1810 Caen Hill Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal in Wiltshire, EN

If you are here because of "Taylor Street Bridge over South Branch," Then you need to go there.

(Satellite)

Ul Mi, Sep 2022

Canal & River Trust posted

Canal locks have been around for centuries! But it wasn’t until the 1770s that they became widespread in the UK.

💡 The first lock with gates at both ends was built in Holland in 1373. Known as guillotine locks, they had gates that moved up and down – fancy, right?

🔍 Fast forward to the 15th century, and none other than Leonardo da Vinci designed the double mitre lock, which is still used today! 

💧 In the 16th century, engineer John Trew introduced pound locks to the UK with his work on the Exeter Ship Canal, which opened in 1566.

🔧 By the mid-18th century, engineer James Brindley played a major role in expanding the UK’s canal network, using pound locks to improve efficiency and accessibility.

Locks may seem simple, but they’ve been evolving for hundreds of years! Next time you’re by a canal, spare a thought for these impressive inventions.

[Fortunately, some comments identified this as Caen Hill.]

 

Canal & River Trust posted

From a childhood boating holiday, to getting to the top of that steep lock flight or your first time spotting the blue flash of a kingfisher, our canals and rivers hold special memories for so many people. 

📣 We want to know yours! Let us know your most cherished memories of our waterways in the comments below. 

(We’d love to shout about your stories with charity’s wonderful supporters in the future, so please only share your stories if you’d be happy for us to share them. Thank you.) 

📍 Caen Hill Locks, Kennet & Avon Canal

For the love of Narrowboats posted three photos with the comment:

Caen Hill Locks

Caen Hill Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal in Wiltshire, England are a marvel of engineering.

Consisting of 29 locks over a two-mile stretch, with a rise of 237 feet [72m] the flight of locks forms an impressive staircase that navigates through beautiful countryside scenery. 

Finished in 1810, these locks were essential for allowing boats to navigate the steep hillsides and change in elevation along the canal route. 

Today the locks attract vistors from around the world to see narrowboats traverse through these locks, providing a unique glimpse into traditional canal life. The surrounding area offers walking paths, picnic spots, and opportunities for wildlife spotting, making it a perfect place to spend a leisurely afternoon exploring one of Britain's most iconic canal features.

Lyle E. Comstock: Not very leisurely if you were the one running the locks! Hard work to put it mildly.

Simon Dabbs: I recall seeing them derelict in the 70s.

I thought to myself, no chance of this lot being fixed... it would be far too costly.

But, happily, I was quite wrong!!

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At first, I thought it side pools to conserve water like the new Panama Canal has.

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But when I looked closer, it is not a true flight of locks. It is just a bunch of locks close to each other. The pools evidently allow boats to pass each other.

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