Lock 8

Lock 8, built between 1759 and 1804, continues the ascent of the North Branch and maintains the characteristic typology of the canal’s simple locks. Its oval basin, 26 meters long, 9.40 meters wide, and 3.60 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 right bank, a spillway connects via an underground conduit to the diversion channel on the same bank, discharging against the basin wall before rejoining the canal. On the left wing of the upper intake, a water intake supplied an adjacent building, reflecting the close relationship between the hydraulic infrastructure and the associated productive uses. It retains valuable elements such as the original supports for the operating winches.

The complex is completed by several secondary elements. The bridge over the lock, also dating from 1759–1804, features a semicircular arch in sandstone ashlar, with stone parapets and wing walls, and is well preserved. Its function was to guarantee passage between banks without interfering with the lock’s operations. Two auxiliary bridges, also made of limestone ashlar and retaining the authenticity of the original hydraulic structure, are preserved at the diversion point. These allowed the towpath to continue along the left bank. Next to them are the remains of the mill and the lock keeper’s house, now vanished except for a few vestiges, which recall the intense economic and human activity associated with the canal.

During the visit to Lock 8, the bridges and factory remains allow one to understand the magnitude of the Canal de Castilla as a living heritage, integrated into the territory and full of memory.