Independent. Built from Canal & River Trust's own published notices, with no affiliation to or endorsement by the Trust.
Tame Valley No 1 Bridge to Birchills Junction, including Walsall Lock Flight
A navigation closure on the Walsall Canal, 1 August 2024 to 5 June 2025 — 308 days.
Source: this notice on canalrivertrust.org.uk
- Waterway
- Walsall Canal
- Region
- West Midlands
- Started
- 1 August 2024
- Status
- Reopened 5 June 2025
- Days shut
- 308
- CRT reason
- Pollution Incident
- Cause
- Someone else's works
- Asset
- Canal or river
Cause and asset are read from the notice prose, not CRT fields; the reason above is CRT's own.
What CRT said it was for
We're pleased to advise navigation is back open again on the Walsall Canal.
Where
- Walsall Canal: Tame Valley No 1 Bridge, Ocker Hill to Birchills Junction Bridge
Updates · 3
6 days with no update after the last one.
30 May 2025 · 29 days since the previous
After being closed since August 2024, we are planning to reopen the Walsall Canal to boaters on Thursday 5th June. The towpath remains open for walkers and cyclists. The canal has been dredged to remove cyanide-contaminated silt, further reducing risks to wildlife and supporting ecological recovery. Approximately 526 tonnes of silt have been removed and safely disposed of. Teams of volunteers are currently working to clear rubbish and debris that accumulated while the canal was closed, as well as cutting back overgrown vegetation. The cleanup has so far cost the Trust hundreds of thousands of pounds - funds that would otherwise have been used to repair our canals. We will seek to reclaim this money from the polluting company and reinvest it in caring for the canals in the West Midlands.
1 May 2025 · 0 days since the previous
We are pleased to inform our customers that dredging operations to remove cyanide-contaminated silt from the Walsall Canal have now been completed. This marks a major milestone in the ecological recovery of the canal and progress towards its eventual reopening to boating traffic. Water samples have now been taken and we are currently awaiting the results. These results will determine whether the water is safe and if any further action is required before the canal can be reopened. We appreciate your continued patience and support during this important phase of the project and will provide further updates as soon as the results are available. This notice was originally posted on an old system which has now been upgraded, the original description and latest update have been transferred here. To view any historical updates related to this notice, please click Here
1 May 2025 · 273 days since the previous
The Trust has been made aware of a significant pollution which is affecting the Walsall Canal in the Pleck area. In the interest of public safety, we have taken the decision to close both the navigation and towpath until further notice. Multiple agencies are on site dealing with the incident and further information will follow in due course.
Cite this: Canal closures, “Tame Valley No 1 Bridge to Birchills Junction, including Walsall Lock Flight”, https://crt-stoppages.pages.dev/notice/01968b74-c032-73b6-aacf-b0d47521479a.
Every closure on Walsall Canal · Download the data · Method and limits