'My family has been serving boaters in Whitchurch for 25 years - but canal collapse could be the end of us'
A family-run cafe of 25 years is facing an uncertain future after falling victim to the impact of a catastrophic canal collapse.
The Lockside Cafe has been hugely impacted by the catastrophic failure of the canal bank, near the New Mills Lift Bridge on the outskirts of Whitchurch, in the early hours of December 22.
It opened up a breach on the canal bank, creating a 50-metre hole which swallowed two boats and threatened to pull in a third.
An estimated 100 million gallons of water poured through the breach and down the embankment, flooding a nearby field.
Assessments are being carried out with a view to repairing the breach, although the Canal and River Trust said fixing the collapse could take the rest of the year and is likely to cost several million pounds.
It means the canal is unlikely to re-open fully for 2026.
The impact has been significant, not just for the boaters whose barges were immediately affected by the breach.
Plans are being prepared to lift a number of stranded boats off the isolated section of canal, while numerous businesses which rely on the tourism the waterway provides are now facing an uncertain future.
