Garston Lock
Encyclopedia
Garston Lock is a lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal
. It is near the M4 motorway
and near Reading
, England
.
Garston Lock was built between 1718 and 1723 under the supervision of the engineer John Hore
of Newbury, and this stretch of the river is now administered by British Waterways
and known as the Kennet Navigation. It has a rise/fall of 7 ft 7ins (2.29m).
One of only two remaining working examples of turf sided locks on the canal (the other being Monkey Marsh Lock
), Garston Lock has been described as needing "more water to operate than the now more common brick or stone-sided variety" as the sloping sides increase the volume of the lock.
The two sets of lock gates work differently: the upper set operates via a mechanical system, while the lower gates are hydraulic. The top part of the lock chamber has sloping banks which are covered by vegetation of various types rather than by turf. An arrangement of steel rails ensure that boats stay in the centre of the lock during the rise/fall of 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m).
The lock is a grade II* listed building.
Two pillboxes dating from World War II
at the northwest and southeast corners of the lock, which were built as anti tank defences, are also listed buildings.
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
. It is near the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
and near Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Garston Lock was built between 1718 and 1723 under the supervision of the engineer John Hore
John Hore
John Hore was an English navigation engineer notable for engineering the River Kennet navigation in 1718.Born in Newbury, Berkshire to a line of maltsters, worked alongside his father. When his father acquired part-ownership of the River Kennet, he also invested...
of Newbury, and this stretch of the river is now administered by British Waterways
British Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
and known as the Kennet Navigation. It has a rise/fall of 7 ft 7ins (2.29m).
One of only two remaining working examples of turf sided locks on the canal (the other being Monkey Marsh Lock
Monkey Marsh Lock
Monkey Marsh Lock is a lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal, at Thatcham, Berkshire, England.Monkey Marsh Lock was built between 1718 and 1723 under the supervision of the engineer John Hore of Newbury. The canal is administered by British Waterways...
), Garston Lock has been described as needing "more water to operate than the now more common brick or stone-sided variety" as the sloping sides increase the volume of the lock.
The two sets of lock gates work differently: the upper set operates via a mechanical system, while the lower gates are hydraulic. The top part of the lock chamber has sloping banks which are covered by vegetation of various types rather than by turf. An arrangement of steel rails ensure that boats stay in the centre of the lock during the rise/fall of 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m).
The lock is a grade II* listed building.
Two pillboxes dating from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
at the northwest and southeast corners of the lock, which were built as anti tank defences, are also listed buildings.
See also
- Locks on the Kennet and Avon CanalLocks on the Kennet and Avon CanalThe Kennet and Avon Canal is a canal in southern England. The name may refer to either the route of the original Kennet and Avon Canal Company, which linked the River Kennet at Newbury to the River Avon at Bath, or to the entire navigation between the River Thames at Reading and the Floating...