Foxton Canal Museum

About the museum

Foxton Canal Museum stands beside the middle lock of the Foxton Locks on the Leicester line of the Grand Union Canal in Leicestershire. It opened to the public in June 1980 and is run by the Foxton Inclined Plane Trust. The museum occupies the reconstructed boiler house that once powered the Foxton boat lift, and it is an accredited museum.

The story it tells begins with the staircase flight of ten locks, built in 1810 to carry boats up a hill of about 75 feet. Queues could hold boats up for hours, and narrow locks limited the size of loads. In response, the Grand Junction Canal Company built a boat lift to a design by its engineer Gordon Cale Thomas, with two water-filled tanks, each weighing 230 tons, which were drawn up and down an inclined plane by a steam-driven winch. The lift saved water and carried much more traffic than the locks, but the hoped-for growth in trade never came because the locks at Watford Gap were not widened.

The lift was mothballed in 1911 and its machinery was sold for scrap in 1928, while the locks have stayed in use. The museum displays photographs, documents and objects from the lift and the canal community, with information boards, films, interactive displays, part of a canal boat that visitors can enter, and a shop. It has also run community projects, including one with Gypsy and Traveller groups and a film project with people who may face barriers to visiting museums.

Highlights

• Story of the Foxton boat lift and the ten-lock staircase
• Photographs, documents and objects from the lift and the locks
• Part of a canal boat to step inside, with the story of a boat woman
• Interactive displays, short films and a boiler game
• Free trails and audio trail around Foxton Locks

Permanent exhibition

• Lift, Locks and Lives – The story of the Foxton boat lift, the staircase locks and the people who lived and worked there, told through photographs, objects, films, interactives and part of a canal boat.

Founded

1980

Operated by

Foxton Inclined Plane Trust

Admission & discounts

For groups of 15 or more paying adults, one organiser is admitted free.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is on one floor, with automatic doors at the main entrance and level floors in the museum and shop. The path to the museum is sloped and the site paths are even. Interpretation panels are designed with restricted vision in mind. The museum has no public toilets; the nearest, including one accessible toilet, is in the bottom car park. Disabled parking spaces are in the short-stay car park and on the access road to the museum. Staff can help on request.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

Free trail sheets and an audio trail around Foxton Locks, an interactive boiler game and, in half-term weeks, extra activities such as marble runs and printing workshops. Free STEM school materials and workshops are also offered.

Getting there & parking

Follow the brown Foxton Locks tourist signs from the A6 (near the A6 and B6047 roundabout at Market Harborough) or from junction 20 of the M1 via the A4304. Visitors arriving by boat can find lock opening times and visitor moorings from the Canal & River Trust.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The museum has a souvenir and book shop but no café or toilets of its own. Cafés and pubs at Foxton Locks nearby include Top Lock Coffee Stop, Bridge 61 pub and Foxton Locks Inn.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit