BUILD A CANAL LOCK KIT

The canals of Britain have a long and interesting history. Once the main economic arteries for the country, they were supplanted by railways, which offered faster movement, gradually falling out of use. For years, the local canal became a dumping ground for old bicycles and shopping trolleys.

Fortunately, thanks to the writing of people such as Tom Rolt, we rediscovered their beauty and now most are restored and properly appreciated. While preparing this article, I visited the flight of locks at Hatton, and even on a damp Wednesday, the cafe did good business with locals and visitors.

Locks are a great focal point in real life. From a purely practical perspective, they solve the problem of moving a waterway up and downhill. Their operation is simple enough for the observer to grasp pretty