King's Norton Stop Lock facts for kids
The Kings Norton Stop Lock is a very important and unique historic building. It is located at Kings Norton Junction on the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal, right where it connects with the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. This lock is special because it is the only stop lock on a canal that uses a guillotine-style gate. It is also recognized as a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important part of England's history and heritage.
What is a Stop Lock?
A stop lock like this one was built to control the water flow between two different canals. Canal companies were always very careful about saving their water. This lock's main job was to stop water from one canal from flowing into the other. Usually, the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal was about six inches higher than the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.
There was also a small building next to the lock called a toll house. Here, people would collect money (tolls) from boats using the canal.
How Does the Guillotine Gate Work?
The gates of this stop lock are made of wood and are shaped like a guillotine. They hang from a strong cast iron frame. A chain is attached to the gate and goes over two large wheels. One end of the chain connects to a special machine called a winch, which helps lift the gate. The other end of the chain goes over two more large wheels and connects to a hidden counterweight. This counterweight is built into the side wall of the lock and helps balance the heavy gate.
Because the water level difference was so small, these guillotine gates could be easily lifted. This allowed water to flow in and out of the lock without needing extra equipment to fill or empty it.
History and Use of the Lock
The wooden gates you see today were probably built in the 1800s. For many years, they helped manage the water levels between the two canals.
After 1948, the canals in Britain became owned by the government. This meant that saving water between different canal companies was not as big a problem anymore. Because of this, the Kings Norton Stop Lock gates are no longer used. They are now left open all the time. The last time these gates were recorded as being used was in 1959.
A bridge carries a road called Lifford Lane right over the lock. Because of this, some people sometimes call it the Lifford Lane Stop Lock.
