A lock on the Kennet & Avon Canal which was closed for more than two weeks after the bottom gates were damaged during a boat fire reopened this week to allow the first vessels through under supervision.
The gates were temporarily opened
The fire at Kelston Lock near The Shallows at Saltford happened on Bank Holiday Monday, 25th August.
The cause of the blaze, which was extinguished by Avon Fire & Rescue Service crews from Bath, Hicks Gate and Bedminster, is thought to have been accidental. No one was injured.
The Canal & River Trust said the fire damage to the gates was “significant”.
The damaged vessel was removed by contractors on Friday 5th September and engineers have been assessing the damage to the lock and bottom gates this week.
The Beryl Tollemache going through the lock
There are 105 locks on the Kennet & Avon Canal from Bristol to the River Thames, including six on the navigable section of the River Avon from Bristol to Bath.
Kelston Lock is Lock 5 and signs on the charred structure advise people that it is unsafe and they should not attempt to use it.
On Wednesday, 10th September, some 15 boats were given assisted passage through the lock.
The fire damage at Kelston Lock
Mike Discombe and Lee Brain, from the Canal & River Trust, and trust volunteers Martin and Pete, helped boaters safely through the damaged gates, among them the former RNLI lifeboat the Beryl Tollemache, which was heading for Bath towing two smaller vessels.
Further assisted passage is being offered this Saturday, 13th September from 11am to 2pm, and on Tuesday 16th September from 10am to 4pm
Replacement gates for the site are not expected to be fitted until next April, but boats will not be using the lock over the winter season.
