Negotiating Locks on Canals in England and Wales

Locks are Part of the Fun of Holidays on English and Welsh Canals

Sep 22, 2009

Whether on the Grand Union Canal, the Llangollen Canal, the Oxford Canal, the Shropshire Union Canal or and any other English or Welsh canal, locks are part of the fun.

Going through a canal lock looks complicated at first sight but is in fact very simple. They operate by a remarkably ingenious system devised centuries ago.

On the English and Welsh canals, it takes on average about 15 minutes to go through a lock. However the time can vary depending on its size, whether other boats are queuing to go into it and, not least, the size and keenness of the boat’s crew.

Locks on England’s main canals like the Grand Union Canal can take two narrowboats side by side. So they take longer to fill and empty compared with the single-width ones on the narrow canals such as the Oxford and Shropshire Union Canals.

Before a boat can enter a lock, the water in it has to be at the appropriate level. If it is not, the lock has to be emptied or filled accordingly.

This is done by winding the lock-gate ‘paddles’ up with a ‘windlass’, a special kind of long-handled key (which is always supplied with hire boats). Some paddles can be quite stiff but once the water is exactly level on both sides of the gate - though not before - the gates can be pushed open and the boat driven in.

After closing the gates again, the process is repeated to bring the water and boat up or down to the new level. Then the gates at the opposite end of the lock can be pushed open ready for the boat to be driven out. Finally the paddles need to be wound down and the gates shut again in order to leave the lock ready for the next boat to arrive.

Swing and Lift bridges can also slow a boat’s progress. Some are left open but, if not, someone has to get off the boat to open them while the boat passes.

Tunnels provide excitement too. Steering through them requires a steady hand, particularly in long ones like the Harecastle just north of Stoke-on-Trent or the Blisworth at Stoke Bruerne which are both around 3000 yards long. When the boat - with its headlamp on - enters, the far end is often only visible as a tiny pinpoint of light. Even this may be obscured if another boat is ahead or if the tunnel has a slight bend.

In most tunnels there is just room for two boats to pass with a few inches to spare, but some of the long narrow ones have a one-way traffic-light system where boats have to take it in turns to go each way.

Mooring, which is free, is permitted anywhere on the towpath side of the canal except close to a lock, usually for up to 14 days. Sometimes there are rings on the bank but usually boaters have to hammer two hefty metal ’pins’ (which come with the boat) into the ground and tie it to them.

So altogether a canal holiday in England or Wales is simple and relaxing as well as great fun.

The copyright of the article Negotiating Locks on Canals in England and Wales in England Travel is owned by Gillian Thomas. Permission to republish Negotiating Locks on Canals in England and Wales in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.