Nynehead Boat Lift

The canal runs through Somerset with barely a ripple of drama until you hit Nynehead, where Victorian engineers solved a rather pressing problem: how to shift boats up a 66-foot gradient without a traditional lock. What you're looking at is a hydraulic boat lift - one of only two surviving examples in Britain, and frankly, it's the sort of thing that makes canal enthusiasts lose their minds.

The structure itself is industrial and honest. A pair of massive counterbalanced tanks sit either side of a vertical chamber where boats were winched up and down using water pressure. It's no longer operational, which is a shame, but the engineering logic is immediately obvious when you stand there. You can walk around it, peer at the brickwork, and appreciate the sheer ambition of it all. Budget twenty minutes unless you're the type who wants to photograph every rivet.

History nerds and canal buffs will genuinely rate this. Families with young kids might find it a bit static - there's no visitor centre, no café, nowhere to sit really. It's very much a 'you turn up, you have a look, you move on' sort of spot. Spring or autumn is ideal; summer draws crowds to the broader canal network.

Parked at Waterrow Touring Park or Cornish Farm? Both are within six miles and make handy bases for exploring the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal. This lift is the real highlight along this stretch - well worth the short drive from either site.