OnTheCut

Due to water resource considerations, the Aylesbury Arm will temporarily close from Monday 16th June. During this closure, our operational teams have decided to bring forward planned maintenance originally scheduled for the winter stoppage season. This means we will be carrying out essential works at locks 3, 4, 6, 9, and 14, as well as replacing the gate at lock 12, over the coming weeks. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to maintain and improve the canal network. Rest assured, we will continue to monitor water levels closely and will provide a further update on this notice by 25th July 2025.

Aylesbury Arm closure From Monday 16th June we anticipate that the 16 locks on the Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal will temporarily close to boat traffic.  This is to preserve water levels on the arm whilst maintaining navigation on the main line of the Grand Union Canal.   This part of our canal network temporarily has less water available from the reservoirs that feed the canal.  This is due to statutory maintenance at Wilstone Reservoir where water levels are being kept low whilst the works are completed.  The reduced capacity at Wilstone Reservoir is also exacerbated by the unseasonably dry start to the year as reported by the mainstream media.   Making every drop count Without significant and sustained rainfall, the closure of the locks on the Aylesbury Arm will help conserve the water that's available.  At present, we anticipate that the locks will need to close by Monday 16th June. Levels will be kept under review and the Arm will be reopened as soon as circumstances allow.    We understand how important it is to have time to plan and we apologise for the inconvenience for boaters on the Aylesbury Arm. If your boat is on the Arm we recommend using the two weeks notice before the proposed closure to relocate to a place where you will continue to have access to [customer services, facilities,](https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcanalrivertrust.org.uk%2Fboating%2Fgo-boating%2Fboat-facilities-and-services&data=05%7C02%7CSarah.Lee%40canalrivertrust.org.uk%7C71145b03c32e4c14a8d008dda1ecd674%7C260db9039fba44d29d2654bed22e06b9%7C0%7C0%7C638844760777347953%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=QpMRU2iPn%2FoEOeSukELJFLqY6Yp9bYux5v8C49nlI94%3D&reserved=0) and support.     What we are doing?   We are working closely with partners to manage every aspect of the situation and taking all steps to conserve water. During this period affected locks will be secured against operation. The gates will be 'ashed up' (a traditional method of sealing gates) to reduce leakage and reduce water loss through the lock structures.    We are monitoring water levels daily and will reopen the Arm as soon as possible.  We are also using this time to carry out works that improve the Aylesbury Arm's resilience including continuing to inspect our infrastructure and repair leaks. Future updates will contain more detail on how we will make use of any closed time to carry out leak prevention works.   What you can do to help in the short period before closure?  Your cooperation during this time is essential and deeply appreciated. Here are some things you can do to help reduce strain on the system:  * Share locks where possible and make the best use of the water available.  * Make sure paddles are fully closed once you've passed through a lock.  * Aim for minimal contact when navigating through locks by ensuring gates are fully open as you pass through.   * Pushing gates open using a boat can damage the gate lining, increasing its leakage.  * If you spot a leak or any suspicious activities please call us on 0303 040 4040 or emailing via [contact-us](https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.canalrivertrust.org.uk%2Fcontact-us&data=05%7C02%7CCharlotte.Wood%40canalrivertrust.org.uk%7C29072b7f75584d084ddf08dda1df6e95%7C260db9039fba44d29d2654bed22e06b9%7C0%7C0%7C638844703226191577%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=X0b5KgDft%2B6%2Bck9V0FAVQejP5ZuZD3o0l30Kn57Dupc%3D&reserved=0)  When will the canal reopen?   This depends on rainfall, so we are unable to predict this. Certain reservoirs respond very quickly to rainfall, so prolonged wet weather in the right place can make a big difference. We are committed to reopening the Aylesbury Arm as soon as we can.