Newark Town Lock attracts more than 5,000 visitors to open days
Visitors had a rare chance to see Newark Town Lock this weekend.
The Canal and River Trust invited people down into the depths of the locks to see the huge gates up close on Saturday and Sunday.
And more than 5,000 visitors went during the weekend to explore the depths of the 20ft deep section of the River Trent, which has been drained as part of ongoing work to restore the lock.
Specially-installed walkways allowed visitors to get down to the bottom of the vast lock, where 200-year-old masonry, normally hidden under water, was on view.
Stephen Hardy, East Midlands communications manager for the Canal and River Trust, said: "We had around 2,000 visitors on Saturday and around 3,000 on Sunday.
"We put special walkways so people could go down to the bottom of the lock — which is not something you get to do everyday — and they could have a look at the giant oak lock gates that had been lifted in and chat with some of our teams which have been working on the lock works.
"Its fantastic that people came to see it. We do the work that we do for them to keep the waterways working for everyone that wants to use them — whether they are boating or using the towpaths. For us it is fantastic to see lots of people interested in their local waterways."
Waterway specialists were on hand to answer questions about the impressive gates and the lock-side garden hosted family crafts.
Newark Dry Dock, the largest inland dry dock in the UK, was also open for visitors.
He said: "We had a chat with lots of people who had family connections to the lock, which was really nice, their grandparents used to be lock-keepers orused to work on the river. We spoke to quite a few people who had a family history with the river and it was really nice to give them the opportunity to explore the lock.
"All in all it was a really enjoyable event, our staff really enjoyed it and our volunteers. It was a chance to show off what we do and give people the chance to do something special that you don't get to do everyday."
Crowds could also wander to nearby Newark Castle to take part in more themed fun, with historical re-enactors in the grounds.
The castle tower and undercroft was open for visitors.
Also taking advantage of the lock open days was Newark Heritage Barge, which also opened to visitors.
The trust, which cares for 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales, is investing more than £330,000 into the works which included the installation of new hand-crafted lock gates.
