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associated engineer
John Rennie Snr
date circa 1810
era Georgian | category Locks | OS grid reference ST985617 ICE reference number HEW 1078
A series of 29 locks that raise the Kennet & Avon Canal
237ft over a little more than two miles. The picture shows
the 17-lock flight at Caen Hill , where the gradient is 1 in
30.
The canal was built between 1794 and 1816. It runs for 57
miles from the River Avon at Bath to the Kennet Navigation
at Newbury, via Devizes and Hungerford. John Rennie was its
engineer, his first work of civil engineering in England.
There are many notable engineering features along the course
of the canal and at Devizes, the sequence of locks is
impressive. Although the locks at Tardebigge on the
Worcester & Birmingham Canal are the greatest number of
locks in one flight in Britain, at Devizes, the locks rise
through a greater height over a lesser distance.
Gas lighting was installed in 1829 to allow movement along
the canal at night, for which an extra charge was made.
The locks were closed in 1951, and opened again on 8th
August 1990 after major restoration work. A pumping station
was built to lift water from the foot of the locks to the
top of the Caen flight.
Rennie's resident engineer, John Blackwell, later served as
Superintending Engineer for the canal company for 34 years.
Information & Picture from: |