Canal de Castilla - Palencia, España - Historic Hand Operated Sluice Gates on Waymarking.com

The Channel of Castile, known in Spanish as the Canal de Castilla, became one of the most important civil engineering works of Modern Spain. It was constructed during the last half of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. It flows across the land of Burgos, Palencia and Valladolid, provinces which belong to The Community of Castile and León, (Spain). It was built to ease the wheat grain transport from Castile to the northern harbours and to other markets from there onwards.

When railroads were built in northern Spain in the nineteenth century, the Channel turned into the spine of a huge irrigation system due to its inefficiency as a means of transport. There are few canals for navigation in Spain because of the relative lack of water compared to northern European countries and the engineering challenges posed by Spain's mountainous terrain.

The channel stretches 207 km, linking the towns of Alar del Rey (Palencia), which is considered to be the beginning of the Northern Branch, Valladolid and Medina de Rioseco, both lying at the end of the Southern Branch and Campos Branch respectively. (The channel has a shape similar to an inverted 'Y' letter).

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Name of Waterway.: Canal de Castilla Roughly when was the Waterway created?: It was constructed during the last half of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century Is this waterway working?: Working What is the condition of the sluice gate?: Excellent working order What is/was the water used for?: Irrigation

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