Grovehill Lock - Beverley, UK - Waterway Locks, Planes and Lifts on Waymarking.com

Beverley Beck

"Beverley Beck is a short canal in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The beck runs from Grovehill Lock on the River Hull at Beverley west for about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) into the town of Beverley. Until 1802, the beck was tidal, but the Beverley and Barmston Drain needed to pass under it, and the lock was constructed to maintain water levels over its tunnel. In 1898, a steam engine was installed, which could be used to top up the water levels in the beck by pumping water from the River Hull. A multimillion-pound refurbishment of the area concluded in 2007, with the refurbishment of the lock gates and pumping engine." link

Grovehill Lock

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council is responsible for the management of Beverley Beck and Grovehill Lock and employ a lock keeper to operate the lock.

Amongst other rules they insist that visitors give a minimum 36 hours (preferably 48 hours) notice for when use of the lock is required.

Ensure any navigation takes place during daylight hours (“daylight hours” defined as half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset).

Operate the lock by using the proper mechanisms and following all instructions provided by the Lock Keeper. Pushing or pulling the gates is not permitted.

Check the tide gauge at the river end of the lock to ensure there is enough depth of water to allow the boat to pass over the lock cill.

There is also an interesting information board nearby with details of the area.

Beverley Beck Managing the Waterway

When Grovehill Lock opened in 1803, trade on Beverley Beck was booming. Humber Keels laden with barley, linseed, coal and animal hides formed the bulk of the traffic heading upstream to the town. On return journeys the boats carried leather, bricks, cloth, butter and malt.

The lock was needed due to a drop in the river level after the Beverley and Barmston Drain was cut to improve drainage on nearby land. Water could now be held back in the beck and the perennial problem of silting was alleviated. Without regular tides to flush fresh water though, the beck tended to become stagnant and polluted.

To keep the Beck topped up with water, a steam pump was installed in 1898 in the small building next to the lock keeper's cottage. Today, automatic sensors detect low water levels and trigger pumps that draw water from the river.

The Borough Corporation took over management of the waterway in 1727. To pay for maintenance tolls were charged on all goods carried along the beck. A grab crane, mounted on a small barge, was used until the 1950s to keep the waterway free from silt and flotsam.

Hodgson's barges Oretan, Quebo and Syntan would have made regular trips carrying hides and coal to the tannery.

The design of the distinctive square-rigged, broad-beamed Humber keels has changed little over the centuries. They are very similar to the medieval boats that sailed up Beverley Beck.

Figham Common

To your right is one of Beverley's common pastures. The 'freemen' of Beverley have exercised their right to graze livestock here since at leaset the middle of the 13th Century. The name 'Figham' comes from 'Fegang', meaning cattle track.

Beverley and Barmston Drain

"When we came home from school we used to grab pour swimsuits and go down swimming in the drain... everyone used to congregate there in summer".
Mrs Welburn and Mrs Braithwaite

Using the Lock
Grovehill Lock is 20 metres long by 5 metres wide.
When full the water is 3 metres deep.
The level of water in the beck is constant with that in the tidal River Hull unless it has been altered by opening the sluice gates.
A boat can only enter the beck when the tide is high enough for it to pass safely over the sill at the lock entrance.

When a boat enters the lock from the river, the lock keeper winds the white handles on the bank to close the gates behind it.

Winders are the turned on the inner lock gates. These lift sluices within the gates and water flows from the beck int the lock chamber, lifting the boat.

When the water is equal on both sides of the inner gates, they can be opened and the boat can travel along the beck.

Harrison's Boatyard in 1900
"We watched fascinated by the skill and workmanship... cutting and shaping of planks using steam to form the body of the boat. The timber was delivered by lorry to the south side of the beck and fetched across on flats... rectangular flat bottomed craft... propelled by a single oar over the beck."
Richard Malton

Fascinating Facts

When boats were launched into Beverley Beck or the river Hull, they slid sideways into the water creating a huge splash on the opposite bank. Spectators sometimes took buckets to gather eels and fish that were washed up.

Flood protection
If a very high tide is expected in the river, a crane is used to lower protective steel plates in front of the lock gates.

History Detective

You are next to the brick aqueduct, which carries the beck over Beverley and Barmston Drain. The archways that support the aqueduct underneath the beck are lower in the middle. Why do you think that they were built this way?
Think about the shape of a boat's hull.

Have you heard it?

Electric pumps are used to maintain the water level in the beck. You can hear when the pumps are running and see water flowing into the beck near the lock.

More to Explore:

From Grovehill lock you can explore more of the local countryside on Figham Common or follow footpaths for many miles along the banks of the river Hull.

Things to know about Beverley Beck Heritage Walk:

Distance:	2.2 km
Time:	Allow 60 minutes at an easy pace
Route:	Follows both sides of the beck. At the lock, either cross over (there are some steps and a footbridge) or return along the same route.
Stay Safe:	The narrow roads are open to traffic. Take care beside the water's edge

For Further Information:

To find out more about Beverley Beck please contact the Beverley Tourist Information Centre.
Telephone 01482 391672
or visit www.visiteastyorkshire.co.uk

Waterway Name: Beverley Beck Connected Points: River Hull and Bekside near Beverley town centre Type: Lock Date Opened: 01/01/1803 Elevation Difference (meters): 3.00 Site Status: Operational Date Closed (if applicable): Not listed Web Site: Not listed

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