250 years ago…
One of the greatest feats of canal engineering of its day, the Grade I listed Bingley Five Rise Locks opened in 1774. Around 30,000 people turned out to cheer their opening, and the local militia fired their field guns in salute.
Boats need to navigate six gates and five chambers to climb or descend 18 metres – and it can take up to 45 minutes to go up. Staircase locks differ from standard locks. Instead of a connecting pound between each lock, the gates lead directly into the next lock. This means boaters need to carefully open the paddles in a specific order.
The lock gates at Bingley Five Rise are some of the tallest in the country. Whenever we have to restore, repair, or replace our lock gates, we use the same traditional methods as used 250 years ago.
