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Escherian locks


Francis Herne

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I've just found that, with Kegworth shallow flood lock closed but only a couple of inches rise, the back channel bypassing it is still navigable. So I can work down the lock as many times as I like without ever going up one!

 

Where else is (or was) this possible in a narrowboat?

 

Most back channels have hazardous weirs, are too shallow or are obstructed by bridges/trees/booms. I can't think of any other examples that don't require extreme flood conditions submerging a weir.

 

Tidal locks where the direction changes don't count.

Edited by Francis Herne
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Yes. In normal conditions the lock is chained open and both channels are navigable on the level (although the non-lock one is twisty and a bit overgrown). With more water coming down the lock is in use, the flow down the back channel is rapid but currently still quite safe going upstream.

Edited by Francis Herne
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Butchersfield Locks on the Mersey & Irwell Navigation cut off a long loop and had a drop of about two feet. I believe some boats still went round the loop to avoid the toll. Long time gone - once the ship canal opened trade dropped dramatically and I think traffic fairly quickly reverted to going round the loop. 

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21 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

Didn't I read that empty barges would go down the deep end of Averham Weir to avoid Newark town and Nether locks? 

Does sound a bit unlikely to be honest. 

 

Certainly empty boats went backwards over Crown Point Weir at Leeds on a Monday morning if there was enough fresh on the Aire. 

 

Backwards so that if it wasn't quite enough water the prop was in the wet stuff and could drag the nose off the shelf!

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Spon Lane and Smethwick (according to the OS)

Screenshot_20230403-104811_Samsung Internet.jpg

 

If tidal waters are allowable you can loop forever round the New Bedford River, Old West River and Great Ouse, only ever passing through Hermitage and Denver Sluices in the same direction.

Edited by David Mack
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It used to be possible to bypass a lock on the Thames using the Shiplake Stream - you'd need a small cruiser such as a Shetland 535 and a powerful engine if going upstream. 

 

 

13 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

Butchersfield Locks on the Mersey & Irwell Navigation cut off a long loop and had a drop of about two feet. I believe some boats still went round the loop to avoid the toll. Long time gone - once the ship canal opened trade dropped dramatically and I think traffic fairly quickly reverted to going round the loop. 

 

Having checked on the map, the ship canal considerably shortened the loop that the locks bypassed, thus changing the gradient and rendering the locks redundant. The Butchersfield cut remained in use but the locks were removed 

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