The old fashioned way

[haggis]

I agree that it is good if you are travelling in the right direction to benefit from open gates but it causes a lot of extra walking if you are not! However, open gates and leaky gates can cause low pounds which doesn't help anyone, no matter the direction of travel

Let's all increase our licence fee so that C&RT have enough money to make all gates leak proof and we can all then leave gates open. I think I'll continue to comply with the request to shut all gates and close all paddles

Haggis

[Dave123]

Funnily enough I was talking to a couple recently who related a similar story, but from a slightly different angle. They had been talking to an old farmer who had land adjoining the T&M and had lost a number of cows that had fallen into locks. Apparently he too referred to the "old days" when gates were left open, and in fact maintained the practice was primarily to leave an escape route for careless livestock. It's plausible, given that bovines do seem to have a particular talent for falling into canals.

But this would only work if you were locking up? Leaving gates open going down hill won't be any help to the cows!

[ditchcrawler]

But this would only work if you were locking up? Leaving gates open going down hill won't be any help to the cows!

They would be less likely to fall in IMO and if they did they would have a chance leaving by the bottom gates. If the fell in an empty lock with the bottom gates shut the are going nowhere fast

[Chewbacka]

But this would only work if you were locking up? Leaving gates open going down hill won't be any help to the cows!

I guess you are thinking here that the water in an empty lock is too shallow to break the fall of a wayward cow.

[Dave123]

Yes I suppose they could still walk/swim out of the lock. But I doubt this was why locks were left with gates open, I think it's much more likely it was just the quickest and most efficient method (provided everyone else did the same). Although, I was reading about the Chelmer and Blackwater navigation and apparently locks must be left full there as a safety precaution in case anyone falls in...

[ditchcrawler]

Yes I suppose they could still walk/swim out of the lock. But I doubt this was why locks were left with gates open, I think it's much more likely it was just the quickest and most efficient method (provided everyone else did the same). Although, I was reading about the Chelmer and Blackwater navigation and apparently locks must be left full there as a safety precaution in case anyone falls in...

I agree with the first half of your posting, the last bit is that a modern requirement, I think its similar on the River Stour

[Dave123]

Sorry, yes I meant it is a modern health and safety thing ?