DOZENS flocked to a stretch of Middlewich canal on Saturday, taking a unique chance to explore a drained lock chamber.
Lock 72 on the Trent and Mersey Canal, which has been drained as part of essential winter maintenance works, was open to the public as part of a Canal and River Trust open day.
Visitors had the chance to walk around the chamber and admire the 200-year-old handiwork.
Among the work taking place is the replacement of the bottom lock gates, as well as masonry and brickwork repairs.
The work will cost £66,000 and it is hoped the navigation will reopen before Christmas.
Engineers and volunteers were on hand to explain the work, which will help maintain a waterway which saw more than 5,000 boats pass through last year alone.
Similar work is not scheduled for another 25 years.
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