Three Mills Lock

[magpie patrick]

On the train coming back from London now, just had a fabulous trip courtesy of Margaret and John on Earnest. Limehouse Cut, through Bow lock and then through the new Three Mills Lock...

 

Other forum members were there so they will post pics no doubt, but twas absolutely brilliant, more so as Derek (colleague who came as well) and I were involved in the prelim design, lobbying and getting the funding. On 8th August 2005 I sat in a meeting and that lock wasn't happening, today I've gone through it

 

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

[Odana]

Well done Patrick and many others. I know how hard people had to fight to make sure the thing got approved, so it's fabulous news that it is finally operational. I'm proud to have done my wee bit in lobbying etc too, but Patrick here did come up with the concept - congratulations!!

 

(The alternative, IIRC, was 700-odd lorries a day under the Blackwall tunnel at far greater expense. And STILL people were umming and ahh-ing...)

[WJM]

I read a news article that said this was London's first new lock in twenty years. What was the last one then? Limehouse?

[Tim Lewis]

On the train coming back from London now, just had a fabulous trip courtesy of Margaret and John on Earnest. Limehouse Cut, through Bow lock and then through the new Three Mills Lock...

 

Other forum members were there so they will post pics no doubt, but twas absolutely brilliant, more so as Derek (colleague who came as well) and I were involved in the prelim design, lobbying and getting the funding. On 8th August 2005 I sat in a meeting and that lock wasn't happening, today I've gone through it

 

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

 

 

Have posted a few pictures of the opening and the trip back up the Regents Canal here.

Enjoy

 

Tim

[Chris J W]

Looked to be an excellent event!

 

Those curved gates look very imposing ...

 

(One thing I've always wondered ... is it called 'Prescott' after Two Jags or A.N.Other (far more reputable) Prescott?)

[alan_fincher]

Looked to be an excellent event!

 

Those curved gates look very imposing ...

 

(One thing I've always wondered ... is it called 'Prescott' after Two Jags or A.N.Other (far more reputable) Prescott?)

According to Wikipedia....

 

The Prescott Channel was built in 1930–35 as part of a flood relief scheme for the River Lee Navigation in the East End of London, and was named after Sir William Prescott, the then chairman of the Lee Conservancy Board

 

Am I imagining it, or doesn't the lock from Limehouse Basin onto the Thames have curved gates a bit like those shown here ?

[Chris J W]

According to Wikipedia....

 

The Prescott Channel was built in 1930–35 as part of a flood relief scheme for the River Lee Navigation in the East End of London, and was named after Sir William Prescott, the then chairman of the Lee Conservancy Board

 

 

Phew! That's a relief! Cheers, Mr F!

Edited June 10, 2009 by Chris J W

[debbifiggy]

Have posted a few pictures of the opening and the trip back up the Regents Canal here.

Enjoy

 

Tim

Thanks Tim, I really enjoyed those pics. I was one of the poor sods who got stuck in the office and didn't make it to East London.

D

[magpie patrick]

Am I imagining it, or doesn't the lock from Limehouse Basin onto the Thames have curved gates a bit like those shown here ?

 

 

No Alan, you are not imagining it

 

They are known as Sector Gates and have the advantage that they can take a head of water from either direction, and can also be opened against a head of water. In this regard they are very similar to guillotines and ideally suited to locks such as this where the fall can be either way, unlike guillotines they don't restrict headroom, but they need more room around the lock. They also avoid the need for paddles, which are expensive when locks get this big

 

Initially we went for guillotines to save on width, which is tight at this location, but the guillotine would have had to be around 25 feet tall, and lift around ten feet clear of the highest possible water level, which with the winding gear on top would have made for a fifty foot high structure at the tidal end. This was felt a tad excessive so sector gates were used

[Tim Lewis]

On the train coming back from London now, just had a fabulous trip courtesy of Margaret and John on Earnest. Limehouse Cut, through Bow lock and then through the new Three Mills Lock...

 

Other forum members were there so they will post pics no doubt, but twas absolutely brilliant, more so as Derek (colleague who came as well) and I were involved in the prelim design, lobbying and getting the funding. On 8th August 2005 I sat in a meeting and that lock wasn't happening, today I've gone through it

 

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

 

There is an article about the opening including a couple of good aerial shots at:

 

http://www.nce.co.uk/5203248.article

 

Tim

[alan_fincher]

SNIP >

 

No Alan, you are not imagining it

 

They are known as Sector Gates and have the advantage that they can take a head of water from either direction, and can also be opened against a head of water. ere used

 

Thanks for the explanation - it all makes a lot of sense, once you have been told.

[bangyuk]

Magpie,

 

Were you responsible for the dimensions of the lock?

 

bangyuk