Foxton Locks
Foxton Locks (grid reference SP691895) are ten canal locks consisting of two "staircases" each of five locks, located on the Leicester line of the Grand Union Canal about 3 miles (5 km) west of the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough. They are named after the nearby village of Foxton.
| Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane | |
|---|---|
Upper staircase of Foxton Locks | |
| Location | Leicestershire, UK |
| Coordinates | 52.4998°N 0.9830°W |
| Built | 1813 and 1900 |
| Architect | Benjamin Bevan (Canal & Locks), Gordon Cale Thomas (Inclined Plane) |
| Governing body | Canal & River Trust |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name | Foxton Locks, Grand Union Canal Leicester line |
| Designated | 7 December 1966 |
| Reference no. | 1360753 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Lock-Keeper's Cottage adjacent to Foxton Top Lock |
| Designated | 9 March 1989 |
| Reference no. | 1360774 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Lock-Keeper's Cottage with adjoining stable block and Foxton Canal Craft Shop, adjacent to Foxton Bottom Lock, Grand Union Canal |
| Designated | 9 March 1989 |
| Reference no. | 1061459 |
Scheduled monument | |
| Official name | Inclined Plane immediately east of Foxton Locks |
| Designated | 24 January 1973 |
| Reference no. | 1018832 |
Location of Foxton Locks and Inclined Plane in Leicestershire | |
They form the northern terminus of a 20-mile (32 km) summit level that passes Husbands Bosworth, Crick and ends with the Watford flight
Alongside the locks is the site of the Foxton Inclined Plane, built in 1900 to resolve the operational restrictions imposed by the lock flight. It was not a commercial success and only remained in full-time operation for ten years. It was dismantled in 1926, but a project to re-create it commenced in the 2000s, since the locks remain a bottleneck for boat traffic.