Eshton Road Lock, Gargrave

[Pluto]

The first passage has been put back to May 9, with full reopening on May 20, after heavy rain caused the temporary platform to collapse. This was the view on Tuesday. The platform was needed for specialist piling of the failing towpath side lock wall.

[TheBiscuits]

3 hours ago, Pluto said:

The first passage has been put back to May 9, with full reopening on May 20

 

@cheshire~rose You probably won't be coming that way then!  It's still possible but it would turn into a delivery trip.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Pluto said:

The first passage has been put back to May 9, with full reopening on May 20, after heavy rain caused the temporary platform to collapse. This was the view on Tuesday. The platform was needed for specialist piling of the failing towpath side lock wall.

 

 

Damn it.

 

That will scupper the Easter holiday hire boaters getting from Silsden or Skipton to the nicest part of the L&L.

 

Or was it originally scheduled to open after Easter anyway?

[Rincewind]

13 hours ago, Pluto said:

The first passage has been put back to May 9, with full reopening on May 20, after heavy rain caused the temporary platform to collapse. This was the view on Tuesday. The platform was needed for specialist piling of the failing towpath side lock wall.

I told 'em LEGO would not be strong enough but they wouldn't listen!

[LadyG]

Sigh

[Capella247]

On 24/02/2022 at 14:35, The Happy Nomad said:

 

Damn it.

 

That will scupper the Easter holiday hire boaters getting from Silsden or Skipton to the nicest part of the L&L.

 

Or was it originally scheduled to open after Easter anyway?

Do you rate the stretch west of Gargrave?  We were planning a short Easter trip (based at Wheelton) and now we can't get to Skipton were wondering whether going up to Gargrave and back would be worth it (motoring through Blackburn etc... to the Foulridge tunnel) 

 

[rgreg]

41 minutes ago, Capella247 said:

Do you rate the stretch west of Gargrave?  We were planning a short Easter trip (based at Wheelton) and now we can't get to Skipton were wondering whether going up to Gargrave and back would be worth it (motoring through Blackburn etc... to the Foulridge tunnel) 

 

Gargrave to Foulridge  is one of the most scenic sections on the network.

[TheBiscuits]

1 hour ago, Capella247 said:

Do you rate the stretch west of Gargrave?  We were planning a short Easter trip (based at Wheelton) and now we can't get to Skipton were wondering whether going up to Gargrave and back would be worth it (motoring through Blackburn etc... to the Foulridge tunnel) 

 

 

They have just announced a complete closure of Gargrave and Bank Newton.

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/21851-navigation-closure-lock-32-higherland-lock-to-lock-41-bank-newton-top-lock-leeds-and-liverpool-canal

 

Go to Liverpool instead!

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Capella247 said:

Do you rate the stretch west of Gargrave?  We were planning a short Easter trip (based at Wheelton) and now we can't get to Skipton were wondering whether going up to Gargrave and back would be worth it (motoring through Blackburn etc... to the Foulridge tunnel) 

 

 

Yes it is one of the prettiest and most scenic bits of the system. 

 

But see the posts above mine.

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by The Happy Nomad

[Capella247]

58 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

They have just announced a complete closure of Gargrave and Bank Newton.

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/21851-navigation-closure-lock-32-higherland-lock-to-lock-41-bank-newton-top-lock-leeds-and-liverpool-canal

 

Go to Liverpool instead!

Ah no!   It’s looking to be a shorter and shorter trip!   

[Pluto]

The offending chamber wall at Eshton Road Lock is being removed this week if anyone wants see what is behind it. 

[TheBiscuits]

@Pagefield this might interest you

[Pluto]

Eshton Road Lock yesterday showing the reverse side of the chamber wall with the abutments used for strengthening. The back of the ashlar facing to the chamber seems to be from undressed stone, as are the abutments, which seems to match the surviving specifications I have found. One of the lads (towards retiring age, so with some experience) working on the lock suggested that the mortar holding the abutments together was some of the strongest he had encountered. Clay seems to have been inserted at a later date between the upper gate and the towpath, suggesting that there had been a problem with leakage over the years, which could have accounted for the lock wall failure.

[Capella247]

 

We had a very good week up to the stoppage at Bank Newton and back - well worth it - managed to get chips in Gargrave on a day trip to Malham.  Spent a couple of days at Greenberfield locks - lots of Curlew and Lapwings in the field next to the boat.

[David Mack]

So you're not on Capella then?

[Capella247]

1 minute ago, David Mack said:

So you're not on Capella then?

Not any more - downsized as Capella wouldn't fit on the L&L  

[Pluto]

It used to:

[Capella247]

17 minutes ago, Pluto said:

It used to:

Nice boat - i hadn't realised there was a L&L Capella !

[Pluto]

Most of the 1930s wooden boats built for Canal Transport Ltd had star or planet related names.

[TheBiscuits]

Slipped again.

 

25th May is the new guesstimate.

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/20705-lock-31-eshton-road-lock-leeds-and-liverpool-canal

[LadyG]

Reading the lines, that's a guesstimate not a definite, tough job.

[Midnight]

Eight Months to rebuild a lock wall WTF?
C&RT are a total disaster and must be replaced. 

[TheBiscuits]

Just now, Midnight said:

Eight Months to rebuild a lock wall WTF?

 

It did wash away in the floods, dumping the whole building site into the lock which set them back further than when they started the job.

 

2 minutes ago, Midnight said:

C&RT are a total disaster and must be replaced. 

 

By whom? Serco or Capita?

 

[Midnight]

10 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

It did wash away in the floods, dumping the whole building site into the lock which set them back further than when they started the job.

 

 

By whom? Serco or Capita?

 

Don't make excuses for them they are a total shambles.

Our village primary school could do better but the Environment Agency is the natural replacement. Not good at facilities and probably wouldn't spend £thousands on blue signs. Better at keeping the system open and probably got access to more resources. 

[TheBiscuits]

11 minutes ago, Midnight said:

the Environment Agency is the natural replacement. Not good at facilities and probably wouldn't spend £thousands on blue signs. Better at keeping the system open and probably got access to more resources. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jan/20/environment-agency-cuts-staff-blow-whistle

 

"increases in charges and other agency income filled the gap left by dwindling government grants but the money did not find its way to frontline work. Instead it was directed to middle management"

 

Yeah, that sounds promising ...

 

The government were looking at giving the Navigation Authority role from EA controlled waters to CRT a few years ago.  The other way round won't happen, it's the exact opposite of longstanding policy.