Major breach at Whitchurch on Llangollen

[Chris John]

Anyone got any info?  Getting some messages on breech and some boats have been lost 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

No details yet from CaRT, other than this, which could mean anything.

 

Navigation Closure

Between Lock 6 Grindley Brook Lock and Bridge 31A Whitchurch Bypass Bridge

Details

Type: Navigation Closure
Waterway(s): Llangollen Canal
From: 22 December 2025, 6:43am
To: On-going
Region: West Midlands
Reason: Emergency Services Incident
Subject to review on: 22 December 2025

Location

Closest waterway: Llangollen Canal
Starts at: Lock 6, Grindley Brook Locks
Ends at: Bridge 31A, Whitchurch By-Pass Bridge
Upstream winding hole: Next to Bridge 31A, Whitchurch By-Pass Bridge
Downstream winding hole: Thomason's Winding hole, near Bridge 22 Thomason's Bridge

Description

Original 22 December 2025, 7:16am

 

Please be advised that due to an incident, there is an emergency closure in place between Lock 6 Grindley Locks and Bridge 31A, Whitchurch By-Pass bridge.

Please do not approach from either direction and we will provide an update in due course.

[robtheplod]

I hope its not a breech or Heidi (Narrowboat Pirate) has just sailed into another dead-end having spent a bit escaping the last one! 

 

if it is a breech, what are the implications as the llangollen is a feed isnt it?

Edited December 22, 2025 by robtheplod

[Twopints]

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/transport/2025/12/22/major-incident-declared-as-police-sinkhole-opens-at-shropshire-canal/

 

 "Police sinkhole" ??

Edited December 22, 2025 by Twopints

[MtB]

There is a thread on a private Facebook group discussing this. It appears there is a major breach with three boats actually going down into the breach hole. One post says a 40ft drop. No-one was on any of the boats, they all got off first, it says.

 

There is a video on "the Shropshire Union page" apparently (whatever that means!) with no further info or link provided. 

 

 

[David Mack]

Presumably this is at the embankment just to the north of the junction with the Whitchurch Arm. There are moorings on the offside there and usually several visiting boats moored to the towpath.

[Rob-M]

There is a very dark video on the Shropshire Union Facebook group, it is quite hard to see what has happened but one boat looked to be a distance below the towpath.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

15 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

 

if it is a breech, what are the implications as the llangollen is a feed isnt it?

Supplies drinking water for Nantwich and Crewe at the Hurleston reservoir. Presumably a pumped bypass will be set up pretty promptly.

[StevieN]

[robtheplod]

that does not sound good.... lots of boaters go to Llangollen for Winter so many will now be stuck?

[StevieN]

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, robtheplod said:

that does not sound good.... lots of boaters go to Llangollen for Winter so many will now be stuck?

 

As the canal is the water source for millions of people I doubt it'll be left for long - there will be too many agencies involved and I expect C&RT to have minimal involvement.

 

I think that Severn Trent water will be the lead (although C&RT may get the blame)

[Richard T]

That is not good news especially at this time of year. You can't help feeling for CRT who are lurching from one catastrophe to the next!!

[magnetman]

Maybe type of mooring where idiots occasionally run the engine in gear while moored up 'to stop bore glazing'' which undermines the piling. 

Did it happen at the end of a concrete section ? Weak spot maybe similar to the Bridgewater breach. 

[David Mack]

6 minutes ago, StevieN said:

It will be an interesting exercise to stabilise the boat in the foreground, which can't be far off falling into the hole, and then lifting the other two out!

[MtB]

7 minutes ago, StevieN said:

<photo>

 

 

Thanks for the pic. I think that boat partly overhanging needs to get priority attention. It'll be down the hole too if that edge of mud gives way and will land on the boat below.

[robtheplod]

1 minute ago, David Mack said:

It will be an interesting exercise to stabilise the boat in the foreground, which can't be far off falling into the hole, and then lifting the other two out!

like the italian job bus scene.....

[b00ke23]

Wow, looks at least as bad as the Middlewich breach, except this one had boats in the hole too. Just after Grindley brook too so a massive pound that’s drained…..shudder to think what damage has been down downstream of the hole. Hope there are no casualties. 🤞

Edited December 22, 2025 by b00ke23

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

like the italian job bus scene.....

 

Without the gold!!!

 

 

[frangar]

I’ve just seen that pic on fb. Are we sure it’s real? Seems very lucky the boats at the bottom remained upright. Going to be interesting getting them out without damage tho….and that’s not going to be a quick fix either by the looks of it. 

[David Mack]

26 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Presumably this is at the embankment just to the north of the junction with the Whitchurch Arm. There are moorings on the offside there and usually several visiting boats moored to the towpath.

Looking at the photo I think this is indeed the location. There is a culvert/aqueduct under the canal here, and my guess is that it is that which has failed, taking the embankment with it.

Looks like they have got stop planks in and stopped the flow though, which will prevent further enlargement of the breach.

Edited December 22, 2025 by David Mack

[Gybe Ho]

9 minutes ago, David Mack said:

It will be an interesting exercise to stabilise the boat in the foreground, which can't be far off falling into the hole, and then lifting the other two out!

 

Lifting the two in the hole will be problematic, my guess is they will cut the cabin tops off and leave the open hulls entombed as steel reinforcements under the canal bed. Relative to the cost of the repair, writing off two narrowboats facing an extremely expensive recovery might be the cheaper option.

[BEngo]

14 minutes ago, frangar said:

I’ve just seen that pic on fb. Are we sure it’s real? Seems very lucky the boats at the bottom remained upright. Going to be interesting getting them out without damage tho….and that’s not going to be a quick fix either by the looks of it. 

Big crawler crane like an Andes or a big RB. Track along the bed and they should be able to pick up the lower two relatively easily.  Top one will be an interesting execrcise to sling, but it might be possible to tow it onto more solid ground.

 

Really hard part will be assessing the stability round the hole to ensure a big crawler crane stays upright.  Might be necessary to import a lot of gravel to stabilise things and protect the canal bed, but that will help with the repair, because I guess that will need a  biggish piling rig and they like summat firm to pile off.

 

 

Edited December 22, 2025 by BEngo

[Rob-M]

It made an appearance on Sky News.

 

https://news.sky.com/story/major-incident-declared-in-shropshire-as-sinkhole-affects-canal-13486587

[Wafi]

That's a very long pound (and therefore a lot of water). I'd be more worried about the damage caused by flooding after the water left the canal; I hope no-one's been hurt...