Sheffield Lock

Sheffield Lock is a lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal with brick chamber walls featuring eleven scalloped bays and wooden gates that raise and lower boats between different water levels. The structure uses a mechanical paddle system that operators control to manage the flow of water as vessels pass through.

The lock was built between 1718 and 1723 under the supervision of John Hore of Newbury and was part of the canal system for transporting goods by water. It was enlarged in the mid-1700s to handle larger cargo barges moving along the route.

The lock is a meeting place where boat operators and walkers interact with the waterway, and it shows how communities once depended on canal transport to move goods and people through the region.

The lock is best reached by walking along the canal towpath that connects the waterway systems in the area. Operating the lock requires physical strength and technique, so visitors who want to watch boats pass through should plan to spend some time observing the process.

The lock still shows its original turf-sided design on its banks, while also displaying modifications made over several centuries. This makes it a living example of how engineering practices changed and adapted as the canal system evolved.