Glamorgan Canal

[magpie patrick]

I've been doing some work on the Glamorgan Canal and needed to look at the paddle gear: as there is none left (indeed only four of the 52 locks survive more or less intact) I had to rely on old pictures, some in my library, some in my collection, and some on the internet.

 

Most views of top gates I saw seemed to indicate no top gate paddle, which as there was only one ground paddle stuck me as odd on such a busy canal. However looking closely at this picture

 

 

I got the distinct impression there were openings for paddles in the gate, but I couldn't see any gear. However this picture

 

 

of North Road Lock, shows very unusual gear that appears to be operated from the bank. Look closely at the top gate. My next mystery is how did it operate, which I might have to work out by drawing it and seeing what the mechanics could feasibly have been.

 

I already knew of the bottom paddles, look at the picture below

 

 

The gate paddles on this lock were not operated from the bank, or from boards on the gate, but from a platform built over the lock which would have served three purposes, to cross the lock without using the gates, to operate the paddles and to provide support for the mitre at the top of the gates on these exceptionally deep locks. On many of the two rises these platforms were provided on the intermediate gates even though most didn't have gate paddles.

 

Overall it seems the canal company went to some lengths to make sure boatmen never had to stand on the gates or cross them.

 

Did any other company initially go to such lengths? I know that many later added gate paddles that could be worked from the bank but certainly in the south the vast majority involved standing on the gates, and some still do

 

 

Apologies to Jim Shead, that's Hanham Lock, in the early 20th century all the K and A locks had similar gear.

 

So, hopefully peeps might find the above of interest, and two questions, did any other canal or river ever have those platforms at the lower gates, and any idea how that top gate paddle would have worked?

[matty40s]

 

I got the distinct impression there were openings for paddles in the gate, but I couldn't see any gear. However this picture

 

 

of North Road Lock, shows very unusual gear that appears to be operated from the bank. Look closely at the top gate. My next mystery is how did it operate, which I might have to work out by drawing it and seeing what the mechanics could feasibly have been.

.

 

If you look carefully at the first photo, it has the same mechanism on the upper gate, you can see the angled arms.

The mechanism appears to be a handle which you pull out horizontally, away from the beam end of the gate.

There are two paddle arms and with the fixed points visible, I would suggest the gate paddles went left/right horizontally across the gate, one way open, the other way closed.

This would probably also mean the gate paddles were quite high up the gates.

 

A single ground fill speed would depend on how large the culvert was......I have been through locks with two ground and two gate paddles on teh GU and they take an age, others with just ground paddle(s) and they are really quick.

Edited February 24, 2012 by matty40s

[Pluto]

Patrick,

 

I am fairly certain no British canals had top gate paddles when they were first built. Certainly, I can't recall having seen any contemporary (late 18th, early 19th century) illustrations or drawings which show upper gate paddles. I would be interested if anyone has seen such an illustration. On the L&LC, there is documentary evidence that upper gate paddles were introduced circa 1850 in order to speed the passage of boats through locks as a way of competing with railways. Looking at old photos seems to confirm this, with the less successful canals not having top gate paddles, while those which were capable of competing with railways having top gate paddles. The style of paddle gear also changed overtime on many canals. During research for a conservation policy for those on the Rochdale Canal, I found at least three distinct types from different dates, besides the rubbish BW ones which are used extensively today.

 

The ground paddle was central to the development of British canals, with Thomas Steers introducing them to Britain when he became engineer on the Newry Canal. He had probably seen those on the Brussels Canal, which was the first to have them, when he was fighting with William of Orange's army in the Low Countries in the 1690s. The Brussels Canal opened around 1600.

[magpie patrick]

Patrick,

 

I am fairly certain no British canals had top gate paddles when they were first built. Certainly, I can't recall having seen any contemporary (late 18th, early 19th century) illustrations or drawings which show upper gate paddles. I would be interested if anyone has seen such an illustration. On the L&LC, there is documentary evidence that upper gate paddles were introduced circa 1850 in order to speed the passage of boats through locks as a way of competing with railways. Looking at old photos seems to confirm this, with the less successful canals not having top gate paddles, while those which were capable of competing with railways having top gate paddles. The style of paddle gear also changed overtime on many canals. During research for a conservation policy for those on the Rochdale Canal, I found at least three distinct types from different dates, besides the rubbish BW ones which are used extensively today.

 

The ground paddle was central to the development of British canals, with Thomas Steers introducing them to Britain when he became engineer on the Newry Canal. He had probably seen those on the Brussels Canal, which was the first to have them, when he was fighting with William of Orange's army in the Low Countries in the 1690s. The Brussels Canal opened around 1600.

