DETAILED plans for the replacement of the Minshull Lock of the Shropshire Union Canal have been revealed ahead of scheduled winter work.

The grade II-listed lock, along the Middlewich branch of the canal towards Nantwich, will be widened, deepened, lengthened and resurfaced, while the bottom end gates will be replaced.

While the current gates are composite steel and timber, the replacements will be timber of a “traditional planked style”.

The application statement, prepared by Canal & River Trust heritage advisor Kate Lynch, states: “The lock gates are an element of the historic structure which, due to the harsh environmental elements to which they are exposed to, have a comparatively short life span of around 25 to 45 years.

“After a careful site inspection by our engineers, Canal & River Trust has identified that the bottom end mitre gates now need to be replaced.

“The existing gates are awkward to operate, difficult to maintain and almost impossible to seal. The proposal is to now replace the steel/timber gates with timber gates of a traditional planked style. The steel balance beams will also be replaced with timber beams.

“The grey and white colour scheme is used at all the locks on the Middlewich branch and this will be retained when the lock gates are replaced.”

Three locks on the Middlewich canal network – lock 72 on the Trent and Mersey Canal and locks two and three on the Shropshire Union Canal – will close between November 7 and December 15.