Penkridge

[mrsmelly]

Any one have any reports on canal problems at Penkridge?

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Winter stoppages at locks 36 and 37 starting 5th Jan. 

[Rob-M]

Underwater object at Penkridge lock but don't know what it is.

 

From the stoppage notice...

 

Description

Original 31 December 2025, 1:59pm

Lock 38 Penkridge Lock on the Staffs & Worcs Canal has been closed due to an obstruction.

 

Team are investigating this and will update as soon as we have further information

[frangar]

Just seen this from Staffs fire & Rescue on Facebook 

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16fXLaSURX/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

Hopefully not as serious as it sounds 

 

Sounds like it might just be the bywash rather than the whole bridge….still might mean a stoppage I guess. 
 

 

 

 

 

[Rob-M]

Apparently the bridge has collapsed.

[frangar]

Sorry didn’t see this thread. 
 

Some screenshots from staffs fire brigade page on this thread I started. 
 

 

[Rob-M]

From Facebook...

 

[Tim Lewis]

[magnetman]

Presumably this culvert

 

That could be a real can of worms. Is that the bywash for the lock?

If that goes under the house... Oh dear.

 

 

[frangar]

4 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Presumably this culvert

 

That could be a real can of worms. Is that the bywash for the lock?

If that goes under the house... Oh dear.

 

 

Yes I think it does go at least alongside the house and comes out under the bridge. So it’s probably affected the foundations or at least that’s the concern immediately. 

[magnetman]

Interesting that the CRT stoppage notice issued this afternoon identified an obstruction. I wonder how it was discovered. Maybe an abundance of caution and it will turn it to be okay. 

 

Sounds well dodgy if it's inaccessible. 

 

 

[mrsmelly]

Ahh thanks folks, seems my jungle drums even tho I no longer do inland boat dwelling are still on the ball. Bloody hell, so far recently things are not looking good for the waterways!! 

[frangar]

This is a link to a short video on fb which doesn’t honestly show much apart from the bridge is still there! 
 

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HACRoK3Kb/?mibextid=wwXIfr

[frangar]

A report I read this morning now says burst water pipe causing subsidence but I’m not sure if they would class a culvert issue as a water pipe! 
 

It seems the house might be having the issues not the bridge….hopefully it can be sorted reasonably quickly either way 

[magnetman]

Penkridge lock due to be shut for over two months for new gates from the 5th January.

 

Slightly odd that the emergency closure yesterday cited an "obstruction". 

 

I suppose it's good timing in a way. 

 

 

[frangar]

Just now, magnetman said:

Penkridge lock due to be shut for over two months for new gates from the 5th January.

 

Slightly odd that the emergency closure yesterday cited an "obstruction". 

 

I suppose it's good timing in a way. 

 

 

The obstruction may well have been debris washed into the channel/lock tail by the burst pipe/failed culvert etc....and when they checked what the actual obstruction was it was found to be more than a shopping trolley!

[frangar]

CRT are now saying it's the culvert that has the issue....and they will be working to get the bridge open to road traffic ASAP. What impact this might have on navigation they havent said on what Ive seen so far. I guess the big issue is the culvert is buried and possibly goes under the corner of the house which will make repair tricky and expensive. 

 

Does anyone know why some canals favoured covered/piped culverts and some preferred open channels? Is it just location or when they were built or is there another good reason?

[magnetman]

6 minutes ago, frangar said:

CRT are now saying it's the culvert that has the issue....and they will be working to get the bridge open to road traffic ASAP. What impact this might have on navigation they havent said on what Ive seen so far. I guess the big issue is the culvert is buried and possibly goes under the corner of the house which will make repair tricky and expensive. 

 

Does anyone know why some canals favoured covered/piped culverts and some preferred open channels? Is it just location or when they were built or is there another good reason?

It might have been covered over later on. The fenced off bit seems to have a concrete box over it which does not look very old. 

 

 

A recent modification? 

 

[frangar]

Here’s an another video from facebook showing the debris in the canal and the collapse under the house….and a lot of pointless footage it has to be said! 
 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17bCiD5boT/?mibextid=wwXIfr

23 minutes ago, magnetman said:

It might have been covered over later on. The fenced off bit seems to have a concrete box over it which does not look very old. 

 

 

A recent modification? 

 

I wonder if some of that work was done there when the new houses and access road was constructed? I’m not exactly sure when the new development was done….possibly late 1990’s?? 

[magnetman]

I wondered if it was the housing. Maybe an open bywash was viewed as a safety hazard.

 

It's a bit sad if that's what happened. 

[IanD]

Looks like the tunnelled culvert that runs under the bridge and the corner of the house (or the outbuilding) has collapsed, and the resulting debris has washed out into the canal below the lock.

Edited January 1 by IanD

[David Mack]

I wonder who is liable for damage to the culvert and damage to the house. Not an issue when both were owned by the same organisation, but I wonder what covenants were put in place when BW sold the house off.

[NB Thistle]

Got to love social media, I've seen confident statements saying the incident was everything from a small hole in the road to two arches and the adjacent cottage in a state of collapse. It will be good when we find out exactly what's actually happened!

[frangar]

5 minutes ago, David Mack said:

I wonder who is liable for damage to the culvert and damage to the house. Not an issue when both were owned by the same organisation, but I wonder what covenants were put in place when BW sold the house off.

It’s one where I hope the house owner told the insurance company everything! With our canalside house we could have got cover for 1/3 of the cost of what we actually pay from a mainstream company…but they didn’t ask about proximity to canal…basements…wells…etc etc….we went with a local broker who is used to old quirky houses….decided might pay a bit more but should it all fall into the cut we didn’t want them to walk away….hopefully!! I know other owners have had issues just going for the cheap mainstream quote when it comes to claiming. 
 

It’s also a good case to have legal cover so your insurance and CRT can argue it out 

[IanD]

52 minutes ago, NB Thistle said:

Got to love social media, I've seen confident statements saying the incident was everything from a small hole in the road to two arches and the adjacent cottage in a state of collapse. It will be good when we find out exactly what's actually happened!

See photos in the other thread...