Unusual wooden floor on bottom of Lock 50 on Rochdale Canal

Lock 50 chamber on Rochdale Canal dewatered showing missing wooden floor

The Canal & River Trust is currently carrying out repairs to Lock 50, Rochdale Canal, which is just off Oldham Road, Rochdale.

A spokesperson for the Canal & River Trust said: “The work was predominantly to carry out repairs to the lock tail gate, saw gating and re-fitting the wooden cills, to achieve a better water holding capacity in the lock.

“We have also taken the opportunity to carry out other work; using a spider crane, which straddles the lock, to lower in a small excavator and remove over 100 tonnes of silt and debris. 

“Once the team had cleared the lock chamber, we found that the unusual wooden floor was largely missing. 

“Following consultation with our heritage and engineering colleagues, we are now well on with laying a new oak floor to this lock.”