Boat Lifts

The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It is named after the nearby town of Falkirk in central Scotland. The two canals were previously connected by a series of 11 locks, but by the 1930s these had fallen into disuse, were filled in and the land built upon.

The plan to regenerate the canals of central Scotland to reconnect Glasgow with Edinburgh was led by British Waterways with support and funding from seven local authorities, the Scottish Enterprise Network, the European Regional Development Fund and the Millennium Commission. It was decided early on to create a dramatic 21st century landmark structure to reconnect the canals, instead of simply recreating the historic lock flight. Designs were submitted for a boat lift to link the canals, with the Falkirk Wheel design winning. As with many Millennium Commission projects the site includes a visitors' centre containing a shop, café and exhibition centre.

The difference in the levels of the two canals at the wheel is 24 metres (79 ft), roughly equivalent to the height of an eight storey building. However the Union Canal is 11m higher than the aqueduct which meets the wheel, and boats must pass through a pair of locks to descend from this canal onto the aqueduct at the top of the wheel. The aqueduct could not have been positioned higher due to conflicts with the historically important Antonine Wall.

The structure is located near the Rough Castle Fort and the closest village is Tamfourhill. On 24 May 2002, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Falkirk Wheel as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations. The opening had been delayed by a month due to flooding caused by vandals who forced open the Wheel's gates.

• Canals of the United Kingdom
• List of boat lifts
• Anderton boat lift, Anderton, Cheshire, UK
• Peterborough lift lock, Ontario, Canada
• Strépy-Thieu boat lift, Le Rœulx, Belgium. The tallest boat lift in the world.
• Lifts on the old Canal du Centre
• Forth to Firth Canal Pathway
• Falkirk Helix

References

1. ^ Wheel back on roll after vandalism repair work news.scotsman.com, 14 October 2002. Retrieved 8 July 2006.
2. ^ "Initial designs were by Nicoll Russell Studios". Evolution.skf.com. 2002-02-16 . http://evolution.skf.com/zino.aspx?articleID=391&lan=en-gb . Retrieved 2009-04-26 .  
3. ^ Tech Know: The dreams that bricks are made of BBC News, 4th February 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
4. ^ "Current Banknotes : Bank of Scotland". The Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers . http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/banknotes_current_bank_of_scotland.php . Retrieved 2008-10-17 .  
5. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8493631.stm |title= BBC News, retrieved Thu 4 Feb 10.
6. ^ About The Falkirk Wheelwww.thefalkirkwheel.co.uk, Retrieved. Retrieved 8 July 2006.
7. ^ The Falkirk Wheel - Undiscovered Scotland: The Ultimate Online Guide www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2006.
8. ^ The Falkirk Wheel on Waterscape.com. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
9. ^ First British canal for 100 years announced www.guardian.co.uk, 28 February 2003. Retrieved 8 July 2006.
10. ^ "Search - Falkirk Helix". Falkirk Helix<! . http://falkirkhelix.co.uk/news/latest/glasgow-artist-to-create-worlds-largest-horse-sculptures.html . Retrieved 2009-04-26 .  
11. ^ "Falkirk Wheel Film". Scotlandontv.tv. 2006-10-24 . http://www.scotlandontv.tv/scotland_on_tv/video.html?vxSiteId=60fdd544-9c52-4e17-be7e-57a2a2d76992&vxChannel=Visit%20Places&vxClipId=1380_SMG888&vxBitrate=300 . Retrieved 2009-04-26 .  

Further reading

• Uhlemann, H-J. (2002). Canal Lifts and Inclines of the World . Internat.  

External links

• Maps for grid reference NS852801
• View more details on Falkirk Wheel
• Tourist Guide to the Falkirk Wheel
• Official Falkirk Wheel website
• Video of the Falkirk Wheel in action
• The Wheel of Life
• A fantastic and indepth insight to the Wheel
• Detailed design of Falkirk Wheel steelwork
• Falkirk Wheel Photos Taken in June 2008
• Article on the Falkirk Wheel in Elevator World magazine
• Microsoft Live Map - Bird's Eye View

Coordinates: 56°0′1″N 3°50′30″W  /  56.00028°N 3.84167°W  / 56.00028;