 

The only canal I would certainly argue with you on is the Peak Forest, as I believe the late Brian Lamb found details of the original design for the locks with all the paddles on one side (which they were until restoration) including bottom ground paddles and a top gate paddle to supplement the ground paddle

 

In South Wales the Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire and Brecon Canals had gate paddles by the 20th century, the Neath and Swansea Canals did not and never did have them fitted. In the case of the Glamorganshire, if they were retro-fitted, I doubt it was railway competition that promoted their fitting, but capacity, by the mid nineteenth century the canal was working 24/7 and the flow of water from operating locks restricted boats going upstream to fifteen tones rather than eighteen going down. This canal was undone not on speed, but lack of capacity.

 

For the true Anorak, late nineteenth century

 

Swansea Canal - two top ground paddles

Neath Canal - One top ground paddle

Glamorgan Canal - one top ground paddle and one top gate paddle (not enough evidence to see if this was the case on the lesser used upper reaches, given the gate paddle is difficult to spot and the photographs rather low resolution)

Monmouth, Brecon and Abergavenny Canals - two ground paddles and one gate paddle, but no footboard to operate the latter from

 

The latter shows the nature of policy, Llangynidr Locks on the B&A were never that busy and anyway with only six locks in 35 miles speed of passage through the locks was hardly an issue, yet they got gate paddles

 

If you look carefully at the first photo, it has the same mechanism on the upper gate, you can see the angled arms.

The mechanism appears to be a handle which you pull out horizontally, away from the beam end of the gate.

There are two paddle arms and with the fixed points visible, I would suggest the gate paddles went left/right horizontally across the gate, one way open, the other way closed.

This would probably also mean the gate paddles were quite high up the gates.

 

A single ground fill speed would depend on how large the culvert was......I have been through locks with two ground and two gate paddles on teh GU and they take an age, others with just ground paddle(s) and they are really quick.

 

Well spotted, and a plausible explanation

 

I feel a visit to National Museum of Wales Archives coming on...

[Iain_S]

I am fairly certain no British canals had top gate paddles when they were first built. Certainly, I can't recall having seen any contemporary (late 18th, early 19th century) illustrations or drawings which show upper gate paddles. (snip).

The Forth and Clyde has gate paddles only; no ground paddles. (1770 - 1840)

 

Iain

[Pluto]

On the Peak Forest, I will have to contact Grahame Boyes, who has just finished a book on the Peak Forest begun by Brian Lamb. The locks and water system at Marple are of interest, in that they were altered very soon after opening. Jessop's air hole system was used, in which the ground paddle tunnel is also used as the bye-wash, but here at both upper and lower gates, rather than just upper gates as is found on the Rochdale and Lancaster. The locks are certainly unusual in how they are set out.

 

On the Forth & Clyde, I wonder if the lack of ground paddles was because they expected sea-going boats to use the canal, and they had much higher freeboard or were more likely to have high bow planking which would divert the incoming water away from the deck and hold. Also, the wider the lock, the less of a problem the flow of water through upper gate paddles would be. Gate paddles would certainly be cheaper to construct than ground paddles - perhaps it was just the Scots being parsimonious! I will have to dig out the drawing of a lock which archaeologists produced during reconstruction of the canal.

 

Edited to add, that I have tried to interest BW in restoring specific locks to as they were at a particular date, given that paddle gear, etc, changes over time. This could then be used for interpreting the canal's history to users and visitors. It could be an idea worth including in any funding bid, given the current high priority of education in such bids.

Edited February 26, 2012 by Pluto

[Heartland]

I had a look through Railway & Canal Historical Society image records, and came across a photograph which shows the top lock gate at North Road, Glamorgan Canal where the gear on the towpath activated two paddles on the gate.

 

The picture dates from 1950, unfortunately, I find it unclear how to attach a sample image to this site.

[magpie patrick]

I had a look through Railway & Canal Historical Society image records, and came across a photograph which shows the top lock gate at North Road, Glamorgan Canal where the gear on the towpath activated two paddles on the gate.

 

The picture dates from 1950, unfortunately, I find it unclear how to attach a sample image to this site.

 

Heartland, you have made my day

 

If the picture is not on a website you can't attach it, is there any chance you could email it to me lazydaysafloat(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ?

 

I will of course acknowledge you as the owner.

