Bingley Five Rise Locks

The Bingley Five Rise Locks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near Bradford are one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways

The Bingley Five Rise Locks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal are the steepest staircase locks in the country.

They consist of five sequential lock chambers that together lift or lower boats a total of 60 feet (18 metres) over a distance of approximately 320 feet (98 metres).

Designed by John Longbotham, the locks were a groundbreaking solution to the steep gradient at Bingley. They operate in a staircase formation, where the top gate of one lock is the bottom gate of the next.

The 250-year old Grade I listed locks were officially opened on March 21, 1774.  They are one of Robert Aickman’s Seven Wonders of the Waterways.

Canal & River Trust lock keepers help boaters to navigate through the locks, which typcially takes around 30 minutes.

Our nearest canal boat hire base is just six miles away on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal at Silsden.