fit for purpose condition so they may effectively have no choice.

 

JP

[WJM]

I was there ten years ago and at first I thought it was derelict. It must be even worse now. Nice to see things being looked after!

[nebulae]

I wonder if anything will be done to the timber structure leading to the lock from the Ship Canal.? Definately derelict,not sure if it still serves a usefull purpose,but it certainly adds to the air of dereliction. I suppose it could have been abandoned if B.W.B. had not sold the docks,access could have been through the dock to the Ship Canal. Belongs to Eddie Stobart now.

[MoominPapa]

Speaking as someone who has used it to transit the ship canal I'm glad they are spending money on maintaince for it......it would be very easy to let it fall into disrepair as admittedly it's not excactly a honeypot site....and that could be the start of a slippery slope.

 

Gareth

 

It also provides a second access to the Weaver from the rest of the system as a backup to the boat lift.

 

MP.

[raymondh]

I wonder if anything will be done to the timber structure leading to the lock from the Ship Canal.? Definately derelict,not sure if it still serves a usefull purpose,but it certainly adds to the air of dereliction. I suppose it could have been abandoned if B.W.B. had not sold the docks,access could have been through the dock to the Ship Canal. Belongs to Eddie Stobart now.

We spent the night moored to the above timber structure 3 years ago with a few glasses of wine and a wonderfull sunset but did not chance walking on the timber as it looks completely rotten

 

As we will be using marsh lock twice early next year I for one am peased to see its restoration is underway but must check when due for completion

 

Ray

[dmr]

It doesn't seem like good use of money to me. All the industry it was built to serve has been closed down.

 

Yes indeed, but surely that applies equally to the entire inland waterway system?.

 

..............Dave

[Dalesman]

It doesn't seem like good use of money to me. All the industry it was built to serve has been closed down.

You could say the same about the Anderton Lift as well. if fact why bother with canals at all..????

[Cheshire cat]

Look before you leap. OK, apologies everyone. I was under the impression it was one of the paired locks on the Weaver. I haven't been that far downstream. I wrongly assumed there would be a smaller lock alongside. If it is the only way out on to the Mersey then fair enough. No doubt the Daniel Adamson will be making use of it for the foreseeable future providing the River has a deep enough channel.

[Señor Chris]

It makes sense - Sutton Weaver swing bridge had a similar expensive restoration not so long ago. No point doing one without the other.

[junior]

I believe there are plans for the Daniel Adamson to run regularly on the Weaver in the future.

[TimYoung]

We have used it several times in Severn, at 14'3" beam it's the only way onto the Weaver for us. We have been up and down the lift but we can't get far either way at the top.

Tim

[Dalesman]

I believe there are plans for the Daniel Adamson to run regularly on the Weaver in the future.

Yes they have done one trip on the Weaver already but hope to make it a regular run next year all being well

Edited December 22, 2016 by Dalesman