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Mystery Lock

Tim Lewis

By Tim Lewis
in General Boating

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GUMPY Veteran II

GUMPYDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted (edited)

No idea where it is but I have myy suspicions.

Above the lock is river fed and prone to flooding. The river runs off in a different direction to the canal. Lower gates form part of a flood wall to protect the area below the lock. Just a guess😉

Edited by Loddon
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TheBiscuits Veteran II

TheBiscuits

Posted
Posted (edited)
54 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

Any one recognise the lock and know why the bottom gates are higher than the top gates?

 

I don't know the lock, but I'm even more intrigued by what seems to be water coming through the paddle on the "bottom" gates without blowing them open. EDIT: Never mind, on closer zooming it's an open perspex hatch/window on the boat not water through the gates.

 

I'm sure somebody here will be able to explain it to us though.

 

Flood defence is the only reason that makes any sense of the relative gate heights - is it on a tidal waterway?

 

 

 

Edited by TheBiscuits
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Tam & Di Influencer

Tam & Di

Posted
Posted (edited)
57 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Lower gates form part of a flood wall to protect the area below the lock. Just a guess😉

It is difficult to see clearly, but assuming the tall gates open in the same direction as the short ones they can't be holding back a higher level - they'd just push open

The problem is that the water at the lower gates has already made a level. I suppose it is possible that there are another pair of tall gates just out of view that open in the opposite direction, then they could be flood (or tide) control.

 

The general appearance of the landscape does not have the look of somewhere tidal.

 

Tam

Edited by Tam & Di
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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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Posted (edited)

I really don't like the Kee klamp guard rails on the walkway across the gates.  Much too near the edge of the planks. That's going to break in 5 seconds.  It seems to have metal under the wood but still with the railings being so tall it seems to be asking for trouble. 

 

Regarding the flood lock I think @loddon got it right earlier. Levels usually the same but the bit closer in the image is obviously a river section. The colour of the water shows this.

 

So if the river is in flood the gates further away would be held closed and passage would be impossible. 

 

In normal times both sets of gates kept open.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I see they have a nice Burco tea urn in the boat so at least the main priorities are being dealt with. 

 

 

Edited by magnetman
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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
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54 minutes ago, magnetman said:

It's not on the Wey. 

 

It looks a bit like a canal which is undergoing restoration and probably not connected to the system yet. 

 

Random guess Thames and Severn? 

 

 

 

Wherever it is, I think we a safe to say it's not CRT. Otherwise it would be festooned with blue signage telling us things that are obvious to even a chimp. 

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GUMPY Veteran II

GUMPYDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted
22 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

It is difficult to see clearly, but assuming the tall gates open in the same direction as the short ones they can't be holding back a higher level - they'd just push open

The problem is that the water at the lower gates has already made a level. I suppose it is possible that there are another pair of tall gates just out of view that open in the opposite direction, then they could be flood (or tide) control.

 

The general appearance of the landscape does not have the look of somewhere tidal.

 

Tam

I did say that the flooding area is above the lock not below. The raised floodwall and gates protect the area below the lock when in times of flood the lock itself is underwater.

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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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Posted

The boat in the lock is narrow beam which means it must be connected to some narrow waterway. Or the boat has been road transported and dropped in.

 

The green paint is an interesting theme.

 

 

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Tacet Rising Star

Tacet

Posted
Posted

Brewhurst Lock on the Wey and Arun Canal.

 

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2705029

 

"This is on the navigable section of canal, and was restored by volunteers during the 1990s. Later, when the decision was made to lower the pound (section of water) above this lock to allow access under Loxwood Bridge, this lock was lowered, again by volunteers. However, rather than go to the expense and effort of rebuilding the bottom end of the lock those lock gates remain, making an unusual situation where the lower lock gates are taller than the upper lock gates."

 

 

Which I think, is about right.

 

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Tacet said:

Brewhurst Lock on the Wey and Arun Canal.

 

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2705029

 

"This is on the navigable section of canal, and was restored by volunteers during the 1990s. Later, when the decision was made to lower the pound (section of water) above this lock to allow access under Loxwood Bridge, this lock was lowered, again by volunteers. However, rather than go to the expense and effort of rebuilding the bottom end of the lock those lock gates remain, making an unusual situation where the lower lock gates are taller than the upper lock gates."

 

 

Which I think, is about right.

 

 

The water marking on the lock-side of the (taller) lower gates had me puzzled but this explains it.

 

The water level had obviously been way higher than the lockside for long periods of time judging by the weed growth etc on them bottom gates. 

 

 

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magpie patrick Veteran II

magpie patrickDonate to Canal World

Posted
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49 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

The water marking on the lock-side of the (taller) lower gates had me puzzled but this explains it.

 

The water level had obviously been way higher than the lockside for long periods of time judging by the weed growth etc on them bottom gates. 

 

 

 

I've been through the lock at it's original depth - slightly odd now to look UP at where I once cruised 

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