Illston on the Hill WI
Our June meeting took a different format when we had a daytime outing to Foxton Locks. I suspect many people who live locally made visits to Foxton Locks several years ago and don’t realise how many changes have been made to the museum and how the newer pathways make it possible to appreciate the layout of the inclined plane/boat lift. We were fortunate to have a guided walk and talk from Paul, a trustee of the Foxton Inclined Plane Trust.
The boat lift was a unique installation and an engineering marvel. It speeded up the transit of boats that would otherwise be held up at the staircase of the locks. Unfortunately it operated for only ten years, because by that time the railways had become a dominant means of transport. The boat lift had lost money and was abandoned and the lock staircase reopened. Paul told us of Gordon Cale Thomas, the engineer responsible for the boat lift. He showed us many contemporary photographs of it in operation, all of which brought it to life. We were fortunate that our visit was on a warm, sunny day so we could enjoy being at the canal side and our outing concluded with an excellent pub lunch.
Caroline Beardsmore
Kibworth Harcourt Parish Council
