The missing 9th lock

The moorings at Merryhill filled up overnight with 2 boats arriving after 9 pm. As they had locked up the Delph flight I thought to myself," If we get away early enough in the morning all 9 locks will be with us". So come 7am I persuaded Ian to have breakfast on the run so we could get underway. What I hadn't realised was that another boat had had the same idea and set off even earlier. So every lock was now against us. Oh well, you win some and you lose some! Anyway we decided that rushing was not on the cards so took a leisurely amble down. This was quite advantages because on the first lock of the flight Ian got talking to one of the locals who told us about a derelict lock behind the stables at lock 2. This was one of the locks on the original path of the canal, before mine workings caused the canal to sink. That's also when we realised that there was now only 8 locks in the flight not nine as the name on the bridge states (Called Ninelocks bridge ).So the missing ninth lock ( actually lock 3 ) is still in evidence if you know where to look for it.


To the left is the original way to the Delph Flight. The new flight can just be seen on the right.




If you walk round the stable block and follow the small path you eventually come to the derelict lock.



Missing Lock