Lock Walls And Basin Wall At Entrance Of Somersetshire Coal Canal South Of Basin At West Of Dundas Aqueduct

The lock walls and basin wall at the entrance of the Somersetshire Coal Canal, located south of the basin at the west of the Dundas Aqueduct, are a former entrance lock and basin wall built in the early 19th century, with canal construction beginning in 1801. The Surveyor for the Coal Canal Company was William Smith, known as the 'Father of British Geology'. The structure is made of ashlar and measures about 20 metres long and 2.5 metres wide. The former entrance lock, which no longer has gates, features three deep courses down to the water level, with cap stones that are deeply worn from traffic. There are visible gate recesses, and to the east, three deeper recesses have been inserted. At the south end, the east wall curves around and continues as a basin wall, which is now capped with 20th-century timbers for an additional 50 metres. The canal was closed in 1904, and the lock was backfilled but was re-excavated in 1985 for use as a marina for boats using the Kennet and Avon Canal.