History, Locks, Staircase Locks
Discover the fascinating history of Grindley Brook Staircase Locks, an engineering marvel that has stood the test of time.
The Origins of Grindley Brook Staircase Locks
Grindley Brook Staircase Locks are a series of three staircase locks located on the Llangollen Canal in Cheshire, England. These locks were built in the late 18th century during the canal boom, a period when waterways were essential for transporting goods and raw materials across the country.
The locks were designed to navigate a steep gradient, allowing boats to ascend and descend the terrain efficiently. The construction of these locks was a significant engineering achievement of its time and played a crucial role in boosting the local economy by facilitating trade and transportation.
A quick walk through
Architectural and Engineering Significance
Grindley Brook Staircase Locks are renowned for their ingenious design, which allows for the seamless transition of boats up and down a steep incline. Each lock chamber is filled and emptied in a carefully coordinated sequence, utilizing the water from the chamber above to fill the one below.
The engineering behind the locks showcases the advanced understanding of hydraulics and water management that engineers of the time possessed. The locks are constructed from robust materials like brick and stone, ensuring their durability and long-term functionality.
Historical Events and Milestones
Over the years, Grindley Brook Staircase Locks have witnessed numerous historical events and milestones. During the Industrial Revolution, the locks were a bustling hub of activity, with countless boats passing through daily. The locks were a testament to the ingenuity and hard work of the engineers and laborers who built them.
Image sourced from Millstone Postcards
In the 20th century, the advent of railways and road transport led to a decline in canal traffic. However, the locks gained a new lease on life as they became popular with leisure boaters and tourists, who were fascinated by the historical and engineering marvels of the canal system.
Restoration and Preservation Efforts
In recent decades, considerable efforts have been made to restore and preserve Grindley Brook Staircase Locks. Various organizations, including the Canal & River Trust, have undertaken extensive renovation projects to ensure that the locks remain in good condition for future generations.
These restoration efforts have included repairing brickwork, replacing worn-out gates, and maintaining the surrounding infrastructure. The community’s involvement in these preservation activities highlights the cultural and historical importance of the locks to the local area.
How to use these staircase locks
Navigating through Grindley Brook Staircase Locks can be a unique and rewarding experience for boaters. The process involves carefully coordinating the opening and closing of gates and paddles to move the boat from one lock chamber to the next.
Boaters should be prepared to follow specific procedures to ensure a smooth passage. This includes checking the water levels, communicating with other boaters, and being patient as the locks fill and empty. It’s a fascinating way to engage with the canal’s history and appreciate the engineering genius behind the locks.
Grindley Brook Today: A Tourist’s Delight
Today, Grindley Brook Staircase Locks are a popular destination for tourists and canal enthusiasts. The locks are surrounded by picturesque scenery, making them an ideal spot for a leisurely day out. There is a great little café right next to the locks where visitors can sit and watch the boats and their navigators work the locks.
Visitors can enjoy walking along the towpaths, watching the boats navigate the locks, and learning about the site’s history through informative displays. The nearby village of Grindley Brook offers additional attractions, including charming cafes and shops, making it a perfect location for an enjoyable and educational outing.
Read about my experiences going down the locks.
GOGA, Locks
Grindley Brook and Other Stories
The following morning I was awake at 5.30, (that’s an improvement on 5am, right?), so I went for a wander to check out the staircase locks which I would have to negotiate later on that day. They were both impressive and intimidating at the same time. I made a short video because I cannot really describe what they were like. (You can find the video at bottom of the post)
The first thing I saw was a big blue CRT board explaining how to operate the locks safely. As a complete novice this was mildly terrifying!
I very quickly decided that I didn’t fancy doing these locks on my own!
I returned to the boat and had some breakfast and a cuppa. It was now 7am and I was resigned to kicking my heels until at least 8 when the lock keeper was due to appear to help folks navigate the staircase locks. However, about 7:10 a person wearing a CRT shirt appeared so I quickly exited the boat and made a beeline for him. On talking to him it turned out he wasn’t the lock keeper but he would happily help me through the locks as he could see I was eager to set out. Faster than you can say Llanfairpwllgwyngygogerychwyrndrobwlll I had the boat idling towards the top lock. It was a great experience going down these locks, they are very deep and have a cill which is more than half the height of my boat. Having an expert on hand to help me was brilliant as it allowed me to really savour the experience.
This is how they rolled back in the day.
The story after Grindley
Once through the staircase I immediately had to negotiate another lock, only a single but the first I have navigated on my own. To be fair it went OK, I took my time and made sure that I did everything in order. I had heard some horror stories about doing locks single handed, luckily they were just that, exaggerated stories. I negotiated several more locks including Povey where I made a rookie error by leaving my windlass on the support beam, however I didn’t realise until I reached for it at the next lock. As it happened I had a spare, but I felt like I had failed some initiation test by losing it so early on in my liveaboard life.
Undaunted I carried on and in the meantime I posted on Faceache in the hope that someone reading it would come across it and return it to me. As it happened in my haste my phone made some superb auto corrections to my post which caused a fair amount of hilarity for the group members.
