Caen Hill Locks

[Nightwatch]

Received this. Paddle left open. Tut tut.

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/5345/caen-hill-devizes

[Boatingbiker]

in the past CRT(BW then) staff use to go down the flight at the end of each day ensuring all gates were closed and seal them with ash.

 

One assumes that this practice is not carried out now !

[David Mack]

How does a paddle left open cause a major embankment failure?

[dmr]

CaRT certainly do check the main (16) section of the flight at the end of each day, raise the bottom paddles, and then padlock the first and last lock.

I think they also check the more spaced out locks above and below the main section but these are not padlocked so a boater could easily go down late evening. Or maybe naughty children did it.

 

..............Dave

[Alenafour]

[img url=http://kanda.boatingcommunity.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/caenhill-towpath1.jpg%5D]http://kanda.boatingcommunity.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/caenhill-towpath1.jpg][/img]

Edited October 26, 2015 by Alenafour

[pearley]

According to fb, about £100,000 to repair.

[ditchcrawler]

in the past CRT(BW then) staff use to go down the flight at the end of each day ensuring all gates were closed and seal them with ash.

 

One assumes that this practice is not carried out now !

Lock 50 is not locked overnight

[nipper]

I came up the flight three weeks ago with Largo and shared with an experienced hire boat crew alongside us,

 

We got a rollicking for entering the upper flight after 1pm,

 

I told the lockie that as it is still not 1pm and that all my boats clocks were saying it wasn't that perhaps his watch was wrong. He them went off in a huff on his quad bike!

 

He appeared again when we got to the top lock at about 3-20 and drove back down the flight lifting the bottom paddles on his way down after locking the top gates.

 

So, perhaps it's the lockie s themselves are a fault.

 

Nipper

Edited October 26, 2015 by nipper

[magpie patrick]

The locks in the 16, and possibly some others, are left empty with a bottom paddle up so that if the canal overflows the water is passed down the flight: the upper pund overflows into the lock and the water exists via the bottom paddle

 

This procedure doesn't apply to the top lock because the 15 mile pound isn't going to overflow. It is the paddles on the top lock being left open that have caused this problem.

 

The damage isn't in the 16, but it isn't just below the top lock either, the lock in the background of the picture isn't the top one.

[David Mack]

The locks in the 16, and possibly some others, are left empty with a bottom paddle up so that if the canal overflows the water is passed down the flight: the upper pund overflows into the lock and the water exists via the bottom paddle

 

So if the lock is left full, won't excess water weir over the bottom gates? Surely the top of the the gates should be lower than the banks of the pound above so that water doesn't flow over the towpath, as seems to have happened here.

[magpie patrick]

 

So if the lock is left full, won't excess water weir over the bottom gates? Surely the top of the the gates should be lower than the banks of the pound above so that water doesn't flow over the towpath, as seems to have happened here.

 

That is what was originally intended, but in practice the top plank of the bottom gates is too high and weiring over them doesn't provide enough capacity. The water doesn't weir over the top gates, it comes in via the overflow on the top paddles, which can carry rather a lot of water.

[ditchcrawler]

 

That is what was originally intended, but in practice the top plank of the bottom gates is too high and weiring over them doesn't provide enough capacity. The water doesn't weir over the top gates, it comes in via the overflow on the top paddles, which can carry rather a lot of water.

That is what I was told, I wonder why they just dont trim a bit off the top of the bottom gates.

[magpie patrick]

That is what I was told, I wonder why they just dont trim a bit off the top of the bottom gates.

I don't know, but I'd hazard a guess because the top plank of the bottom gates is also the top beam of the gate, and this taking six inches off it would weaken the gate. One problem is that when gates get replaced mistakes like this tend to be perpetuated.

 

If a boat goes down the 16 with the locks already full then usually there is too much water somewhere before they get to the bottom...

[hvdb]

This came in today...

 

Notice Alert

Kennet & Avon Canal
Starts At: Lock 29, Devizes Lock
Ends At: Lock 50, Kennet Lock (Top Lock)

Friday 30 October 2015 08:30 until further notice

Type: Navigation Closure
Reason: Structure failure

Original message:

After the recent damage between Lock 48 & 49 our engineers have advised that the condition of the towpath and embankment have deteriorated further, and we’ve had to take the step of closing the navigation until further notice.

Although the navigation is closed between Lock 50 and Lock 29, the towpath is only closed between Bridge 142 Prison Bridge and Lock 50. Diversion signs have been put in place.

Emergency works to repair the failed embankment will begin Tuesday 3rd November, and we’ll be able to issue a further update then.

You can view this notice and its map online here:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/5393/caen-hill-devizes

You can find all notices at the url below:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices

Sounds serious

Helen

[Athy]

^{Thank goodness it did not happen in August - there would have been absolute traffic chaos.}

[Alenafour]

 

I forgot what a pig's ear I made of posting this first time around.

The red pipe is the pipe for the back pumping.

Mind £100,000 plus to fill in a hole?

[Murflynn]

 

Mind £100,000 plus to fill in a hole?

so your understanding is that they just need to fill in a hole?

 

knuckles .................... drag .......................

 

 

 

structural support, possibly sheet piles, rebuilding with soil reinforcement, all whilst protecting the exposed services.

 

easily £100K.

[Athy]

so your understanding is that they just need to fill in a hole?

 

knuckles .................... drag .......................

 

 

 

 

Is that either relevant or necessary? I'm sure that Alena did not intend her remark to be taken absolutely literally.

[Murflynn]

Is that either relevant or necessary? I'm sure that Alena did not intend her remark to be taken absolutely literally.

I refer you to her totally unnecessary comments re. Mike of Blackrose on another thread.

 

She sets the rules ......................

[Athy]

I refer you to her totally unnecessary comments re. Mike of Blackrose on another thread.

 

She sets the rules ......................

Duly referred, Sir. I think "knuckle dragging" is a bit off line even so.

[DHutch]

Sounds a lot of money none the less, given its been fine for years and then just got wet for a few hours!

 

 

Daniel

[Murflynn]

Duly referred, Sir. I think "knuckle dragging" is a bit off line even so.

it always is and is not a phrase I would ever use.

[talisman]

There are about 4 holes and the towpath surface has been almost removed in places. Its a bloody mess.