Visitors gain insight into workings of West Stockwith lock

The Canal & River Trust, the charity responsible for 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales, opened up West Stockwith Lock to the public after draining it for maintenance, giving an insight into the inner workings of this important waterway structure.

Visitors of all ages took the opportunity to venture into the bottom of the lock chamber and walk along the drained lock bed. The open day came as part of the Canal & River Trust’s £45 million spend on essential repair and restoration works to our canals and rivers.

Over £100,000 in vital repairs to the lock are being invested including the replacement of both sets of lock gates which were last changed in 1987. The lock itself is 42 metres long and 6.5 metres deep and the new lock gates weigh 3.5 tonnes.

Waterways manager Sean McGinley said: “We care for a remarkable and historic network of canals and rivers which are still working just as they were designed to 200 years ago. Keeping them in top working order requires a huge amount of planning, investment and craftsmanship and it’s great that we’ve been able to showcase this to members of the public. Millions pass our structures each year but many might not realise what it takes to keep them in top working order.”