Locks 28-29

Grijota

Province

Palencia

Branch

South

Visit duration

30-60 minutes

Services available

Aparcamiento

Provincia

Palencia

Ramal

South

Duración visita

30-60 minutes

Servicios disponibles

Aparcamiento

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The heritage complex of Locks 28-29 was built between 1759 and 1804 and is located in the municipality of Grijota (Palencia), at kilometer 89.487 of the Canal de Castilla, at the beginning of the Southern Branch. This site played a key role within the hydraulic system, regulating the passage of vessels, controlling the flow, and allowing the use of the waterfall at a strategic bifurcation and diversion point of the canal.

The main element consists of two joined, double-type, oval-shaped locks, constructed of limestone masonry. The structure measures approximately 21.50 meters long, 11 meters wide, and between 5 and 6 meters high, adapting to the difference in elevation. The intake for the sluice gate is located on the upper right wing of the entrance to lock 28. From here, a diversion channel runs parallel to the canal through an open channel and rejoins it downstream after passing under the bridge. On the left bank, a fixed-walled side spillway connects via an underground conduit to the intake on that bank and discharges directly into the chamber of lock 28, reinforcing the hydraulic control of the entire system.

Associated with the locks are preserved various elements that complete the functional reading of the complex: the main bridge supported on lock 29, with a semicircular arch and limestone masonry, which ensures road continuity; a second bridge at the diversion, also made of stone, with partially renovated parapets; the lock keeper’s house, now renovated and in good condition, a testament to the daily life linked to the maintenance of the canal; a flour mill and former hydroelectric power station, currently unused and in poor condition, which preserves the masonry arches at the outlet of the diversion; in addition to other auxiliary buildings linked to storage and canal services, which reflect the intense technical and productive activity of the place.

A visit to Locks 28-29 allows you to understand the Canal de Castilla as a complex work deeply integrated into the landscape. The open landscape of Tierra de Campos, the succession of locks, the bridges, and the associated buildings offer a leisurely and educational experience, ideal for appreciating how engineering, water, and human activity combined to shape one of the great hydraulic projects of Enlightenment Spain.

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How to get there:

In Grijota, on the outskirts of the town, at kilometer 450 of the road from Palencia to Villada, you will find the set of locks.

Locks 28-29

Locks 28-29

Canal areas