OnTheCut

29 July 2025 at 14:45

Following on from the notice below, informing of the planned navigational closure from Marston Doles to Cropredy from 21st July, we wanted to provide greater clarity on what you can expect during this period.

While the closure is in place locks will be closed but boaters will be free to cruise along pounds between winding places.

During the period of the closure, you may see Canal & River Trust workboats and our contractors workboats (Rothen) navigating. This is because we want to use the opportunity to carry out essential repairs and maintenance where possible to minimise any future impact on navigation.

We will be constantly reviewing the situation and as soon as conditions improve enough, we will do our upmost to provide temporary windows of passage through locks to allow boat movement. This will be dependent on water levels improving adequately which is likely to require sufficient and prolonged rain over several weeks, rather than a sudden very heavy downpour.

15 July 2025 at 14:42

We have continued to monitor the exceptionally dry conditions, and the impact on our reservoirs. Unfortunately, despite all our operational efforts, as rainfall has remained well below the long-term average water levels in our feeder reservoirs are continuing to fall due to canal water demands. We can now confirm that, from 4pm on Monday 21 July 2025, the following locks will close to navigation until there is enough rainfall to replenish our reservoirs:

• Napton Flight (last entry to flight at 3pm)
• Claydon Flight (last entry to flight at 3pm)
• Elkington's Lock
• Varneys Lock
• Broadmoor
• Cropredy Lock

These closures are necessary to protect increasingly limited water resources and give the navigation an opportunity to recover, as well as helping preserve canal infrastructure and ecology. We hope that this confirmation allows time for boaters to adjust their plans and relocate as needed.

If we can offer any windows at all for passage, then we will advise accordingly. We will continue to monitor the situation and will provide fortnightly updates, or sooner if conditions change.

Despite the measures we're taking, there may be extreme local circumstances that require us to take immediate action to temporarily close some other stretches on the South Oxford navigation.

If it rains enough to allow safe navigation, restrictions will be lifted immediately: this is likely to require sufficient and prolonged rain over several weeks rather than a sudden very heavy downpour.

We understand that this continues to be disappointing news, and our priority is to reopen the canal to full navigation as soon as possible. We thank you for your support in reducing water use across our network, and reporting leaks or concerns via 0303 040 4040 or our Contact Us page.

9 July 2025 at 07:07

We have continued to monitor the exceptionally dry conditions, and the impact on our reservoirs.

Unfortunately, despite all our operational efforts, as rainfall has remained well below the long-term average water levels in our feeder reservoirs are continuing to fall due to canal water demands.

We can now confirm that, from 4pm on Monday 21 July 2025, the following locks will close to navigation until there is enough rainfall to replenish our reservoirs:

• Claydon Flight
• Elkington's Lock
• Varneys Lock
• Broadmoor
• Cropredy Lock

These closures are necessary to protect increasingly limited water resources and give the navigation an opportunity to recover, as well as helping preserve canal infrastructure and ecology.

We hope that this confirmation allows time for boaters to adjust their plans and relocate as needed. If we can offer any windows at all for passage, then we will advise accordingly. We will continue to monitor the situation and will provide fortnightly updates, or sooner if conditions change.

Despite the measures we're taking, there may be extreme local circumstances that require us to take immediate action to temporarily close some other stretches on the South Oxford navigation.

If it rains enough to allow safe navigation, restrictions will be lifted immediately: this is likely to require sufficient and prolonged rain over several weeks rather than a sudden very heavy downpour.

We understand that this continues to be disappointing news, and our priority is to reopen the canal to full navigation as soon as possible. We thank you for your support in reducing water use across our network, and reporting leaks or concerns via 0303 040 4040 or our Contact Us page.