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Unlock secret of the waterways
Discover Foxton Locks set in rural Leicestershire on the Grand Union Canal
If you have a fascination for canals and locks, then take a trip to the delightful Leicestershire countryside surrounding Market Harborough to visit the famous Foxton Locks on the Grand Union Canal.
Despite their rural location, getting to the locks from Bedford by public transport is easier than you might think.
Trains to Market Harborough run every half an hour from Bedford on Mondays to Saturdays, with a journey time of just 30 minutes.
Once in Market Harborough, the number 44 bus runs hourly from the
railway station and town centre to the pretty village of Foxton.
From the village, a half-mile walk along the level canal towpath leads to the junction where the Harborough arm joins the main Grand Union Canal.
This is where you will find Foxton Locks, one of the wonders of the industrial age set against the backdrop of the beautiful
Leicestershire countryside.
A staircase of ten Grade-II listed locks raises the canal by 75 feet – using 25,000 gallons of water for each boat passing through. At the bottom of the hill there is a waterfront pub and a shop which sells a range of canal related gifts.
Boat trips on the canal leave from outside the shop. Alternatively, just buy an ice cream and spend some time watching the many colourful narrow boats waiting their turn to ascend.
Next, head up to the locks and be amazed at the forward-thinking design of the engineers who built them in the early 1800s.
The water passes into a series of side ponds where it is stored until required. Halfway up there is a museum which charts the history of the locks, while at the top there is a caf and educational centre.
Close by lie the remains of the famous Foxton Inclined Plane, which can be viewed from a new platform at the top of the hill. This impressive lift, known as one of the 'seven wonders of the waterways', was opened on July 10, 1900, to relieve congestion caused by the slow progress of boats through the locks.
The lift consisted of two tanks, each capable of carrying two narrow boats or one barge. The tanks could travel up and down the slope in 12 minutes and were powered by a 25 horsepower engine. Unfortunately, with the advent of the railways, the lift became uneconomic and was closed after just ten years of service.
The Foxton Inclined Plane Trust is now subject to a 2.8 million restoration scheme, backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund, which is the first stage of a 9 million project to restore the lift to full working order.
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Weather for Bedford
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North west
