STEEPEST –- Canal Lock Staircase in Britain – Bingley, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 51.377 W 001° 50.278
30U E 576431 N 5968158
This staircase lock is on The Leeds Liverpool Canal which connects the inland City of Leeds with the port City of Liverpool.
Waymark Code: WMJ355
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/15/2013
Views: 1
The locks on this canal were designed to carry the ‘short boats’ that had twice the capacity of the narrow boats used on other canals.
The locks therefore had to be wide enough to allow the 62 feet long, 14 feet wide boats through them. Most of the locks were also grouped together to give long runs between the locks although not all were staircase locks like this with no gap between each lock.
The boats were mainly used to carry bulk cargoes such as coal, stone and limestone. Commercial traffic ceased in 1964, but the locks are still used to carry leisure boats which have become very popular. Ironically the leisure craft are normally narrow boats, because there are links to other canals, and wider boats would not be able to pass through the locks on the other canals.
The construction of the canal was started in 1770 and the first section opened in 1774.
This staircase has 5 locks and raises or lowers boats a total of 18 metres.
Next to the lock a Transport Trust plaque that informs us that this is the steepest staircase lock in Britain and has the following text.
TRANSPORT TRUST
BINGLEY
‘FIVE-RISE’ LOCKS
Opened in 1774 to raise the
Leeds & Liverpool Canal 18 metres
Up the Aire Valley, this is the steepest
Lock staircase in Britain
For further information visit:
www.transportheritage.com
TRANSPORT HERITAGE SITE
The website mentioned on the plaque further informs us that the gradient is 1 in 5.
There is also another nearby sign with further information
The Five-Rise Locks
Designed by
John Longbotham of Halifax
And built in 1774
By local stonemasons
Barnabus Morvil, Jonathan Farrar,
William Wild all of Bingley
And John Sugden from Wilsden
The Locks Raise boats 59 feet 2 inches
Over A Distance of 320 feet
Distance By Canal
To Leeds 16 miles 2 furlongs
To Liverpool 111 miles
National Heritage Award Winner 1975
The lock is an English Heritage
Grade I listed building.