# Dauntsey Lock



## oldscrote (May 16, 2011)

Following on from Anpanmans excellent post about Dauntsey lock cottage I thought a few shots of the derelict lock itself were in order.The lock is on the abandoned Wilts and Berks canal that originally ran from Semington on the Kennet and Avon canal to Abingdon on the river Thames.The canal mainly transported coal from the Somerset coal field to rural parts of Wiltshire Oxfordshire and Berkshire.There were branches to Chippenham Calne Longcot and Wantage And a separate branch from Swindon called the North Wilts connected it to the Thames and Severn canal near Latton.The canal opened in 1810 and was finally abandoned in 1914.There is a strong movement to restore the canal and Dauntsey lock is one lock that has been partially restored though still in a very abandoned state.Information on the restoration can be found here.

http://www.wbct.org.uk/

And now on with the photos,as can be seen some new brickwork has been completed but nothing much else although the canal bed above the lock has been dredged

The lock looking towards Abingdon
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and looking towards Semington
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The building on the right is called wharf house and though much enlarged I guess is contemporary with the canal
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The dredged bit on the Abingdon side
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Original brickwork showing part of sluice gear tunnel
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New work where the replacement paddle gear will eventually go
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depth gauge
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Imaginative sign
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This is a view below the lock looking towards Semington and shows a restored section of canal that actually has water in it.
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The restoration teams have a hell of a job on their hands some of the route has been built on bridges destroyed,including the one at Dauntsey and much rerouteing of the line is needed.I wish them good luck and sincerely hope they succeed.


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## night crawler (May 16, 2011)

oldscrote you need to come up my end where it runs past Challow and grove it's non existant. I've covered it in a couple of posts nad there are more photo's on Flickr. I must get back on the hunt along the remains some time.
Good coverage there but what are they going to do about the pipe running through the lock.


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## oldscrote (May 16, 2011)

Thanks for your comments Night crawler.The pipe should not be too much of a problem,further up the line there is a section in water that had a similar pipe blocking the canal but the water company willingly moved it so that the trust could hold a trail boat rally on the restored section.They have bigger problems around Melksham where the line has been built on and Apparently the plan is to take the canal up the river Avon for a bit.The approach to Swindon is similar,when the canal was built Swindon was a small village on the hill,the coming of the railway expanded the town and it has been growing rapidly ever since.The line through the town is still traceable but to the west it is apparently buried beneath a lot of new development.


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## RichardH (May 16, 2011)

I like canals almost as much as I like dead people (and I love dead people!)

In fairness, "danger deep water" signs are allowed to be obvious. Haiku just lacks the necessary sense of immediacy...

_Down to the bottom
Sinks the heedless trespasser.
Bubbles, then stillness._​


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## Snips86x (May 17, 2011)

Nice one dude! Did you spot the cottage I covered from Dauntsey Lock? They have actually started restoring the Wilts & Berks canal from the chippenham side, so with any luck, they may get round to resotoring the rest of it. Such a shame its been left as I'd love to get a narrow boat and take a trip. Great post!


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## night crawler (May 17, 2011)

There are bit's of the canal restored in places and still there in others as regonal sections of the trust are doing the work. Part sof the canal at Grove have neen built on and at Abingdon as well (Must go back). A new section linking the Thames has been cut on the outskirts of Abingdon.


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