unidentified locks

[magpie patrick]

1 minute ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

That means I was on the right track with the three caacruisers, just on the wrong canal in the wrong year.

 

Not even close to a cigar! 

 

In your defence - wrong canal and wrong year are basically the same thing, so you got 50%  

[Pluto]

19 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

So when would the ladder have been added to Higherland lock? The pic. in the OP looks 1960's No ladder evident.

 

The bollards are different too. I'd always assumed the bollards and ladders were original features but perhaps not?

 

https://canalplan.uk/photo/ee_94p - ladder evident. Along with different bollards.

 

 

Photograph taken by Charles Polkey on 16 April 2009 and was added to the database on Tuesday the 22nd of March, 2011

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence, see the terms of use

 

 

 

Ladders were fitted in the late 1970s and 1980s as H&S became a higher priority. The gates had rungs to allow you to climb up them, which was fine if you had a proper wide boat, with the new ladders being there to allow anyone who fell in to get out - hopefully.

 

Historically, two bollards were usually fitted on the towpath side, though not always. You can tell the originals as they are usually set back, rather than on the copings. With a loaded boat, you would probably pull out the coping if you used the modern examples seen above. Historically, there was also a t-stud on the near side balance beam, and this is what was used to hold the boat away from the cill when descending, and the upper gate when ascending. New bollards of varying types were introduced from the 1960s as pleasure boating increased. I always feel the modern ones, closer to the chamber edge are more of a trip hazard than the originals. You can usually tell the originals from the rope marks worn into them. Gate anchors are another interesting feature, the one here being an original 1790s type.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Pluto said:

Ladders were fitted in the late 1970s and 1980s as H&S became a higher priority. The gates had rungs to allow you to climb up them, which was fine if you had a proper wide boat, with the new ladders being there to allow anyone who fell in to get out - hopefully.

 

Historically, two bollards were usually fitted on the towpath side, though not always. You can tell the originals as they are usually set back, rather than on the copings. With a loaded boat, you would probably pull out the coping if you used the modern examples seen above. Historically, there was also a t-stud on the near side balance beam, and this is what was used to hold the boat away from the cill when descending, and the upper gate when ascending. New bollards of varying types were introduced from the 1960s as pleasure boating increased. I always feel the modern ones, closer to the chamber edge are more of a trip hazard than the originals. You can usually tell the originals from the rope marks worn into them. Gate anchors are another interesting feature, the one here being an original 1790s type.

Good explanation, thankyou. Every day is a school day. I genuinely didn't realise the ladders were such a recent addition, but it's logical when you see it explained.