Bulholme Lock proved popular

BULHOLME Lock on the Aire & Calder Navigation proved a popular attraction on Sunday when it was open to the public whilst drained.

Members of the public were able to walk along the drained lock that stands around 25ft deep and 460ft long, as well as speaking to the construction team behind the work to find out what is required to protect the 250 year old waterway network.

Hidden history

The hidden history has been opened up to the public this winter, as it was last winter to enable the public to actually see the working of a lock whilst its chamber is empty.

Mark Penny, the Canal & River Trust's North East Partnership Representative explained:

"Our hope for the open day was to showcase the scale of the work we do on a daily basis as it's important to us as a relatively new charity for local communities to feel a great sense of pride and ownership in their local waterway. We hope events like this encourage more people to use their local waterway and help us ensure the waterways are protected for another 250 years and beyond."

Eric Walker, Construction Supervisor for the Bulholme project stated:

"People were amazed by the sheer size of the lock chamber and to see the newly crafted lock gates. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the experience of seeing the inner workings of the lock and to have so many people visit was rewarding for my team who have been working hard to deliver this project."