Low West Midlands canal water levels slow and strand bargers
He added: "For instance, coming out of Birmingham down south towards Stratford, the water level looked like it was down about 18 inches, so you're constantly running aground."
Another, Ray Bowden, said the dry spell had had made him more aware of where he was going and not wasting water."If you're going through double locks, then you wait for another boat to come with you, so you double up together without wasting the water," he said.
Following the closure of the lock at Curdworth, narrowboats upstream have been stranded until water levels rise. One owner said he had been there for nearly a fortnight.But the trust has said the majority of the network was "open and fully navigable".It has still been a busy summer for Alvechurch Marina in Worcestershire. Haley Hadley, from ABC Leisure Group, said there were "lots of routes for customers still to cruise".She added recent weather had led to "lots of very last-minute bookings" and customers could "get out [and] enjoy the routes that are available".
A different reason applies at the nearby Tardebigge locks, the longest flight in the country, where a closure has been put in place so essential repairs can be carried out to 200-year-old bricks.Ms Hadley said: "It's due to reopen this month, which we're delighted about because it's a really popular route."
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Birmingham Airport flights grounded until 8pm after emergency landing
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Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
UK's Birmingham Airport reopens after emergency landing
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