- The Kings Norton Stop Lock is located in the Birmingham Canal Navigations at Lifford Lane on the Kings Norton Junction between the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal and the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. It dates from c. 1796 CE.
- It is a rare example of a pair of guillotine gate stop locks on a canal, although similar locks exist on the tidal waterways of East Anglia.
Description
- Guillotine stop locks are used where there is a small height difference between two waterways. In this case, the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal was six inches higher than the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.
- The wooden gate is suspended above the canal and held in a cast iron girder frame with a gantry supporting the overhead lifting gear.
- The lifting gear consists of wheels operated by a chain linked to a counterweight concealed inside the lock wall.
- The gate is raised and lowered by a winch mechanism, although this lock has not been in regular use since 1959.
Map: Kings Norton Stop Lock, Birmingham