Yorkshire canals to get three new locks thanks to Postcode Lottery funding
Canals may seem to many to be merely historic transport routes.
In fact they are vital community spaces used daily by millions of people for walking, cycling, boating and connecting with nature.
So the Canal & River Trust is delighted that it is celebrating 15 years of vital support from Postcode Lottery players by announcing ‘15 locks for 15 years’.
This will see new, bespoke lock gates manufactured and installed across the canal network this winter, helping ensure the historic canal network remains navigable and available for local communities.
Campbell Robb, chief executive of Canal & River Trust, said: “Support from Postcode Lottery players over the past 15 years has been instrumental in helping us care for our canals.
"This programme of lock gate replacements is a fitting way to mark that support, ensuring everyone who loves the waterways can continue to enjoy and get the health and wellbeing benefits of time spent on or by them.”
Lock gates are fundamental to the operation of canals. Constantly exposed to the elements and in daily use by boaters, they typically last around 25 years before requiring replacement.
Across Yorkshire and the East Midlands, three waterways and locks are among just 15 locks across England and Wales to have been selected for the milestone programme helping to keep the historic canal network navigable.
These are: Huddersfield Narrow Canal (Lock 22 East at Slaithwaite will have both top and bottom gates replaced); Calder & Hebble Navigation (Grade II listed Double Lock 18 at Shepley Bridge in Mirfield will have bottom lock gates replaced); and Chesterfield Canal in Worksop (Lock 50 at Worksop Town Lock will see both top and bottom gates replaced).
At the trust’s specialist workshops in West Yorkshire and the West Midlands, skilled teams are expertly crafting new gates funded with support from Postcode Lottery players.
Combining traditional techniques with modern engineering, they are creating durable lock gates tailored to each individual lock chamber. The gates are among more than 100 set to be replaced by the charity this winter.
The announcement also comes as the Huddersfield Narrow Canal celebrates 25 years since its reopening in 2001, highlighting the ongoing investment needed to protect one of Britain’s most ambitious and remarkable waterways restoration projects.
Laura Chow, head of charities at Postcode Lottery, said: “What better way to celebrate 15 years of player support for the Canal & River Trust than by funding 15 new lock gates across the country?
"Thanks to player funding, alongside the trust’s conservation and maintenance work, these historic waterways can continue to be enjoyed and valued by communities, boaters and visitors for generations to come.”
The Canal & River Trust continues to highlight the importance of ongoing care and investment in the nation’s canals to keep them alive, navigable and thriving.
For more information about Canal & River Trust, including how to volunteer and donate, visit: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk