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All closures / Why they close / Underwater Obstruction
Underwater Obstruction
Unplanned closures filed this way: 7 in June to August 2026 against 3 a year earlier, within what chance produces; tested on its own, not among the trends page's findings. How a change is tested.
- On record
- 18 closures since May 2025
In force today
No closure filed this way is in force today.
By canal
13 canals have had a closure filed this way. A closure naming two canals counts on both.
| Canal | Closures |
|---|---|
| Oxford Canal | 4 |
| Calder & Hebble Navigation | 2 |
| Rochdale Canal | 2 |
| Shropshire Union Canal | 2 |
| Chesterfield Canal | 1 |
| Grand Union Canal | 1 |
| Lancaster Canal | 1 |
| Lee Navigation | 1 |
| Leicester Line (Grand Union Canal) | 1 |
| Peak Forest Canal | 1 |
| South Stratford Canal | 1 |
| Stourbridge Canal | 1 |
Show 1 moreShow fewer
| Canal | Closures |
|---|---|
| Walsall Canal | 1 |
Every closure on record
Showing 18 closures CRT filed as “Underwater Obstruction”.
Rank by
Population
4 closures are in neither group: 4 unplanned with no day in the cruising season since May 2025.
Status
Duration
Cause
Asset affected
Lock part
Unplanned lock failures naming a part
Water problem
Unplanned failures naming one
CRT reason
Region
What these figures mean
- Population
- Which closures a figure counts. All closures is everything; Unplanned closure drops the works CRT flags as its winter programme and any day outside the cruising season (the Friday nearest 15 March to the Sunday before the first Monday in November). Scheduled work CRT does not flag as winter works still counts here. CRT Planned closure is the flagged winter programme alone.
- Defensible duration
- The days between a closure's start and its reopening date, counted only where the dates allow it. A cancelled notice, or one whose reopening precedes its start, has no defensible duration and is in no total.
- Closure-days
- One day on which one closure was in force. Two closures on the same day are two closure-days; where the question is how long a canal was actually disrupted, overlapping notices are unioned into single intervals. They are counted from 1 May 2025, when this archive begins: a closure that started earlier adds only its days since then, though its own row shows its whole length. Every figure and chart counts only the days inside the Period chosen above them.
- In force
- A closure is in a Period, and a day is one a closure affected, if it was in force at any time that day, including the morning it reopened. Closure-days measure how long, so they count whole days and not the reopening day: a closure can be in a Period and add no closure-day to it.
Closures in force each month
closures active during the monthCanals ranked by the season's closures
share of the period's cruising-season days up to today — a closure somewhere on a long canal is likelier, and does not mean the canal was impassableclosures in force on the period's cruising-season days — a longer canal has more to go wrong onWhere
closure-days by regionclosures by regionA region with more canal has more to go wrong on, so these totals partly measure its size. Regions compared by length of canal are on the Reliability page.
What causes them
closure-days by causeclosures by causeWhat fails
closure-days by assetclosures by assetWhat fails on a lock
closure-days by part — unplanned lock failures naming a partclosures by part — unplanned lock failures naming a partHow long they last
closures by full length, including any days before May 2025 — the bands are not equal in widthClosures
Bridge 23 Cooper Bridge Viaduct on the River Calder. Between Battye Cut and Lk16 Cooper Bridge - Removed and reopened
Calder & Hebble NavigationYorkshire and North East
14 days
From 11 June 2026
Reopened 25 June 2026
CRT's title says reopened
- Where
- Lock 16, Cooper Bridge to Flood Gates, Battyeford
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Broke, cause not given
- Asset
- Bridge
Network Rail have completed the repairs and the removal of the stonework from the river. The navigation has been reopened for passage.
Latest of 7 CRT updates, 25 June 2026.
