Campbell's lock
Campbell's lock is the first on the Portadown side of the summit and is very close to Scarva village. Scarva has a visitor centre dedicated to the canal with canal information and history and a cafe. Scarva is also famous as the camping place of William of Orange on his way to the battle of the Boyne. Every 13th of July the village hosts the sham fight between William and James. This is a big day out to celebrate the Union and the village is jammed with bands, banners and flags. The village is also famous for its floral displays and it has won many tidy town awards. Every Sunday in summer there are band concerts on a lawn which was once a mooring basin on the canal.
On a very stormy autumn day the Newry branch held its first work party at the lock. We were amazed by what a small group of people were able to achieve in a morning. We were particularly happy when we cleared away a curtain of ivy to reveal a small stone carved with the date 1802 which was when major repairs and upgrading was done on the canal. The remains of the gates are in imminent danger of collapse and drifting off downstream to Lough Neagh. We have now obtained Environment Agency consent to remove the gate remains for safekeeping against the day when we restore the canal and need these artefacts to act as templates for new infrastructure.
Trees shifting stones 
carved date stone
the lock before 
and after
the first workparty 
looking spruce
On 22 April with the co-operation of the Rivers Agency branch members were present to see the remains of the gates removed to Banbridge for safekeeping. They looked quite sad relics when removed from their environment but now at least we have them secured to be part of future restoration. Click on the thumbnails to see larger images.
working at the gates 
ready for removal
removing the gates
ready for transporting
the crane and lorry
in Banbridge yard
rivers agency workers 
effects on waterway
Return to workparties home
Go to Poyntzpass lock