The Most Lovely Locks.

We had a lot of locks today so we were off by 0900, after I had gone to get the Sunday Paper.

Boundary Lock is not an original lock, but is now the first of the run up to the summit as a new lock was required to make up for the 15" or so of mining subsidence. The first bridge on the Turnerwood Flight is the Cinderhill Bridge and this was original but as you can see it was taken to pieces and re-erected in 1996.

The sheer number of locks to Kiveton Park may seem daunting but they are nice and close together and not very deep so fill quickly and all in all it is a lovely run up the seven locks to Turnwood Basin.  In more normal times this is a great place for a break as there is a little cafe and ice cream stand, but not during COVID it seems.

The Thorpe Locks start with a cheeky  double staircase lock, just to set the tone. Next is this locks Brown's followed by the Brickyard double staircase. There were loads of walkers, with and without dogs and cyclists, and all seemed good natured.

A single lock and then there are the Thorpe Low treble staircase. The girls insisted of doing the lock wheeling as it is part of the ri fitness campaign.

The Thorpe Locks also finish with another treble and then there is a bout an hour at very low speed to reach the head of navigation, currently. This is Albert's Dock on the left as we near the final bridge, know as Dog Kennel Bridge as the kennels of the Duke of Leeds were nearby.

The final winding hole before the tunnel portal is where the feeder from the summit reservoirs, Harthill and Pebley comes into the canal. It is an easy turn.

Very close to the winding hole is this mooring that I'm pretty sure wasn't there when we visited here six years ago. We moored on the grass near Dog Kennel Bridge.

Here is the western portal of the Norward Tunnel. It was planned by James Brindley and by chance was exactly the same as the length as his Harecastle Tunnel. Mining subsidnece was a constant problem and in 1907 when a hole appeared at the service that was the end of through navigation, for now.

We walked over and you can clearly see the area of subsidence along the course of the tunnel. Part of the plans to extend navigation through to Chesterfield is to open up this section and create locks up into the fishing ponds at Kiverton Maters. I think part of the plans are create a marina in at least one of them.

It was overcast all day until we reached the summit so it didn't get too hot for the passage. Last time we came in spring and this time in summer and I still say this is the most beautiful flights of locks we have done on the system, and we have now done them all. They are easy to work and nice and close to work ahead and so little traffic there has been no waiting about at all. More people should brave the Trent and come and see these amazing flights. Unbelievably plenty of boats turn round at Shireoaks and miss the best bit of the whole canal!