Foxton Locks

Staircase locks are used where a canal needs to climb a steep hill, and consist of a group of locks where each lock opens directly into the next, that is, where the bottom gates of one lock form the top gates of the next. Foxton Locks are the largest flight of such staircase locks on the English canal system. Foxton has two sets of five staircase locks but the sets are separated by a short stretch of water known as a ‘pound’. Caen Hill has 29 locks and Tardebigge has 30, but, crucially, these are separated by pounds and so are not staircase locks. The longest single flight of staircase locks in the UK is Neptune’s Staircase in Scotland, comprising eight locks over a quarter of a mile. The…

The Grade II* listed locks are a popular tourist attraction and the county council has created a country park at the top. At the bottom, where the junction with the arm to Market Harborough is located, there are two public houses, a shop, trip boat and other facilities. The area is popular with ramblers, interested enthusiasts and similar. The Foxton Canal Museum is located in the former boiler house for the plane's steam engine. The museum covers the history of the locks and the plane, the lives of the canal workers, and other aspects of the local canal. There is also a collection of Measham pottery. The museum opened in 1989 and is accredited by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.