Watford Locks facts for kids
Watford Locks is a cool set of seven locks on the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire, England. These locks are famous because they are very close to the Watford Gap service area, a well-known spot on the motorway.
The locks are arranged in a special way. If you're coming from the south, you'll see two single locks first. Then there's a "staircase" of four locks, one after the other, followed by a final single lock. Together, these locks lift the canal by about 16 meters (that's over 50 feet!). This lift takes boats up to the "Leicester Summit," which is the highest point of the canal all the way to Foxton Locks.
Building the Locks
The Watford Locks were built a long time ago, opening in 1814. They were made for narrowboats, which are long, thin boats designed for canals.
In the early 1900s, there were ideas to build a special "inclined plane" here. This would have been like a giant ramp to move boats up and down, similar to one at Foxton Locks. The idea was to let bigger boats, called barges, use the canal. However, this plan was stopped because the inclined plane at Foxton didn't work out as well or as cheaply as hoped.
Later, in 1929, when the Grand Union Canal was officially formed, there were more talks about making the locks wider. This was part of a bigger plan to update the canal system. But again, these plans didn't happen at Watford.
Where the Locks Are Located
The Watford Locks are in a very busy and narrow area called the Watford Gap. They are squeezed between several important routes:
- The old Roman road, Watling Street (now the A5 road).
- The M1 motorway, a major highway.
- The West Coast Main Line railway, a busy train track.
All these important routes fit through this narrow gap between two sets of hills.
How the Locks Work
During the main boating season, from Easter until October, the Watford Locks usually have a lock keeper. A lock keeper is someone who helps manage the locks. Outside of these hours, the locks are locked up to keep everything safe and prevent problems.
Boaters operate the locks themselves, but they do so under the lock keeper's supervision. When a boat arrives at the top or bottom of the locks, the boaters need to tell the lock keeper they are there before they start using the locks.
Sometimes, especially when it's busy, there can be a wait of two hours or more. But once you start, it only takes about 45 minutes to go through all the locks. It's quicker because these locks are narrow, and their gates are lighter to open and close.
Getting to Watford Locks
It can be a bit tricky to get to the Watford Locks from the A5 Watling Street. The path isn't great for wheelchairs or strollers.
If you're driving north, you can usually find parking near a large caravan (travel trailer) shop. This parking area is on public land between two roads that lead to Watford. From there, you can walk across the front of the shop and follow signs for the Jurassic Way footpath. You'll need to cross over a stile (a set of steps or a ladder over a fence) to reach the locks.
