The Canal & River Trust says the breached section of the Llangollen Canal near Whitchurch could reopen by Christmas 2026, almost exactly a year after a dramatic embankment collapse that stranded boats and emptied part of the canal into surrounding fields.
For anyone planning long-term life afloat, it’s one of the biggest ongoing closures on the network right now.
Repair work is ramping up, with engineers carrying out surveys before rebuilding the failed embankment. The Trust says around 10,000 cubic metres of material need moving.
The canal supplies water to a reservoir serving around 60,000 homes, which is why temporary pumping operations have been running continuously since December.
Like many boaters, we’ll be watching this one closely. The Llangollen remains one of the most rewarding canals for longer journeys when it’s fully open. It’s hard to fit in to the typical week or two you have on narrowboat hire, but it’s an incredibly beautiful sight to behold.
Hopefully this progress means it will soon be available to anyone planning long-term cruising next year. If you planned a trip now you could perhaps be one of the first to pass through again once it’s fixed!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c86dg42g0q1o
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/west-midlands/llangollen-canal-breach