 

I am a member of the RCHS by the way

[Heartland]

Heartland, you have made my day

 

If the picture is not on a website you can't attach it, is there any chance you could email it to me lazydaysafloat(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ?

 

I will of course acknowledge you as the owner.

 

I am a member of the RCHS by the way

 

 

I shall forward a copy today, best regards- Ray

[magpie patrick]

Thanks Ray, I've got the photo

 

To an anorak like me it is wonderful, I've printed it off and my wife is complaining about me looking at canal porn!

 

I think you know my father, Ian Moss, he claims to know you, and sends his best regards

[matty40s]

Thanks Ray, I've got the photo

 

To an anorak like me it is wonderful, I've printed it off and my wife is complaining about me looking at canal porn!

 

I think you know my father, Ian Moss, he claims to know you, and sends his best regards

 

 

come on magpie, scan it, was I right??

[Philip]

As we're on the subject of which canals had gate paddles, could anyone tell me whether any of these canals had top gate paddles at one point and if so roughly when they were removed:

 

North Trent and Mersey

Caldon Canal

Middlewich Branch

Llangollen Canal

Montgomery Canal

Newport Branch of Shroppie

Chester Canal

Worcester and Birmingham

North Staffs and Worcester

Stratford-on-Avon

Edited April 16, 2012 by Philip

[magpie patrick]

come on magpie, scan it, was I right??

 

Apologies for taking so long: not quite, the handle moved sideways but a pivot pulled the paddles upwards. I am not sure on copyright so I may sketch it out.

 

As we're on the subject of which canals had gate paddles, could anyone tell me whether any of these canals had top gate paddles at one point and if so roughly when they were removed:

 

 

North Trent and Mersey: As far as I'm aware, the only T&M locks with gate paddles were those with only one ground paddle, so probably not

Caldon Canal Is part of the Trent and Mersey, see above

Middlewich Branch

Llangollen Canal

Montgomery Canal

Newport Branch of Shroppie These were all part of the Shropshire Union System, so probably did at some point. The Shroppie also had a number of locks built with double top gates (mainly the B&LJ main line) and at some point changed to single leaf

Chester Canal Don't know

Worcester and Birmingham No, but the ground paddles are bigger than average so they'd worked out speed

North Staffs and Worcester I seem to recall some locks north of Gaily having gate paddles when I was a child, but may be wrong

Stratford-on-Avon No

 

In the main, gate paddles disappeared in the 60's and 70's, although on the Grand Union they kee[ coming and going at different locks.

 

At the other extreme, Marple locks, when restored, had bottom ground paddles, but none of these survive. One lock was restored with no top gate paddle, it was painfully slow, and one had to be retro-fitted to the gate

Edited April 16, 2012 by magpie patrick

[Pluto]

The Glamorgan paddle gear was a little like this example on the Rufford branch of the L&LC, though using a rack and crank, rather than a quadrant.

[Philip]

Apologies for taking so long: not quite, the handle moved sideways but a pivot pulled the paddles upwards. I am not sure on copyright so I may sketch it out.

 

 

 

North Trent and Mersey: As far as I'm aware, the only T&M locks with gate paddles were those with only one ground paddle, so probably not

Caldon Canal Is part of the Trent and Mersey, see above

Middlewich Branch

Llangollen Canal

Montgomery Canal

Newport Branch of Shroppie These were all part of the Shropshire Union System, so probably did at some point. The Shroppie also had a number of locks built with double top gates (mainly the B&LJ main line) and at some point changed to single leaf

Chester Canal Don't know

Worcester and Birmingham No, but the ground paddles are bigger than average so they'd worked out speed

North Staffs and Worcester I seem to recall some locks north of Gaily having gate paddles when I was a child, but may be wrong

Stratford-on-Avon No

 

In the main, gate paddles disappeared in the 60's and 70's, although on the Grand Union they kee[ coming and going at different locks.

 

At the other extreme, Marple locks, when restored, had bottom ground paddles, but none of these survive. One lock was restored with no top gate paddle, it was painfully slow, and one had to be retro-fitted to the gate

 

Like the Bosley locks? I never knew that! Cheers for the info.

 

The B&LJ is odd in that some of the locks currently have gate paddles and others don't. Despite always having wooden gates, Hack Green locks haven't had them for at least 40 odd years. The old style of gate paddle mechanism is fading away on this canal, only 2 locks now have the old 'rickety' style on the top gate and these gates were fitted in the mid-90s so may be replaced fairly soon. It's a shame as they've kept with tradition on the southern Staffs and Worcs, so why they feel they can't do the same on the Shropshire Union I'm not sure.