New handcrafted oak lock gates are being lifted into place along a stretch of the Rochdale Canal in Manchester city centre, east of the city centre, as part of the Canal and River Trust's extensive programme of winter repairs covering 2,000 miles of waterway.
Earlier this week, a team started fitting new lock gates at Lock 80, near Miles Platting and Victoria Mill. The waterway opened in 1804 as the first of three trans-Pennine canals, running between Manchester and Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire.
Winter repair programme details
The charity, which cares for canals and waterways across England and Wales, said it would be carrying out hundreds of projects over the next five months to maintain the 'living heritage' of the network that was built in the industrial revolution and still functions today.
Around 136 lock gate leaves – the individual doors or panels – will be replaced under the national programme, as well as repairs to historic locks, bridges, embankments and other infrastructure.
Handcrafted gates from oak
The new lock gates in Manchester have been handcrafted from oak at the Canal and River Trust's lock gate workshop at Stanley Ferry, Yorkshire, before being craned into place.
Each leaf of the upstream gate weighs 1.5 tonnes, with the downstream leaves weighing 2.5 tonnes, and replace gates that were installed around the turn of the millennium, the charity said.
Each gate – which has around a 25-year lifespan – is individually made to fit its lock using specialist skills, and once installed, the new gates will help boats continue to navigate the historic stretch of the Rochdale canal for years, the Trust added.
Other major repairs across the network
Among the biggest structures being replaced in this winter's restoration programme are the safety gates at Purton, Wiltshire, on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, with each gate leaf more than six metres high and wide – making them the size of a semi-detached house.
There will also be repairs to five locks on the Marple Flight on the Peak Forest Canal in Greater Manchester, three locks at Stoke Bruerne on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire, and two locks on the Wigan Flight of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
The trust said it would also be carrying out work on the historic stop locks at Autherley Junction on the Shropshire Union Canal and Hawkesbury Junction on the Oxford Canal, which were not built to help boats travel but to regulate water supplies and protect commercial interests amid canal company rivalry.
Impact of the dry summer
The winter repairs follow the extremely dry summer, which left much of England and all of Wales in drought and created major challenges for keeping the canal network open and managing water resources.
But the low water levels have enabled several important repairs to start earlier, including repairs and lock gate replacements at sites on the Oxford, Stratford and Macclesfield canals.
Campbell Robb, chief executive of Canal and River Trust, said: "Every winter our waterways may appear quieter, but behind the scenes our teams are carrying out some of the most important work of the year. These repairs and renewals are critical to keeping canals open, safe and working for the millions of people who use and enjoy them."
He added: "This summer's drought highlighted the growing pressures they face from extreme weather and ageing infrastructure. Our teams worked incredibly hard to keep as much of the network operating as possible, while also taking opportunities to bring forward some essential repairs."
"As the charity that cares for 2,000 miles of historic canals and rivers, we know these waterways don't maintain themselves. Without ongoing investment and expert conservation, locks, bridges, embankments and other structures gradually deteriorate, putting at risk a national treasure that benefits people, nature and local communities across the country."
