Take a rare step behind the doors of Wakefield's Stanley Ferry's Workshop

This winter the Canal and River Trust waterway and wellbeing charity is spending £58million on a programme of vital repair and restoration works.

To mark the investment, the Trust is offering the public a chance to go behind the scenes of these works in a series of physical and virtual open days, with an opportunity to tour the workshop in Stanley Ferry on Saturday, December 3 for free.

The workshop, found on the Aire and Calder Navigation, is one of only two places in the UK where lock gates are manufactured and refurbished by the Canal and River Trust, the charity that cares for 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales.

Simon Turner, workshop manager at Stanley Ferry, said: “Over a hundred lock gates have been made at this workshop over the course of this year.

"Right now, it’s like our very own Santa’s workshop, with the team working flat out to ensure our lock gates are delivered to site on time to make sure that the Trust is able to complete vital repairs this winter to keep our magnificent waterways open and available for people and boats to use.

“Constructed to tremendous strength, lock gates need to control huge water pressures, withstand the sometimes robust usage from boats and being submerged within water.

"Unique and made to measure, lock gates require detailed and accurate manufacturing by the Trust’s craftsmen so that they fit locks which are, themselves, hundreds of years old and all different sizes.

“It takes between five and 20 days to manufacture a lock gate.

"Each gate is made from sustainably sourced British Oak and weighs on average 3 ½ tonnes, with a working life of between 25 and 30 years.

"To ensure the gates are watertight they need to be built precisely to exact measurements.”

48 waterways will benefit from 172 large-scale works to repair masonry and brickwork, fix leaks, update and install hydraulics and electrics at mechanised structures, as well as replacing seals, stop plank grooves, lock ladders and lock gates.

The Trust’s specialist workshops are handcrafting 120 lock leaves for the works, to be installed at 52 locks across the network.

Richard Parry, chief executive at Canal and River Trust, said: “We work year-round to maintain navigations but the work we carry out over the winter is at the heart of it.

“The works needed to strengthen the resilience of our 250-year-old infrastructure, with climate change – both heavy rain and drought – present significant and costly challenges to assets which were built when industrial civil engineering was first being developed. It’s more important than ever that these historic waterways are properly funded so we can preserve them for boaters, neighbours, and all those who spend time by them.

“We are very proud of our experts lock gate team at Stanley Ferry and look forward to welcoming people to this unique behind the scenes look at their important work.”

The open day will be held on Saturday December 3 between 10am and 4pm.

Drop-in spaces will be available on the day, but it is recommended that you book ahead to secure your free place for workshop tours on the trust’s website https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-events-canal-festivals/2022-12-03-stanely-ferry-lock-open-day.