The problem with Stoke Bruerne Locks

... is that there always seems to be too much water. We came down on Monday morning. The first couple were fine - and not a gongoozler in sight.


When we got to the middle lock of the flight, however, things got more interesting.

There was so much water flowing over the top gates, and over the bottom gates, that a level could not be made. The pound above had flooded with the lockful of water from above. Ben and I pushing on the balance beam eventually managed to open the gate, but we encountered exactly the same difficulty at the next two locks.


Are there no bywashes? Are the bottom gates not tall enough?


To try to resolve the issue I went ahead to try to set the locks before sending the previous lock's water into the pound. No good. Still too much water.

As we approached the last but one lock the lockie appeared, and asked us to wait while she emptied the bottom lock before we emptied the lock we were in. Apparently the houses there are in danger of flooding if too much water is sent down from above. She told us that this always happens with the first boat down the flight.

I remember the excess water problem existed in 2005. I'm surprised nothing has been done about it.