Canal Closed Until New Year

The final boat stranded on the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal following the breach on the 15th of March has now been recovered by the Canal and River Trust and their contractors. 15 other boats had already been recovered or refloated but this final boat, "Jess Talisman", was only a few metres from the breach.

To recover the boat a road had to be laid in the bottom of the canal to allow a lorry with a crane to get to the boat and remove it. Work can now start on the repair to the actual breach.

It is thought that the work will continue to the end of the year and cost between £2.5 and £3 million to restore this important link in the Northwest canal system. The canal will therefore remain closed until the New Year.

(Thanks to Waterways World for the Information and pictures)