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Kings Norton Stop Lock () is a Grade II*
Kings Norton Stop Lock () is a Grade II* listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
at Kings Norton Junction on the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal
The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal is a canal in the south Midlands of England. The canal, which was built between 1793 and 1816, runs for in total, and consists of two sections. The dividing line is at Kingswood Junction, which gives access to the ...
near its junction with the Worcester and Birmingham Canal
The Worcester and Birmingham Canal is a canal linking Birmingham and Worcester in England. It starts in Worcester, as an 'offshoot' of the River Severn (just after the river lock) and ends in Gas Street Basin in Birmingham. It is long.
There ...
. It is the only guillotine-gated stop-lock on a canal.
Description
This stop lock was built to prevent water flowing from one canal to another, regardless of which side was higher, but normally the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal was six inches higher. Canal companies were always concerned with the conservation of their own water supplies. There was also a toll house adjacent to the lock. The wooden guillotine style gates are suspended in a slightly raked cast iron girder frame by a chain which passes through a small block on the gate. One end of the chain passes over two large wheels to a winch mechanism. The other end passes over two more large wheels to a hidden counterweight built into the side wall of the lock. There was no need for paddle gear to fill or empty the lock. With such a small difference in water level a guillotine gate could easily be lifted to let water flow in and out. The existing gates probably date from 19th century. Since the nationalisation of the canals in 1948, water loss from one canal to another is less of an issue, so the gates are no longer in use and are both left open. The last recorded use of the gates was 1959. A bridge carries Lifford Lane over the lock, and hence the latter is sometimes referred to as Lifford Lane Stop Lock.See also
*Canals of the United Kingdom
The canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a History of the British canal system, varied history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the ...
*History of the British canal system
The canal network of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom played a vital role in the Industrial Revolution. The UK was the first country to develop a nationwide canal network which, at its peak, expanded to nearly i ...
References
External links
* * {{Coord, 52.4132, -1.9194, display=title, region:GB_scale:2000 Stratford-upon-Avon Canal Canals in England Canals in the West Midlands (county) Grade II* listed buildings in the West Midlands (county) Stop locks