Bridge 41A, Sandy Lane Bridge
Chesterfield CanalYorkshire and North East
8 days
From 31 August 2026
Reopened 8 September 2026
- Where
- Bridge 41A, Sandy Lane Bridge
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Weather
- Asset
- Canal or river
We have had confirmation from contractors that the obstruction has been removed. The navigation is now open as normal.
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 8 September 2026.
Lock 3, Brierly Hill Road
Stourbridge CanalWest Midlands
4 days
From 25 December 2025
Reopened 29 December 2025
- Where
- Lock 3, Stourbridge
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Other cause
- Asset
- Lock
Please be aware there is a sunken boat in the bottom of Lock 3, near Leys Junction, and is currently blocking navigation through the lock. We will provide further updates as soon as they are available. For any questions or concerns, please get in touch with us on 0303 040 4040…
CRT's only update, 25 December 2025.
King's Sutton Lock No 31
Oxford CanalLondon and South East
4 days
From 12 January 2026
Reopened 16 January 2026
- Where
- Lock 31, Kings Sutton Lock
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Other cause
- Asset
- Lock
Please be advised that this lock is currently closed due to a fouled bottom gate caused by an underwater obstruction. Our team are working hard to clear this as quickly as possible. We'll share an update as soon as we have more information. Thank you for your patience and…
CRT's only update, 12 January 2026.
Audlem Lock 1, Head Gates
Shropshire Union CanalNorth West
3 days
From 3 October 2025
Reopened 6 October 2025
- Where
- Audlem Lock 1
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Other cause
- Asset
- Lock
There is an underwater obstruction on the head gate at Audlem Lock 1 which is restricting the gates from closing fully to enable seal, allowing the lock to empty. An operations team has been on site this afternoon and into the evening but the cause of the blockage is still…
CRT's only update, 3 October 2025.
Navigation Closure, Hardmead Lock - Lock 3
Lee NavigationLondon and South East
3 days
From 19 December 2025
Reopened 22 December 2025
- Where
- Lock 3, Hardmead Lock
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Cause not stated
- Asset
- Lock
Due to an obstruction on the cill we've closed Hardmead Lock till our team can resolve the issue.
CRT's only update, 19 December 2025.
Lune Aqueduct
Lancaster CanalNorth West
2 days
From 1 June 2026
Reopened 3 June 2026
- Where
- Aqueduct B.107, Lune Aqueduct
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Vandalism
- Asset
- Canal or river
Navigation is currently closed at Lune Aqueduct on the Lancaster Canal due to metal fencing that has been thrown into the canal, causing an underwater obstruction. Our teams are aware and are working to remove the obstruction this week. We will provide a further update on or…
CRT's only update, 1 June 2026.
Lock 2 -Watford lock on the Leicester line of the GU
Leicester Line (Grand Union Canal)East Midlands
2 days
From 27 June 2026
Reopened 29 June 2026
- Where
- Lock 1 to Lock 7
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Broke, cause not given
- Asset
- Lock
The buffer protecting the top cill of lock 2 (at the bottom of the Watford lock flight of the Leicester Line ) has been dislodged and is posing a health and safety risk to boaters using the navigation. The Navigation between Lock 1 and Lock 7 is closed until further notice.
CRT's only update, 27 June 2026.
Wall Clasped near Bridge 3, Edward Road - Closed from Rochdale Lock 1 to Salterhebble Lock 1 - OPEN
Rochdale Canal, Calder & Hebble NavigationYorkshire and North East
2 days
From 15 July 2026
Reopened 17 July 2026
- Where
- Lock 1
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Broke, cause not given
- Asset
- Other
The team have attended site and have placed buoys close to the wall. The navigation section is open to passage but we will advise skippers of all crafts to navigate towards the towpath side away from the wall, to ensure safe boating.
Latest of 4 CRT updates, 17 July 2026.
