That sinking feeling!

[Buckman]

Oh dear and right before Christmas. See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2lvq0yk9dko

 

[otherclive]

Can't imagine how long that section will be closed to traffic. Fortunately no injuries.

 

[IanB1485]

I saw a similar incident many years ago , however that was man-made, a maintenance 'barge' was dredging a canal and accidently 'pulled the plug' , emptying the canal and filling the adjacent field with water.

 

[RogerL]

I saw a similar incident many years ago , however that was man-made, a maintenance 'barge' was dredging a canal and accidently 'pulled the plug' , emptying the canal and filling the adjacent field with water.

For this Shropshire incident, the big issue isn't the lack of water but the collapse of the embankment - it doesn't look an easy place to get heavy equipment in to do the repair.

 

[otherclive]

On a length of the Kennet and Avon canal from Bradford on Avon towards Bath the canal sat above the fields on one side, and was below a steep hill on the other side. It was regularly springing leaks and emptying. Eventually the whole section was concrete lined to solve the problem.

 

[GUMPY]

Much of the Llangollen is concrete trough for this very reason. Seems like it might have been another drainage culvert collapse but investigation will tell.
Sefton one of the boats involved belongs to a member of our boat club, its Bobs home and could be a total loss😮‍💨

 

[Buckman]

For this Shropshire incident, the big issue isn't the lack of water but the collapse of the embankment - it doesn't look an easy place to get heavy equipment in to do the repair.

Looking at the pictures, I think the embankment collapsed when the sinkhole occurred and it was not the actual cause of the incident?

 

[Dustydog]

Looking at the pictures, I think the embankment collapsed when the sinkhole occurred and it was not the actual cause of the incident?

This is the latest

Engineers from the Canal and River Trust said it appeared an embankment had failed, causing water to rush into a nearby field - and the canal bottom to fall away, leaving a trench.
The reference to a “sinkhole” now seems to be the hole that was caused at the side as the embankment failed and the water washed everything out.

 

[Dustydog]

And now the latest from the Canal and River Trust
To view this email as a web page, click here

​ Making life better by water​ Enjoy ​ Take Action ​ Volunteer ​ Donate ​ ​ An update on our response to the Llangollen Canal breach​ As you may be aware, in the early hours of the 22nd December, a breach occurred on the Llangollen Canal near New Mills Lift Bridge, Whitchurch. While we are relieved to report there have been no casualties, we were heartbroken to see two boats were washed into the breach hole, with another two boats very close by. A further six boats close to the breach site are currently not in water. Our teams responded immediately, securing the site and assisting the affected boaters. We have since dammed the affected section of the canal, and the canal and towpath continue to be closed to the public to ensure everyone’s safety. We will seek to return water levels either side of the breach as soon as possible, and we are providing support to the boaters affected, and those in the immediate area either side of the breach. Despite the scale and age of our network, breaches of this scale are relatively rare, and our people are investigating to understand exactly what caused the canal embankment to be undermined and breach in this way. Our team will then begin the mammoth task of repairing and rebuilding the canal, making sure our network is stronger than before.​ ​ ​ Thanks to donations from people like you, our teams were able to jump into action as soon as this devastating incident occurred. If you would like to further help us in our response to the Llangollen Canal breach, and incidents like it, please contribute through the button below. 100% of the funds we raise go towards supporting our work, including our response to storms and unplanned incidents such as this. Last year we allocated nearly £500k of donations to our responses to the impacts of storms and other incidents on the network, and this year we are likely to be allocating even more. We do not yet have accurate estimates of how much it will cost to repair this breach, but we know it will be costly, and we appreciate every donation that helps us respond.​ Donate now › ​ Our thoughts are with the boaters worst affected by this incident, over the festive period and beyond. Ian Lane Head of Operational Partnerships and Fundraising​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Find out more about Canal & River Trust Registered Charity Number 1146792​ Patron: King Charles. National Waterways Museum Ellesmere Port, South Pier Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 4FW © Canal & River Trust 2025 Privacy Notice | Unsubscribe | Contact Us​ ​ ​

 

[borderbilly]

Well surely Charlie can chuck in a few Bob 🤴

 

[Woodentop]

I saw a similar incident many years ago , however that was man-made, a maintenance 'barge' was dredging a canal and accidently 'pulled the plug' , emptying the canal and filling the adjacent field with water.

That was the Chesterfield Canal just south of Worksop.

A similar thing happened on the Aire Navigation near Castleford in 1988. The open cast mine adjacent was flooded - which took four days - and for part of the time the River Aire flowed backwards.
It took ten years and £20m to fix it. The mine workings are now St Aidan's Nature Reserve and park.

 

[otherclive]

That was the Chesterfield Canal just south of Worksop.

It’s not uncommon. The Kennet and Avon had a plug pulled and a section near Trowbridge drained. It was put down to vandalism.Plus there’s been incidences of lock sluices not being closed and draining a section.