A cruise along the canal ended abruply when boats were left stranded on both sides of the controversial solid fixed road bridge at Wansford.

Boat owners were unable to complete voyages to Driffield and in the opposite direction towards Beverley due to the bridge impeding navigation

Driffield Navigation Trust, which runs the 11-mile, 250-year-old canal, organised the cruise to celebrate the re-opening of The Trout Inn at Wansford. But the two-foot high bridge was a stumbling block for the boats, and compelling evidence that it is obstructing navigation along the beautiful waterway.

The trust has spent more than £600,000 on replacing and repairing all the locks and bridges, with Wansford bridge being the only sticking point to making the canal fully navigable again. Commissioner hope the powers that be, like East Riding of Yorkshire Council, will see from what happened during the cruise, and the huge problem the bridge is creating.

“We want to work with them to get the bridge replaced with an opening structure so boats can once again sail unimpeded all the way from Hull to Driffield.

“At the moment the effect the bridge is having on navigation is like a wall being built across a road or a barbed wire fence erected across a public right of way,” a spokesman said.

The bridge was installed in the 1960s by the old East Riding County Council, after the old wooden opening bridge was found to be in danger of collapsing. The trust recently installed mooring pontoons for boats on the canal outside the The Trout, and also a refurbished barge for people to sit on while enjoying refreshments.

The spokesman said: “We get a lot of enquiries from boaters across the country who would like to sail to Driffield along the national canal network.

“Unfortunately, we have to inform them that they can only get as far as Wansford, despite the reason for the canal being built was to reach Driffield.

“The trust and former Driffield Navigation Amenities Association has worked hard over many years to restore and reopen the canal as a working waterway.

“The canal is part of the East Riding’s rich heritage and we desparately need help to make our dream a reality so everyone can enjoy the waterway.”

A fully restored canal would benefit many sections of the community, and boost tourism and the economy of Driffield and the wider East Yorkshire area. Organisations or anyone who can help should contact the trust through its website driffieldnavigation.org