HUNDREDS of visitors donned their hard hats for a sneak peak at the restoration work currently underway at Hatton Locks.
Canal and River Trust held a three-day open event to showcase the £300,000 project to replace two pairs of lock gates, with visitors able to go down into a section of the drained lock and see the work up close.
The event began with a VIP open day which welcomed key stakeholders from across the area to hear more about the charity, which looks after around 2,000 miles of historic waterways, and the complex work taking place.
Corin Crane, chief executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, was one of those in attendance and was able to speak to those leading on the works about the process of draining the lock and then installing the new English oak gates, which each weigh up to three tonnes and are installed using spider cranes.
He also heard about the charity’s work to educate people – young and old – about everything from water safety to the health and wellbeing benefits of being near waterways.
He said: “The Canal and River Trust is certainly one of our more unique chamber members, and it was fantastic to visit Hatton Locks to hear more about the project and the wider work being done by the charity.
“It was fascinating to hear about the gates and brickwork. The Canal and River Trust has an almost unique offer combining traditional heritage skills and manufacturing techniques with a modern approach to materials and construction.
“This mix of old and new skills are in great demand, and we must make sure that the trust gets the profile and credit it deserves.”
The open event at Hatton Locks, which has 10 members of staff and around 240 volunteers, welcomed more than 600 people to visit the drained lock and hear about the project during the course of the three-day event.
The Canal and River Trust also welcomed groups of schoolchildren who were eager to learn more.
Henriette Breukelaar, of Canal and River Trust, added: “It was fantastic to welcome over 800 people to Hatton Locks to speak to them about the works taking place.
“Lock gates are replaced every 25 years, so being able to take people into a drained lock is a unique opportunity that we are really pleased to facilitate.”
For more details about The Canal and River Trust visit https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/
