Grand Union from Birmingham to Stratford canal closed for navigation

[Steve Bassplayer]

 just now

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/0197d9fd-2888-726c-b46f-2174920c40be

 

Grand Union from Birmingham to Stratford canal closed due to low water.

 

[archie57]

I bet Olton reservoir is full of water......

[Stroudwater1]

The indication on the CRT website seems to show the canal is closed right through to Warwick Bar/Digbeth Junction?
 

Presumably with Aston Lock flight closed the section from Bordesley Junction to Warwick Bar is open? 

 

In fairness encounters with underwater matter is not uncommon at anytime up there. It must be a blow for ABC, met quite a few hire boats from Alvechurch doing the Birmingham mini ring with Tardebigge out. . 

 

[Tonka]

According to Facebook, Knowle is closed and will be for sometime 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 hour ago, Stroudwater1 said:

It must be a blow for ABC, met quite a few hire boats from Alvechurch doing the Birmingham mini ring with Tardebigge out. . 

I predict we’ll have more hirers spending extra time/days here in Brum,

they always love it here anyway,

why wouldn’t they 😃

 

 

 

 

[PaulJ]

Despite what the stoppage notice shows, you can get between Brum centre and Garrisons no problem.

Plenty of water between Ashted and Garrisons

[Speedwheel]

Looking at the map, it seems to be showing that you can't get from the GU to the South Stratford as it's closed from Bridge 64 up to the junction. Is that correct? 

[alias]

12 minutes ago, Speedwheel said:

Looking at the map, it seems to be showing that you can't get from the GU to the South Stratford as it's closed from Bridge 64 up to the junction. Is that correct? 

 

I think they may have made a mistake with the bridge number. Old Warwick Road Bridge named on the notice is the one by the Navigation, north of the junction.

[Speedwheel]

19 minutes ago, alias said:

 

I think they may have made a mistake with the bridge number. Old Warwick Road Bridge named on the notice is the one by the Navigation, north of the junction.

Thank you 

[john6767]

I see that the South Stratford is now closed as well

 

 

[Speedwheel]

10 minutes ago, john6767 said:

I see that the South Stratford is now closed as well

 

 

Oh joy. 

[alan_fincher]

Given the way things are going I suspect it will not be long before it is easier (and shorter) to publish a list of what canals are currently OPEN.

[Lily Rose]

A fair bit of heavy rain in the South Midlands this morning, including right now, but probably not much help as the BBC forecast is currently predicting it will be pretty much wall to wall sunshine over the next 2 weeks.

[zimzim]

Remarkable commentary with the S. Stratford closure....

 

Due to low water levels we are having to close the South Stratford Canal until further notice. Our operations team are working to refill each pound but unfortunately every pound has been emptied either by accident or a malicious act of vandalism. Further information and an update will provide on Monday 07/07/25.

[Arthur Marshall]

3 hours ago, john6767 said:

I see that the South Stratford is now closed as well

 

 

That was this year's planned trip, maintaining my record of not managing a single intended route for the past five years.

While I can see this causing some grief to the liveaboards and CCers, it's devastating for CRTs majority customers, the leisure users, who really must be wondering if it's still worth paying four of five grand (or more) a year in order not to use their boat.

[Tonka]

16 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

That was this year's planned trip, maintaining my record of not managing a single intended route for the past five years.

While I can see this causing some grief to the liveaboards and CCers, it's devastating for CRTs majority customers, the leisure users, who really must be wondering if it's still worth paying four of five grand (or more) a year in order not to use their boat.

We're having trouble planning our route home to Calcutt. Currently at Chester Zoo

[Arthur Marshall]

46 minutes ago, Tonka said:

We're having trouble planning our route home to Calcutt. Currently at Chester Zoo

I've given up planning anything. I'm assuming the Shroppie won't run dry, but whether I'll ever get back to Macclesfield is anyone's guess. This was going to be my last major run due to health reasons, so it's all a bit disappointing.

Can't really blame CRT, or BW before them. Been underfunded for decades.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

…can’t really blame them for the weather either

[Arthur Marshall]

14 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

…can’t really blame them for the weather either

Indeed. Though you could argue that allowing the number of boats on the system to multiply hugely without making any attempt to guarantee the water supply or maintain it properly is something they could have considered. I do wonder, for example, if Todbrook will ever come fully on stream.

[alias]

40 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Indeed. Though you could argue that allowing the number of boats on the system to multiply hugely without making any attempt to guarantee the water supply or maintain it properly is something they could have considered. I do wonder, for example, if Todbrook will ever come fully on stream.

 

The bloke moored next to me at Fenny Compton a few weeks ago indignantly told me that one of the summit reservoirs nearby has been let out to a fishing club limiting what water could be drawn from there. I've no idea if that's true.

 

Edited July 6 by alias

[Arthur Marshall]

35 minutes ago, alias said:

 

The bloke moored next to me at Fenny Compton a few weeks ago indignantly told me that one of the summit reservoirs nearby has been let out to a fishing club limiting what water could be drawn from there. I've no idea if that's true.

 

Sounds about right. It appears Todbrook delays were at least partly due to appearing the local yacht club.

[john6767]

3 hours ago, Tonka said:

We're having trouble planning our route home to Calcutt. Currently at Chester Zoo

We will be at Chester later this week, what is the issue getting back to Calcutt, as that is what we will need to do as well at some point.

[TheBiscuits]

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Sounds about right. It appears Todbrook delays were at least partly due to appearing the local yacht club.

 

That's one way of looking at it.

 

Another way is that CRT needed to break their side of the deal on a long lease and negotiated acceptable redress rather than be sued for breach of contract.

 

I'm fairly sure an extended court case (years normally) before they could even begin work on repairing the dam would have suited you better ...

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

That's one way of looking at it.

 

Another way is that CRT needed to break their side of the deal on a long lease and negotiated acceptable redress rather than be sued for breach of contract.

 

I'm fairly sure an extended court case (years normally) before they could even begin work on repairing the dam would have suited you better ...

Perhaps they should have got the lease right in the first place, stating that the prime purpose of the reservoir was feeding the canal, and a secondary one was for providing leisure facilities for blokes with yachts.

I presume the yachters are happily poncing about on the pond while the delays to the canal feeder mount up? I may of course be wrong...

 

[Stroudwater1]

25 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Perhaps they should have got the lease right in the first place, stating that the prime purpose of the reservoir was feeding the canal, and a secondary one was for providing leisure facilities for blokes with yachts.

I presume the yachters are happily poncing about on the pond while the delays to the canal feeder mount up? I may of course be wrong...

 

 

Other genders are available. I suspect these are more small sailing boats/ dingys. I believe it’s a complex scenario that’s been rehearsed before.
 

How would you feel if the Aylesbury or Lichfield boat clubs were just told the purpose round here is road and rail transport and told to shut down? 
 

It’s likely that the reservoir maintenance had been neglected for years. It’s quite possible that the sailing club did some useful maintenance though not the main bit that caused the problem. 
 

In other words the yacht club is really not the main problem with Toddbrook. 

Edited July 6 by Stroudwater1