Marple Locks Number 15 And Adjoining Footbridge On Peak Forest Canal

The lock and adjoining footbridge date from 1803 to 1805 and form part of the Peak Forest Canal. They were engineered by Benjamin Outram and Thomas Brown, financed by Samuel Oldknow and Richard Arkwright, and built by James and Fox. The lock is constructed of dressed stone and ashlar, and has a single upper gate and a double lower gate. It accommodates a 4-meter pound-to-pound level to deal with the steepness of the slope. The lock walls are built from large coursed stone blocks with rounded verges, and the lock mouth is grooved for stop planks. The footbridge has a segmental rusticated keystone arch, an ashlar band, and parapet walls with rounded copings. One end is terminated by a battered square pier with a small abutting flight of steps, while the other end sweeps down to the level of the pound.