Tewitfield Lock 5 Lancaster Canal (Northern Reaches - in water) - Tewitfield, UK - Waterway Locks, Planes and Lifts on Waymarking.com

Until 1942 the Lancaster Canal connected Preston with Kendal. Known as the Black and White canal it carried coal north from the Lancashire Coalfields, and limestone south from Cumbria.

Apart from the eight locks at Tewitfield the canal followed the contours of the countryside and was very flat.

Competition from trains and roads eventually led to the locks at Tewitfield to be closed and Tewitfield became the northern terminus of the canal.

Nine miles of the old canal north of Tewitfield are still in water because it carries water from Killington Reservoir to supply the bottom part of the canal. Above this point to Kendal it is no longer in water, but the line of the canal is visible and can be walked.

The Lancaster Canal Trust has been formed to try and reinstate all the canal from Tewitfield to Kendal but this will be difficult as the canal has been blocked at a few points by modern road crossings.

The lock
The lock has been well maintained, but the gates and paddle gear have been removed.

The spillway, which in normal circumstances carries excess water past the lock, has also been maintained, but with no lock gates is redundant as the water in the canal flows straight through the lock.

The group eight locks and bridge 140 across the tail of one of the locks are all together a Historic England Grade II Listed Buiilding.
"Flight of 8 locks on Lancaster Canal, opened 1819. Large punched gritstone blocks. All complete, but with wooden gates missing. No. 5 (from South) incorporates Tewitfield Lock Bridge at its southern end, having segmental arch with projecting key, and string course below round-topped parapet." link

Waterway Name: Lancaster Canal (Northern Reaches - in water) Connected Points: This section of the Lancaster Canal connects Killington reservoir with the junction of the Lancaster Canal mainline at Tewitfield. Type: Lock Date Opened: 01/01/1819 Date Closed (if applicable): 01/01/1942 Elevation Difference (meters): 3.00 Site Status: Inactive Web Site: [Web Link]

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