Blue Flower

The upper staunch opposite the blacksmith area along with the lower guillotine staunch next to the water wheel formed a lock pound to avoid loss of water level when boats passed through. The lock was 185 feet long by 22 feet wide (56.4 x 6.7m).

The upper staunch was a mitre gate type found in many canals. The floor in the river bed has been cleaned to show the 130 degree angle where the gates closed, the floor was originally thought to be concrete but after cleaning was found to be brick.

We also found iron fixings on the north side wall, one is the round anchor point set into a quoin where the gate post swivelled to allow the gates to open and close, the other a square hinged catch which drops down over the mitre post to hold the gate open. The profile of the wall is recessed to allow the open gates to sit flush with the wall either side. The fixings on the south side are no longer there as the quoins had fallen in the river. 

The loose quoins were removed from the river and cleaned, one has the clear profile where the gate post pivoted, and recesses and holes where anchor straps were held in with lead. The quoins are now displayed near the staunch. The missing anchor strap fitting that held the mitre gate was found in the river near the staunch in June 2021, it is now on display.

See diagram for fixings and quoin arrangement. We put our swinging footbridge across the staunch walls as this is the narrowest point of the river. Further up river, near The Maltings are the remains of a guillotine lock.

Graham Bartlett         Interactive Plan          Footbridge            Blacksmiths          Guillotine Lock       Gate Frame

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