Lock 53 Thurlwood Steel Lock, Trent and Mersey Canal - Rode Heath, Staffordshire.
N 53° 06.798 W 002° 17.687
30U E 547203 N 5885106
The Thurlwood Steel Lock was located at Upper Lock No. 53 on the Trent and Mersey Canal near Rode Heath.
Waymark Code: WMV9QC
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/20/2017
Views: 3
Thurlwood Steel Lock No 53 on the Trent and Mersey Canal (also known as Fairham Lock) was one of the pair of Thurlwood Locks. Today there is one operational lock at the location. The site of the steel lock can be seen even though it is now filled in. The date 1958 can be seen on the stone remains.
Construction of the Thurlwood Steel Lock began in 1957, replacing the towpath-side lock that was failing due to subsidence caused by brine pumping. Functionally designed, so that it could be jacked-up if affected by subsidence, it was found to be inefficient, unreliable and sadly, poorly maintained. After falling out of use in 1981, it was eventually dismantled and scrapped in 1988. Source: (
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A very rare photograph by David Stowell showing the steel lock actually in use can be seen at the following link. (
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