Our locks are amazing feats of canal engineering, enabling boats to rise and fall across our countryside and knitting our network together. Here’s a celebration of some of the most iconic and unusual.
Tuel Lane Lock, the deepest lock on the Rochdale Canal, and our entire network
Busiest
Topping the charts as the busiest lock on our network, it’s Colwich Lock 21, on the Trent & Mersey Canal. Part of England’s very first long-distance canal, the narrow lock is one of 76 along the route. This listed structure sits in the very centre of England, in a beautiful rural setting, so it’s no surprise it’s such a hub of activity. It’s a small but vital piece of the Father of English canals, James Brindley’s vision for the ‘Grand Cross’; a national network of navigations to link the country’s four great rivers, the Mersey, Trent, Severn and Thames.
Deepest
With a staggering fall of six metres, the crown for the deepest lock belongs to Tuel Lane Lock on the Rochdale Canal. One of the newer additions to our network, the lock in Sowerby Bridge, was opened in 1996 as part of the canal’s restoration, replacing the two original Victorian locks to enable the canal to tunnel beneath a road for a more efficient route. As it’s one of the only locks that shouldn’t be operated alone, our friendly volunteer lock keeper is always on hand to help guide boaters through its depths.
Steepest
From deepest to steepest on the longest canal the country, it’s Bingley Five Rise Locks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal (above). One of our seven wonders of the waterways, this staircase lock rises an incredible 18 metres over a distance of just 98 metres. Opened in 1774, the locks were an engineering marvel, with 30,000 people turning out to see the inaugural ascent. Today, Bingley’s ‘famous five-rise’ remains a major visitor attraction and a rite of passage for boating enthusiasts everywhere.
Oldest
Time for a golden oldie, St Helen’s Canal in the North West. Originally dubbed Sankey Brook Navigation, this historic waterway opened in 1759, becoming the very first canal with a lock flight of the industrial age. Once bustling with coal traffic bound for Liverpool, sadly, today, large parts of the route remain unnavigable. Yet, with most of the canal still in water, there’s every hope that this trail-blazing tributary and its 265-year-old locks will one day be restored to its former glory.
Youngest
At the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s The Millenium Ribble Link near Preston. Opened as recently as 2002, the six-mile Ribble Link was the first English canal to be built in more than a century and is one of the most exciting inland waterways to navigate. With nine locks in total (including seven canal locks, one river and one sea lock), the Link connects the once-isolated Lancaster Canal to the rest of the network, where it flows into the River Ribble, before meeting the Rufford Branch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
Most Spectacular
Side ponds are used to replenish the water in each lock after use
It’s a matter of opinion and debate, but few would deny Caen Hill Locks on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Devizes are truly breathtaking. The 16-lock cluster that forms the steepest part of the flight (above) is a scheduled ancient monument and one of the most awe-inspiring sights on our network. With 29 locks in all, spread out over two miles, it takes around six hours to navigate. Time well spent, we’re sure you’ll agree.
Most unusual
Time for something a little different, Kings Norton Stop Lock on the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. Situated near the junction with the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, the Grade II listed structure is the only guillotine-gated stop lock anywhere on our network, originally built to prevent water flowing from one canal to the other. The lock hasn’t been used since the 1950s and today the guillotine-style gates at either end of the lock remain permanently open.
Longest
Taking the title for the longest flight of canal locks in the UK, it’s Tardebigge Locks on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. Consisting of 30 narrow locks, the flight drops the waterway more than 200 feet along a whopping two-and-a-quarter mile stretch. Perhaps its most memorable feature is the top lock, built in 1815 to replace an experimental vertical boat lift, which alone boasts an impressive 11-foot rise.
Most missed
Sadly, in the face of competition from railways, Grantham Canal closed to boating in 1929 leaving its locks to fall into dereliction. Thankfully, when the canal was finally abandoned in the 1930s, it wasn’t filled in, due to its importance to local agriculture. It has, overtime, become a valuable wetland habitat for wildlife and site of special scientific interest. Along with similar projects across the country, we’re working with local canal society volunteers to repair its neglected locks, to date Lock 14 and 15 have been restored and re-opened.
Most haunted
For our final entry, we delve into some paranormal activity at Atherstone Locks on the Coventry Canal, where, according to legend, two ghostly figures stalk the towpath at night. The first, believed to be the spirit of an old lock keeper, has been seen swinging his eerie lantern, keeping a lonely vigil over the canal. The second, a faceless horseman, victim of a brutal canal-side brawl, rides through the night in search of revenge.
