the barnacle Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 i travel up the m6 quite a bit - around nantwich area the canal goes under the motorway and i see it has 2 locks side by side? why is this? is it just as this section was so busy in the past? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGurl Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Are you talking about heartbreak hill on the T&M? Kidsgrove to Wheel lock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the barnacle Posted December 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Are you talking about heartbreak hill on the T&M? Kidsgrove to Wheel lock. Thank you for the reply this one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john6767 Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Yes that is Heartbreak hill, or "the Cheshire Locks". The whole flight is doubled, which you can see it you follow it on google. In some cases now one of the 2 locks has disapeared or is not in use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 (edited) Similar to the locks at Hillmorton, ease traffic flow I imagine. Just for interest Hillmorton middle locks as many of us haven't seen them. Edited December 2, 2015 by Ray T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGurl Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Thank you for the reply this one yep heartbreak hill, although they are slowly but surely closing one side of them which is sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the barnacle Posted December 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 its a shame they are closing them - but i guess 2 locks doubles the repair costs - i wonder if it was just for traffic flow as there are quite a few locks i see and i guess this was a busy section Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alway Swilby Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Lock 58 on the T&M. Part of the flight of 26 locks over 7 or 8 miles known as The Cheshire Locks. Some call them Heartbreak Hill because the locks are often spaced just too far apart for the lock wheeler to walk. I've never found them a heartbreak and passing through that particular lock gives me much satisfaction at the slow pace we are travelling. Many of the locks on the flight were doubled to increase traffic capacity. Some of the doubles have fallen into disrepair and become abandoned. When was the last abandonment? I've been cruising that flight since 2008 and I don't think one has closed since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the barnacle Posted December 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Thankyou, looks a nice stretch of canal - today i was in lancs - the canals looked almost deserted - a big contrast to been down south - i also saw a black NB been transported south on the m6 today and wondered if it was anyones on here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alway Swilby Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 (edited) When was the last abandonment of a paired lock? I've been cruising that flight since 2008 and I don't think one has closed in that time. Edited December 2, 2015 by Alway Swilby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty40s Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Just for interest Hillmorton middle locks as many of us haven't seen them. Hillmorton middle locks.jpg might have know you would get something good in, when did you photoshop that house in then .oh, and back out again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Megson Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Another advantage of twin narrow locks over a wide lock is that a single boat boat will only use half the water it would in a wide lock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junior Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Hassal Green I'd imagine, lock 57. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 (edited) might have know you would get something good in, when did you photoshop that house in then .oh, and back out again... Here you go Matty, I've "photoshopped" in the original road bridge between middle and bottom locks: Edited December 2, 2015 by Ray T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul C Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Its not just their being duplicated to save time, they also used to have a paddle in between the two chambers, in situations where one lock is full and the other empty, the paddle could have been opened as a water saving measure. They are all disused/removed/blocked up now though. When CRT did one of their lock tours at a lock under repair, I did suggest if they had volunteer lockkeepers could they reintroduce this - the guy looked at me like I was from the planet Zorg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGurl Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 When was the last abandonment of a paired lock? I've been cruising that flight since 2008 and I don't think one has closed in that time. Not sure if they actually repaired it but the lock under the macc had orange tape around it for months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Its not just their being duplicated to save time, they also used to have a paddle in between the two chambers, in situations where one lock is full and the other empty, the paddle could have been opened as a water saving measure. They are all disused/removed/blocked up now though. When CRT did one of their lock tours at a lock under repair, I did suggest if they had volunteer lockkeepers could they reintroduce this - the guy looked at me like I was from the planet Zorg. After he worked for S E Barlow's Mike H worked for British Waterways and one of the jobs he was given to do was block up the culverts between the two locks at Hillmorton in that flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 