Lock 7

Lock 7, built between 1759 and 1804, marks another rise in the North Branch and maintains the characteristic typology of the canal’s simple locks. Its oval basin, 24.60 meters long, 9.40 meters wide, and 2.40 meters high, is constructed of sandstone ashlar, a resistant material that has allowed the essential structure of the hydraulic work to be preserved. On the left bank, a spillway discharges water through a covered channel into a masonry diversion channel before rejoining the main canal approximately 70 meters downstream. On the left wing of the upper intake, a water intake once supplied an adjacent building, reflecting the close relationship between the hydraulic infrastructure and its associated productive uses. Its state of preservation is good, and valuable elements such as the original supports for the operating winches have been retained.

The complex is completed by several secondary elements. The bridge over the lock, also from the period 1759–1804, features a semicircular arch in sandstone ashlar, with masonry wing walls and stone parapets. Its condition is good, and its function was to guarantee passage between banks without interfering with the lock’s operations. At the entrance and exit of the diversion, two auxiliary bridges, also made of ashlar, are preserved. These allowed the continuity of the towpath on the left bank, essential for the passage of animals and workers. Next to them stands the evocative King’s Fulling Mill, a three-story building, now in ruins, with a rectangular floor plan, pressed brick walls, and a limestone ashlar archway at the water outlet. Although only part of its walls and wooden structure remain, its presence recalls the intense industrial activity that accompanied the canal. Finally, the associated ruins —adobe walls and foundation remains— complete the reading of the site as a space where daily life, work and engineering coexisted for centuries.

At lock 7, the remains of the fulling mill tell the story of the canal’s industrial past. It’s the perfect place to understand the Canal de Castilla as a living heritage, integrated into the landscape and steeped in history.