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Dist:0.2km<br/>Narrowboat "Critical Point" is making a neat entry into the remaining lock of this pair, No 53 at Thurlwood. The site has an interesting canal history, see also [[[2860913]]]
©Roger Kidd
Dist:0.2km<br/>The disused experimental steel lock is seen to the right.
©Dr Neil Clifton
Dist:0.2km<br/>This used to be a single lock built by James Brindley in the mid 1770s(left of the one being used by the narrowboat). In order to speed traffic along in the 1830s Thomas Telford supervised pairing of most of the locks between Hardings Wood and Wheelock. Over the decades, salt mining subsidence caused many of the locks to need maintenance, which was not given as traffic fell away in the mid 20th century. Consequently many locks fell into disuse, some being filled in. In 1957 an experimental steel lock replaced Brindleys lock here on the left, past the reeds. This was a difficult structure to operate, doomed to failure, and was dismantled for scrap in 1988. The site is now filled in and grassed over. See also: [[[49714]]] [[[601242]]]
©Roger Kidd
Dist:0.2km<br/>This is the Trent and Mersey Canal. Lock No 53 is just out of sight beyond the houses.
©Roger Kidd
Dist:0.2km<br/>This shows the now-vanished view of the steel lock from below. Most people consider such structures unsightly. Personally I find them fascinating!
©Dr Neil Clifton
Dist:0.2km<br/>Now dismantled, the strange structure on the right was a special lock constructed in 1957 to counter the effects of subsidence caused by brine pumping. It is now dismantled, as the normal lock paired with it continued to operate satisfactorily, and still does. It was complicated and tedious to use, so once tried, never again. To quote the boat's log: "11.32. Left Thurlwood Steel lock after long time operating due to ignorance". And that was with a crew rather highly qualified mechanically!
©Robin Webster
Dist:0.2km<br/>Trent and Mersey Canal bridge below lock 53
©Mike Todd
Dist:0.2km<br/>One of the pair of Thurlwood Locks was selected as the subject of this experiment in modern lock construction, but it was not successful; the prototype remained the sole example, and by 1981 the steel lock was not in use and the parallel conventional lock had to be used. The steel lock was removed and cut up for scrap in 1988. There is an excellent and very rare photograph by David Stowell showing the steel lock actually in use [[49714]]
©Dr Neil Clifton
Dist:0.2km<br/>This is the canal north-west of Thurlwood Upper Lock, No 53, telephoto viewed from the bridge, No 141.
©Roger Kidd
Dist:0.2km<br/>This is the canal north-west of Thurlwood Upper Lock, No 53.
©Roger Kidd
Dist:0.2km<br/>A row of houses immediately above Thurlwood Lock, no 53.
©Stephen McKay
Dist:0.2km<br/>This unusual structure was built supposedly to be able to accommodate subsidence due to salt extraction in the area. It was in practice slower than the conventional lock it was meant to replace, and the remaining adjacent conventional twin lock and was notoriously unreliable. This picture is a rare scene of a boat actually using the structure. It lay disused for many years until it was finally cut up for scrap in 1988.
©David Stowell
Dist:0.2km<br/>The image shows the view towards Tennyson Close, looking across the Trent and Mersey Canal. All the roads on this modern housing development are named after famous English and Scottish poets.
©Roger Kidd
Dist:0.3km<br/>Beyond the recent block called The Hawthorns is the old chimney covered terrace of houses by Miller's Wharf.
©Roger Kidd
Dist:0.3km<br/>
©David Martin

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