Ivan Cane and other members of Wilderness Boat Owners Club plan to make a small FBW campaign cruise to Brandon Lock on Friday 21st November 2025.
Brandon Lock has now been closed for nearly two years, following use of the lock in January 2024 for flood management (i.e. the vee gates were padlocked open and the guillotine gate was used as a sluice). The silt that came through the chamber then silted up the approach channel and lock, making them both too shallow for boats to use. This was highlighted by a Wilderness Trailboat cruise in September 2024, when the twelve boats were unable to reach their intended venue at Brandon Town. The sandbank below the lock has occurred this year and the Environment Agency has advised against navigation to Brandon – closing that town to navigators.
As Brandon Lock has been categorised by the Agency as ‘Navigation’ rather than ‘Flood management’ assets, hence, although the Flood Management part of the Agency caused the siltation, the Navigation team has been told to finding the funds to rectify the situation.
[The photo shows a boat using Brandon Lock in happier times – by Alison Smedley]
Underfunding
Fund Britain’s Waterways – Little Ouse Campaign Cruise
Ivan Cane and other members of Wilderness Boat Owners Club plan to make a small FBW campaign cruise to Brandon Lock on Friday 21st November 2025.
Brandon Lock has now been closed for nearly two years, following use of the lock in January 2024 for flood management (i.e. the vee gates were padlocked open and the guillotine gate was used as a sluice). The silt that came through the chamber then silted up the approach channel and lock, making them both too shallow for boats to use. This was highlighted by a Wilderness Trailboat cruise in September 2024, when the twelve boats were unable to reach their intended venue at Brandon Town. The sandbank below the lock has occurred this year and the Environment Agency has advised against navigation to Brandon – closing that town to navigators.
As Brandon Lock has been categorised by the Agency as ‘Navigation’ rather than ‘Flood management’ assets, hence, although the Flood Management part of the Agency caused the siltation, the Navigation team has been told to finding the funds to rectify the situation.
[The photo shows a boat using Brandon Lock in happier times – by Alison Smedley]
