Foxton

The splendid staircase locks at Foxton, Leicestershire. The 10 locks, built in 1810, are in the form of two 5-rise staircases, raising the canal by 75 feet. This photo looks towards the upper 5 locks from alongside the lower 5. The paddle gear painted red releases water into side pounds to save water.

Between 1900 and 1911 boats could alternatively use the adjacent inclined plane boat lift, built in an attempt to compete with the railways, which lifted two boats together in one of its two counter-balanced caissons. Short-sightedly the lift was sold for scrap in 1928 but there are proposals to restore it.

This picture appears today to mark the Festival taking place there this weekend to celebrate the restoration of the upper canal arm and lower basin leading to the site of the inclined plane.

See Google Aerial View of this location.