July 1900 saw the opening of the Foxton Inclined Plane Boat Lift - commissioned to replace the 10 aging locks which took impatient boaters a total of 45 minutes to navigate. Ascending the new lift took only 12 minutes from start to finish. The plane was the brainchild of Gordon Cale Thomas. It raised and lowered boats on a steep slope in two large water-filled tanks. For the first time, it was also possible for wide-beam vessels to pass through Foxton - a crucial factor in the canal company's attempt to compete with the railways.
However, unwidened locks at nearby Watford continued to limit the volume of traffic coming through Foxton, and sadly, financial pressures led to the closure of this engineering feat after only ten years of operation. Despite this, Thomas' design inspired a number of larger boat lifts built elsewhere in Europe from the 1960s onwards.
But even without the boat lift, Foxton is a particularly popular destination for boaters and sight-seers alike. A comprehensive programme of visitor improvements is underway, led by the Foxton Locks Partnership and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Foxton Inclined Plane Trust is working towards restoration of the lift.
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