Worcester and Birmingham Canal, Lock Number 58 Including Side Pond Retaining Wall and Sluice Immediately South

Lock Number 58 on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, including the side-pond retaining wall and sluice immediately south, was built around 1812-1813 and has undergone later repairs in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is constructed of blue and red brick in English bond, with some sandstone coping and a dressed sandstone wall for the side-pond. The lock is narrow and approximately 14 feet deep, featuring splayed wing walls at both ends. The north wall of the lower west end has an integral flight of steps. It has rebuilt wooden gates and retains its mechanical gate-paddle machinery. The side-pond on the south side has a dressed sandstone retaining wall and remnants of the sluice-gate superstructure. The Worcester and Birmingham Canal was authorized in 1791, with work beginning in 1795 and completion to Tardebigge in 1807. The original engineer, Thomas Cartwright, was replaced by John Woodhouse in 1809, who initially proposed a lift instead of locks. However, after trials in 1810, the lift was abandoned in favor of locks based on Rennie's advice. Construction of the Tardebigge flight began in 1812 and was completed in 1813. Lock 58 is the top lock of this flight and is the deepest, at 14 feet, compared to 7 feet for other locks. It was built on the site of the dismantled lift from 1814, which was repurposed for the construction of the Tardebigge flight of locks.