Foxton Locks

Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane
Upper staircase of Foxton Locks
LocationLeicestershire, UK
Coordinates52°29′59″N 0°58′59″W / 52.4998°N 0.9830°W / 52.4998; -0.9830
Built1813 and 1900
ArchitectBenjamin Bevan (Canal & Locks), Gordon Cale Thomas (Inclined Plane)
Governing bodyCanal & River Trust[1]
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official nameFoxton Locks, Grand Union Canal Leicester line
Designated7 December 1966[2]
Reference no.1360753
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameLock-Keeper's Cottage adjacent to Foxton Top Lock
Designated9 March 1989[3]
Reference no.1360774
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameLock-Keeper's Cottage with adjoining stable block and Foxton Canal Craft Shop, adjacent to Foxton Bottom Lock, Grand Union Canal
Designated9 March 1989[4]
Reference no.1061459
Official nameInclined Plane immediately east of Foxton Locks
Designated24 January 1973[5]
Reference no.1018832
Foxton Locks is located in Leicestershire
Foxton Locks
Location of Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane in Leicestershire

Foxton Locks (grid reference SP691895) are ten canal locks consisting of two "staircases" each of five locks, located on the Leicester line of the Grand Union Canal about 3 miles (5 km) west of the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough. They are named after the nearby village of Foxton.

They form the northern terminus of a 20-mile (32 km) summit level that passes Husbands Bosworth, Crick and ends with the Watford flight

Alongside the locks is the site of the Foxton Inclined Plane, built in 1900 to resolve the operational restrictions imposed by the lock flight. It was not a commercial success and only remained in full-time operation for ten years.[6] It was dismantled in 1926, but a project to re-create it commenced in the 2000s, since the locks remain a bottleneck for boat traffic.[citation needed]

  1. ^ "British Waterways Press release". 4 April 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  2. ^ Historic England. "Foxton Locks (1360753)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  3. ^ Historic England. "Top Lock cottage (1360774)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  4. ^ Historic England. "Bottom Lock cottage (1061459)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Inclined Plane (1018832)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  6. ^ "The Foxton Boat Lift: A Brief History". Foxton Inclined Plane Trust. Retrieved 21 May 2020.