Foxton Lock Flight

Following some improvement in available water resources, Foxton Lock Flight will temporarily reopen for passage from Thursday 22 October to Saturday 24 October inclusive.

The flight will be open from 10am to 3pm each day, with the last boat admitted to the flight at 2.15pm.

This limited reopening will allow us to transfer water northwards to support the pounds downstream of Foxton, particularly the environmentally sensitive SSSI reach where water levels remain under pressure. This will help maintain water levels and protect important habitats and species.

Water resources remain very limited and there is not currently sufficient water to support a longer or wider reopening of the Leicester Line. We will therefore monitor and carefully manage water levels throughout the three-day opening.

Outside these dates and times, Foxton Lock Flight will remain closed to navigation.

Water levels remain low, so we are unable to reopen the lock flight safely at present. It therefore remains closed to navigation. We will update this notice as the situation develops.

Recent rainfall has not sufficiently affected reservoir levels to allow Foxton Lock Flight to reopen. The flight will remain closed until levels have improved significantly. We will continue to monitor reservoir levels and update this notice when conditions change.

Due to the ongoing dry weather and low reservoir levels, Foxton Lock Flight is now closed. These arrangements will remain in place until the reservoirs have significantly recovered, and we are able to reopen safely. We will continue to monitor conditions and update this notice as the situation develops.

Full closure from 1st September. Due to the ongoing dry weather and low reservoir levels, Foxton Lock Flight will fully close to boats from Tuesday 1st September. We will extend the restricted opening times over the Bank Holiday weekend to include Monday 31st August. The locks will be open from 8am to 12pm, with the last boat entering at 11am. Watford Lock Flight will also open on Monday 31st August before closing from Tuesday 1st September. These arrangements will remain in place until the reservoirs have significantly recovered, and we are able to reopen safely. We will continue to monitor conditions and update this notice as the situation develops.

Due to the ongoing dry weather and drought conditions affecting parts of England, we are introducing further restrictions at Foxton Lock Flight to help conserve water. These reduced opening times will help avoid a full closure and allow the lock flight to remain open through to the end of August and potentially beyond. From Friday 14th August, the lock flight will be open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, from 8am to 12pm. Last boat in at 11am. Foxton Lock Flight will therefore close at 3pm on Tuesday 11th August and reopen at 8am on Friday 14th August. The same opening times will also apply at Watford Lock Flight. These arrangements will remain in place until at least the end of August and may be extended if conditions do not improve.

Reservoir holdings feeding the Leicester Line are lower than normal for the time of year. This is a result of the prolonged dry weather and challenges with water assets. To help conserve the remaining water, Foxton Locks will close early with last boat in at 3pm on Monday 13th July. From Tuesday 14th July we will be reducing the opening times to 10am, to close with last boat in at 3pm. This action is also being introduced at Watford Lock Flight. The aim of this restriction is to reduce water demand and allow water levels to recover, which will mean that there will be more water available for daytime journeys. We hope this action will allow for your continued enjoyment of our waterways throughout the summer.