Building record 442/1/14 - Lock at Bridge No.2 (Braunston Bottom Lock)

{2} The section of brickwork reported by A. H. Mees was partially visible during the site inspection, but the canal was being graually refilled. The brickwork in parallel to the lock was seen, but the brickwork running at a diagonal towards the dry dock has been silted over with only 5 or 6 bricks showing.
There are several theories about the possible function of the brickwork. It's use as a weighing bridge, dry dock or earlier (and narrower lock) for the Grand Junction Canal. The canal historian David Blagrove believes that the brickwork may have been built as an 'arrowhead' designed to divert the course of the Bragborough stream so that it could service both the Braunston Mill and the Oxford Canal. If this were the case it would have been in operation between 1777 when the Oxford Canal reached Braunston and 1793 when the Grand Junction Canal was constructed.

{3} Lock. Late C18, renovated C19 and C20. Datestones in walls, 1877, 1884 and 1915. Retaining walls, red brick patched with blue brick. Stone and concrete coping. Wooden gates. Section to west has wooden balance beams. Those to the east have been replaced in steel. The Grand Junction Canal was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1793. The Braunston section was complete by 1796. In 1929 it was taken over by the Grand Union Canal Company and the name was changed.

{6} The flight of six wide locks in 5/8 mile raises the canal a total of 35ft 6in (10.8m).

<1> Mees A.H., 2000, Presumed Structure (To Be Identified) At Braunston, Northants, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN102100.

<2> Ballinger J., 2000, Brick Wall, Grand Union Canal, Braunston Bottom Lock, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN100788.

<3> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 4/74 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<4> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F04 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN44900.

<5> FAULKNER A.H., 1972, The Grand Junction Canal, (unchecked) (Book). SNN55309.

<6> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 2001, A Guide To The Industrial Heritage Of Northamptonshire, p.17 (checked) (Gazetteer). SNN104759.

<7> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 2011, A Guide To The Industrial Heritage of Northamptonshire (2nd Edition), p.19 (checked) (Gazetteer). SNN107622.

Record last edited

Oct 19 2011 12:31PM