Repairs to Grade II Listed Eshton Road Lock Back On Track

[Ray T]

CRT Press Release

12th April 2022

 

CANAL CHARITY’S REPAIRS TO GRADE II LISTED ESHTON ROAD LOCK

BACK ON TRACK AFTER STORM SETBACKS

 

Repairs to the Grade II Listed Eshton Road Lock on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near Gargrave are back on track following setbacks and damage caused by last month’s Storm Eunice.

 

The team at the waterway and wellbeing charity have been working with specialist stonemasonry contractors Lyons on a painstaking restoration project at the 200-year-old structure to prevent the lock’s wall from collapsing.  The towpath and navigation were closed to the public in November following the sighting of a significant bulge in the historic wall.

 

Graham Ramsden, senior project manager at Canal & River Trust has been overseeing the repair programme.  He explained: “Eshton Road Lock is situated in one of the most picturesque spots along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, with stunning views of the Yorkshire Dales.  It’s a great place to come and relax by water and is a popular spot with boaters, walkers, cyclists, canoeists and paddleboarders.

 

“We’ve been working hard to reopen the lock in time for Easter, but have been delayed by three weeks after Storm Eunice washed through the site causing further damage. We are hopeful to complete our work and get the lock back open to boats by early May.“

 

An important stage of the repair programme has just begun; the painstaking process of taking down the original lock wall stone by stone.  With concrete piles in place to support the ground, each original stone is removed and carefully marked to ensure that it is replaced in the correct order as part of the new lock wall.  Around three-quarters of the original stones are in good enough condition to be reused in the build, with the remainder sourced from a nearby quarry, and cut to the exact measurements of the originals. 

 

Ruth Garratt, heritage advisor at Canal & River Trust has been advising Graham and the team throughout the project.  She explained: “As the guardians of 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales our charity is responsible for protecting and preserving the fascinating and unique feats of engineering on our 200-year-old canals. My role is to help maintain the historic integrity of our waterway structures as we repair and maintain them to meet the 21st century challenge of extreme weather conditions caused by climate change.”

 

She added: “It's vitally important to find the balance between minimum intervention, which retains as much of the authentic 'as built' fabric of our historic structures whilst also adopting a constructive conservation approach, which acknowledges that the waterways are a living, working heritage.”

 

Canal & River Trust is asking people to #ActNowForCanals and help to support their local waterway, from volunteering projects, citizen science surveys, to raising funds or clearing up litter. Every small action can make a huge difference www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/donate

 

Ends

 

For further media requests please contact:

Naomi Roberts, Canal & River Trust (Mon-Wed)

m 07557 256482

e  naomi.roberts@canalrivertrust.org.uk

 

[Heartland]

We’ve been working hard to reopen the lock in time for Easter, but have been delayed by three weeks after Storm Eunice washed through the site causing further damage. We are hopeful to complete our work and get the lock back open to boats by early May.“

 

An important stage of the repair programme has just begun; the painstaking process of taking down the original lock wall stone by stone.  With concrete piles in place to support the ground, each original stone is removed and carefully marked to ensure that it is replaced in the correct order as part of the new lock wall.  Around three-quarters of the original stones are in good enough condition to be reused in the build, with the remainder sourced from a nearby quarry, and cut to the exact measurements of the originals. 

 

It is encouraging that stone quarried locally is being used in the restoration. It would of interest if a record was kept of the structure during reconstruction

 

[David Mack]

It surprises me though that as much as a quarter of the old stone is not reusable. What has happened to it?

[Slow and Steady]

It surprises me that CRT proudly take on these no expense spared restorations while simultaneously failing to do simple routine maintenance elsewhere - did they get a grant for this?

[Pluto]

1 hour ago, Heartland said:

It is encouraging that stone quarried locally is being used in the restoration. It would of interest if a record was kept of the structure during reconstruction

 

An archaeologist has been recording the works, and I have provided specifications and other constructional information from the historic material I have collected over many years.

 

The stone used originally was local and not of high quality, as is easy to see on some of the other locks at Gargrave. These locks show signs of rebuilding on several occasions, and the ashlar has deteriorated over time. Some of it was laminating, and in some ways I would not be surprised if more new stone was required than the quarter quoted.

[David Mack]

So are they using the same local poor quality stone for the replacement? Isn't that just building in problems for the future?

[MtB]

10 hours ago, David Mack said:

So are they using the same local poor quality stone for the replacement? Isn't that just building in problems for the future?

 

Well it's a conundrum isn't it? Use matching new stone for architectural and historical integrity, or replace all the stone with new, different, higher quality material, or just use different, higher quality stone for the 25% needed. 

 

How long does the lower quality stone last? How long is it since the last rebuild?

 

 

[Pluto]

I suppose the original stone has only lasted 230 years.

[Heartland]

Well said Mike