Leicester line from Watford to Kings Lock next

[cornishdave]

Following continued monitoring of the exceptionally dry weather and its impact on water resources, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close the Leicester Line (Grand Union Canal), from Watford Lock 1 to Kings Lock 38, to navigation, effective from Tuesday 29 July 2025 at 4pm.

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/01980e8f-a7ee-7611-9264-b2cef3d03f7b

[Lily Rose]

 

This seems to imply total closure for navigation, not just locks.

 

The latest update for Napton to Cropredy seems to suggest the same.

 

Does this mean boats with home moorings on the Oxford and Leicester line summits will not be permitted to move from their moorings I wonder. If not then it's ambiguous / misleading.

 

Edited July 15, 2025 by Lily Rose

[adam1uk]

I wondered the same.  I know that Cropredy Marina is planning to put stop planks across the entrance to maintain their water.  On the Leicester Line, people moored on the summit would have 20 miles to play with — if there’s enough water up there.

[Lily Rose]

10 minutes ago, adam1uk said:

I wondered the same.  I know that Cropredy Marina is planning to put stop planks across the entrance to maintain their water.  On the Leicester Line, people moored on the summit would have 20 miles to play with — if there’s enough water up there.

 

Lot of boats up there as well with 3 large marinas. I'm not sure what harm they would do if they went boating on the summit. I know you can wind above Foxton and, I think, above Watford as well. 

 

Similar for boats at Fenny Compton marina, as long as they are short enough to wind above Marston Doles top lock.

 

It makes me wonder if CRT are going to tell all the affected marinas to put stop planks in place.

 

[Andyaero]

Would they secure the Welford arm lock, stopping anyone in that marina from navigating Foxton top to Crick lock free?

Would they lock Husbands Bosworth tunnel. Trying to figure out the best place to be stuck and in a marina aint it. As a newbie boater, has this happened before?

[David Mack]

55 minutes ago, adam1uk said:

On the Leicester Line, people moored on the summit would have 20 miles to play with — if there’s enough water up there.

That's the crucial bit. My guess is CRT will allow boat movements which don't involve use of locks, and they may try and keep the levels up for as long as they can, but with no guarantee that even local boating will continue to be possible.

It will be a decision for individual marinas whether to shut the entrances. But if they do, they still have the issue of how they maintain marina water level with water loss to evaporation.

[alias]

19 minutes ago, Andyaero said:

Would they secure the Welford arm lock, stopping anyone in that marina from navigating Foxton top to Crick lock free?

Would they lock Husbands Bosworth tunnel. Trying to figure out the best place to be stuck and in a marina aint it. As a newbie boater, has this happened before?

 

When I was stopped for an initially unspecified period by a damaged lock ahead of me a year or two ago my priorities were to have access to drinking water, sewage disposal, and somewhere to buy food and drink or have it delivered.

[Stroudwater1]

It’s going to be tough for ABNB to be selling boats when there’s no where to go other than one pound for a long time by the looks of things. 

[Andyaero]

Am I correct in thinking the already shallow Harborough branch will quickly get worse if no water is coming down Foxton or from Leicester?

[Lily Rose]

10 minutes ago, Andyaero said:

Am I correct in thinking the already shallow Harborough branch will quickly get worse if no water is coming down Foxton or from Leicester?

 

I would have thought so but the CRT map implies that it is staying open for navigation.

 

[Arthur Marshall]

39 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

 

I would have thought so but the CRT map implies that it is staying open for navigation.

 

My son's got a holiday booked for a week or two from Market Harbourer on the 4th August, so that'll be a short trip.

[Andyaero]

Maybe the CRT should take advantage of these unexpected shut downs all over the place and do some of the winter maintenance stuff so we'll have less stoppages in the winter.

Yes, I know it won't happen.

[Lily Rose]

13 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

My son's got a holiday booked for a week or two from Market Harbourer on the 4th August, so that'll be a short trip.

 

I'd forgotten there was a hire base down there in the basin.

