The Canal & River Trust is carrying out a major overhaul of its waterways as part of a five-month maintenance programme in England.

And last month, more than 800 people had a close-up look at Lock 3 on the Grand Union Canal, in Braunston, which had been drained as part of the works.

Visitors were able to walk down into the lock chamber to see repairs taking place, as Canal & River Trust staff gave free tours.

Approximately £920,000 is being spent on the canals in the south-east this winter to restore the historic canal network, with £37,500 alone being spent on the works in Braunston.

The gates at Lock 3 will be relined in order to fit correctly within the chamber and the original brickwork will be exposed and repaired. It is due to be completed by February 13.

Neil Owen, waterway manager for the south-east waterways at the Canal & River Trust, said: “Our teams work extremely hard over the winter months when the canals are quieter to repair and care for our network in time for the busy summer months. The opportunity to actually walk down into a drained lock chamber was quite unusual.”

Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, added: “The Trust cares for a remarkable network of historic waterways which are still working just as they were designed to 200 years ago. Keeping them open and safe requires a huge amount of planning, investment and craftsmanship and involves a range of experts, from civil engineers and hydrologists to heritage experts and ecologists.”