Major breach at Whitchurch on Llangollen

[David Mack]

21 minutes ago, Wafi said:

I think you're right. Looking at the OS map, the area to the left of the aerial photo drains through a culvert in the vicinity of the breach, and there's housing in that area at quite a low level. That culvert will need to be kept/made operational as a priority to avoid a serious flooding risk.

Other way round. The watercourse flow west from Whitchurch i.e. the towpath is on the downstream side. The boats which have gone into the breach were moored on the east/offside/upstream side.

[Stroudwater1]

1 hour ago, Gybe Ho said:

 

I have often thought it odd that a popular major canal is principally filled from the output of a sewerage works, is this just local lore or for real?

 

 

Ahem, canals not canal. The Staffs and Worcs also gets  water from this treatment works which then feeds into the T&M and Severn eventually. Hard to explain why bywashes were flowing almost all of this Summer otherwise. Canalplan shows the entrance to the S&W here https://canalplan.uk/place/h7aq

 

Not only at Autherley and Severn Trent, but one or two places further down theres inflow, one near Ashwood marina from S Staffs water outflows.   

 

Its not just supplied  from the sewage works, but flows down from the Wolverhampton level via the 21 locks , onto the Shroppie via Autherley fed from Chasewater and mine pumpings on the  Bradley arm among others supplies. Theres also a largish reservoir on the Dimmingsdale level and one/s IIRC near Penkridge(?) 

[blackrose]

The incident is going to be featured on World at One on BBC Radio 4 shortly.

Edited December 22, 2025 by blackrose

[Hudds Lad]

There's a fairly substantial input to the Huddersfield Broad canal from the nearby treatment works down Deighton way where the A62/Leeds Road crosses it, causes quite a boil in the canal when in flow. Fishists seem to favour that spot too.

[matty40s]

1 hour ago, Gybe Ho said:

 

I have often thought it odd that a popular major canal is principally filled from the output of a sewerage works, is this just local lore or for real?

No, everyone just makes it up.....

[Francis Herne]

The culvert is intact at the downstream end at least. Flowing strongly for obvious reasons. My video.

 

The breach is about 100 yards north of Whitchurch lift bridge.

Water has escaped to the uphill, offside side.

There's one of those water-filled bag dams in the bridge narrows which seems to have almost completely sealed it. The channel is dry to the top of Grindley Brook staircase and now back at a reasonable level on the Whitchurch arm and above.

Edited December 22, 2025 by Francis Herne

[Gybe Ho]

31 minutes ago, PeterF said:

Why would we make this up, travel past and you will see the feeds into both the Shroppie and the S&W.

 

People like to gossip and make extraordinary claims, 25 years ago every man and his dog down the pub would tell you "there is more computing power in a Nokia mobile phone than a desktop PC".

 

I struggle with the claim that the Wolverhampton sewage works are the principal water feed into the Shroppie from its southern limit all the way through to Nantwich or Chester. 

[Gybe Ho]

30 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

There are many canals and rivers that receive sewage works output.

C&RT charge for the discharge into their waterways, and, their income for water extraction (farmers etc) and discharge (sewage works etc) is almost the same as the income from all boaters.

 

I am sure there are. The issue of debate is does the Shroppie depend on the sewage works as the principal source of water for maintaining water levels thus making an absence of flow from the Llangollen insignificant to water levels from Hack Green and onwards to Chester and Middlewich.

[Gybe Ho]

11 minutes ago, Francis Herne said:

The culvert is intact at the downstream end at least. Flowing strongly for obvious reasons. My video.

 

 

That is very good news for local homes and the reconstruction project.

 

Will the CRT be able to reopen the canal for one of the May bank holidays?

[phantom_iv]

 

[Cheshire cat]

At least Peel Holdings won't be involved this time.

[agg221]

34 minutes ago, Francis Herne said:

The culvert is intact at the downstream end at least. Flowing strongly for obvious reasons.

The breach is about 100 yards north of Whitchurch lift bridge.

Water has escaped to the uphill, offside side.

There's one of those water-filled bag dams in the bridge narrows which seems to have almost completely sealed it. The channel is dry to the top of Grindley Brook staircase and now back at a reasonable level on the Whitchurch arm and above.

 

Which side of it are you?

 

Alec

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Knock on effects of losing the water supply.

