Lock 37

Dueñas

Province

Palencia

Branch

South

Visit duration

30-60 minutes

Services available

Provincia

Palencia

Ramal

South

Duración visita

30-60 minutes

Servicios disponibles

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The heritage complex of Lock 37, built between 1831 and 1836, is located in the municipality of Dueñas (Palencia), at kilometer 109.840 of the Southern Branch of the Castile Canal. This site marks an advanced stage in the canal’s development, where hydraulic engineering was integrated with road infrastructure and productive buildings to regulate the flow, facilitate navigation, and take advantage of the waterfall. Its overall function was to manage the canal’s water level and divert water to adjacent facilities, while maintaining the continuity of roads and services.

The main feature is Lock 37, a simple, rectangular lock with approximate dimensions of 27.80 meters long, 5.20 meters wide, and 3.60 meters high. It is constructed of limestone masonry and retains the supports for the original operating winches. The intake for the diversion channel is located at the base of the upper right wing, continuing underground to the adjacent building. At the outlet, the return channel runs in the open air parallel to the canal and flows downstream. A fixed-crest side spillway is located on the left bank, which discharges directly into the lock basin via an underground conduit.

Two bridges are associated with the lock: the main bridge, with a segmental arch and limestone masonry, which spans the lock basin and is in good condition; and the diversion bridge, with a semicircular masonry arch, aligned with the main bridge to provide continuity to the path over the dam. The complex is completed by the lock keeper’s house, built in 1930, with a rectangular floor plan and two attached dwellings, stables, and courtyards, currently unused and awaiting renovation, and the old flour mill, privately owned, which testifies to the industrial use of the waterfall.

A visit to Lock 37 offers a clear and accessible way to understand how the Canal de Castilla organized water, roads, and economic activity. The peri-urban setting of Dueñas, the canal’s course, and the proximity of the various elements invite a leisurely stroll where engineering, landscape, and everyday history converge.

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How to get there:

The complex can be reached by the left bank road, either from upstream or starting from the turnoff at kilometer 90 of the N-620 road, from which the lock is about 200 meters away.

Lock 37

Lock 37

Canal areas