yep heartbreak hill, although they are slowly but surely closing one side of them which is sad. Not so. With the decline in commercial use many of the locks were reduced to only one of the pair working. Some of the disused locks were lost when bridges were rebuilt over one lock entrance only, and Thurlewood Steel lock, still usable in the 70s was demolished in the 80s (?). But since then many of the once disused locks have been brought back into use by BW where this was reasonably straightforward. The one open chamber I can recall which has not been restored has narrowed noticeably, so would require a major rebuild to bring it back into use. But the luxury of having paired locks does mean that when something needs fixing there isn't the same pressure to get it sorted, so there may be prolonged periods when only one lock of a pair is available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmr Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 Lock 58 on the T&M. Part of the flight of 26 locks over 7 or 8 miles known as The Cheshire Locks. Some call them Heartbreak Hill because the locks are often spaced just too far apart for the lock wheeler to walk. I've never found them a heartbreak and passing through that particular lock gives me much satisfaction at the slow pace we are travelling. Many of the locks on the flight were doubled to increase traffic capacity. Some of the doubles have fallen into disrepair and become abandoned. When was the last abandonment? I've been cruising that flight since 2008 and I don't think one has closed since then. There was a forum thread a while ago. One of the locks, which is very obviously out of use, has recently been fenced off and acquired a smart new sign saying "lock closed". As the lock is very obviously closed I think some of us suspect that this is an underhand way of CaRT announcing that they plan to never restore it. ...............Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGurl Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 There was a forum thread a while ago. One of the locks, which is very obviously out of use, has recently been fenced off and acquired a smart new sign saying "lock closed". As the lock is very obviously closed I think some of us suspect that this is an underhand way of CaRT announcing that they plan to never restore it. ...............Dave indeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy3196 Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 There is work ongoing to restore the currently out of use locks, see http://www.cheshirelocks.org.uk/history for details of ones that have been reopened in recent years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magpie patrick Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 There was a forum thread a while ago. One of the locks, which is very obviously out of use, has recently been fenced off and acquired a smart new sign saying "lock closed". As the lock is very obviously closed I think some of us suspect that this is an underhand way of CaRT announcing that they plan to never restore it. ...............Dave Yep but that lock has been out of use as long as I can remember - I'm 49 and was born in Middlewich I think the signs went up around the time CRT "asset labelled" everything round there. As part of that they put inviting gates all over the place, and then put signs on them saying "CRT personnel only" - perhaps they plan to restrict access to all the gates leading off the towpath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alway Swilby Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 There is work ongoing to restore the currently out of use locks, see http://www.cheshirelocks.org.uk/history for details of ones that have been reopened in recent years. Indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayalld Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 indeed That would be the upper lock at Church Locks, which has been closed for MANY years. Still has derelict gates in place. I believe that the chamber walls are badly bowed, but it hasn't been capped or infilled, so I take the view that they aren't actively trying to close anything. The only recent closure is the offside lock immediately below this one (it is a difficult move across the pound, and it tended to cause congestion if too many boats locked up) There have been various closures of the Bottom pair at Wheelock, but these are not (AFAIK) permanent. By my reckoning, there are; 2 locks that are fairly intact (Church Locks) that could be resurected 2 locks (the middle lock of Lawton Treble Locks and the lock above the boatyard at Malkins Bank) that are in filled, but not a major challenge to dig out. 2 locks (Red Bull and Hassall Green) that are infilled and obstructed by a road bridge 1 lock (former Thurlwood Steel Lock) eliminated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHutch Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 yep heartbreak hill, although they are slowly but surely closing one side of them which is sad. As far as i am aware there is no plan to close them, in fact thee is an active campaign to open them, I wouldnt not read anything more into the sign, and certainly as said none have closed in my living memory. Its not just their being duplicated to save time, they also used to have a paddle in between the two chambers, in situations where one lock is full and the other empty, the paddle could have been opened as a water saving measure. On a more basic level than that, twin locks saves water simply by massively increasing the chance of there being one in you favour, or near to it, rather than having to turn then often. As I understanding it the link-paddle, along with side pounds, was never really used due to the amount it slowed the whole process. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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