Watford flight opening hours

[boatsandsteam]

With current Covid, does anyone know the current opening times for the Watford Flight - specifically the last week in September. Many thanks

[Captain Pegg]

Opening hours are on CRT website as below.

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/17400-watford-locks

 

The times are 1000-1715 and the flight is locked outside those times. It is possible that you will need to be booked in well before the final time for entry into the flight. Although Foxton is operating to the same hours a notice posted at the bottom of the flight gave a latest time for signing in of 1615.

 

Also note there a restriction on Welford lock in case you are also planning to visit the arm.
 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/18290-welford-lock-1-welford-arm-off-the-grand-union-canal-leicester-line
 

The maintenance issue is that the nearside heel post is completely rotten and mostly missing. I arrived there at 1900 on Thursday and on observing the condition checked on the CRT website to see if the lock was actually operational. I wondered about the wisdom of continuing to the basin as there appeared to be a genuine risk of getting stuck there. The promise of the pub won out but I made sure I was away early the next morning. It looks like it could fail at any time.
 

It will almost certainly be quieter by the end of the month but do allow for possible delays. I waited for 90 minutes to descend Watford yesterday and three hours to ascend Foxton the day before.

 

JP

[matty40s]

The Watford lockies are usually there quite early, and can do their Covidstuff whilst unlocking locks and filling empty top pounds quite quickly.

I have been started through there before 9am, 9.30am and before 10am about 5 times out of the last 7 attempts(official opening 10am)

[john2443]

Going up Watford, do they padlock the first lock on the staircase or the first of the single locks? Not that it makes very much difference to time, but just interested to know if we can get up the first 2 then wait for them to open up or if we have to wait below the first 2.   

 

Might make a difference to what time we get up and how many cups of tea during breakfast :)

[matty40s]

They lock the top gate of the bottom lock, so no, you cant get up early!!