Navigation Closure - Oxford Canal, LK 39 Pidgeon's Lock , Kirtlington
Oxford CanalLondon and South East
1 day
From 22 July 2025
Reopened 23 July 2025
- Where
- Lock 39, Pigeons Lock
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Cause not stated
- Asset
- Lock
A full lock dewatering is required for our specialist contractors to access and if possible clear an obstruction from the Off Side Ground paddle culvert, we will also take this opportunity to survey the Tow path ground paddle culvert with CCTV, inspect and refurbish all lock and…
CRT's only update, 7 July 2025.
Lock 40, Wilmcote Top Lock
South Stratford CanalWest Midlands
1 day
From 5 August 2025
Reopened 6 August 2025
- Where
- Lock 40, Wilmcote Top Lock
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Cause not stated
- Asset
- Lock
An underwater obstruction has been identified within the lock chamber. Although the emergency response team attended site and attempted to remove it, the size and nature of the obstruction prevented them from making the lock safe. This obstruction is currently causing boats to…
CRT's only update, 5 August 2025.
Lock 11 Audlem
Shropshire Union CanalNorth West
1 day
From 13 August 2025
Reopened 14 August 2025
- Where
- Shropshire Union Canal - 057
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Other cause
- Asset
- Lock
Bottom end gates won't open due to an obstruction behind the gates.
CRT's only update, 13 August 2025.
Lock 77 Dewatering, Grand Union Canal, Watford
Grand Union CanalLondon and South East
1 day
From 21 October 2025
Reopened 22 October 2025
- Where
- Lock 77, Ironbridge Lock
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Other cause
- Asset
- Lock
Top stop plank installation is required to dewater the lock head to identify and if possible, remove obstructions blocking ground paddle culverts at lock 77 Iron Bridge. We will also take the opportunity to refurbish all paddle connections and fixings below water level. No…
CRT's only update, 16 October 2025.
Lock 8, Ryders Green
Walsall CanalWest Midlands
1 day
From 28 October 2025
Reopened 29 October 2025
- Where
- Lock 8, Ryders Green Bottom Lock
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Other cause
- Asset
- Lock
Navigation remains closed at Ryders Green Lock 8. The lock gate cannot currently be operated as it is catching on a metal obstruction. Our team is assessing the situation and will develop a repair plan. We will provide an update as soon as further information becomes available.
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 28 October 2025.
Nell Bridge Lock No 32
Oxford CanalLondon and South East
1 day
From 22 January 2026
Reopened 23 January 2026
- Where
- Lock 32, Nell Bridge Lock
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Other cause
- Asset
- Lock
Underwater obstruction cleared. Please be advised level between locks 32-33 is in Red Board Status due to strong stream warning
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 23 January 2026.
Kidlington Green Lock No 43, Lock Crescent, Kidlington
Oxford CanalLondon and South East
same day
From 30 April 2026
Reopened 30 April 2026
- Where
- Lock 43, Kidlington Green Lock
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Cause not stated
- Asset
- Lock
Please be advised that our operational team has identified an obstruction within the Towpath Ground Paddle culvert, which is currently affecting the lock's ability to fill for navigation. To resolve this, a top stop plank installation will be required so the lock head can be…
CRT's only update, 27 April 2026.
Lock 15 Marple
Peak Forest CanalNorth West
same day
From 1 July 2026
Reopened 1 July 2026
- Where
- Lock 15
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Cause not stated
- Asset
- Lock
Navigation is currently closed at Lock 15 on the Marple Flight on Peak Forest Canal due to an obstruction in the lock chamber. The team are currently on site to remove the obstruction, and the flight will be back open at 5pm. A further update will be provided today on or before…
CRT's only update, 1 July 2026.
Lock 15 - large tree trunk wedged under tail paddles. Removed
Rochdale CanalYorkshire and North East
same day
From 4 August 2026
Reopened 4 August 2026
- Where
- Lock15
- CRT reason
- Underwater Obstruction
- Cause
- Weather
- Asset
- Lock
The large tree has been removed from under Lock 15. The closure has been lifted.
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 4 August 2026.
Showing the 18 longest of 18. Every row links to the notice CRT published.
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