About Agde Round Lock
Historic Architecture, Architecture, Interesting Places, Other Buildings And Structures
The Agde Round Lock (French: L'Écluse Ronde d'Agde) is a canal lock on the Canal du Midi that connects to the Hérault River in Agde France. It is almost unique because it is round, which allows a boat to turn around, and the fact that it has three sets of lock gates, each with a different water level. It was built in 1676 of volcanic stone and was originally 29.20 m in diameter, 5.20 m deep.
The lock is no longer round. It was expanded during a program begun in 1978 to expand locks to the Freycinet gauge to allow for barges up to 38.50 metres long.
Originally, buildings in the area of the lock included an administration building, stables, shops, and a chapel.