Description and History of Site:-
The Navigation is lifted from the River Calder by two locks which may be part of Smeaton's original work. An early nineteenth century lock house (qv) adjoins the lower lock on the north side and a much newer, twentieth century, brick built lock house on the south. The abutments of the former towpath bridge can be seen, both at the lock tail and on the opposite bank of the river. The first sixteen miles of the Calder & Hebble Navigation were completed up to Brighouse by 1764, engineered by John Smeaton. Brighouse upper and lower Locks may be his work, though new works are known to have been carried out at the locks in 1825. The lower lock retains one Calder and Hebble handspike paddle mechanism on an upper gate. Several masons marks can be discerned on the lock walls, common also to the upper lock. The former towpath bridge across the River Calder was swept away in floods during the 1940s.

Further Reading and References:-
Minutes of the Committee of the Calder & Hebble Navigation Company.
Charles Hadfield, Canals of Yorkshire and North East England, Volume 1, David & Charles, Newton Abbot, 1972.

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Key Words :- canal river navigation lock

Viewing the Site :- Public access to towpath.

Address :- Wharf Street, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, HD6 1PN
Grid Ref :- SE 14900 22601
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.699636 , Long -1.775796
Local Authority :- Calderdale Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Listed - Grade II
Historic England List No - 1314045,
Site Condition :- Operational site, in use for original purpose
Site Dates :- c1764 -
Record Date :- 8 August 2016

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Peter Robinson