Canal charities in Gloucestershire lock maintenance row

A waterways charity has accused the Canals and Rivers Trust (CRT) of letting a 300-year-old Gloucestershire lock fall into disrepair.

The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) says the grade II-listed lock at Saul Junction, near Frampton on Severn is not maintained properly.

The Junction was formed in 1789 and is where the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal crosses the Stroudwater Canal.

The CRT said funding is limited and the IWA must also help maintain the site.

Rodger Holmes, chairman of the Gloucestershire and Herefordshire branch of the IWA said grass around the lock is no longer being cut, there are potholes in the car park and the lock's winding gear is "falling apart".

He said: "The Canal and River Trust don't seem to have any interest in any of it."

Nick Worthington, the CRT's waterways manager for Gloucestershire said: "We get a government grant which is restricted to maintaining the critical safety assets such as the locks, the tunnels and the infrastructure of the canal.

"For enhancement work, such as car parks, that is something that we do rely on other contributions for, and local communities to help us with."