Lock 3

Lock 3, built between 1759 and 1804, is a single-stage lock with an oval basin that continues the ascent of the North Branch. Measuring 23.80 meters long, 9.65 meters wide, and 3.60 meters high, it is constructed of sandstone masonry, a durable material that has allowed its original hydraulic structure to be preserved despite the passage of time. On the left bank is a fixed-lip spillway that drains into a secondary channel, which skirts the nearby house before rejoining the main channel about 30 meters downstream. Although its state of preservation is not excellent, it retains valuable features, such as the original supports for the operating winches, which provide insight into how the gates were operated.

Next to the lock are the remains of the lock keeper’s house, also built between 1759 and 1804. Rectangular in plan and single-story, it combined living quarters with a small storage area, covered by a gabled roof in the residential section and a single-pitched roof in the auxiliary area. Its pressed brick walls, with projecting moldings on the plinths, lintels, and a perimeter cornice, display a simple yet functional architecture, adapted to the needs of daily lock maintenance. Today it lies in ruins, although it retains facades, structural remains, and part of the roof, giving it significant environmental value within the site.

During a visit to Lock 3, the water flows silently through meadows and woodland, the sandstone gently reflects the light, and the remains of a dwelling serve as a reminder of the daily life once connected to the canal. It’s the perfect place to understand the Canal de Castilla as a living heritage, where landscape, history, and engineering converge on a single journey.