Arial view of Dutton Locks.

 The picture gives an idea of the lay out of the locks. The water pump mentioned is located on the far side of the locks situated near the bottom of the large lock. At the time the locks only had a single hand rail. Imagine carrying water across in the winter to supply a lock cottage housing one family of eleven children and two adults .

                   The water pump Dutton Locks

                                   Day break at Dutton         

Dutton locks were constructed in 1874  cost £ 95.266 using

Lime stone from Derbyshire.  Sandstone from Runcorn. Granite from Cornwall. 

The original paddle machinery was constructed in Paisley, Scotland.

Cast iron and turbines were produced in  Northmoor Foundry Oldham.

Dimensions of the large lock are 22Oft x42ft. On normal water the rise is 8FT

There is sixteen ft six inches of water on the sills.

Ships drawing up to 10ft six inches regularly navigated the river.

                                                View from above Locks

Originally there were four lock keepers working on a two shift system. During WW1 this was increased to a three shift system covering the complete twenty four hours. In peace time no craft navigated the river between Midnight Saturday and Midnight Sunday except in an emergency or after a prolonged period of flood. As well as their lock keeping duties they also operated the manual sluices controlling water  levels.  

Four of the Lock Keepers or Lock Tenders as they were know as originally, lived with their families in the lock houses which at the time had no electric or running water. The only lighting was candles, paraffin lamps and carbide lamps. All cooking was undertaken on a coal fired stove located in the living room. The washing for the families was carried out in a large coal heated copper located in a rear wash house. The Lock Keepers wives used the boiler, a dolly tub and dolly pegs, plus the washboard for scrubbing clothes, especially whites. All the water had to be carried from a pump located on the far side of the big lock. Toilet facilities consisted of a bucket housed in a small privy at the end of the back yard. This was emptied directly into the river by the sluices. The once a week crude bathing facilities  consisted of half a wooden   barrel located in front of the fire for the children. Some of the more fortunate families had elongated galvanised tin baths for the adults. These usually hung on a peg in the back yard when not in use. Coal was issued once a year by the company and delivered by barge. The cost of the coal was deducted from the wages of the employees on a weekly basis. Paraffin, candles and other stores were issued on payday when the trustees vessel  travelled the length of the river paying out the staff's weekly wages. The cost of these items was also deducted from the wages.

The bricks for the Dutton Lock Cottages were fired at Saltersford Lock using suitable clay found when those locks were being constructed. The remains of the kiln is still recognisable in the back garden of one of the cottages Cost of four cottages £1.254.

The Dutton Sluices were completed in 1881/82 costing  £ 17.250.     

Dutton cutting cost £15.405