Essential repairs are being carried out on a 180-year-old lock on the River Severn.

The Canal & River Trust is undertaking the work on the Grade II-listed Holt Lock.

This is part of a wider project to maintain and improve the structure for boaters on the river.

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The repairs, costing £280,000, involve fixing the top and bottom gates, enhancing the lock cills, replacing loose bricks, and installing new lock ladders.

A 100-tonne crane is being used to help with the removal and reinstallation of the 6.5-tonne lock gates.

The lock was drained after divers conducted initial inspections in September.

The lock sits next to the Grade II-listed Holt Fleet Bridge, designed by famous civil engineer Thomas Telford.

Constructed in 1844, Holt Lock is one of six along the 42½-mile River Severn navigation.

It was initially built to accommodate craft carrying up to 150 tonnes.

The autumn repairs are a part of the effort to keep the river open for boaters travelling between Stourport and Gloucester.

The River Severn connects to the docks by Gloucester Lock, which is also set to be inspected and repaired this winter as part of the trust's annual winter repair and conservation work to protect the UK's waterways.

Mark Abraham, construction manager at Canal & River Trust, said: "We've used large pumps to pump water out of the chamber to allow us to build scaffolding and provide access to complete the work.

"We are installing steel dams that have been specially designed and fabricated for the lock gates as we address previous issues with leakage."

he added: "The works have been timed to strike the balance between avoiding the summer months while getting work done before the periods of typically higher river flows on the Severn which would flood our sites.

"Once completed, not only will the repairs have helped to maintain this historic structure, but they will deliver improvements for the boaters who use the lock when navigating the river for many years to come."

For more information on the trust, including how to donate or volunteer, visit canalrivertrust.org.uk.