Daniel Wigmore had been an Alderman on the Stamford council for many years and had obviously seen the various plans for the route and construction of the locks, so was well able to oversee it.
There were 12 locks in all within the nine and a half miles, with most measuring 60 foot long and 12 foot wide, enabling vessels of 7 foot beam to gain access to the town.
Top Lock at Hudd’s Mill and the High and Low Locks at Deeping St James were substantially built of stone to cope with the power of the main river flow, especially at times of flood.
The other 9 were turf sided within the lock pen for simplicity and to minimise cost, as was the use of 3 flash locks where roads were to be crossed.
Travelling in convoys of 2 to 4, the lighters or barges were pulled by one or two horses - most barges carrying between 7 and 15 tons apiece with one person guiding the horse and another steering with a long pole.
For constancy in this presentation, the locks are numbered 1 to 10 from Stamford. Please note: locks 11 and 12 are on the river not the canal.
River Locks Turf Locks Flash Locks
When was the canal built, how and by whom?
The Stamford Canal << The earliest proper canal in England? <<
