Ever wondered how lock gates are made? Well now’s your chance to find out when the Stanley Ferry Workshop opens its doors this weekend (Saturday, 3 September)
Normally closed to the public because it is an operational workshop, this is a rare opportunity to learn more about the art of building lock gates.
Stanley Ferry, on the Aire & Calder in Wakefield, is one of only two places in the UK where these gates are made and refurbished by the Canal & River Trust. Almost 100 are handcrafted each year.
Entry is free and visitors can tour the woodworking workshop between 10am and 4pm to learn all the tricks of the trade from the craftsmen who work there.
There will also be the chance to see Stanley Ferry’s dry dock and aqueduct, as well as climb aboard a Humber Keel barge owned by The Sobriety Project, a charity who arranges residential trips for the hardest to reach community groups.
For the children, a professional coach will be teaching the basics of fishing, and keeping watch while they give it a go themselves.
Janet Tynan, Workshops Manager at Stanley Ferry, said: “We are so pleased to be able to open up the workshop. It’s great to show people exactly where the lock gates come from and give them a glimpse into the work that goes into making each gate.”
