Sheffield and Tinsley Canal - Lock 5 (Upper Flight) - Tinsley, UK - Waterway Locks, Planes and Lifts on Waymarking.com

The Sheffield and Tinsley Canal
The Sheffield and Tinsley Canal is a canal in the City of Sheffield, England. It runs 3.9 miles (6.3 km) from Tinsley, where it leaves the River Don, to the Sheffield Canal Basin (now Victoria Quays) in the city centre, passing through 11 locks.

Sheffield is on the River Don, but the upper reaches of the river were not navigable. In medieval times, the goods from Sheffield had to be transported overland to the nearest inland port - Bawtry on the River Idle. Later, the lower reaches of the Don were made navigable, but boats could still not reach Sheffield.

This canal opened in 1819 as a broad canal made to accommodate Yorkshire keels. These were 61ft (18.6m) long by 15 ft (4.6m) wide and either powered by sail or bow-hauled by the families that owned them if there was no wind. There were also 'horse marines', a man and horse who would tow the boat on the navigation for a price.

The canal forms part of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigations network of canals and rivers.

Lock 5
This lock was severely damaged in an air raid on the night of December 15th 1940. The city of Sheffield grew into a large industrial city built around steel production from the 1740s onwards.

A recession in the 1930s was halted by increasing international tensions as the Second World War loomed; Sheffield's steel factories were set to work manufacturing weapons and ammunition for the war effort. As a result, the city became a target for bombing raids, the heaviest of which occurred on the nights of 12 and 15 December 1940, now known as the Sheffield Blitz. More than 660 lives were lost and many buildings destroyed.

This canal lock on the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal was at the time near to steel works and factories and was damaged when the buildings were targeted.

A simple stone monument with a plaque next to the lock tells the story of the lock bombing.

British Waterways

1939 - 1945

ON THE NIGHT OF DECEMBER 15th 1940 THIS LOCK WAS SEVERELY
DAMAGED BY ENEMY ACTION DURING AN AIR RAID ON THE CITY.

THIS PLAQUE IS DEDICATED TO THE WORKFORCE OF THE
SHEFFIELD AND SOUTH YORKSHIRE NAVIGATION COMPANY
WHICH STROVE TO KEEP THE WATERWAY OPEN UNDER HAZARDOUS
AND EXTREMELY DIFFICULT CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE WAR.

Waterway Name: Sheffield and Tinsley Canal Connected Points: This canal connects the Sheffield Warehouse Terminus in Sheffield City Centre to the River Don at Tinsley. Type: Lock Date Opened: 01/01/1819 Elevation Difference (meters): 2.00 Site Status: Operational Web Site: [Web Link] Date Closed (if applicable): Not listed

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