Ticklepenny Lock

The Trust is dedicated to the preservation of what remains of the canal and its buildings. A good example of this is the repair of Ticklepenny Lock which involved the replacing of the floor of the lock pit and the repointing of the brickwork. This was only a damage limitation exercise and more extensive repairs will have to be carried out in the future to restore the lock to full working order.

The photograph on the right, also taken in March 2006, shows the state of the north-west wall. One of the problems facing the Trust is how to tackle the new road bridge over the canal. As can be seen in the first picture, the cill of the lock is almost below the bridge. The options are to raise the bridge or to restore the lock as best as possible, without gates, and then insert a new lock a few hundred yards downstream.

The image to the left shows the old bywash which was used to drain water downstream without opening the gates and also to act as a flood overflow. Note the effect of the vegetation on the brickwork. The Trust has started to clear out some of the more pernicious vegetation along the Louth end of the canal, and hopefully will be able to do some more rescue work at Ticklepenny before the end of the year.