Locks 31-32

Palencia

Province

Palencia

Branch

South

Visit duration

30-60 minutes

Services available

Aparcamiento

Provincia

Palencia

Ramal

South

Duración visita

30-60 minutes

Servicios disponibles

Aparcamiento

Página web

The heritage complex of Locks 31-32, built between 1759 and 1804, is located within the municipality of Palencia, at kilometer 95.785 of the Southern Branch of the Castile Canal. This site constitutes one of the canal’s most complex hydraulic nodes, designed to overcome a difference in elevation of 7.70 meters and to organize, at a single point, navigation, flow control, and the diversion of water for complementary uses. Its overall function was to guarantee the continuity of river transport and optimize water use in a strategic location, close to the city of Palencia and its historic road network.

The main feature consists of two joined, double-type, oval-shaped locks, each approximately 23.80 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide. They are constructed of limestone masonry and retain their original hydraulic structure. Upstream, the right wing of the entrance terminates in a quarter-circle from which the channel of the diversion begins. After passing under the first bridge, the diversion turns at a right angle towards the adjacent building and, after passing under the second bridge, carries the water to its outlet downstream of the third and final bridge. On the left bank, a lateral spillway discharges directly into the lock basin via an underground conduit.

Associated with the locks are several complementary elements that complete their functional interpretation: the main bridge over the locks, with a semicircular arch and limestone masonry, which supports the road from Santa Cecilia to Palencia; a second system of bridges in the diversion, three in total, which guarantee the continuity of the towpath and the local road; a stone pier located upstream, intended for loading and unloading operations; and an old mill, later converted into a power station, now in ruins, which testifies to the energy use of the waterfall.

A visit to Locks 31-32 offers a glimpse into the complex territorial structure of the Canal de Castilla, where engineering, roads, productive activity, and landscape are seamlessly integrated. The open environment, the gentle flow of the water, and the concentration of infrastructure make this site a particularly educational and thought-provoking experience for discovering the technical and human dimensions of the canal on the Southern Branch.

Play Video

How to get there:

The P-901 road from Palencia to Santa Cecilia del Alcor passes over the lock bridge shortly after its first kilometer.

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/esclusas-de-vinalta-palencia-caaaba82a43a4df497c4cbb8bd176240

Locks 31-32

Locks 31-32

Canal areas