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Warwickshire Ring (Combined)
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Caldon Canal (Combined)
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Moira Lock on the Ashby Canal
The Ashby Canal is often described as a lock free cruise. From Marston Junction it’s 21 miles each way to the end of navigation with no locks in sight. The canal was shortened by 6 or 7 miles many years ago after subsidence near the end. There are plans to reopen the closed sections, following a new route in places where the old alignment has been developed, and is no longer available. 
Bath Yard Basin and the final 1¼ miles of the canal have already been restored although the basin is now at a lower level with boats lowered from the main canal level in a new lock at Moira. This is a grand affair, being a broad lock on a narrow canal. A former stop lock at Marston Junction ensures that only narrow boats can enter the Ashby Canal, so why a broad lock? It can hardly be to handle large numbers of boats quickly as on the Grand Union Canal. 
The broad lock will also use a lot of water and that’s probably why it has 3 sets of gates which allow shorter boats to just use part of the lock to reduce water loss when the passing through the lock. When the canal is reopened it might be rather daunting for those expecting a lock free cruise to find a broad lock with 3 sets of gates near the end, especially if it’s half full and half empty when you arrive. There’s a more in the photo gallery. 
The is one of the few which ends in a sump pound, taking water from the main canal – and just the restored length for now which makes water usage critical. A pump has been installed which lifts water back from the basin level to replace that used in lock operation and leakage. It pumps back next to the overflow weir which gives the unusual sight of water appearing to be coming up the weir above the locks. If the pump doesn’t stop soon it will start to go back over the weir in a novel recycling concept ! Posted on Friday, 17 April 2009 at 13:56 Comments (0) |
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