COSTLY repairs to prevent the collapse of an historic aqueduct on the Lancaster Canal have been given the go-ahead.

Back in December 2015 the Grade II-listed Stainton Aqueduct, near Sedgwick village, was hit by a seven-feet-high wall of floodwater as Storms Desmond and Eva battered Cumbria.

As reported by the Gazette, the elegant limestone structure - built in 1815 at a cost of £945 to carry the canal over Stainton Beck- was left in a perilous state by the wettest calendar month on record.

Dramatic cracks in the southern, downstream portal prompted residents and canal enthusiasts such as Frank Sanderson to call immediately for urgent repairs.

The towpath over the aqueduct and the walkway beneath, which partly washed away, both had to be closed to the public for safety reasons.

The Canal and River Trust acted by installing a temporary dam and lowering the canal's water level to try to halt further collapse. Then, in June 2016 it announced plans to raise £1.5 million for repairs.

The trust - guardian of 2,000 miles of English and Welsh waterways as well as bridges, towpaths and aqueducts - has now been given listed building consent by South Lakeland District Council planners to repair Stainton Aqueduct and its footpath.

Funding sources look set to include the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Rural Payments Agency and Cumbria County Council.

Stainton Parish Council and the Lancaster Canal Trust have both given their full backing.

According to planning documents, expert conservationists will aim to restore the aqueduct's "original appearance" as designed by renowned canal engineer Thomas Fletcher and built by John Airey from squared limestone with voussoirs, or tapered stones used for the 12-feet-high arch.

Piling for the foundations began in October 1814 and the structure's completion was noted in February 1816. The embankment was partly built from spoil removed during the construction of nearby Hincaster Tunnel.

According to plans submitted by the Canal and River Trust: "The aqueduct illustrates the engineering and construction techniques of the early 19th century. It shows how even minor utilitarian structures in rural locations were embellished with careful architectural design."

Dislodged masonry is to be retrieved from the bed of Stainton Beck and stored close to the site for use in repairs. The south-east wing wall is to be taken down and kept for use in rebuilding the wall, with each block temporarily marked to enable "accurate reproduction".

Where original limestone blockwork is too damaged or weathered, new stone will be sourced to match as closely as possible.

To help resist future flooding, a continuous concrete foundation is also planned.