The sun was shining and it was already really warm as we set
off from our mooring. It had been really
peaceful and quiet there and you get the sun most of the day so have made a
note of it in our book so we can stop there another time.
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| Foxton Locks |
We set off along the canal, there were several boats coming
the other way but it wasn’t really that busy.
Under several bridges and 4 miles later we were at the top of Foxton
locks. We initially moored this side of
bridge 60 but saw that the moorings the other side were better so we moved
there.
We decided to stay here today and have a look around and
then go down the locks tomorrow morning.
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| Looking down the Inclined Plane |
In addition to the locks at Foxton there is also one of the
engineering wonders of the canal network, it is called the Inclined Plane and
was the brainchild of engineer Gordon Cale Thomas. His steam driven boat lift would allow 2
boats at the top of the canal to be loaded into a water filled tank and be
lowered 75 feet down a 1 in 4 gradient to the canal below, simultaneously
raising 2 boats in the opposite direction.
A steam driven winch pulling an endless cable was used to start the
caissons moving. The process of lowering
and raising the boats took 12 minutes, cutting the time from 70 minutes taken
to pass through the locks and also saving huge amounts of water.
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| Inclined Plane |
The lift worked very well for the next 10 years, but mechanical
problems and high running costs soon made the plane a white elephant and the lift
was closed in 1911 and finally dismantled in 1928 and sold off for scrap.
We had a look around this engineering feat and it was really
interesting to see the remains of it and amazing to think that all those years
ago someone invented that and it worked.
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| Pub at bottom of locks |
We walked down the locks, which were busy with boats and
lots of people everywhere, mainly families visiting the locks. We had a walk along the canal to see what the
moorings were like at the bottom of the locks, then walked back and had a drink
in the pub on the canal.
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| Statue on towpath |
We walked back up the locks and there is a café at the top
of the locks which was selling locally made ice-cream so we had one and it was
delicious.
We went back to the boat and chilled out for a bit, then
later on in the afternoon we went for another walk down the locks, it was much
quieter then as most of the sightseers had gone home.
On the towpath near where we are moored is a statue of a towing horse and the chap who used to guide him along. We tried to get them to give us a pull, but they weren't having any of it!!
We are staying here tonight, then off down the locks tomorrow, so looking forward to that.
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| Moored at the top of Foxton Locks |
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