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Caen Hill Locks
Cafe, Ice Cream, Lock Flight,
The Locks, Bath Rd, Devizes SN10 1QRWhat can be found at: Caen Hill Locks
Recognised as one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways. The 29 locks rise of 237 feet in 2 miles which is a 1 in 44 gradient. Navigating locks 22 to 50 will take you about 5 to 6 hours in a boat.
The locks are in three distinct groups:
The Lower Seven Locks (22 to 28), Foxhangers Wharf Lock to Foxhangers Bridge Lock, are spread over 3/4 mile
The Main Flight sixteen locks (29 to 44), in a steep flight straight up the hillside are designated as a scheduled monument. They are also known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways.
The Top Six Locks (45 to 50), taking the canal into Devizes.
The steep gradient, means the pounds between the locks are quite short. Because of this, fifteen of the locks have large sideways-extended pounds, these provide the water needed for the day to day cycling of the locks. This means they use a lot of water. A back pump was installed at Lower Foxhangers Lock (22) in 1996 which is capable of returning a staggering 7 million imperial gallons of water every day, back to the top of the lock flight. This is equivalent to a whole lock-full every eleven minutes.
The Kennet and Avon Canal took 14 years to complete and the locks were designed and engineered by John Rennie (the elder). It was the final part of the 87 mile Kennet and Avon Navigation to be opened in 1810.
John Blackwell (Rennie's site agent) oversaw the locks' construction. Back then his annual salary was £300 (about £30,000 today) plus another £50 in expenses for his horse.
Between 1801 and 1810, a tramway had provided a trade link between Foxhangers at the bottom and Devizes at the top whilst the locks were completed, the remains of which can be seen in the towpath arches of the road bridges over the canal.
Between 1829 and 1843, the flight was lit at night by gas lights.
The side pounds and the areas around them are managed as nature habitat by the Canal & River Trust. Over 30,000 trees were planted in 2012–13 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
Using local clay to make bricks for the construction of the locks, Caen Hill Brickworks, built specifically for purpose. The works were on the southern side of the canal between locks 28 & 29.
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Also shown will be Stand Alone: winding holes, moorings, water, elsan, refuse disposal and toilets etc.
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