Foxton Locks

Foxton Locks (gbmapping|SP691895) are ten canal locks consisting of two "staircases" each of five locks, located on the Leicester line of the Grand Union Canal about 5 km west of the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough and are named after the nearby village of Foxton.

They form the northern terminus of a 20-mile summit level that passes Husbands Bosworth, Crick and ends with the Watford flight

Staircase locks are used where a canal needs to climb a steep hill, and consist of groups of locks which open directly into each other. Foxton Locks are the largest flight of such staircase locks on the English canal system.

The Grade II* listed locks are a popular tourist attraction 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 shop, trip boat and other facilities. The area is thus ideal for gongoozlers.

The locks

Building work on the locks started in 1810 and was finished 4 years later in 1814. cite book |title=Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane A Detailed History|publisher=Department of Planning and Transportation, Leicestershire County Council | isbn=085022-1919|pages=P3] 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 £1000 to bring the locks back into full operation.cite book |title=Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane A Detailed History|publisher=Department of Planning and Transportation, Leicestershire County Council | isbn=085022-1919|pages=P35]

On the 26 November 2006 boaters blockaded the locks as part of protests against Defra cutting British Waterways funding. cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/6185812.stm |title=Boaters form a floating protest |accessdate=2007-10-14 |format=HTML]

The locks are usually manned during late spring to autumn to prevent water shortages. The keeper also ensures the locks run smoothly and quickly. It should take approximately 45 minutes to one hour to complete this flight; it is made quicker by the fact that the locks are single beam and the gates are light.

Foxton Inclined Plane

In 1900 an inclined plane was built to the side of the locks. The aim was partly to speed up the passage of boats, but also as part of an effort to allow the passage of wide-beam barges instead of just narrowboats.

It was designed by Gordon Cale Thomas and had 2 tanks or caissons, each capable of holding 2 narrowboats or a barge. The caissons were full of water, and so balanced each other. The lift was powered by a 25 horsepower (19 kW) stationary engine. The land for the project was purchased for £1,595 and with the entire project costing £39,244 by 24 June 1900.cite book |title=Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane A Detailed History|publisher=Department of Planning and Transportation, Leicestershire County Council | isbn=085022-1919|pages=P9]

The inclined plane had a journey time of 12 minutes for 2 boats up and 2 down and improved the speed of passage up the hill tremendously. Unlike the locks, where water flowed downhill every time a boat passed through, on the inclined plane almost the same amount of water went up and down the hill. Only the displaced water is moved, thus saving a great deal of water and giving better control of this vital resource.

There was a plan to build a similar inclined plane at the Watford Locks at the southern end of the canal's summit level. However, this was never carried through, and as the Watford Locks were never widened, the economic benefits of the plane could not be fully realised. Thus, despite its obvious effectiveness, the Foxton Inclined Plane was mothballed in 1911 to save money. After that date it saw occasional use when the locks were undergoing maintenancecite book |title=Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane A Detailed History|publisher=Department of Planning and Transportation, Leicestershire County Council | isbn=085022-1919|pages=P36]

In 1927, dismantling of the incline began, so that it could be sold for scrap. That year the chimney on the engine house was demolished and its bricks used for various canal repairs. cite book |title=Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane A Detailed History|publisher=Department of Planning and Transportation, Leicestershire County Council | isbn=085022-1919|pages=P37]

The plane today

The remains of the plane can still be seen, and the site explored by visitors (to a limited extent).

In the building alongside the locks, the former boiler house for the plane's steam engine, there is a small museum covering the history of the locks and the plane, and other aspects of the local canal.

The mooring bollards from the incline can be found alongside the locks.

Restoration

The site of the Foxton Inclined Plane Boat Lift has been recognised as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and was on the Monuments at Risk Register. This recognition, together with the steady increase in leisure boating on British canals, means its restoration is now considered a key project in the development of the national waterway network.

The cost of full restoration has been estimated at £9 million (2006 figures), and is to be tackled in a series of stages.

Stage 1 of the project — the clearing of the site and restoration of the canal arms above and below the plane — was completed in 2008. A grant for £1.7 million was received from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the £2.8 million cost of this first stage, and its successful completion resulted in the site being removed from the Monuments at Risk register. [ [http://www.fipt.org.uk/lift.html Foxton Inclined Plane Trust: "The Lift"] ]

Fund-raising is currently underway to raise the money for a full engineering study to determine the best way of recreating a working boat lift at Foxton.

See also

*Bingley Five Rise Locks in West Yorkshire
*Bingley Three Rise Locks in West Yorkshire
*Watford Locks in Northamptonshire
*Caen Hill Locks 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, ISBN 0 95431 811 0

External links

* [http://www.foxtonlocks.com/ Foxton Locks and Partnership]
* [http://www.fipt.org.uk/ Foxton Inclined Plane Trust]
*IoE|191334|- locks - Grade II*
*EHbarName|Foxton