Dam construction begins to probe suspected leak at Whitchurch canal collapse site

Contractors have begun constructing a new dam on the Llangollen Canal after fresh wet patches halted repair work at the Whitchurch embankment collapse site.

Repair efforts on the Llangollen Canal have been thrown into fresh turmoil after a suspected leak emerged near last winter’s disastrous embankment collapse.

Just three days before Christmas 2025, emergency services were scrambled to the embankment in Whitchurch at around 4am, to reports of a hole emerging along the waterway.

The breach caused millions of gallons of water to escape the canal and pour into neighbouring fields, pulling two houseboats into the breach and leaving another hanging precariously over the edge.

Over the last nine months, contractors have been investigating and excavating the site, with rebuild work finally getting underway in August.

But just a few weeks on, work had ground to a halt after a several wet patches were discovered at the site - thought to be stemming from a leak from the adjacent canal.

On Wednesday morning, contractors were busy building another dam in order to drain a stretch of the canal and investigate the issue.

The Whitchurch Arm of the Llangollen Canal will also remain closed while the investigation is underway, with boaters given the option of staying put or moving to moorings further up the canal.

A spokesperson for the Whitchurch Waterway Trust said the work could be complete within a few weeks or much longer - depending on what is found.

The Canal and River Trust said that additional remedial work will also take place to improve the ground and allow repairs to recommence.

Delays to the project won’t come cheap for trust, just keeping the canal topped up is costing around £20,000 every week.