2017

SP5968 : Watford Locks

taken 6 years ago, near to Watford, West Northamptonshire, England

This is 1 of 9 images, with title Watford Locks in this square
Watford Locks
Watford Locks
A dog looks down at the water just below the bottom of the seven locks at Watford, the only locks between Napton Junction and Foxton on the Leicester section of the Grand Union Canal. The bridge is dated 1902, rebuilt 1976.
The Grand Union Canal

The Grand Union Canal was formed from an amalgamation of several formerly separate canals. Until the 1920s these had been independently owned and operated. The original part of the system was the Grand Junction Canal between Braunston and Brentford, constructed to reduce the route from the Midlands to London by sixty miles. This had locks fourteen feet wide, many branches to major towns and broad beam boats carrying up to seventy tons. Earlier linking canals were built with seven foot wide locks.

The Regent's Canal acquired the Grand Junction and other canals in 1929 and created the new Grand Union Canal Carrying Company (GUCCC). In 1932, with government aid, extensive modernisation was carried out, including the widening of 52 locks between Braunston and Birmingham (Camp Hill), and the demolition and replacement of many 18th and early 19th century bridges; then the money ran out - and the World War II started, so the task was never completed.

Waterways absorbed into the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company include:

London area:

Regent's Canal – original company
Hertford Union Canal – bought by the Regent's Canal in 1857

Main Line*:

Warwick and Napton Canal – bought by the Regent's Canal in 1927
Warwick and Birmingham Canal – bought by the Regent's Canal in 1927
Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal – bought by the Regent's Canal in 1927
Grand Junction Canal – bought by the Regent's Canal in 1927

Leicester Line:

Old Grand Union Canal – bought by the Grand Junction in 1894
Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Union Canal – bought by the Grand Junction in 1894
Leicester Navigation – bought by the Grand Union in 1932
Loughborough Navigation – bought by the Grand Union in 1932
Erewash Canal – bought by the Grand Union in 1932

*The current main line starts in London and ends in Birmingham (Digbeth), stretching for 137 miles (220 km) with 166 locks.

For more details, a good start is: LinkExternal link


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Stephen McKay and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Canals Primary Subject: Canal other tags: Canal Bridge Lock Dog Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Looking [15] Title Clusters: · Watford Locks [9] ·
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Grid Square
SP5968, 209 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Stephen McKay   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Saturday, 14 October, 2017   (more nearby)
Submitted
Monday, 16 October, 2017
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SP 5933 6857 [10m precision]
WGS84: 52:18.7226N 1:7.8686W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SP 5935 6857
View Direction
West-northwest (about 292 degrees)
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Image Type (about): close look 
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