Monkey Marsh Lock

Monkey Marsh Lock is one of the two remaining "turf-sided" locks on the River Kennet section of the Kennet and Avon Canal.

Using timber and turf for construction, this was an early style of lock-building used on some river navigations. Because of the sloping sides, they use more water than conventional locks, but this is less important on a river. Modern metal posts have been added as a safety feature, to prevent boats from settling on the sloping sides as the lock empties.

Monkey Marsh Lock is near Thatcham Station and about 3 miles east of Newbury in Berkshire.
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Dublin

Portabello Lock, the highest of seven locks on the "Circular Line" connecting the River Liffey with the main line of the Grand Canal, in Dublin, Ireland.

The crowds which gather to watch are not just because an English narrowboat is an unusual sight in Ireland, but also because any boat passing through these well cared-for locks is an unusual sight, as few boats venture down into Dublin.

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Tixall Wide

Tixall Wide is a favourite location for many boaters. The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal opens out unexpectedly around half a mile west of its junction with the Trent and Mersey Canal at Great Haywood. Also known as "The Broad Water", the wide was created to give the impression of a lake when viewed from the nearby (but now gone) Tixall Hall.

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Windmill End

Windmill End Junction is a crossroads where the Netherton Tunnel Branch meets the Dudley No 1 and No 2 Canals and the short Boshboil Branch. Netherton Tunnel, with its towpaths along both sides, is a short distance ahead, to the left of Cobb's Engine House.
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Carreghofa Revisited

Another visit to Carreghofa on the Montgomery Canal, where the canal descends through two locks. The photo shows the interesting style of ground paddle that is in use here. Unfortunately the paddle is on the offside, opposite to the balance beam, necessitating some running back and forth!
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Dundas Aqueduct

The mighty Dundas Aqueduct that carries the Kennet and Avon Canal across the River Avon near Limply Stoke, south-east of Bath. A Grade One listed building, it was the first canal structure to be scheduled as an Ancient Monument.

On the western side of the aqueduct is the junction with the Somersetshire Coal Canal. This ran some 18 miles to Paulton, with a branch to Radstock and Midsomer Norton. Only a 200 metre stretch of the canal is now open from the junction at Dundas and is used as moorings.
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Harecastle

The southern portal of Harecastle Tunnel, on the Trent and Mersey Canal near Kidsgrove, Staffordshire. Built by Telford in 1827, this is the second of the two tunnels. The first is no longer navigable. In the 1950s, a fan house was built over the southern portal to extract engibe fumes from the tunnel, as there are no ventilation shafts.
The tunnel is said to be haunted by the Kidsgrove Boggart or "Kit Crewbucket".
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Crofton

Crofton Pumping Station, 6 miles from Marlborough, pumps water up six locks to the summit level of the Kennet and Avon Canal. The Pumping Station houses two Cornish steam-powered beam engines, one of which, built in 1812, is claimed to be "the oldest working beam engine in the world still in its original engine house and capable of actually doing the job for which it was installed". [read more]

The pump took water from natural springs and later a small lake that was created to the south of the canal - see aerial photo.
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The building is open daily in the summer months and is on steam on certain days. [see dates]

Anton's Gowt

An evening scene on the River Witham at Anton's Gowt in Lincolnshire. This is about two miles north-west of Boston. To the right, between the moorings, is Anton's Gowt Lock, which goes down onto Frith Bank Drain on the extensive Witham Navigable Drains.
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Leek Tunnel

Leek Tunnel on the Caldon Canal in Staffordshire. This short 130 yard tunnel is on the Leek Arm of the Caldon Canal. Part of the tunnel had to be re-lined and it was closed for a long time. An industrial estate has been built over the final half mile of the branch into Leek.
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Mill at Marple

Goyt Mill stands next to Eccles Bridge on the Macclesfield Canal at Hawk Green, near Marple.

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Wigan

Lock 80 of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Wigan. The canal climbs 23 locks at Wigan, making a tiring day for boaters. The area on the right was known as Bambers Quay. It would be interesting to hear if anyone knows the function of the new tower by the next lock. One passer-by thought it might be concealing a phone mast, but they don't usually go to that much trouble!
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Knighton Wharf

Knighton Wharf on the Shropshire Union Canal. The wharf was used by Cadbury's from 1911 to 1961. Chocolate "crumb" was produced in the adjoining factory, using local milk, and was taken by narrow boat to Bourneville in Birmingham.

Cadbury built the crumb factory at Knighton because it was found to be more efficient to take the cocoa to the milk than transport the milk over a long distance.

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Etruria

Alongside the Trent and Mersey Canal, between the second and third locks up the Stoke flight, stand these pottery kilns.

The two bottle kilns were built in 1887 for Thomas Twyford's Cliff Vale Pottery, Etruria. The listed kilns have been preserved while most of the disused pottery site has been cleared. Only the two kilns and the buildings fronting Shelton New Road survive.

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