Lock No 46 And Adjoining Bridge No 137 On Grand Union Canal

This is a canal lock and adjacent road bridge, dating back to approximately 1799 when it was constructed as part of the Grand Junction Canal, which later became the Grand Union Canal in 1929. The lock’s gate hinge plates are dated 1874 and 1896 respectively. The bridge’s timber deck was replaced with concrete between 1893 and 1914, but it sits on original wrought iron girders.

The lock is built of buff brick with substantial stone edgings. It measures 88 feet by 16 feet, designed to accommodate two narrow-boats side-by-side. It features timber gates, with timber balance beams on the upper gates and metal beams on the lower gates. There are five original wooden bollards present. The upper gates have both gate and ground paddles, while the lower gates have gate paddles only.

The bridge is constructed of similar brick to the lock, with quadrant brick steps leading up to it from the lower gates. The bridge has brick parapets above a projecting band, with a pilaster and pier on each side flanking a 14-foot span. It has cambered wrought-iron girders with a diagonal tie-rod below the deck. The abutments have a hollow-moulded stone band, and there are rounded cast-iron corner protectors on the north (towpath) side. The bridge is bordered by open ironwork balustrades consisting of hooped iron railings with three substantial standards and serpentine infill.