FOR anyone who’s ever wondered what the bottom of a canal lock looks like there’s a rare opportunity to finds out on Saturday, January 18.

The Canal & River Trust is organising an open day at Tardebigge, on the Tardebigge Flight of the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, while teams undertake maintenance work.

Eight locks on the flight will be completely drained so that repairs can be completed to the brickwork and coping, offering an incredibly rare opportunity to get up close to the Victorian engineering.

The trust is offering guided tours to visitors, where they’ll get the chance to ask the maintenance teams about the canal, and they’ll even get the chance to walk along the canal bed and see the 200-year-old brickwork that’s usually hidden from sight underwater, up close.

Heritage experts from the trust will also be giving talks about the history of the area to keen enthusiasts.

The Canal and River Trust is completing repairs and restoration work on hundreds of historic waterway structures around the country including lock flights and bridges.

The open day runs from 10am to 4pm. Entry is free of charge, and visitors just need to turn up wearing shoes they’re happy to wear in the muddy bottom of the locks. For more information visit http://canalrivertrust.org.uk.