Lock 51 On The Chesterfield Canal - Worksop, UK - Waterway Locks, Planes and Lifts on Waymarking.com

The Chesterfield Canal
"The canal was built to link Chesterfield, Worksop and Retford to the Trent and so gain access to more trade. Local Anston Stone was transported by the canal to the river Trent for the building of the new Houses of Parliament. During the 19th century the canal was a commercial success due to local coal. However, mining caused subsidence in the Norwood Tunnel, severing the top end of the canal.

The Chesterfield Canal runs from the river Trent at West Stockwith to Chesterfield. The Canal is 45.5 miles (73.3 km) long and has 65 locks, but only the section from West Stockwith the eastern end of Norwood Tunnel is currently navigable. This navigable section is 31.6 miles (50.9 km) long and has 46 locks.

At the isolated western end of the canal, five miles and five locks have been restored. The new Staveley Town Basin opened in 2012. There are slipways at Tapton Lock in Chesterfield and Staveley Town Basin. There is also a craning pad at the basin. This leaves nine miles to be restored. There are detailed plans for the entire stretch, prepared by the Chesterfield Canal Partnership." link

The Lock
Apart from a section of the canal near the River Trent, the locks on the Chesterfiled Canal are designed to just take the narrow boats that had maximum dimensions of 70 feet long and 7 feet wide.

Generally each lock has a single gate at the top end, and a double gate at the lower end. In front of the top gate are two ground paddles to control the flow of water into the lock. Each of the gates at the bottom end has a paddle built into it to control the water flowing out.

Originally the locks were only numbered but over time names evolved, usually reflecting local structures or place names.

The canal and locks on this section of the canal were renovated between 1995 and 2002 and at that time the lock gates were given plates with both their name and number.

The lock is next to Bracebridge Bridge that carries the towpath to the opposite side of the canal.

Waterway Name: The Chesterfield Canal Connected Points: Connects the River Rother at Chesterfield with the River Trent at West Stockwith Type: Lock Date Opened: 01/01/1777 Elevation Difference (meters): 1.00 Site Status: Operational Web Site: [Web Link] Date Closed (if applicable): Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Logs marked as “visits” should be made after physically visiting the waymark location. Include a picture taken during the visit. Notes may be logged by individuals who have visited the web site or looked at the online information and would like to provide comments or feedback on the waymark.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.