Harecastle Tunnel

[Big Bob W]

Not sure how restricting operating times for Harecastle Tunnel conserves water. 🤔

Navigation Restriction

Harecastle Tunnel

Details

Type: Navigation Restriction
Waterway(s): Trent & Mersey Canal
From: 11 August 2025, 9am
To: On-going
Region: West Midlands
Reason: Low Water Levels
Subject to review on: 29 August 2025

Location

Closest waterway: Trent & Mersey Canal
Starts at: Harecastle Tunnel
Ends at: Harecastle Tunnel

Description

Original 31 July 2025, 4:46pm

Following one of the driest springs on record, water availability across the region remains significantly below average. To help conserve increasingly limited water resources, protect canal infrastructure and ecology, and prolong navigation elsewhere on the network, we will be implementing the following change:

• From Monday 11 August 2025, Harecastle Tunnel will operate on restricted hours, with passages available between 9:00am and 1:00pm only. All passages must be pre-booked via our online booking system.

[Tonka]

If the water is too low you can't get through.

 

[magnetman]

Presumably that would depend on your drought. 

 

No. Draught. 

[Big Bob W]

5 minutes ago, Tonka said:

If the water is too low you can't get through.

 

So are the water levels OK between 9am and 1pm?

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

2 minutes ago, Tonka said:

If the water is too low you can't get through.

 

but the question is asking how going through the tunnel uses water ?

 

 

[magnetman]

. 

‎ 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2025 by magnetman

[Rob-M]

I guess levels can be left to recover from 1pm to 9am as there will be less boats moving through the locks to the Harecastle level.

[ditchcrawler]

4 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I guess levels can be left to recover from 1pm to 9am as there will be less boats moving through the locks to the Harecastle level.

Then surly it is them that require restricting  Cheshire Locks and Stoke

Edit to add

Maybe its CRT again trying to get all boaters booking the tunnel and not just turning up. No booking for the day, no staff needed 

Edited July 31, 2025 by ditchcrawler
I like adding bits

[Rob-M]

1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said:

Then surly it is them that require restricting  Cheshire Locks and Stoke

Maybe, perhaps restricting the tunnel is easier as the volunteers can just go home.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

8 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I guess levels can be left to recover from 1pm to 9am as there will be less boats moving through the locks to the Harecastle level.

Yeah, I kind of wondered if it could be a recovery of the water level thing,

 

 

or maybe we get a window to pass through while the zombie bats are asleep 🤷‍♀️

 

[haggis]

With all the closures/ restrictions on the approaches to Harecastle there are possibly fewer boats going through and as someone said, it will save having tunnel operators twiddling their thumbs for  most of the day

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

12 minutes ago, haggis said:

it will save having tunnel operators twiddling their thumbs for  most of the day

which is more to the point 👍

[dogless]

We came through (heading south) last Sunday at 8am,  and were warned by staff that the level was down 4 to 5 inches.

 

I suspect although the level is down, that the restriction is more focussed on rationalising man hours in light of the T&M being locked off at lock 41 and the Macclesfield being shut at Bosley.

 

We came through all alone, and the restrictions must be significantly limiting traffic compared to the usual July/August period.

 

Rog

[Arthur Marshall]

As the only functioning locks near the tunnel are the Stoke flight, I suppose limiting tunnel traffic will have the knock on effect of limiting their use too. Last time there was a major water shortage, I had to wait two days before we could get through the tunnel and the Stoke flight closed completely a week later. 

If it's the end if turn up and go, it's going to play even more havoc with the Heritage hire fleet. I'm a bit surprised they're still operating.

Anyone know what the water levels are like between Stoke and Stone?

 

Edited to add the Caldon is closing too:
"Update 31 July 2025, 5:23pm
Please be advised that from Monday 11th August, the Caldon Canal will be closed to navigation, from Lock 1 to Froghall Basin"

 

Which implies CRT are seriously worried about the level on the summit.

Edited July 31, 2025 by Arthur Marshall

[Baralacha]

I can tell you that only one boat (an overstaying cabin cruiser) was moored at Westport Lake when I walked there yesterday. One single boat! Two weeks ago it had been thronged with mobile traders and those going to, or coming from, the tunnel.

 

Far fewer boats moving on this stretch.

[Arthur Marshall]

40 minutes ago, Baralacha said:

I can tell you that only one boat (an overstaying cabin cruiser) was moored at Westport Lake when I walked there yesterday. One single boat! Two weeks ago it had been thronged with mobile traders and those going to, or coming from, the tunnel.

 

Far fewer boats moving on this stretch.

One of the throng was probably me, legging it back to my mooring on the Macc while I could still get there. I'm giving up on summer cruising, early spring next year I think.

[Stroudwater1]

46 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

One of the throng was probably me, legging it back to my mooring on the Macc while I could still get there. I'm giving up on summer cruising, early spring next year I think.

You’ll have sold up before then Arthur, so I read.. 

[Arthur Marshall]

8 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

You’ll have sold up before then Arthur, so I read.. 

I keep forgetting that... it may be the triumph of hope over experience, but the thought of having no boat, when it comes to the crunch, just seems, well, silly!

[Wafi]

12 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

One of the throng was probably me, legging it back to my mooring on the Macc while I could still get there.

Wouldn't it have been easier to use the motor, especially outside the tunnel?

😉

[Arthur Marshall]

9 minutes ago, Wafi said:

Wouldn't it have been easier to use the motor, especially outside the tunnel?

😉

I wondered why I was so knackered at the other end.

[robtheplod]

We left Aston Marina this morning and can see the water is now about 2" down on normal.....

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

17 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

We left Aston Marina this morning and can see the water is now about 2" down on normal.....

do what I do,

keep removing the ballast,

😃

 

[Mike Tee]

Throw the ballast in the canal, that will help raise the level........

[magnetman]

 

Encourage more widebeans to be craned in. If the level is below weir then it would go up. 

 

Alternatively sell the edge of the canal to Sustrans. They can then fill in their parcel thereby reducing the volume of the pounds which would make the levels higher with the same amount of water. Also if they owned 5ft of the edge they could ban mooring and have mamils to do the enforcement. Win win situation.

Edited August 7, 2025 by magnetman
Double post