Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandBelfastMcconnell's lock, lagan navigation, lock 1. canal lock
MODERN · CANAL

Mcconnell's lock, lagan navigation, lock 1. canal lock

Belfast, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 4763
Period
MODERN
Site type
CANAL
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 4763
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
J3449073190
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)

Overview

History & significance

McConnell's Lock is a canal lock on the Lagan Navigation in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Constructed as part of a modern canal system, it represents the industrial development of Belfast's waterways during the nineteenth century. The lock is located at grid reference J3449073190 and stands protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 4763.

The lock sits upon bedrock of the Sherwood Sandstone Group, a geological formation laid down during the Ladinian period of the Triassic era. This foundation of sandstone, siltstone and mudstone provided a stable base for the structure's construction and remains visible in the surrounding landscape. The local geology has influenced water management and building practices throughout Belfast's industrial heritage.

As the first lock on the Lagan Navigation, McConnell's Lock formed part of the infrastructure that enabled commercial and passenger traffic along the river. The navigation system transformed Belfast's relationship with its waterway, facilitating the transport of goods to and from the developing port and industrial quarters. The lock survives as a significant marker of the city's nineteenth-century expansion and engineering achievement.

Mcconnell's lock, lagan navigation, lock 1. canal lock is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 4763. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Mcconnell's lock, lagan navigation, lock 1. canal lock?

McConnell's Lock is a canal lock on the Lagan Navigation in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 4763.

What period does Mcconnell's lock, lagan navigation, lock 1. canal lock date from?

Mcconnell's lock, lagan navigation, lock 1. canal lock dates from the modern period, and is classified as a canal. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Mcconnell's lock, lagan navigation, lock 1. canal lock?

Mcconnell's lock, lagan navigation, lock 1. canal lock is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 4763.

What other scheduled monuments are near Mcconnell's lock, lagan navigation, lock 1. canal lock?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Belvoir park mound. motte (3.4 km), Platform rath (4.5 km), Rath (4.7 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Mcconnell's lock, lagan navigation, lock 1. canal lock

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Mcconnell's lock, lagan navigation, lock 1. canal lock's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman World
Ireland was never conquered by Rome, so this traces the island's Iron Age kingdoms and its contact with the Roman world.
Historic Records
The 19th-century records of this place: valuations, Ordnance Survey memoirs and topographical accounts.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Mcconnell's lock, lagan navigation, lock 1. canal lock

Mcconnell's lock, lagan navigation, lock 1. canal lock stands on Sherwood Sandstone Group, bedrock that formed in the Ladinian. The rock here is sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.