Lock 3 At Tf 035990, Caistor Canal

Lock 3 on the Caistor Canal is a canal lock built around 1793 to 1795. It is constructed from fine large blocks of ashlar and features cast-iron fittings. The lock chamber measures approximately 14 feet wide and 60 feet long, likely designed to accommodate Humber Keels, the typical boats used on waterways connected to the Humber. The sides of the lock have recesses for paddles within the upper gate recesses, with tunnels that direct water around the gates into the chamber. There are no corresponding tunnels at the lower end, suggesting that the paddles were located in the missing gates. Cast-iron brackets are positioned at the top of each lock pivot, embedded in the stonework. Some square iron surrounds for the tunnel entrances, where the paddles would have made contact, are still intact. There is some displacement of the stone blocks due to tree growth, with a small area of collapse noted at the northwest corner.

The Caistor Canal was constructed following an Act of Parliament in 1793, based on a survey by engineer William Jessop in 1792. It became disused by 1877. The canal ran from the River Ancholme Navigation eastward towards the town of Caistor, but only about half of it was completed, reaching the village of Moortown, a distance of approximately 4.5 miles. 19th-century Ordnance Survey maps indicate six locks along the canal. The highest lock, located near the basin at Moortown, had completely vanished by the 1960s, along with any remnants of a wharf, basin, or buildings that may have existed at the village end. However, the other five locks remain intact, although they lack gates and paddle gear. This series of locks and bridges represents a significant example of 18th-century canal engineering and showcases impressive construction quality.