Difference between revisions of "Bath Locks"

Latest revision as of 12:24, 27 June 2019

Bath Deep Lock

Bath Locks are a series of locks, now six in total, situated at the start of the Kennet and Avon Canal, at Bath, Somerset.

Bath Bottom Lock, which is numbered as No 7 on the canal, is the meeting with the River Avon just south of Pulteney Bridge.^[1] Alongside the lock is a side pond and pumping station which pumps water up the locks to replace that used each time the lock is opened.^[2]

The next stage of Bath Deep Lock is numbered 8/9 as two locks were combined when the canal was restored in 1976. A road constructed while the canal was in a state of disrepair passes over the original site of the lower lock.^[3] The new chamber has a depth of 19 ft 5 in,^[4] making it Britain's second deepest canal lock.^[5]

Narrow boats in Bath Deep Lock

Just above the 'deep lock' is an area of water enabling the lock to refill and above this is Wash House Lock (number 10),^[6] and soon after by Abbey View Lock (number 11), a Grade-II listed building^[7] by which there is another pumping station and in quick succession Pulteney Lock (12) and Bath top Lock (13).^[8]

Cleveland House and the cast iron bridges of Sydney Gardens, Bath

Above the top lock the canal passes through Sydney Gardens where it passes through two tunnels^[9][10] and under two cast iron footbridges dating from 1800. Cleveland tunnel is 173 ft long and runs under Cleveland House, the former headquarters of the Kennet and Avon Canal Company. A trap-door in the tunnel roof was employed to exchange paperwork between clerks above and barges below.^[11] This is now a Grade-II* listed building.^[12]

Many of the bridges over the canal are also listed buildings.^{[13][14][15][15][16][17][18]}

The locks were restored in 1968 by a collaboration involving staff from British Waterways and volunteer labour organised by the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust.^[19]

References

See also

• Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal