Maunsel Lock was once busy with boats plying their trade to and from Bridgwater Docks. Today, it's a great place to start exploring the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal.
Follow the Somerset Space Walk, a true scale model of our Solar System along the towpath, keep your eye out for our diverse wildlife, and stop for refreshments at the Maunsel Lock Tea Rooms.
Where does the water come from?
The water in the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal at Maunsel Locks comes from the River Tone In Taunton. A sluice above Firepool Lock allows water from the River Tone to flow into the canal below the lock. Some water also flows through the lock gate paddles. Wessex Water pump some of the water from the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal in Bridgwater up to Durleigh Reservoir. This is used for the public water supply.
The River Tone's source is in the Brendon Hills which fall within the Exmoor National Park. It takes between two and three days for water to transfer the length of the canal via the lock bypasses.
