Lock 8 On The Millennium Ribble Link - Preston, UK - Waterway Locks, Planes and Lifts on Waymarking.com

The Millennium Ribble Link
"The Millennium Ribble Link is a Linear Water Park and new navigation which links the once-isolated Lancaster Canal in Lancashire, England to the River Ribble. It was opened in July 2002.

'The Recipient shall ensure that the participation of the (Millennium) Commission is publicised in all public statements or announcements, and in all promotional activity concerning the Project in accordance with guidelines prescribed by the Commission'.

The Millennium Ribble Link includes what was Great Britain's first inland waterway to be constructed in nearly 100 years when it was opened in July 2002, and was the first to be built for leisure purposes only, not commercial use. It is a navigation – it is not a canal as boats can only travel in one direction on alternate days, The 4-mile (6.4 km) link connects the once-isolated Lancaster Canal to the River Ribble. From the Ribble it is possible to reach the main navigable system via the River Douglas and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal's Rufford Branch subject to tides and weather conditions.

The Millennium Ribble Link was built to celebrate the Millennium (the year 2000), and cost £6.54 million, of which just over £3 million was a grant from the Millennium Commission. The remaining £3.54 million was mainly from public funds." Extracted from this Wikipedia page

The Locks
For most of the route of the canal it follows the route of an existing stream called Savick Brook. Enhancements were made to straighten the route and by pass weirs.

There is a total height difference of 59 feet between the Lancaster Canal and the River Ribble.

The chambers of all the locks on the canal are designed to take boats with maximum dimensions of 62 feet long and 14 feet and 6 inches wide.

On many locks there are warning signs about making sure the boat does not get caught on the cill. It's not always obvious what this means, but basically the wooden lock top gates do not go to the bottom of the lock but sit on a stone base. When the lock is full and a boat is going down, the cill is not visible. This means that when the water is released from the lock it is possible for the boat to get caught on the cill.

When the lock is empty it is much easier to understand how this works. When I took the pictures of this lock the top chamber was empty and the cill was visible.

The nearby River Ribble and the bottom stretch of the Ribble Link are tidal. This lock marks the limit of the tidal part of the canal and sometime the water level rises above this lock and flooding can occur. The bottom gates of this lock are kept open when it is not in use.

Waterway Name: Millennium Ribble Link Connected Points: The Lancaster Canal and The River Ribble Type: Lock Date Opened: 07/01/2002 Elevation Difference (meters): 2.00 Site Status: Operational Web Site: [Web Link] Date Closed (if applicable): Not listed

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