Eventually a lock or two further on I was caught by another boat who started to help me with the locks. I jokingly shouted to the other crew asking if they had come across an orphaned windlass on their travels, to which they replied ‘is it blue?’ ‘yes! I confirmed‘ they told me that they had it onboard their boat having found it earlier. Bloody amazing, I didn’t really expect to see it again and my thanks go out to these honest and helpful boaters.
Fisherman Extraordinaire
I love nature and wildlife in particular and as a bird photographer I am always on the look out for my feathered friends. I had seen countless Chaffinch feeding on the insects as they darted out from the margins to snag a tasty morsel over the canal. I also saw Goldfinch, Chiffchaff and other small birds. Imagine my delight when travelling a quiet, tree laden section which was quite gloomy compared to the open sections of canal, a Kingfisher dropped down from a tree above the boat and shoot off along the canal in a streak of blue. The phone immediately came out to capture a quick video, (at the same time as my inability to multi task.) What I mean is when I am videoing I am unable to steer the boat at the same time. You will see evidence of this on countless occasions, I promise you 🙂
Anyway back to the story. I saw where the Kingfisher landed high in another tree so I was ready for another appearance, however he moved way before I was in range but as compensation a Heron took flight right by the boat and headed off in front of me. Now I was really excited. I had two birds to film, (and twice as many chances of crashing.) The kingfisher appeared again and flew from tree to tree for a while before finally disappearing off into the distance. I managed to video the Heron but totally missed a second Kingfisher! I wasn’t that upset I am sure it will be the first of many such encounters as I travel the network.
Eventually the Kingfisher landed and stayed put which gave me a chance to snap a few shots. Here is one of my favourites.
Narrowboat Chicken
Apparently narrowboat chicken is a real sport! As I am discovering there are some real mog’s, (miserable old gits), on the cut and I came across a prime specimen today. I was approaching a bridge and saw a boat coming in the opposite direction but a lot further out than I was. Technically it was my right of way although if it didn’t slow down it might be a problem. Anyway I decided that it was my right of way and held my line, unfortunately so did the other boat. It was also a lot closer than I had thought, or it had accelerated. It now looked as though we would reach the bridge at the same time and he was not showing any signs of giving me my right of way. I decided that backing off was better a far better option than a head on collision. I got her in reverse and started to slow my forward momentum whilst he just kept on coming. I had barely managed to get off his line before he came through the bridge, missing my boat by only a couple of feet.
Once I had extricated my stern from the reeds and silt I looked across and to see who was navigating the other boat and maybe have a few words. The MOG on the other boat had a face like a bulldog licking piss off a thistle. I smiled sweetly and without any sarcasm (not) thanked him for his good manners to which he rattled off a reply which lasted a good 30 seconds in what I assumed was English but could quite easily have been Latin as I didn’t understand a word. Ignoring him seemed to be the best option so I just carried on.
TV Personalities
My next encounter occurred a while later and was far more rewarding. I was approaching a wharf and could see someone jet washing what appeared to be a fuel boat. As I got closer I realised that I recognised the person as being John from the TV series ‘Narrow Escapes’. I shouted a greeting to which he responded in kind, I then informed him that he was far better looking on the telly, and left him laughing his head off.
Following all of this excitement I decided that I was too tired to go any further so I started to look for a place to moor, but my stubborn streak surfaced pointing out that I wasn’t that far from the junction with the Shropshire Union and I could make it that far and then stop for the day. What it failed to point out was there was a series of four locks immediately prior to the junction. Great!
Boating Spirit
Undaunted I rolled up my virtual sleeves and went to work on getting through the locks as quickly as I could. I was helped by another boat who conveniently left the gates open so that I could roll right in. I should have known it was going too well. I was in lock number 3 and whilst I was waiting for it to empty I decided to walk ahead to number 4 to check its state and set it up in readiness. As it happened I would need to fill it but I saw another boat approaching. I shouted across to make sure they were coming up, they confirmed and so I left it empty and then waited for them to reach the pound above that lock. However, for some reason they decided that they didn’t mind waiting, which made no sense to me, so I filled the lock anyway.
I returned to lock number 3 and noticed that the right hand gate had closed of its own accord. I opened it again but it immediately began to close again. This was going to cause me a problem because from the time I opened it again to the time I reached my rope and began pulling Araminta through it was shut again. After a few attempts, and a lot of swearing I managed to get the boat close enough to prevent the gate shutting by pulling the boat far enough forward to prevent it closing. Having solved this problem I entered lock 4 and went through the usual procedure. I noticed by this point that the waiting boat had moored up and all four crew were watching my struggles. To top it all off as I exited the lock one of them commented to me ‘that it looked really hard work on your own‘, I was flabbergasted and not trusting myself I simply replied ‘that it was a shame there wasn’t a boat with a crew of four who could have helped me!’
Greatly annoyed I turned right onto the Shroppie and soon found a place to moor, grabbed a quick bite to eat and then collapsed into bed.
Read about the history of the locks
