Waterway Notices / Northampton Lock Flight

Following a review of the wider impact of the previous window of passage, we are pleased to confirm that a further opportunity for boats to travel through the Northampton Lock Flight will be made available. A window of passage will be in place from 9:00am on Tuesday 20 October until 3:00pm on Wednesday 21 October. With the last boats entering Locks 1 and 12 no later than 2pm. This temporary opening is intended to provide an opportunity for essential boat movements while conditions remain under close review. At the end of this period the Northampton Arm will need to close again. Please continue to check these notices for updates and plan your journey carefully, allowing sufficient time to navigate through restricted areas of the network.

Water levels remain low, so we are unable to reopen the lock flight safely at present. It therefore remains closed to navigation. We are currently unable to offer another window of passage. If this changes, we will update the notice as quickly as possible to allow boaters to plan journeys. We will update this notice as the situation develops.

Recent rainfall has not improved conditions enough to allow the Northampton Arm to fully reopen. However, having reviewed the current situation, we believe that a limited period of navigation can be accommodated without having a significant impact on water resources elsewhere on the Grand Union Canal. To support boaters and boating businesses, the Northampton Arm will therefore temporarily reopen from 9am on Tuesday 22 September until 3pm on Wednesday 23 September, with the last boats entering Locks 1 and 12 no later than 2pm. This temporary opening is intended to provide an opportunity for essential boat movements while conditions remain under close review. At the end of this period the Northampton Arm will need to close again. We will monitor the impact of this opening and continue to assess water availability. While we cannot yet confirm whether further navigation windows will be possible during October, we hope that additional opportunities may be available if conditions allow. Please continue to check these notices for updates and plan your journey carefully, allowing sufficient time to navigate through restricted areas of the network.

Due to the ongoing dry weather and drought conditions affecting parts of England, The Northampton Arm remains closed. We are continuing to monitor conditions and will update this notice as the situation develops.

Reservoir holdings feeding the Northampton Arm are lower than normal for the time of year. This is a result of the prolonged dry weather, water loss through evaporation during the heat wave, and, in some instances, paddles being left open or leaks in the infrastructure. To help us conserve water and maintain safe navigation, we will be closing the Northampton Arm to passage from 3pm on Monday 27th July. Lock 1 and 12 will be locked. The situation is being continually monitored and reviewed; however, we encourage all boaters currently on the Arm to consider moving to the main line while navigation remains possible. We will update this notice as the situation develops.