Caen Hill Locks Explained

Caen Hill Locks ([1]) are a flight of 29 locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal, between Rowde and Devizes in Wiltshire, England. Of the 107 locks on the canal, those at Caen Hill are numbered 22 to 50, and they are near the canal highpoint at Cadley Lock (number 54).

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 groups: the lower seven locks (nos 22 to 28), from Foxhangers Wharf to Upper Foxhangers Bridge, are spread over NaNmiles; the next sixteen locks (nos 29 to 44) form a steep flight in a straight line up the hillside and are designated as a scheduled monument and are also known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways.[2] Because of the steepness of the terrain, the pounds between these locks are very short. As a result, fifteen of them have unusually large sideways-extended pounds, to store the water needed to operate them. A final six locks (nos 45 to 50) take the canal into Devizes.[3] The locks take 5–6 hours to traverse in a boat.[4]

The side pounds, the areas around them and adjoining fields to the north, are managed as nature habitat by the Canal & River Trust. Over 30,000 trees were planted in 2012–13 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.[5]

History

This flight was John Rennie the Elder's solution to climbing a steep hill and, in 1810, was the last part of the 87miles route of the Kennet and Avon navigation, commenced in 1796, between Bristol and Reading, to be opened. A brickyard had been established to the south of the site for the manufacture of bricks for the lock chambers. This remained in viable commercial use until the middle of the 20th century. John Blackwell oversaw the locks' construction as Rennie's site agent. [6] Between 1801 and 1810, a tramway had provided a trade link between Foxhangers at the bottom and Devizes at the top, the remains of which can be seen in the towpath arches of the road bridges over the canal.[7]

In the early 19th century, between 1829 and 1843, the flight was lit by gas lights.[8]

After the coming of the railways, the canal fell into disuse and was closed. The last cargo through the flight was a consignment of grain conveyed from Avonmouth to Newbury in October 1948.[9] From the 1960s there was a major clearing and rebuilding operation, culminating in a visit by Elizabeth II in 1990 to open the new locks officially,[10] although the flight had been navigable for a number of years before then.

Because a large volume of water is needed for the locks to operate, a back pump was installed at Foxhangers in 1996 capable of returning 7e6impgal of water per day to the top of the flight, which is equivalent to one lockful every eleven minutes.[11]

In 2010 British Waterways planned to install sixteen new lock gates in twelve weeks as part of its winter maintenance programme, in an attempt to reduce the amount of water lost.[12] The exceptionally cold weather delayed work, and when the section was re-opened at Easter 2010 only twelve pairs of gates had been dealt with.[13] The wood from the old gates was donated to Glastonbury Festival and used to build a new bridge which was named in honour of Arabella Churchill, one of the festival's founders.[14]

Lock names

A few locks at either end are named after topographic features. More have been named after benefactors, beginning in 1984 with locks 44 to 48. Those named include number 22 (Lower Foxhangers[15]), 23 (Foxhangers[15]), 27 (Marsh Lane[16]), 28 (Moonrake[17] [18]),29 (Youth Division[19]), 30 (Fundraisers'), 33 (Lloyds[15]), 36 (Peter Lindley-Jones[20]),38 (Jack Dalby[21]), 39 (Skaggs Foundation[22]), 40 (Paul Ensor[23])41 (Boto-X[23] [24]), 42 (Monument[15] [23]), 43 (Queen Elizabeth II[15] [23]), 44 (Sir Hugh Stockwell[25] [23]), 45 (Cave[25] [23]), 46 (A. P. Herbert[25]), 47 (Manifold[25]), 48 (Trust[25]), 49 (Maton[15]), and 50 (Kennet[15]).

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Country Life magazine, vol 180. Google Books search result. 6 November 2015. 8. 1986.
  2. Web site: The seven wonders of the waterways | Canal & River Trust . Canal & River Trust. en. 30 October 2021.
  3. Web site: Devizes Branch – Locks . The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust . 2007-10-02.
  4. Book: Allsop, Niall. The Kennet & Avon Canal. Millstream Book. 1987. 0-948975-15-6. Bath. registration.
  5. Web site: Wildlife at Caen Hill. Canal & River Trust. en. 20 September 2018.
  6. Web site: John Blackwell . www.hungerfordvirtualmuseum.co.uk . Hungeford Virtual Museum . 31 October 2019.
  7. Web site: Devizes Branch - Local History . The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust website . 2007-10-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070907001011/http://www.katrust.org/devizes/local_history.html . 2007-09-07.
  8. Web site: Caen Hill Locks . Kennet and Avon Scrapbook . 2006-09-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110525034719/http://www.envf.port.ac.uk/kacanal/html/KAC0043.HTM . 25 May 2011 . dead . dmy-all .
  9. Book: Clew, Kenneth. The Kennet and Avon Canal. David and Charles. Newton Abbot, England. 1968. 2. 145–147. 0-7153-5939-8.
  10. News: Canal restoration anniversary marked. 7 August 2015. BBC News: England. 20 September 2018. en-GB.
  11. Book: Pearson, Michael. Kennet & Avon Middle Thames:Pearson's Canal Companion. Central Waterways Supplies. 2003. 0-907864-97-X. Rugby.
  12. News: New locks for the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire. 2010-01-22. BBC. 22 January 2010.
  13. Web site: Caen Hill open for Easter. Owen. Gill. 22 March 2010. British Waterways. 17 June 2010. Paddington, England.
  14. Owen. Julian. Heart of Glasto. Venue. 2010-06-18. 924. 14–15.
  15. Web site: Dec 2008 Assets . . https://web.archive.org/web/20120904175439/http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/media/documents/meetings/bwaf/Dec_2008_Assets.xls . 4 September 2012 . dead . y . Sheet 1, columns 3963–3993 . British Waterways .
  16. Web site: Canal Map UK . UK Canal Network . Canal & River Trust . 10 September 2024 . en.
  17. Web site: Avery . Alison . Caen Hill Flight Locks, Moonrake Lock 28, Kennet and Avon Canal, Rowde . Beautiful England Photos . 10 September 2024.
  18. Web site: Newbury to Devizes - Part 4 - The Caen Hill Flight . Waterway Wanderer . 10 September 2024 . 4 November 2021.
  19. Web site: Avery . Alison . Narrowboat, Caen Hill Flight Lock, Youth Division Lock 29, Kennet and Avon Canal, Rowde . Beautiful England Photos . 10 September 2024.
  20. Web site: Avery . Alison . Caen Hill Flight Lock, Peter Lindley-Jones Lock 36, Kennet and Avon Canal, Rowde . Beautiful England Photos . 10 September 2024.
  21. Web site: Avery . Alison . Caen Hill Flight Lock, Jack Dalby Lock 38, Kennet and Avon Canal, Devizes . Beautiful England Photos . 10 September 2024.
  22. Web site: Avery . Alison . Caen Hill Flight Lock, The Skaggs Foundation Lock 39, Kennet and Avon Canal, Devizes . Beautiful England Photos . 10 September 2024.
  23. Web site: Welcome to Caen Hill Locks . Canal & River Trust.
  24. Web site: Avery . Alison . Caen Hill Flight Lock, Boto-X Lock 41, Kennet and Avon Canal, Devizes . Beautiful England Photos . 10 September 2024.
  25. Book: Clew . Kenneth R. . The Kennet & Avon Canal: An Illustrated History . 1985 . David & Charles . 978-0-7153-8656-9 . 185 . 3rd . en.