Bingley Five Rise Locks on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways and as such is a fantastic site to visit with the family. It was officially opened in 1774 and is the steepest staircase lock in the country with a gradient of about 1:5 – a rise of 59 ft 2 in (18.03 m) over a distance of 320 ft (98 m).
But there’s more to this stretch of canal than the locks alone. Right alongside the towpath lies Bingley North Bog, a 10,000-year-old peatland and part of the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve — West Yorkshire’s first ever National Nature Reserve. Recently restored by a remarkable community project, it now has new paths and a wooden bird hide at the water’s edge. Keep an eye out for herons, curlew, dragonflies and bats as you pass through!
View of the Five Rise Locks on the Leeds and Liverpool canal near Bingley, West Yorkshire
Plan your walk
Where to start?
Bingley Railway Station
Wellington Street
Bingley
West Yorkshire
BD16 2NA
Grid Reference: SE 108 391
What3Words: ///boat.sideburns.comet
This is a car-free train walk! We encourage walkers to use public transport, rather than cars, as much as possible.
We have provided an interactive map below, powered by OpenStreetMap. You can zoom in and out, explore the route in detail, follow your live location along the walk, and view points of interest, cafés and facilities directly on the map. The map also shows the location of Bingley North Bog and the new bird hide, so you can plan your visit before you set off.
Elevation profile
Route files for GPS & mapping apps
Find out more about these downloadable files and how to use them
Toilets & Refreshments
There are public toilets on this walk and are located on Myrtle Place (by the market square) in Bingley.
There are many shops, cafés, restaurants and pubs in town but below are specifics businesses which we recommend if you go on this walk. Feel free to visit their site and contact them.
A charming little café serving dairy ice cream and located in the former stables of the Five Rise Locks.
Bingley’s hub for all things LEGO® – A place where children and grown-ups can dive into our range of sets or let imaginations run wild with loose play bricks.
Walk Directions - Bingley Five Rise Locks & North Bog. A Canal Family Walk
Last edited: 4th January 2026
1. Railway Station to footbridge over the bypass
Starting at the train station on Wellington Street, take left passing the car park and towards Aldi Supermarket. Cut across the supermarket’s car park to find yourself on Dubb Lane, a cul de sac hosting Bingley & Five Rise Private Hire, a local mini cab company. Walk to the back of this street and towards the bypass, you will soon find a zebra crossing. Be careful when crossing the road and then go straight on the footbridge over the bypass.
View of Bingley Railway Station from Wellington Street
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is teaming with wildlife on this part of the route.
2. Walking on the canal towpath
At the end of the footbridge, turn left onto a path leading towards the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Once on the canal towpath, turn left. Before walking along the canal, please remind everyone walking with you to keep SAFE (Stay Away From the Edge)! If lucky you should see the first signs of wildlife with many swans, ducks, water-hens and geese known to be on this stretch of the canal. It is recommended to avoid feeding wild animals with bread. Instead Canal & River Trust suggest replacements such as oats, peas, lettuce, seeds, rice or corn.
3. Towards Three Rise Locks
Carry on walking on the towpath and once you pass under a bridge, you should now see the Damart Mill on your right hand side. Quite often boats are moored here, waiting to go through the Three Rise Locks which is at the bottom of Damart Mill. This flight of locks was built at the same time as the Five Rise Locks and at the top, there was once the site of the lock keeper cottage.
Soon after the Three Rise Locks, look on your right hand side for some steps leading towards the North Bog.
Please note: if you have a pram, instead of going down the steps, carry on along the towpath up to the bottom of the Five Rise Locks. Then you should see a kissing gate on the left which is large enough for a normal pram to go through.
Damart Bingley Mill in the Sunset with Three Rise Locks - Photo: Nigel Lumb
View of Bingley North Bog from the South
4. From North Bog to Five Rise Locks
The North Bog is a heaven for wildlife such as, small birds, herons, dragonflies and damselflies, frogs and toads and all sorts of bugs! Look up in the trees for the bat-boxes too! Remain on the path, towards a kissing gate on your right. However, instead of going through the gate and up the steep Five Rise Locks towpath, remain on the path and take a left. You will go around the Five Rise Locks on a smoother incline remaining on the North Bog path. At the top of the North Bog, go through another kissing gate leading onto Sleningford Road. Go right, towards the canal towpath and right again towards the Five Rise Locks where more ducks should wait for you to be fed. Once at the Top of Locks, don’t hesitate to visit the Five Rise Locks Café, have a chat with the friendly lock keeper or simply admire this industrial wonder!
5. Back in town!
Once you are ready to leave the site, just walk back down the towpath up to the Three Rise. On your right hand side, take the footbridge going over the bypass – which was named after Bingley born astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle – and leading towards the All Saints Parish Church. After the bridge, turn left and you are now back in town on Main Street. There are many pubs, café and shops in Bingley which are walkers and family friendly, so don’t hesitate and pay them a vist! To go back to the train station, walk up Main Street to the set of traffic lights, turn left on Park Road and then right on Wellington Street where you should see the railway station building.
Sunset picture of top of Five Rise Locks with Damart Mill in the background
Photos of Bingley Three and Five Rise Locks
We have a selection of fantactic photos of Bingley Five Rise Locks and Three Rise Locks, including from Top of the Locks or in Black and White.
Frequently Asked Questions
When were the Bingley Five Rise Locks built?
The Five Rise Locks were officially opened on 21st March 1774. They were built by the engineer John Longbotham as part of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and took around three years to construct. At the opening ceremony, a crowd of thousands gathered to watch the first boats pass through.
