Widest & Deepest narrow locks. Where are they?

[oboat]

Last month on a magnificent autumn morning as I descended the top lock of the Tardebigge (which in itself is oversize) I was musing on two things. Trying to recall where is the deepest narrow lock (7’-0” ish) on the UK systems? I know I will have traversed it at some time but I just could not recall it. 
This then got me musing as to which canal(s) on the English systems had the widest narrow locks and how extensive was the system in question? 

[Chewbacka]

Tuel lane lock on the Rochdale is pretty deep.  When the canal was restored the road covered a pair of locks, so they dug a tunnel and built one very deep lock.

 

certainly the deepest I have been through, not sure if it’s the deepest.  Google would know!!!

Edited November 13, 2022 by Chewbacka

[alan_fincher]

"Widest" "Narrow" Lock is something of a contradiction in terms.

How do you define a " narrow" lock, please?

 

If you mean a lock not wide enough for two 7 foot narrow boats, then there are plenty that have either achieved that by accident, such as the many on the Rochdale where the walls have moved inwards, or by design, such as those on the River Stort.

 

If however you mean a lock built as a "generous" narrow boat size, then the lock width on something like the Aylesbury arm is probably closer to 8 feet.

How you quantify the "weir" locks on the Oxford is another matter again.  The gates are one narrow boat wide, bu the lock are three narrowboats wide, providd two of the boats are not full length.

[alan_fincher]

4 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

Tuel lane lock on the Rochdale is pretty deep. 

 

Indeed, it is the deepest in the country, with Bath deep lock a close second, I believe.  Both I think are very deep because a single lock has replaced what was initially two locks.

But the question said "narrow locks", and both of those are broad.

Lock 10 on the Ashton Canal seems to be the deepest reported on a narrow canal, at 13' 0" rise.  Strange as none of them on the Ashton  have ever seemed that dee to me.

[dmr]

Dunno about the wider ones, that might be a bit tricky to find out out, but there is a good list of deeper locks somewhere on the www, I think the Ashton has quite a few of them, plus Somerton of course.  I think the very deepest lock on the Ashton is due to Subsidence.    Marple are all moderately deep.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Pennine waterways reckons the deepest narrow lock is Vinegar Lock (10) on the Ashton at 13'10". There are several others on the same canal and the neighbouring Peak Forest almost as deep. Certainly the boat looks a loooonnng way down at the bottom, which the narrowness accentuates.

Edited November 13, 2022 by Jen-in-Wellies

[Mad Harold]

Dunno about "wide" narrow locks, but some lock openings on the HNC are very tight.

Lock 1E for example the entrance is barely 7ft wide and to make it more interesting there are some sticky out stones to avoid.

It is generally reckoned that if you can get through lock 1E, then you will get through the rest.

[Guest]

Removed because of a school boy error in not reading the question properly.

Edited November 13, 2022 by M_JG

[Jen-in-Wellies]

One of the deeper locks on the Ashton. Can't remember which one, but likely over 12' deep. Picture from single handing the flight in 2012.

Edited November 13, 2022 by Jen-in-Wellies

[Guest]

Just now, Jen-in-Wellies said:

One of the deeper locks on the Ashton. Can't remember which one, but likely over 12' deep. Picture from single handing the flight in 2012.

 

 

Was it snowing?

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Just now, M_JG said:

 

Was it snowing?

For some reason, the picture didn't upload the first time. Fixed now.

[Paul C]

Beeston Iron Lock has to be (currently) probably the widest narrow lock - if you define it as "can't get 2 narrowboats through at once". It has a bulge in the wall meaning 2x full length narrowboats can't do it, and even 2x 57' boats can't. But apparently, if you know where the bulge is, and one of the boats is smaller, its possible. But nobody can remember where the bulge is and you certainly can't judge/see it. Also, due to its unique construction, instead of scraping along, a boat would be hung up if it tried. Hence the big red signs saying 1 boat at a time.

[Higgs]

Stenson Lock, Trent and Mersey - 12' 4".

 

 

[IanD]

Not narrow, but *very* deep... 🙂

 

 

[billh]

7 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

One of the deeper locks on the Ashton. Can't remember which one, but likely over 12' deep. Picture from single handing the flight in 2012.

That's No.7, Park Lock or Wood's lock , Mr & Mrs Walter Woods(lock keepers) lived in the  still extant  cottage there. Deepest lock is 10 as Alan pointed out , comparable with Marple Top  but a bit deeper.

I have mentioned before on here that lock 4  currently with a fall of around 3ft is actually as deep as eg 5 or 7  at around 12ft but mining subsidence in  the 1950s mucked it up.

[junior]

Etruria top feels very deep when you're in it. Never liked being on the boat in that lock.

[Captain Pegg]

There’s a couple of chambers on the south Stratford that are particularly wide, possibly as much as 9’ at the top of the walls.

 

It could be due to movement or perhaps that the locks with single leaf bottom gates were built slightly wider to accommodate being able to ease passage through the gate.

 

What I wouldn’t want to guarantee is that any craft over 7’ could actually access the lock between the wing walls and gates.

[oboat]

8 hours ago, Chewbacka said:

Tuel lane lock on the Rochdale is pretty deep.  When the canal was restored the road covered a pair of locks, so they dug a tunnel and built one very deep lock.

 

certainly the deepest I have been through, not sure if it’s the deepest.  Google would know!!!

Sorry no Banana! 

 

 

[Derek R.]

As to the widest 'narrow' locks - would they be on the Aylesbury arm?

[oboat]

6 hours ago, IanD said:

Not narrow, but *very* deep... 🙂

 

 

But where?

[magpie patrick]

7 minutes ago, oboat said:

But where?

IanD's picture is of the lock at Ardnacrusha on the Shannon - it's a two-rise staircase with the top chamber having a fall of around 70 feet and the lower on 30-40 feet depending on the tide level below the lock. 

[Feeby100]

The deepest lock in the UK is Tuel Lane Lock on Rochdale Canal which is over 19 feet.

[LadyG]

10 hours ago, Chewbacka said:

Tuel lane lock on the Rochdale is pretty deep.  When the canal was restored the road covered a pair of locks, so they dug a tunnel and built one very deep lock.

 

certainly the deepest I have been through, not sure if it’s the deepest.  Google would know!!!

It is the deepest I have a certificate to prove it , but it's a wide lock 

[ditchcrawler]

43 minutes ago, LadyG said:

It is the deepest I have a certificate to prove it , 

Was it issued by weights and measures?

[Momac]

20 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

 

........ very deep because a single lock has replaced what was initially two locks.

That is the case regarding Tule lane, which was constructed in 1996