The Wey and Arun Canal

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Canal Navigations' Wey and Arun - Arun Navigation Section - Title Banner

Lordings Aqueduct and Lock

The best location en route to Pallingham - picnic area with great view of waterwheel, lock and aqueduct
Easily the best location between Newbridge and Pallingham! General view of Lordings (or Orfold) aqueduct and lock, complete with information boards and a picnic area

The restored aqueduct showing the new west side construction
The restored aqueduct, with a view of the new western side construction

Lordings Waterwheel and diagram showing how it worked. For more infromation on the waterwheel see the WACT website. Its an unusual structure on the waterways, but in terms of using water to lift water its not so unusual as James Brindley used an ingenious design at Wet Earth Colliery near Clifton north of Manchester to achieve the same thing

General view at 'water level' looking across the aqueduct and lock
View looking across the aqueduct towards the lock

View of the recess for the unusually large single top gate The single top gate was so heavy it scraped the brickwork on the bed of the canal
The lock was unusual for a broad canal in having just a single top gate, even though there were double gates at the lower end. The left side picture shows the wide recess for the gate with a smaller niche on the opposite side for the gate to make a watertight seal against the head of the lock. The right side picture shows the marks made by the very large single gate scraping across the brickwork. Obviously it was too heavy and the brickwork simply prevented the gate falling off its quoin!

View of the tail of the lock and the usual double gate recesses
The tail end of Lordings Lock showing the usual double gate recesses. Beyond this point the canal has been obliterated for a short distance as the river now runs along its original course rather than through the aqueduct. Note the footbridge to the left side of the lock chamber

The canal once crossed here, but is now severed. The footbridge provides the only connection between the two restored sections at Lordings
A view of the same footbridge from the other side of the River Aun. The canal embankment has been removed, dividing the watered flood gates section (to the right) from the aqueduct section

Looking north from the flood gates towards the River Arun
On the other side of the river is the restored flood gates section. This is a view looking northwards towards the River Arun

Lordings flood gates and restored bridge
Lordings (or Orfold) Flood gates and bridge, restored 2002

Plaque at Lordings lock to the memory of Winston Harwood, who was the driving force behind the splendid restoration work on this section of the canal Plaque commoreates the rebuilding of Lordings flood gate bridge in 2002, with a list of benfactors including BAA and Winston Harwood
Plaques from the aqueduct and flood gates sections. Both are self descriptive

View of the canal south of Lordings Flood Gates
The canal is in water for a short distance south of Lordings as far as the site of Harsfold Bridge

Wey and Arun Canal Trust milestone north face showing the three miles to the Arun The milepost's south face denoting the 20 miles north to the Wey
About midway between Lordings and Harsfold is this new milepost built by the Wey and Arun Canal Trust. Left side denoted the 3 miles southwards to the Arun whilst the right side shows the 20 miles northwards to the Wey

The attractions of a restored canal - a comfortable and safe environment for many waterfowl, like this swan viewed near the Harsfold footstile gate
The Lordings watered section is well used by waterfowl, including swans, this picture was taken near the footstile towards Harsfold

Next - Harsfold to Pallingham