Lily, boatwoman, 1940s. boatwoman, Lily, Tom, navvy, 1810. navvy, Tom, Jack Cryer, keeper, 1890s. keeper, Lock Cryer, Jack Gordon Cale Thomas, Boat Lift Engineer, 1900. 1900. Engineer, Lift Boat Thomas, Cale Gordon

boats still on the , its still a proper bottleneck ‘ere. bottleneck proper a still its canal, the on still boats “ variety) or one up, one down if 10ft wide barges. wide 10ft if down one up, one or variety) tin miners ‘en all to help with them tunnels. them with help to all ‘en miners tin I’ll get the lock ready for ‘em and give ‘em an ‘and. an ‘em give and ‘em for ready lock the get I’ll “

it’s a good chance to catch up on towpath gossip. With so many many so With gossip. towpath on up catch to chance good a it’s “ same time (if boats are of the traditional narrow narrow traditional the of are boats (if time same blacksmiths, carters and we even got Cornish Cornish got even we and carters blacksmiths, know what their doin’, even the kids. Mind you sometimes sometimes you Mind kids. the even doin’, their what know

“ you Mind . to way our on get can we ‘fore locks o’ lot this accommodate two boats up and two down at the the at down two and up boats two accommodate us: brick layers, carpenters, stone masons, masons, stone carpenters, layers, brick us: through well before seven! Mostly I leave ‘em to it – they they – it to ‘em leave I Mostly seven! before well through

Getting’ to Foxton we know we got a bit of a wait to get down down get to wait a of bit a got we know we Foxton to Getting’ inclined plane counter-balanced lift which can can which lift counter-balanced plane inclined A lot of us do diggin’, but we got all sorts among among sorts all got we but diggin’, do us of lot A

“ “comin’ start boats workin’ Them early. ‘an bright up be to Got “ “ A boat lift it had to be, or more specifically an an specifically more or be, to had it lift boat A

Foxton Locks in 1894. in Locks Foxton

A Company Mileage Post. Mileage Company Canal Junction Grand A Foxton Inclined Plane Boat Lift. Boat Plane Inclined Foxton

10th of July 1900. 1900. July of 10th

barrows and helped by horses. by helped and barrows

or one wider barge. The lift opened on the the on opened lift The barge. wider one or

to the other, using only spades, picks and and picks spades, only using other, the to

by a 25 horsepower steam engine. engine. steam horsepower 25 a by eventually replaced the horse. the replaced eventually

tanks could each hold two narrow boats, boats, narrow two hold each could tanks overcome natural obstacles. obstacles. natural overcome

dug channels from one end of the country country the of end one from channels dug

moving through the locks great storage storage great locks the through moving descending tank. All of this was powered powered was this of All tank. descending It was the more efficient diesel engine that that engine diesel efficient more the was It

plane counter-balanced lift. Its two huge huge two Its lift. counter-balanced plane flights of locks, aqueducts and tunnels to to tunnels and aqueducts locks, of flights

tools were invented. Thousands of navvies navvies of Thousands invented. were tools

To ensure sufficient water to keep boats boats keep to water sufficient ensure To time letting out the cable attached to the the to attached cable the out letting time efficient transport! transport! efficient

The decision was taken to build an inclined inclined an build to taken was decision The which often meant constructing long long constructing meant often which

Most were cut before mechanical mechanical before cut were canals Most

Not just pretty ponds pretty just Not

the upward moving tank, whilst at the same same the at whilst tank, moving upward the more and faster offering were railways that needed quick delivery. delivery. quick needed that

important, canals were cut straighter, straighter, cut were canals important, Narrow boats and barges and boats Narrow

reeled in the thick steel cable attached to to attached cable steel thick the in reeled

or barges, from using the canal. Meanwhile Meanwhile canal. the using from barges, or The Gilbert working boat family, from Welford. from family, boat working Gilbert The

used to carry perishables and other items items other and perishables carry to used

to some 2000 miles. 2000 some to more became speed as However,

below.

the canal. canal. the huge winding drum at the top of the slope slope the of top the at drum winding huge

7ft wide locks also prevented wider boats, boats, wider prevented also locks wide 7ft carry as much cargo. They were generally generally were They cargo. much as carry

round a hill rather than through or over it. it. over or through than rather hill a round stretched once which waterways inland of

one lock are also the top gates of the lock lock the of gates top the also are lock one

closed, trapping a tank full of water. A A water. of full tank a trapping closed, increased load carrying capacity, to use use to capacity, carrying load increased

passing place midway up the hill. The narrow narrow The hill. the up midway place passing up valuable space meaning they couldn’t couldn’t they meaning space valuable up

since it was easier and cheaper to go go to cheaper and easier was it since network vast a in link one represents part,

as a ‘staircase’ because the bottom gates of of gates bottom the because ‘staircase’ a as

tanks, or caissons, the guillotine gates gates guillotine the caissons, or tanks, allow bigger, wider barges, with their their with barges, wider bigger, allow

only and one the to thanks bottleneck boilers and coal needed to run them took took them run to needed coal and boilers

