Limehouse Basin Lock
Encyclopedia
Limehouse Basin Lock is a lock
forming the exit from Limehouse Basin
to the Thames
, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
. It is the final lock on the Regent's Canal. The Narrow Street
swing bridge sits between the lock and the river.
The current lock was built in 1989 for yachts and pleasure craft, to conserve water in the Basin. It measures 100 feet (30.5 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m) and was built completely within the chamber of the former Ship Lock entrance to the basin. This measured 350 feet (106.7 m) by 60 feet (18.3 m). The original gate-recesses and one of the gates remain in situ, to demonstrate the size of the former lock.
The nearest Docklands Light Railway station is Limehouse.
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
forming the exit from Limehouse Basin
Limehouse Basin
The Limehouse Basin in Limehouse, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets provides a navigable link between the Regent's Canal and the River Thames, through the Limehouse Basin Lock. A basin in the north of Mile End, near Victoria Park connects with the Hertford Union Canal leading to the River Lee...
to the Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
. It is the final lock on the Regent's Canal. The Narrow Street
Narrow Street
Narrow Street is a narrow street running parallel to the River Thames through the Limehouse area of east London.- History :A combination of tides and currents made this point on the Thames a natural landfall for ships, the first wharf being completed in 1348...
swing bridge sits between the lock and the river.
The current lock was built in 1989 for yachts and pleasure craft, to conserve water in the Basin. It measures 100 feet (30.5 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m) and was built completely within the chamber of the former Ship Lock entrance to the basin. This measured 350 feet (106.7 m) by 60 feet (18.3 m). The original gate-recesses and one of the gates remain in situ, to demonstrate the size of the former lock.
The nearest Docklands Light Railway station is Limehouse.
See also
- Canals of the United KingdomCanals of the United KingdomThe canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a colourful history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's role for recreational boating...
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...