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

1 hour ago, Andyaero said:

Would they secure the Welford arm lock, stopping anyone in that marina from navigating Foxton top to Crick lock free?

Would they lock Husbands Bosworth tunnel. Trying to figure out the best place to be stuck and in a marina aint it. As a newbie boater, has this happened before?

I would say being stuck in a Marina is better than being stuck on the towpath. If the heat continues at least you’ll have water and all the facilities to use, also you can leave the boat and go away for the weekend/week if you wish. I think people must realise these are conditions that have not happened in a long time. Lots of boats are returning to their marinas to see what happens over the next few months🤔

[Wafi]

24 minutes ago, Andyaero said:

Maybe the CRT should take advantage of these unexpected shut downs all over the place and do some of the winter maintenance stuff so we'll have less stoppages in the winter.

Yes, I know it won't happen.

I believe they're doing exactly that on the Aylesbury Arm

[MardyBum]

We've just finished our expedition from the Peak Forest to Debdale Wharf below Foxton, as we're having our boat out for blasting and the zinc treatment etc. We had anticipated closures and have ended up arriving three weeks early!

 

Levels are low but navigable - I had assumed that with the locks closing and no water going down from Kibworth top lock, that eventually the level navigation between there, Foxton bottom and Market Harborough would gradually replenish... Perhaps a naive assumption.

 

Tomorrow I'm planning to wander over to Saddington reservoir to have a look at what that's like. 

 

It'll be a shame if they completely stop all movement on the non-lock sections - we were hoping to mooch around the cut for a bit instead of being stuck (or safe - depending on your point of view) in the Marina.

Edited July 15, 2025 by MardyBum

[Andyaero]

17 minutes ago, MardyBum said:

 

Tomorrow I'm planning to wander over to Saddington reservoir to have a look at what that's like. 

 

well on Sunday it resembled a puddle.

[Chris John]

How can they stop movement?  Boats in the long pound between Watford and Foxton will have to move for services and supplies 

[matty40s]

31 minutes ago, Chris John said:

How can they stop movement?  Boats in the long pound between Watford and Foxton will have to move for services and supplies 

Not if there is no water they won't.

Saddington is so low, I am amazed that the Debdale to Kings Lock (including Mkt Hbro) stretch has not been shut already.

[MardyBum]

9 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Not if there is no water they won't.

Saddington is so low, I am amazed that the Debdale to Kings Lock (including Mkt Hbro) stretch has not been shut already.

Does the MH arm have another feeder from somewhere? 

[matty40s]

2 minutes ago, MardyBum said:

Does the MH arm have another feeder from somewhere? 

Yes, Foxton locks.

Welford is quite a lot down too, even though it was full at the end of Feb.

Edited July 15, 2025 by matty40s

[MardyBum]

6 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Yes, Foxton locks.

Welford is quite a lot down too, even though it was full at the end of Feb.

Yes. Sorry. I meant another reservoir

[matty40s]

19 minutes ago, MardyBum said:

Yes. Sorry. I meant another reservoir

You have Naseby to the South, then Sulby and Welford above the Welford arm.

They all feed the top pound? Although the fishists at Naseby have a lot of control over water level.

Saddington is the only feed to the drop down to Leicester.

 

Edited July 15, 2025 by matty40s

[Chris John]

49 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Yes, Foxton locks.

Welford is quite a lot down too, even though it was full at the end of Feb.

They were drawing Welford level down for investigation works for a new spillway. Guess that draw down is happening with nature’s assistance now 

[magnetman]

I'm not convinced this is all about the water supply. 

 

It seems a little convenient for this to be happening during a time of very  sigificant land use change in this country and also when the CRT navigation authority are engaged in some high level discussion about how to handle those who chose to use their property for whatever reason. Also know as the CRT Commission. 

 

Obviously weather patterns are changing but there could be another side to this which is indicating who is in charge. At the end of the day there must be a hierarchy. 

 

It sort of seems like land owner powers being used. 

 

i know there is a lack of water as well but that would be dealt with if canals were being used for their original purpose. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90WD_ats6eE