Calder and Hebble

[Mac of Cygnet]

 

Shepley Bridge Lock

Monday 29 April 2013 until further notice
UPDATE (30 April 2013): Following our assesment of the lock gates, unfortunatley, a temporary repair is not possible.

We are carrying out an emergency lock gate stoppage to replace both head gates.

This work will involve craning both the gates out of the lock and taking them to our workshop at Stanley Ferry where replica's will be made. Once complete they will be transported back to Shepley Bridge and crained back into the water and adjusted to fit.

Passage will not be possible through the lock at any time until the work has been completed

We anticpate the works will take in excess of 3 weeks. We will issue regular progress updates. The first one will be on the 3rd of May.
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Three weeks or more will certainly cause a LOT of inconvenience. This is a main through route beween the Rochdale and the Aire & Calder/ Trent/ SSSY/ Ouse as well as the 'Pennine Ring', and is used regularly by hire boats from Sowerby Bridge. It has certainly scuppered my immediate plans.

 

What puzzles me is why they have to take the gates to Stanley Ferry to make replicas? This implies that the measurements for construction are not on file - after all, Stanley Ferry probably made them in the first place. Is this normal practice?

[Jerra]

Is it perhaps a case of bad wording. The phrase transported back rather than transported to suggests to me that it may be more a case of taking the gates away to replace/repair part. Don't know enough about lock gates but paddles perhaps?

[Neil TNC]

I heard that it was the towpath side top gate heel post that collapsed. Inspection showed both gates to be rotten. We went through the day before. If we could not have used the quick Trent way back to Mrs TNC's new mooring we would have been in big trouble!

[8 Hairy Feet]

Sorted!