Foxton Locks () are ten
canal locks consisting of two "staircases" each of five locks, located on the
Leicester line of the
Grand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. It is the principal navigable waterway between London and the Midlands. Starting in London, one arm runs to Leicester and another ends in Birmingham, with the latter ...
about west of the
Leicestershire town of
Market Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, in the far southeast of the county, forming part of the border with Northamptonshire.
Market Harborough's population was 25,143 in 2020. It is the adm ...
. They are named after the nearby village of
Foxton.
They form the northern terminus of a summit level that passes
Husbands Bosworth,
Crick and ends with the
Watford flight
Alongside the locks is the site of the
Foxton Inclined Plane, built in 1900 to resolve the operational restrictions imposed by the lock flight. It was not a commercial success and only remained in full-time operation for ten years.
It was dismantled in 1926, but a project to re-create it commenced in the 2000s, since the locks remain a bottleneck for boat traffic.
Description
Staircase locks are used where a
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...
needs to climb a steep hill, and consist of a group of locks where each lock opens directly into the next, that is, where the bottom gates of one lock form the top gates of the next. Foxton Locks are the largest flight of such staircase locks on the English canal system. The locks are equipped with side pounds, with white paddles emptying a lock into a side pound, and red paddles filling the next lock downstream from the pound. This saves water compared to the more common riser staircases, since changing the direction of traffic does not require emptying/filling almost all the locks.
![Foxtonlocks-bottom](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Foxtonlocks-bottom.jpg)
Building work on the locks started in 1810 and took four years.
Little changed until the building of the inclined plane resulted in the reduction in size of some of the side pounds.
While the inclined plane was in operation the locks were allowed to fall into decline to an extent and in 1908 the committee released £1,000 to bring the locks back into full (nightly) operation.
In 2008, the locks became part of the
European Route of Industrial Heritage
The European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) is a tourist route of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe. This is a tourism industry information initiative to present a network of industrial heritage sites across Europe. The ...
, a network which seeks to recognize the most important
industrial heritage
Industrial heritage refers to the physical remains of the history of technology and industry, such as manufacturing and mining sites, as well as power and transportation infrastructure. Another definition expands this scope so that the term a ...
sites in Europe.
The locks are usually manned during the cruising season from Easter to October and padlocked outside operating hours. This is done to prevent water shortages due to misuse and to ensure a balance between those wishing to ascend and descend. There can be lengthy delays at busy times but the actual transit should take approximately 45 minutes to one hour to complete; it is made quicker by the fact that the locks are narrow beam and the gates are light.
Tourism
The
Grade II* listed locks are a popular
tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement.
Types
Places of natural ...
and the county council has created a
country park at the top. At the bottom, where the junction with the arm to Market Harborough is located, there are two
public houses
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
, a shop, trip boat and other facilities. The area is popular with ramblers, interested enthusiasts and similar.
The Foxton Canal Museum is located in the former boiler house for the plane's steam engine. The
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...
covers the history of the locks and the plane, the lives of the canal workers, and other aspects of the local canal. There is also a collection of
Measham
Measham is a large village in the North West Leicestershire district in Leicestershire, England, near the Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire boundaries. It lies off the A42, 4½ miles (7.25 km) south of Ashby de la Zouch, in the Natio ...
pottery. The museum opened in 1989 and is accredited by the
Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) was until May 2012 a non-departmental public body and registered charity in England with a remit to promote improvement and innovation in the area of museums, libraries and archives. Its function ...
.
See also
*
Bingley Five Rise Locks in West Yorkshire
*
Bingley Three Rise Locks in West Yorkshire
*
Foxton Inclined Plane Trust
*
Watford Locks in Northamptonshire
*
Caen Hill Locks
Caen Hill Locks () are a flight of 29 locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal, between Rowde and Devizes in Wiltshire, England.
Description
The 29 locks have a rise of 237 feet in 2 miles ( in ) or a 1 in 44 gradient. The locks come in three gr ...
near Devizes, Wiltshire
*
Fourteen Locks near Newport, South Wales
*
Tardebigge Locks near Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
References
* Uhlemann, H-J., (2002), ''Canal Lifts and Inclines of the World'', Internat Limited,
Further reading
*
External links
Foxton Locks and PartnershipFoxton Inclined Plane TrustFoxton Canal Museum*{{NHLE , num=1360753 , desc=Locks - Grade II*
Buildings and structures in Leicestershire
Transport in Leicestershire
Tourist attractions in Leicestershire
Scheduled monuments in Leicestershire
Lock flights of England
Staircase locks of England
Museums in Leicestershire
Canal museums in England