Closed canal temporarily reopens after dry summer

The Oxford Canal through Banbury reopened for a week from Monday

A busy stretch of canal that had been closed due to dry weather over the summer has temporarily reopened.

The Oxford Canal between Claydon and Aynho, which includes a stretch through Banbury town centre, reopened for a week from Monday.

It comes following a closure along the stretch that has lasted months and has left local businesses "very, very concerned" about their future.

The reopening will last for a week, with the Canal and River Trust warning that local reservoir levels "remain perilously low, after the exceptionally dry spring and summer".

A spokesperson for the trust said it was "delighted that we have been able to get boats temporarily back on the move".

"It will take weeks of sustained rainfall before we are in a position to reopen fully," the spokesperson added.

In an update prior to the reopening, the trust explained it would be "making the most of the remaining reservoir storage to support navigation, but please be aware that water levels may drop unexpectedly".

It said if water levels dropped too much, then the canal "may become unnavigable", forcing it to close before the end of the week.

"Thank you for your understanding and continued support – we'll keep doing our best to manage water levels and keep you updated," it added.

The closure has heavily impacted business dotted along the canal, including what is thought to be the UK canal system's oldest continuously working dry dock.

Matt Armitage, who runs Tooley's Boatyard, has previously warned that the historic dock in Banbury may be forced to shut after losing 80% of its business during the closure.

"The lack of water has meant the locks have closed either side of us, and this has meant that the boats cannot get to our business," he said.

"Because we are a dry dock the boats have to travel to us to get the work done, so it's a bit like taking your car to the garage, but they can't get there because the roads are all closed."