Thurlwood Lower Locks No 54, Cheshire

Image: © Roger D Kidd Taken: 1 Sep 2011

The so called Cheshire Locks (Heartbreak Hill) north-west of Hardings Wood were built in the mid 1770s as single structures. Around 1830 an attempt was made to speed up traffic by pairing nearly all the locks, including here. The lock on the right is the newer one. During the late 20th century, many locks became unusable, some being filled in, while others fell into dereliction. Since then, a lot of restoration has been carried out; this work is still ongoing. The Trent and Mersey Canal is 93·5 miles in length from Derwent Mouth to Preston Brook. The first cut was made by Josiah Wedgwood in July 1766 at Middleport (Stoke-on-Trent). The eastern section between Derwent Mouth and Shugborough (the junction with the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal) was already operational by 1770 and the whole canal through to Preston Brook, where it linked with the Bridgewater Canal was open for business by 1777. James Brindley was the engineer until his death in 1772. There are seventy-six locks en route to raise and lower the water level where hills impede the course. There are four tunnels, including the famous Harecastle Tunnel near Stoke-on-Trent.

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