Caen Hill locks: Work under way to repair historic locks

Brickwork in the lock chambers is over 210 years old and is being repaired using traditional lime mortar

A major programme of work is under way to repair a number of historic locks along the Kennet and Avon Canal.

The Canal and River Trust is relining lock gates and repairing brickwork in the chambers that date back to the early 1800s, at the Caen Hill Flight.

Caen Hill's series of 16 locks are a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a popular tourist attraction.

The towpath at the site in Devizes, Wiltshire, remains open and the flight is planned to reopen to boats in March.

The Canal and River Trust said the work was “crucial” to keep the flight in peak condition

Workers from the Canal and River Trust are carrying out the repairs and maintenance project on the four highest locks in the flight.

The lock gates, bumped and scraped by the estimated 1,500 to 2,000 boats that travel through them each year, will be relined using traditional green oak.

Mark Evans, director for the Canal and River Trust for Wales and South West, said carrying out the work on the locks was "a big responsibility".

Canal and River Trust worker Louis Stillman works to reseal the lock gates

"This year the trust is spending £70,000 on the repair work at Caen Hill to allow the thousands of visitors, on boat and on foot, to continue to enjoy this very special place.

"As a Scheduled Ancient Monument, it enjoys the same level of heritage protection as Stonehenge - so it's a big responsibility."

The flight of 16 locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal was designed by engineer John Rennie and was originally opened in 1810.

It was his solution to enable boats to make the steep hill climb into Devizes, but it is not the easiest section of water to navigate, said Mr Evans.

A team of volunteer lock keepers are on hand to help boaters navigate their way through the 16 locks at Caen Hill

"The flight is iconic for so many reasons. It's a massive feat of engineering from the heyday of the canals and one of the country's longest continuous runs of lock flights.

"It's also the ultimate challenge for many boaters - demanding four hours to travel up, or down," he said.