Bath Locks

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Bath Locks (grid reference ST756643) are a series of locks situated on the Kennet and Avon Canal, at Bath, England.

Bath Bottom Lock, which is numbered as No 7 on the canal is the meeting with the River Avon just south of Pulteney Bridge.^[1] Alongside the lock is a side pond and pumping station which pumps water up the locks to replace that used each time the lock is opened.^[2]

The next lock Bath Deep Lock is numbered 8/9 as these two locks were combined when the canal was restored in 1976. A road constructed while the canal was in a state of disrepair passes over the original site of the lower lock.^[3] The new chamber has a depth of 19ft 5ins, making it Britains deepest canal lock.^[4]

Just above the Deep Lock is an area of water enabling the lock to refill and above this is Wash House Lock (number 10),^[5] and soon after by Abbey View Lock (number 11), another grade II listed building^[6] by which there is another pumping station and in quick succession Pultney Lock (12) and Bath Top Lock (13).^[7]

Above the Top Lock the canal passes through Sydney Gardens where it passes through two tunnels^[8][9] and under two cast iron footbridges dating from 1800. Cleveland tunnel is 173 feet long and runs under Cleveland House, the former headquarters of the Kennet and Avon Canal Company. A trap-door in the tunnel roof was employed to exchange paperwork between clerks above and bargees below.^[10] This is now a grade II* listed building.^[11]

Many of the bridges over the canal are also listed buildings.^{[12][13][14][15][16][17][18]}

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal

Next lock upstream	Kennet and Avon Canal	Next lock downstream
Bradford Lock	Bath Locks Grid reference: ST756643	Weston Lock

Coordinates: 51.37722° N 2.35196° W