Acton's Lock

Acton's Lock takes its name from William Lee Acton, a landowner who held the property where this specific stretch of the canal was constructed in the early nineteenth century. He was one of several local figures, including William Rhodes and the Clothworkers Company, who provided the land necessary for the waterway to cut through this part of Hackney. The lock stands as a reminder of the private interests that shaped the path of London's industrial infrastructure.