Quote

Navigation Closure

Hursleston locks to Poveys locks, Llangollen Canal

Details

Type: Navigation Closure
Waterway(s): Llangollen Canal
From: 22 December 2025, 12:46pm
To: On-going
Region: North West
Reason: Low Water Levels
Subject to review on: 13 January 2026

Location

Closest waterway: Llangollen Canal
Starts at: Lock 4, Hurleston Locks
Ends at: Poveys Lock,

Description

Original 22 December 2025, 12:55pm

 

Due to a breach that occurred today at Bridge 31A on the Whitchurch By-Pass Bridge, Llangollen Canal, our teams need to close the lock flight between Povey's Lock and Hurleston Locks.   This closure is necessary to allow our teams to manage and stabilise water levels safely and effectively for boats currently remaining in the affected pounds. The water supply to these sections has been impacted by the breach, and restricting movement is essential for all boats in this area.   Further information about the breach, along with ongoing updates, can be found here

 

[Mike Tee]

I don't remember any previous breach that actually involved moored boats being so catastrophically involved

[Wafi]

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

Other way round. The watercourse flow west from Whitchurch i.e. the towpath is on the downstream side. The boats which have gone into the breach were moored on the east/offside/upstream side.

The houses I was referring to are on the East side of the canal. Thankfully that area does seem to be draining; maybe that culvert wasn't involved in the breach? 

Edit: Correction: The latest aerial footage on the BBC News site seems to show the culvert being very much part of the breach.

 

1 hour ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Ahem, canals not canal. The Staffs and Worcs also gets  water from this treatment works which then feeds into the T&M and Severn eventually. Hard to explain why bywashes were flowing almost all of this Summer otherwise.

Also part of the South Oxford; the stretch South of Aynho was kept in water all Summer thanks to Banbury sewage works (via a short stretch of the Cherwell).

Edited December 22, 2025 by Wafi

[Francis Herne]

1 minute ago, agg221 said:

Which side of it are you?

 

Alec

Audlem. Woken first thing this morning by a friend phoning about it so I went up to have a look, lend a hand if any use but everything well under control by then.

Lots of boats grounded towards Grindley Brook, a few at awkward angles but everyone seems fine except the boats actually in the hole.

[b00ke23]

Resharing this starting at 4:29. Shocking footage. 

 

 

[hoopdriver]

It’s now on CNN too

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/22/uk/canal-sinkhole-major-incident-uk-intl

[jonesthenuke]

2 hours ago, Gybe Ho said:

 

I have often thought it odd that a popular major canal is principally filled from the output of a sewerage works, is this just local lore or for real?

It's certainly real for the Shroppie and the Staffs and Worcs, most of their water comes from the Wolverhampton sewage works. When passing you can see the water pouring in at two locations, a small one on the Shroppie (by the water tap) and a large discharge just South of the junction on the Staffs and Worcs.

[Francis Herne]

16 minutes ago, Mike Tee said:

I don't remember any previous breach that actually involved moored boats being so catastrophically involved

I don't know of one with leisure boats but a few historic breaches took horse boats with them.  Nob End, Marston and one on the Dudley No. 1 at least.

Edited December 22, 2025 by Francis Herne

[journeyperson]

 

 

very good drone video here

[jonathanA]

Doesn't matter

Edited December 22, 2025 by jonathanA

[billh]

1 minute ago, Francis Herne said:

I don't know of one with leisure boats but a few historic breaches took horse boats with them.  Nob End, Rattlechain, Marston and one on the Dudley No. 1 at least.

Disley, Peak Forest, 50 odd years ago, one or two  small cabin cruisers went into the breech. Somewhat earlier (1930s?)  there was a breech near Hyde also on the PF. A maintenance boat  was dragged towards the hole and there was  supposed to be a nightwatchman aboard, who was never seen again! He may well have been elsewhere  at the time of the incident and thought better of returning to the scene.

[David Mack]

11 minutes ago, Francis Herne said:

I don't know of one with leisure boats but a few historic breaches took horse boats with them.  Nob End, Marston and one on the Dudley No. 1 at least.

 

This is the 1936 Nob End breach on the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal. Several boats were washed away as well as one left precariously balanced.

1 hour ago, matty40s said:

No, everyone just makes it up.....

Yeah. They're spouting shit!

🙂

1 hour ago, Francis Herne said:

The channel is dry to the top of Grindley Brook staircase and now back at a reasonable level on the Whitchurch arm and above.

At least they have a decent water supply to quickly refill it!

[cuthound]

3 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Another nail in the coffin 

 

Or an opportunity for the government to increase CRT funding to prevent future similar occurrences?