Hurleston locks pinch point may get shaved.

A canal lock which has trapped many narrow boats and stopped them from cruising the Llangollen Canal may be ‘shaved’ to increase its width.

Representatives from the Historic Narrow Boat Club and IWA Shrewsbury District & North Wales Branch have met with Canal & River Trust (CRT) engineering manager for the Midlands Sally Boddy to discuss progress on the problems of the ‘pinch point’ at Hurleston Bottom Lock; the entrance lock to the Llangollen Canal from the Shropshire Union Canal.

Although all the narrow locks on this canal were – according to the design drawings – built to an ample over seven-foot beam dimension there has always been problems of width in modern times; particularly at Hurleston and with historic working narrowboats.

In fact, as most early major pleasure cruising developed in this north west area, boatbuilders adopted what has become the standard beam dimension of 6ft. 10in. to combat this Llangollen Canal lock problem.

Part of Hurleston Bottom Lock’s upper course of brickwork is now bulging on the towpath side – in modern engineering dimensions – up to 55mm into the lock. The bulge extends for about 15m along the lock wall and to a depth of around 1.2m.

CRT plans to carry out a coring survey on the brickwork in order to ascertain whether it would be safe to remove the bulge.   If the survey gives satisfactory results it plans to shave the highest part of the bulge during a planned stoppage, for works to the lock gates, from 10 February to 7 March 2014.

Before the work can be undertaken, listed building consent is needed. No problems have been foreseen with the application but time taken for the permission to be granted could hinder work.

Thanks to Harry Arnold and Waterway Images for this report and image.