The Canals spawned an entire era of architecture in this country, from simple
bridges such as this, which can be found almost anywhere, to the spectacular
bridges on the Macclesfield Canal where the towpath changes sides, flowing up
and over the canal in smooth path. Many of these bridges are in their original
condition, with grooves worn into the brickwork or stone by the earliest
horse-drawn boats.
Locks are similarly varied from the massive
construction of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal on the one hand to the turf-sided
locks still found on parts of the Kennet & Avon. Staircase locks, where the
bottom gate of one lock is the top gate of the next, may cause delays for the
traveller, but are excitingly different from the rest, such as the awesome
Bingley Five-Rise locks on the Leeds-Liverpool and the slightly more gentle
climb at Foxton.