Repairing a catastrophic collapse on the Llangollen Canal in Shropshire could take most of 2026, according to the Canal and River Trust, as engineers assess the scale of damage caused by a sudden embankment failure last month.
New aerial footage has revealed the dramatic impact of the breach, which occurred on December 22 near Whitchurch, sending water pouring out of the canal and leaving boats stranded in a deep trench carved into the canal bed.
Two narrowboats were swallowed into the collapse, ending up at the bottom of the trench, while a third was left dangerously hanging over the edge. Dozens of other boats along the affected stretch were left grounded as water levels rapidly fell.
The Canal and River Trust confirmed that while several stranded boats have already been refloated, the wider repair effort will be a “huge project” costing several million pounds and requiring months of complex engineering work.
Julie Sharman, the Trust’s chief operating officer, described the incident as a “catastrophic” failure, stressing that investigations into the cause were still ongoing and might never produce a single definitive explanation.
“Earth structures are quite complex,” she said. “There are a number of theories about what might have caused this, but I’d rather not speculate while engineers continue their assessments.”
She explained that once water finds a path through an embankment, erosion can accelerate rapidly. “It unravels as it goes, and then the failure becomes catastrophic, as we can clearly see here,” she added.
In the immediate aftermath of the breach, engineers constructed two temporary dams to isolate the damaged section of canal, allowing water levels to be controlled and rescue operations to begin.
Attention is now focused on recovering the two narrowboats lying at the bottom of the trench. Engineers are considering building a ramp so the vessels can be carefully towed out and inspected for damage.
One of the boats, named Sefton, is believed to be badly flooded, as it was the first to fall into the collapse and may have had its doors open at the time.
The second boat, Ganymede, is thought to be in better condition. Ms Sharman said there were currently no signs that water had breached the vessel’s interior.
A third narrowboat, Pacemaker, which had been left teetering on the edge of the collapse, has already been winched to safety. Engineers hope it can be refloated soon and moved to a marina for assessment.
Its owner, Paul Stowe, described waking in the early hours of December 22 to find his boat listing sharply as the ground beneath it gave way.
“It’s the most terrifying experience of my life,” he said. “You don’t realise how powerful the water is until it’s taking you away. There was no bank left, just a hole dropping away beneath us.”
Mr Stowe and his family narrowly escaped injury and have since relied on the support of the local community and fellow boaters. He said offers of help ranged from temporary accommodation to supplies for their pets.
More than £100,000 has been raised to support those affected, with organisers saying they were overwhelmed by the generosity shown in Whitchurch and beyond.
Once all the boats have been recovered, work will begin in earnest on rebuilding the embankment. Damaged material will first be removed, before engineers rebuild the structure in layers using new, high-quality fill.
The canal will likely be relined with an impermeable layer to prevent future water paths forming. Ms Sharman said the Trust hopes to reopen the canal late this year, but full repairs will extend well into 2026.
