Lock gates milestone for Gloucestershire canal project

Six new canal lock gates have been installed in Gloucestershire marking another significant step forward in the regeneration of the Cotswold Canals.

The 2.25 tonne oak gates were fitted at Ryeford Double Lock near Stonehouse - its first new gates for over 100 years.

The work is part of a project to restore almost seven miles of canal between Brimscombe and Stonehouse.

It is being led by Stroud District Council and has been paid for mainly by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Councillor Keith Pearson, from Stroud District Council, said: "This is a huge step forward in our efforts to get the canal open between Stonehouse and Lodgemore, ready for the Stroud on Water Festival next June."

The giant gates were delivered a year ago and have been stored in hessian sacking ever since, being watered every week to prevent them drying out and shrinking.