The Foxton Inclined Plane is a canal inclined plane on the Leicester line of the Grand Union Canal about west of the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough, named after the nearby village of Foxton.
The plane was built in 1900 as a solution to various operational restrictions imposed by the Foxton Lock flight. However, it was not a commercial success and only remained in full-time operation for ten years. The plane was dismantled in 1926. A project to re-create the plane commenced in the 2000s because the narrowbeam locks remain a bottleneck for leisure boat traffic.
History
thumb|left|The inclined plane under construction in 1900.
thumb|left|The inclined plane from the [[Illustrated London News of 19 December 1903]]
By 1897, the Grand Junction Canal Company had acquired several of the canals comprising the Leicester line, and was keen to meet demand from carriers seeking to use wider beam (14 ft) craft, rather than the traditional narrow beam boats, which were the only type the locks could accommodate.
Their solution was to build an inclined plane to the side of the locks. Initially, the company had planned for the plane to replace the locks, rather than having it act as a second, faster option. Construction began in 1898 and was finished by 10 July 1900.
The plane was designed by Gordon Cale Thomas, after a large-scale prototype was built at the company's Bulbourne yard and he had assessed the climb.
The inclined plane had a journey time of 12 minutes for two boats up and two down, compared with 1¼ hours through the lock system,
In 1926, dismantling of the incline's machinery began, and it was sold for scrap in 1928 for a mere £250. The mooring bollards from the incline can be found alongside the locks. This recognition, together with the steady increase in leisure boating on British canals, means its restoration is now considered a key project in the development of the national waterway network. The cost of full restoration has been estimated at £9 million (in 2006).
Stage 1 of the project – the clearing of the site and restoration of the canal arms above and below the plane – was completed in 2008. A grant for £1.7 million was received from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the £2.8 million cost of this first stage, and its successful completion resulted in the site being removed from the Monuments at Risk register.