Early canals usually followed the contours, contours, the followed usually canals Early is Foxton which of Canal, Union Grand The

The flight of locks here is often referred to to referred often is here locks of flight The

Once boats were inside the giant metal metal giant the inside were boats Once tunnel roof segments. roof tunnel bypass the bottleneck of the locks and and locks the of bottleneck the bypass real a became Locks Foxton booming, faster than horse-drawn boats, the large large the boats, horse-drawn than faster

A tank full of water of full tank A Union Canal. Canal. Union

would that solution new brave a with up assuming no hold ups! But with canal trade trade canal with But ups! hold no assuming even transported Underground iron iron Underground London transported even appear on the . Though Though Canal. Union Grand the on appear shops, industries and economy going. going. economy and industries shops,

engineer Gordon Cale Thomas to come come to Thomas Cale Gordon engineer less, or minutes, forty-five in locks the Leicester Line and the summit of the Grand Grand the of summit the and Line Leicester They cabbages. and milk flour, beer, as such In the late 1890s steam boats started to to started boats steam 1890s late the In

barge traffic. The Lift closed in 1911. 1911. in closed Lift The traffic. barge

nowadays transport every sort of provision to keep our our keep to provision of sort every transport nowadays

transport, the canal company turned to to turned company canal the transport, Skilled boaters could work their way through through way their work could boaters Skilled boats the 75ft between the lower level level lower the between 75ft the boats items food everyday to fertiliser agricultural From Steam to Diesel to Steam From

Gap meant that there was no increase in in increase no was there that meant Gap

increased competition from road and rail rail and road from competition increased A real bottleneck real A narrow staircase locks to raise and lower lower and raise to locks staircase narrow and iron coal, from everything transport to

motorway, and canal boats rather like the lorries that that lorries the like rather boats canal and motorway,

the failure to widen the locks at Watford at locks the widen to failure the London and the South. the and London

old Grand Union Canal. In the face of of face the In Canal. Union Grand old Benjamin Bevin designed two sets of five five of sets two designed Bevin Benjamin used were canals The cargoes. with laden

ones you see today. today. see you ones Although the lift by-passed , locks, Foxton by-passed lift the Although between the busy industrial , Midlands, industrial busy the between Canals are the 18th and 19th century equivalent of the the of equivalent century 19th and 18th the are Canals

Company took over the running of the the of running the over took Company engineer canal Foxton, at hill steep heavily boats working pull to used widely

Gap. Watford and Foxton at locks narrow built, these ponds were even bigger than the the than bigger even were ponds these built, Locks Foxton through way their worked

Canal Junction Grand the 1894 In Rather than going the long way around the the around way long the going than Rather still were horses 1930s, mid the until Up

the of because Canal Junction Grand

alongside the locks. Before the boat lift was was lift boat the Before locks. the alongside horse-drawn, them of most day, a boats

The new super highways highways super new The

A magnificent boat lift boat magnificent A A staircase of locks locks of staircase A small and great cargoes All At the time, barges could not use the the use not could barges time, the At reservoirs, or side ponds, were built built were ponds, side or reservoirs, working 60 or 50 heyday canal’s the In

Foxton Canal Museum & Foxton Foxton Locks Discovery Trail Inclined Plane Trust (FIPT) Trail length: Open every day in summer 10am – 5pm approx. 1.5 mile / Winter opening – Saturday to 2.4 km Wednesday (subject to staff availability). The majority Please ring for details. of the route is Tel: 0116 279 2657 wheelchair accessible. www.fipt.org.uk

Foxton Locks Inn Tel: 0116 279 1515 5 Top Lock Coffee Stop Enjoying a family picnic beside the locks. 6 Situated inside the top lock cottage Open everyday in summer 9am – 5pm Mr. Jacques and family posing next to a working boat passing through the locks during a visit to Foxton. Winter opening - weekends and 7 school holidays 9am – 4pm. Welcome to Foxton Locks 4 Tel: 07764 152988

