Foxton Locks, Leicestershire

Foxton Locks is a Grade II listed site, and home to the longest staircase flight of locks in Britain. These locks have been an essential part of travel, trade and leisure for over 200 years.

Things to do

Foxton Locks sits on 34 acres of natural green spaces, which makes it great for nature spotting. Look out for herons, swans, swallows and kingfishers. Also located at the site are two pubs, two cafés, a museum and the chance to hire a day boat.

Each year, over 400,000 visitors experience the rich heritage of the site, including the remains of the unique Inclined Boat Lift, listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

There is plenty to keep you busy at Foxton:

Explore the new Sculpture Trail, where 14 wildlife-themed sculptures are waiting to be discovered around the site. Pick up an activity map from the welcome centre at the top of the locks
Visit the historic Canal Museum located in the Boilerhouse run by the Foxton Inclined Plane Trust
Meet the volunteer team in the welcome station and learn about lock keeping, the site's unique history and the hard work that goes into keeping Foxton Locks alive
Volunteer-led guided walks, themed activities and events
Check out our summer events programme including paddle boarding and canoeing
Visit our pre-loved bookshop in the Top Lock Cottage for your favourite read
Bring a picnic or recharge at one of the places to eat on site: Top Lock Cottage café – serving hot and cold drinks, snacks and locally produced ice cream, and Foxton Locks Inn, Bridge 61.

Keeping Foxton Locks open and alive costs our charity £1,090 a day – and your support makes it possible.

Make it possible, donate now

Planning your visit

All you need to know about visiting Foxton Locks.

Canal & River Trust, with the assistance of our national car parking contractor – Nexus, have introduced Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) at both car parks at Foxton Locks. The fees for using the site will not alter but closing times are now in place. Please remember to pay on exit.

Opening times
Members of the public are open to visit the site at any time. However, if you are a boater, please visit our boating information page to find out the navigation opening times.
Price
Once you've parked, it won't cost you to visit
Access
Toilets are located near both the long and short-stay car parks at the bottom of the site with disabled access/facilities.
Due to the historic nature of the site, there are areas of uneven ground, but the towpaths are accessible. There is a steep incline to reach the top lock area and the inclined plane.
Benches and seating spots are available across the site, including within the pre-loved bookshop.
Two parking spots for disabled parking access on the half-drive.
Contact the museum for access requirements to their building and collections.
Parking
Where to park
- Long stay - (LE16 7RY) – Cars and motorbikes, £3 all-day parking, no overnight. Buses are asked to park in the top car park and the charge is £5 for a bus. Open 6:30am to 10pm.
- Short stay - (LE16 7RA) - Cars and motorbikes, £3.50 for up to 4 hours, £5 up to 8 hours. Open 6:30am - 11:30pm.
- Parking is free after 5:30pm in both long and short stay car parks.
As from the 28 May new charges will the parking charges will be:
- Long stay - (LE16 7RY) – Cars and motorbikes, £3 all-day parking, no overnight. Buses are asked to park in the top car park and the charge is £5 for a bus. Open 6:30am to 10pm.
- Short stay - (LE16 7RA) - Cars and motorbikes, £1.50 up to 1 hour, £3 up to 2 hours, £4.50 for up to 4 hours, £6 up to 8 hours. Open 6:30am - 11:30pm.
- Parking is free after 5:30pm in both long and short stay car parks.
After hours
- If you enter the site after the opening hours period, you will receive a Fixed Penalty Notice. This has been introduced to help prevent vandalism and anti-social behaviour on site.
Blue badge holders
- All visitors will be subject to the standard parking fees, this includes blue badge holders. We have increased the number of blue badge dedicated spaces on site to 11 in the short stay car park to make the site as accessible for everyone as possible.
- If a dedicated blue badge space is not available please park in a regular bay – most convenient for your visit.
- A blue badge must be clearly displayed while on site at all times.
Payment
- With the introduction of the new system, we are pleased to announce that card payment will now be available in the short stay car park. Cash and payment by app are also available.
- In the long stay, cash and app payment are available.
- Pay on exit
Annual pass
An annual pass can be purchased on site at the machine. The charge is £175 + vat for unlimited access for 12 months.
As from 28 May annual pass will be £125 + vat.
Address
Foxton Locks Top Lock Cottage, Gumley Road, Foxton, LE16 7RA.
Contact details
Call 020 7431 4001 for any parking/ticket-related queries Monday to Friday, 9am - 5:30pm
For general Foxton enquiries call 0303 040 4040 Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm, Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays, 9am – 5pm Email: [email protected]

Our team of volunteers help make Foxton Locks special. They’re the wildflower planters, the towpath repairers, the fallen tree clearers. Join our team to make a difference.

Volunteer at Foxton Locks

Where does the water come from?
Most of the water at Foxton Locks, on the Grand Union Canal in Leicestershire, comes from reservoirs seven miles away.
Reservoir water is gravity fed to the canal. This is much less expensive than pumping water.
Feeders from diverted streams, and in winter the River Avon, also bring smaller amounts of water into the system.