Brindley Gates

Reader's Letters & Queries: NarrowBoat, Summer 2010

Brindley Gates The gates as drawn on pages 10 and 11 of Spring 2010 NarrowBoat have one obvious drawback. In the event of a breach and the operation of the gate either automatically or manually depending on the design, the difference in water level either side of the gate would have resulted in a large amount of pressure being exerted on the ‘upstream’ side of the gate. The design as drawn would have resulted in much of this loading being transferred to the timber upright. If this was not securely anchored into the supporting masonry it might have led to failure. If one imagines the timber uprights being forced away from the masonry or attempting to rotate either clockwise or anti-clockwise like the hands of a clock. This would have led to the gate travelling a full 180° and failing in its task. In the case of the Cromford design as photographed on page 12, the stone ‘down stands’ would have acted as buffering blocks, securely mounted into the surrounding …