How long does the walk take?
The walk is approximately 2.1 miles (3.39 km) and takes around 42 minutes at a steady pace. Allow a little longer if you plan to stop and watch the locks in action, explore Bingley North Bog, or grab an ice cream at the Five Rise Café!
Is Bingley Five Rise Locks free to visit?
Yes, the locks and the canal towpath are free to visit at any time of day. The Five Rise Café at the locks is independently run and charges for food and drinks, but there is no admission fee to see the locks themselves.
Is there a café near Bingley Five Rise Locks?
Yes! The Five Rise Café is located right at the locks, in the charming former stables of the site. It serves dairy ice cream and refreshments and is one of our Walker-Friendly Stops — perfect for a rest before or after the walk.
Is the walk suitable for pushchairs?
Mostly yes, but there is one short diversion to be aware of. Soon after the Three Rise Locks, the main route uses steps leading down towards Bingley North Bog. If you have a pushchair, skip the steps and carry on along the towpath up to the bottom of the Five Rise Locks instead. You will find a kissing gate on the left which is large enough for a standard pushchair to pass through.
Where can I park near Bingley Five Rise Locks?
There is limited parking directly at the Five Rise Locks, so we recommend using one of the town centre car parks a short walk away. The closest is Main Street Car Park (BD16 2JJ), followed by Queen Street Car Park (BD16 2JS) near Market Square. Wellington Car Park (BD16 2NA) is the most convenient if you are arriving by train. For current prices visit the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council website.
What is Bingley North Bog?
Bingley North Bog is a 10,000-year-old peatland sitting right alongside the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, between the Three Rise and Five Rise Locks. It forms part of the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve — West Yorkshire’s first ever National Nature Reserve, designated in March 2025. Recently restored through a community project led by the Dawoodi Bohra community, it now has new paths, a native hedgerow corridor, and a wooden bird hide at the water’s edge. Look out for kingfishers, herons, curlew, dragonflies and bats as you pass through.
Is the walk suitable for beginners and families?
Yes, this is one of the most family-friendly walks in Bingley. The route follows the flat canal towpath for most of its length, making it suitable for all fitness levels. Along the way there is plenty to keep children entertained — feeding the ducks, watching boats navigate the locks, spotting wildlife at North Bog, and finishing with an ice cream at the Five Rise Café. The walk starts and ends at Bingley railway station, so no car is needed.
Interesting Facts:
Damart & the French connection
- The French company Damart was established in 1953 in Roubaix which is twinned with Bradford. In 1967, they bought the Bowling Green Mills in Bingley and made it their UK headquarter. Now known as Damart Mill, the Three Rise Locks are located at its foot.
Leeds & Liverpool Canal 200th anniversary
- The Leeds & Liverpool Canal celebrated it’s 200 anniversary in 2016 but the Bingley Locks were open 42 years before the full length of the canal was completed. So Bingley had a second party to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the opening of the Bingley Locks, and on 23rd March 2024 the Bingley Canal Festival saw the town buzzing with activities!
Treacle Cock Alley
- Did you know a path near Three Rise Locks has been walked for over 800 years? Newly resurfaced and better than ever, it even has a wonderfully quirky name that kids will love: Treacle Cock Alley!
North Bog community project
- Thanks to a community restoration project completed in early 2026, Bingley North Bog now has a new bird hide, native hedgerow corridor and improved paths — making it easier than ever to spot the varied wildlife which calls it home.
Explore more at the locks
Before you visit, there’s plenty to discover. Watch the short film below to understand how the locks work, then download the free activity packs to make the most of your day out.
How do the Bingley Five Rise Locks work?
Ever wondered how a boat climbs 18 metres up a hillside? This short film explains the engineering behind the Five Rise Locks – from the canal mania of the 1770s to how the staircase locks operate today. Perfect to watch with children before your visit.
Video by Canal & River Trust · YouTube
Free Downloads - Canal & River Trust
The Canal & River Trust have created a brilliant set of free printable resources to bring your visit to life. Print them at home before you go.
A very nice brochure made for the young ones with information about the wildlife around the site
Easy to read and print maps of the sites
A trail devised for teenagers and grown ups with many questions about the local history.
A different trail on the same theme but this time devised for younger ones.
All downloadable resources on this page are produced by the Canal & River Trust, a registered charity (no. 1146792). We link to them here because we think they are brilliant – they are not ours to reproduce or redistribute.
A new mural painting at the Tree Rise Locks
In August 2022, illustrator Sven Shaw was commissioned to paint a mural on the wall of the Damart Mill near the Three Rise Locks site. The result is really stunning and depicts local landmarks, historical figures and celebrities which come from the towns and villages of Riddlesden, Bingley, Saltaire, Shipley, Esholt and Thackley. All of which have the Leeds and Liverpool canal running through!
If you are coming to Bingley by car, it’s worth knowing that there is limited parking near the five rise locks. The best way to access the site is on foot from the town centre as described in the walk above. There is ample parking space in town and we recommend the following car parks:
- Main Street Car Park (BD16 2JJ). This would be the closest to the Five Rise Locks
- Queen Street Car Park (BD16 2JS). Conveniently located near Market Square
- Wellington Car Park (BD16 2NA). Very close to the railway train station
The map below will give you more details about the car parks locations and their capacity. For prices, please visit the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council website
Have you done this walk yourself? Don’t hesitate to give us some feedback by leaving a comment below!