Locks, lifts and leisure time Foxton Boat Services Explore a place brimming with heritage! Boat trips, Bridge 61 pub & shop First came the locks built between 1810 As canal trade gave way to road and rail See elegant brick bridges, a steep staircase of Tel: 0116 279 2285 and 1814 as part of the original Grand people started to discover a new use for 3 www.foxtonboats.co.uk locks, the old canal company stables, lock keeper’s Union Canal. This was an important trade the canal for leisure and pleasure. route between the Midlands and the South. 2 Foxton Locks Address cottage and the remains of a gigantic boat lift. The most recent chapter in Foxton’s Foxton Locks In 1900 came the boat lift. This was a bold history has been the restoration of its Gumley Road Meet characters from Foxton’s past and Its not all heritage that remains here but ultimately failed attempt to save the historic features and provision of new Foxton hear about the real Foxton, once a place at Foxton Locks, there’s flourishing , LE16 7RA fortunes of a canal which was by this time paths and facilities for the thousands of of daily toil for working boat families; wildlife, beautiful countryside views struggling to compete with the railways. people like you who visit each year. For more information a place where great engineering minds and gentle strolls all waiting to be Canal & River Trust and hard working hands have transformed discovered. You may wish to relax 1st Floor North Station House the landscape. and enjoy a drink and bite to eat in 500 Elder Gate one of the cafes or bars. Central MK9 1BB Tel: 0303 040 40 40 Restoring the canal upper arm with heavy machinery, quite [email protected] a contrast to its original construction with picks and shovels. www.canalrivertrust.org.uk This photograph show the stop gates being installed in the The viewing platform is a dramatic addition to the visitor 1 upper arm. experience that offers a bird’s eye view of the inclined plane. The grand opening of the boat lift 10th July 1900. Canal & River Explorers For education resources and fun activities for kids visit www.wow4water.net Always remember to stay SAFE near water – Stay Away From the Edge.

Designed and illustrated by Imagemakers. Foxton Locks Discovery Trail

Top lock cottage – where

There’s so much to see and do at Foxton Locks the Cryer family once lived. It is still the lock keeper’s “By measuring how

One of the best ways to see everything is to office and home to the low a boat sits in ‘Coffee Stop’. Meet old the water with my Jack Cryer and hear his “ “ follow the Discovery Trail, a 1.5 mile / 2.4 km gauging stick I can tales from times gone by. route around the site. tell the weight the boat is carrying and charge accordingly”. Look out for the arrows set into the towpath and on signs, they will guide you around the site. The majority of the route is The stables at Foxton top lock were once John Frixby Bently, wheelchair accessible. home to Dolly and other Toll Keeper, 1894. hard working canal The daily grind of hooves company horses. on rough towpaths meant farriers were kept busy changing shoes roughly Up and down the locks every couple of weeks. went the boats and the families who worked them. How many boats can you count passing through Foxton Locks today?

2 3

4 1

5

7

6

Boat trips run from Audio downloads outside the Bridge 61 pub. Working boats once Listen in on the lives of some of the people who sat below bottom lock worked on the canal here at Foxton by waiting their turn to climb the steep staircase. downloading MP3 files from the Canal & River Trust website: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk Load them onto your personal media player or phone ready for the next time you visit Foxton. Look out for the numbered audio symbols like this on signs around Foxton Locks.

A working pair of boats steaming towards Leicester. Although quicker than horse-drawn boats, steam The brick building that now boats could not carry as houses the museum was once the much cargo, due to their boiler house for the steam engine large boiler and coal store. that powered the boat lift. Visit the museum to see a working model of the lift. The Boat Lift only operated for ten years, but what a grand sight it was! Take time to visit the viewing platform for a bird’s eye view across its impressive remains.

Keeping the locks Daily toil Dolly and Co.

I’m Moorhen Megs, Wild at heart I’m Walter Wade, I’m just his wife, I’m Nobody’s Fool, and lay lots of eggs – a lengthsman to trade On a busy day you will often see the lock keepers a trouble and strife, Life onboard a working boat was hard. Occasionally a hard working mule Before engines were invented, boats were

From darting dragonflies and diving kingfishers to elusive “Ten little chicks “Tending the path helping boaters, some of whom have never worked “Doing the work – there would some light relief, like catching up on the “Hauling a line horse-drawn. In fact, horses were used for much get up to some tricks! otters and friendly ducks, the side ponds of the lock to avoid any wrath, there’s no time to shirk. from five until nine. “ “ “ “ their way through a staircase of locks. towpath gossip whilst queuing to pass through the more than their pulling power. Find out what Then the whole brood flight, and canal beyond, are havens for all sorts of wildlife. Clearing out silt, Minding the kids and Five o’clock dawn locks at Foxton. Why not visit Foxton Canal Museum Dolly, and other horses like her, got up to on the is calling for food. For a peaceful spot overlooking one of the side ponds visit in case the gates tilt. Find out more about the job of the lock keepers today by polishing the lids, til sunshine has gone. And taking the tiller – where amongst other things you can peek inside the canal here at Foxton by visiting the top lock I feed them on weeds, the wildlife arbour. Look out for the carvings of some of It takes all my strength visiting www.canalrivertrust.org.uk and downloading the A boatman’s best friend? snails, spiders and seeds. to manage this length. I don’t get no siller. cabin of a traditional butty boat? Could you imagine Right up till the end. stables. Can you match the labels to the Foxton’s special and unsual wildlife residents. MP3 audio file. Visit top lock cottage and find out from living and working with your whole family in such a artefacts on display? Jack Cryer what life was like as a lock keeper here in the small space? past.