Beeston Locks (Cheshire)
on the Shropshire Union Canal at Tiverton, near Beeston, Cheshire.
There are two locks: Beeston Stone Lock and Beeston Iron Lock.
Beeston Iron Lock was desiged by Thomas Telford and constructed in 1828. Numerous flanged cast iron plates were bolted together to form the walls and floor, providing a novel solution to problems with 'running sand' under the original stone locks. It is a grade II* listed structure and a scheduled ancient monument, and is unique in England.[1]. The base is seated on wooden piles. A drawing shows a series of ten buried vertical wooden posts flanked each side of the lock, from which stays radiated, attached to the walls of the lock, presumably to resist the pressure of earth which would tend to push the side walls in.[2]. The iron piles seen in the photos are not shown in the drawing.
Beeston Stone Lock, also a listed structure, is of conventional construction. There is a small circular 'lengthman's' hut adjacent to the lock.
Nearby points of interest
'PLUTO Tanks': There were at least ten fuel tanks, measuring appox 80 ft diameter and 10 ft deep, sunk into the hill overlooking the canal, and presumably served by the adjacent railway. They are said to have been constructed as part of the WW2 PLUTO (Pipeline Under The Ocean system).
Beeston Reclamation Yard: This is a large yard containing items of architectural salvage for sale, overlooked by a former L&NWR signalbox. One of the buildings, at the base of the 'PLUTO Tanks' hill, was evidently a fuel pumping station. Its walls are lined with white tiles, and the wall backing on to the hillside, is pierced by steel pipes.