Caen Hill Locks, Devizes, Wiltshire

gramps

gramps

Messages
41,876
Name
'Gramps'
Edit My Images
No
Dry day yesterday so took the opportunity to visit Caen Hill Locks on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Devizes, Wiltshire - apparently takes around 3 hours for a boat to get through the 16 locks!

Could have been better light but still an enjoyable visit.

The dramatic change in height of the land at Caen Hill resulted in the need for 16 locks to be built in close succession. Because of the steepness of the hill there was not space to use the normal arrangement of water pounds between the locks and so engineer John Rennie had to build unusually large side ponds to replenish the water in each lock after use.
The locks and ponds were the last stretch of the Kennet & Avon Canal to be built in 1810 and form part of a longer 29-lock flight at Devizes, (Wiltshire), all packed into just over two miles. They are designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument – the same level of heritage protection given to Stonehenge.
Click to expand...

1.


Caen Hill Locks by photogramps, on Flickr

2.


Caen Hill Lock Gates by photogramps, on Flickr

3.


Caen Hill Cafe by photogramps, on Flickr

4.


Canal Boat-park by photogramps, on Flickr
 
Thanks Chris, good day for a walkabout yesterday ... grey and wet today :(
 
Yep, another one adding it to the must go list. I grew up not too far from there (and only one field away from the canal itself) but it was all pretty derelict then. I really like the first image with all the lines leading along the locks.
 
Jannyfox said:
Yep, another one adding it to the must go list. I grew up not too far from there (and only one field away from the canal itself) but it was all pretty derelict then. I really like the first image with all the lines leading along the locks.
Click to expand...

There has been a great deal of work carried out by the canal Trust in recent years apparently to improve it ... there was a group of about six there yesterday doing all sorts of work from weeding to painting - I had to avoid the yellow jackets :)
 
The subject matter isn't hugely appealing to my tastes, nor is the lighting. The technical stuff is fine

Compositionally the 1st has the most appeal, as you can see the step up from each lock all the way up. I'd be inclined to lose a fair bit off the bottom of the 1st to try and emphise the step up in each one, as it looks a quite unusual place to visit.
 
Lovely set gramps.
Oddly, they look better on Flickr than here, but that's common from Flickr.
2nd is the favourite for me.
 
That is some set of locks!
Love the first (and the last edit) (y)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top