Lock 40

Corcos

Province

Valladolid

Branch

South

Visit duration

30-60 minutes

Services available

Provincia

Valladolid

Ramal

South

Duración visita

30-60 minutes

Servicios disponibles

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Lock 40, built between 1831 and 1836, is located in the municipality of Corcos (Valladolid), at kilometer 125.560 of the Southern Branch of the Castile Canal. This site clearly encapsulates the canal’s function as a navigational infrastructure, water regulator, and driver of economic activity. Its overall purpose was to overcome the difference in elevation, control the flow, and divert water to productive buildings, while simultaneously maintaining the continuity of roads and associated services.

The main feature is Lock 40, a simple, rectangular lock approximately 33 meters long, 5.10 meters wide, and 3.80 meters high. It is constructed of limestone masonry and retains the original supports for the operating winches. On the right bank, a nozzle feeds the buried diversion channel that carries water to the adjacent building, from where it flows into the open air. A second intake with a gate is located on the adjacent wing. On the left bank, a fixed-lip spillway discharges into the lock through a buried conduit. The complex is completed by a new arched concrete retaining wall with a walkway and metal railings. Its state of preservation is good, and the entire original hydraulic structure is fully protected.

Several complementary elements associated with the lock reinforce the functional interpretation of the complex. The main bridge over the lock stands out, with its segmental arch and limestone masonry, ensuring road continuity and exhibiting a good state of preservation. Also noteworthy is the diversion bridge, aligned with the main bridge, which features a low arch and is also constructed of ashlar masonry. Completing the ensemble are the lock keeper’s house, a single-story structure with a gabled roof, stone base, and brick walls, now used as a residence and offices and in good condition; and the privately owned Las Luisas flour mill, comprised of several adjoining modules and still operational, a testament to the industrial use of the waterfall.

A visit to Lock 40 offers a comprehensive experience of the Canal de Castilla. The tour allows you to understand how hydraulic engineering, roads, housing, and industry are integrated into a single location, while also enjoying an open landscape where water remains the common thread of history and the land.

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How to get there:

The complex is accessed by turning off 150 meters at kilometer 105.900 of the N-620 road along the road that leads to the Corcos station.

Lock 40

Lock 40

Canal areas