West Stockwith: See what lies beneath the West Stockwith Lock at open day

This is part of 16 public open day events being held across England and Wales showcasing the work of the Canal and River Trust as it begins a major overhaul of its waterways as part of a five-month maintenance programme to canals and rivers.

On Sunday 23rd November West Stockwith Lock will be open for the public to give people the chance to walk along the lock bottom as well as asking questions to the Trust’s craftsmen about how this skilled work is carried out.

The Trust is investing around £100,000 in vital repairs to the lock which will include replacing a set of lock gates which were last changed over 30 years ago.

The lock itself is 42 metres long and 6.5 metres deep and the new lock gates weigh 3.5 tonnes.

Julian Rasen, construction supervisor for the Canal & River Trust’s East Midlands region said: “This is a unique event which gives local people the chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at some amazing history.”

“To walk along the bed of the lock and see all the blood, sweat and tears that must have gone into building these locks over 200 years ago is a real privilege.”

“Lock gate making and fitting is an extremely skilled and traditional trade and one that remains essential to the waterways.”

Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal and River Trust, said: “The Canal and River Trust cares for a remarkable network of historic waterways which are still working just as they were designed to 200 years ago.”

“Keeping them open and safe requires a huge amount of planning, investment and craftsmanship and involves a wide range of experts, from civil engineers and hydrologists to heritage experts and ecologists.”

“This winter we are spending £45m on essential repairs and restorations and routine maintenance to our canals and rivers.”

“By showcasing this work to the public we can give them a glimpse of the craftsmanship of the waterways’ original 18th Century design and the scale of the work we do to care for it.”

“We hope this will inspire more people to get involved to enjoy and help support their local canal or river navigation.”

The open day event is being held at West Stockwith Lock, Stockwith Basin in Canal Lane, West Stockwith, DN10 4ET between 9.30am and 3.30pm.

Visitors are asked to wear sturdy footwear.