Marple Lock Flight facts for kids
The Marple Lock Flight is a cool set of sixteen canal locks. You can find them on the Peak Forest Canal in Marple, a town near Stockport. These locks help boats travel up and down a big hill!
A Look Back at Marple Locks
The main part of the canal was ready for boats by 1796. But there wasn't enough money to build all the locks needed to connect the two halves. So, for a while, people used a temporary railway track instead. The locks were finally finished and opened in 1804.
Over time, boats stopped using the canal for carrying goods. By the early 1960s, the locks were old and broken. Boats could not pass through them anymore.
But people wanted to save the canal! Groups like the Peak Forest Canal Society and the Inland Waterways Association worked hard. They wanted to save the "Cheshire Ring," which is a famous route for canal boats. Because of their efforts, the locks were fixed and opened again in 1974.
Today, the Marple Lock Flight is very popular. It's easy to get to by public transport. The area is also very pretty, even though it's close to a town. In the summer, many people come to watch boats go through the locks.
What Makes Marple Locks Special?
The sixteen locks here lift the canal by about 209 feet (64 m). That's like climbing a 20-story building! The locks stretch for about a mile (1.6 km).
Even though it's one long flight of locks, you can see it in three different parts. Each part has its own special feel:
- The first part (locks 1-8) goes through eight locks. This area is very wooded, with lots of trees and not many houses nearby.
- The middle part (locks 9-12) is next to a public park. You can see houses close by on one side of the canal.
- The last part (locks 13-16) climbs steeply through four locks that are very close together. There are houses on both sides, and a road runs along the canal. This section leads to Marple Junction.
