Foxton Locks, Leicestershire
Set in stunning Leicestershire countryside, Foxton Locks is one of the most popular visitor destinations in the area. Over 200,000 people, both from Britain and abroad visit Foxton each year to watch boats negotiate the historic Grade II listed staircase of locks on the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal. Foxton is also the site of the Foxton Inclined Plane boat life, designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Visitors to Foxton Locks will find a Museum dedicated to this now derelict but once magnificent piece of Victorian engineering.
The Foxton Inclined Plane was originally built between 1898 and 1900 to reduce the amount of water used by the existing flight of 10 locks and to speed up the transit of boats along the waterway. Boats entered wheeled tanks of water which were then transported sideways on rails between the two levels of the canal, a height difference of 75 feet. Both tanks were moved, one descending as the other ascended. An adjacent steam engine helped to overcome friction and provided extra braking.
For a decade, the inclined plane operated successfully, reducing the transit time from 70 minutes through the lock flight to just 12 minutes. However, the hoped for traffic never materialised and in 1910 the inclined plane was abandoned and the locks reinstated for all traffic.
The cost of restoring the Plane is estimated at £9million and a partnership has formed to drive this project forward.
Foxton locks are located close to Market Harborough, just off the A6. The best way to access the locks is to park in the Leicestershire County Council car park on Gumley Road, join the towpath at the top of the locks and wander down the flight, taking in the beautiful rural scenery.
From Foxton locks there are also miles of rural towpaths extending to the south, north and east, providing opportunities for some beautiful walks through the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire countryside.