Marple Locks Number 11 And Adjoining Footbridge On Peak Forest Canal

This is a canal lock and associated footbridge, dating from 1803 to 1805. The lock was engineered by Benjamin Outram and Thomas Brown, financed by Samuel Oldknow and Richard Arkwright, and constructed by James and Fox. It is built of dressed stone and ashlar. The lock features a single upper gate and a double lower gate, with a footbridge located at the lower end. The pound level is 4 metres, designed to accommodate the steepness of the canal's slope. The lock walls are constructed from large coursed stone blocks with rounded verges. The gates have been restored and are fully functional. The footbridge has a segmental arch with a rusticated keystone, an ashlar band, and parapet walls with rounded copings. One end terminates in a battered square pier with small abutting steps and the other sweeps down to meet the pound level.