A canal in Oldham has been blocked by a fallen tree after the borough was battered by Storm Babet.

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal has been blocked to navigation in Saddleworth since Friday, October 20.

Boaters are unable to make their way through Uppermill due to a fallen tree.

The closure is between Lock 21W, on Uppermill High Street, and Lock 20W, near to Greenfield Station – meaning boaters south of the closure have been cut off from the sanitary station, water, and slipway located at Dobcross Wool Road.

The tree fell after Storm Babet battered the borough, which was under an amber weather warning.

The closure has come at an inconvenient time for boaters – who have just days left to make a trip through Standedge Tunnel before it is closed. Those looking to travel through the tunnel after Wednesday, November 1 will have to wait until next year.

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The Canal & River Trust, which manages the waterway, sent out a team on Saturday to try to rectify the problem.

However, in an update posted on Saturday, the organization confirmed that it had been unable to rectify the problem.

The update reads: “Our team have cut back some of the tree but have been unable to remove it. The navigation remains blocked.

“We are arranging for our contractors to attend and an update will be provided on Monday afternoon.”

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The towpath remains open to those using the canal to walk or cycle.

The storm has also affected the Rochdale Canal, which traverses Failsworth and Chadderton.

While the Oldham portion of the canal remains open, boaters looking to reach Hebden Bridge are out of luck, with a fallen tree blocking navigation at Lock 12, located in Charlestown, since Saturday, October 21.

The Uppermill portion of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal was restored in 1981, with volunteers from the Huddersfield Canal Society restoring a half-mile section, including two lock chambers.

In 1985, a partnership between three local councils – Oldham, Tameside, and Kirklees – was formed with the aim of restoring the entire canal.

The Huddersfield Narrow Canal was fully restored in 2001, with the Rochdale Canal fully restored in 2002.