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Lock 1 and Lock 18
A navigation closure on the Ashton Canal, 15 July 2026 to 27 July 2026 — 12 days.
Source: this notice on canalrivertrust.org.uk
- Waterway
- Ashton Canal
- Region
- North West
- Started
- 15 July 2026
- Status
- Reopened 27 July 2026
- Days shut
- 12
- CRT reason
- Low Water Levels
- Cause
- Weather
- 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 are pleased to advise that the water levels have stabilised between Lock 1 and lock 18 on the Ashton Canal and has reopened to navigation.
Where
- Ashton Canal: Lock 18 to Lock 1
Updates · 3
7 days with no update after the last one.
20 July 2026 · 3 days since the previous
Due to the current low water levels, navigation remains closed between Lock 1 and Lock 18 on the Ashton Canal. We will continue to monitor the situation daily, and as soon as the water levels have recovered sufficiently to allow for safe navigation, the closure will be lifted. A further update will be on or before Monday, 27 July.
17 July 2026 · 2 days since the previous
Due to low water levels, navigation remains closed between Lock 1 and Lock 18 on the Ashton Canal. The Ashton Canal's water supply is fed from the Peak Forest Canal and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, both of which are currently experiencing limited water. This has significantly reduced the amount of water feeding into the Ashton Canal, resulting in insufficient water levels to support safe navigation. We will continue to monitor the situation daily, and as soon as the water levels have recovered sufficiently to allow for safe navigation, the closure will be lifted. While water holdings across the canal network are higher than they were at this point last year, hot and dry weather can create extra challenges for boating and water supply. To make the most of the water we have in the reservoirs, we're trying to tailor the feed very accurately to the demand so water doesn't go to waste. If the demand is greater than we predicted or paddles get left up, then we may need short breaks to rebalance the supply, sometimes at short notice. We apologise for the disruption and thank you for your patience during these periods. If you see that water levels are looking unusually low, please let us know. Our teams actively manage water levels and can carefully refill low pounds, checking for problems and making sure moored boats on adjacent pounds stay safe. A further update will be on or before Monday, 20 July.
15 July 2026 · 0 days since the previous
Navigation is closed between Lock 1 and Lock 18 on the Ashton Canal due to low water. Water levels have dropped due to the current dry weather we have been experiencing. As soon as water levels have recovered sufficiently, the closure will be lifted and navigation will resume. A further update will be provided on or before Friday 17 July.
Cite this: Canal closures, “Lock 1 and Lock 18”, https://crt-stoppages.pages.dev/notice/019f65bf-877e-7cb5-a20e-29d00ffd3ceb.
Every closure on Ashton Canal · Download the data · Method and limits