Compton Lock is at the southern end of the summit level of the Staffs and Worcs Canal. It is reputedly the first pound lock to be built in the burst of canal building which transformed inland transport as part of the original Industrial Revolution.
The lock gates need replacing from time to time, but the current set have been in place long enough for a healthy growth of liverworts, ferns and other plants by the downstream junction of the two lower gates, which are steadily watered whenever the lock is full.
