Have you heard the tale of a waterway meant to connect Madrid to the sea? It’s a story of ambition. It is also a story of eventual obsolescence. Today we stand before the S\u00e9ptima Esclusa del Real Canal de Manzanares.
The Real Canal de Manzanares was envisioned to link Madrid and Aranjuez by water. The goal was to provide access to the Tagus River and ultimately the sea. Felipe II first dreamed of this project. However, it only materialized during the reign of Carlos III. This was part of his public works initiative during the Enlightenment.
Construction continued under Fernando VII. Isidro Gonz\u00e1lez Vel\u00e1zquez participated in its design. He was a disciple of Villanueva and the king’s architect. The Canal stretched from Madrid to Rivas-Vaciamadrid. It served for 30 years under Isabel II. The arrival of the railroad rendered the project obsolete. The dream of reaching the sea faded. Despite this, significant remnants of the project remain.
The infrastructure spanned 20 km. It included ten locks, a headwater, and a landing in Madrid. There were also staff and maintenance houses. The canal harnessed hydraulic power for mills. It primarily transported construction materials. Interestingly, the first lock’s mill ground marble for Buen Retiro porcelains. Several locks, auxiliary buildings, and much of the channel remain. Some sections still carry water.
Now let’s focus on the S\u00e9ptima Esclusa. It lies a bit more than 10 km from the Canal’s headwaters. It sits opposite Perales del R\u00edo. The baroque church of Santos Justo y Pastor marks the area.
The S\u00e9ptima Esclusa was built between 1780 and 1790. This was after the State seized the Canal. Around 1820 repairs began on the lock’s basin. Poor construction and water flows had undermined the wall’s foundation. A sectional plan documents this issue and the masonry wall repair. Brick and stonework reinforced it. Madoz incorrectly dated the repair between 1825 and 1826.
The keeper’s house mirrored that of the Sixth Lock. It featured two parallel longitudinal sections. These sections were separated by a courtyard of equal width. The building remained even after the Canal’s closure in 1860. It became the center of a farming operation. Corrals were added onto the original structure.
In the 1970s an underground concrete collector was built. It runs from here to the Eighth Lock. It nearly affected the lock. Between 2002 and 2003 the M-50 and AVE viaducts threatened the site. Fortunately, unlike the Fifth Lock, it narrowly escaped destruction.
The S\u00e9ptima Esclusa is now completely buried. Its condition is likely similar to the Fifth Lock. The keeper’s house was recently occupied after a long period of abandonment. The new residents demolished some additions. However, they retained the original walls.
Today only the large abutment of its gallipuente is visible. The rest is buried. The construction of the M-50. The LAV to Barcelona and the collector severely damaged this lock. Aerial views from 1956 show a well-preserved installation. The entrance and lock basin were clearly marked. The long gallipuente crossing it was notable. Despite the damage, we can still imagine its structure. It likely resembled previous locks. The area contains much gypsum stone. This stone probably belonged to the old gallipuente.
To the left, a dairy farm was built in the second half of the 20th century. It was in the area of the keeper’s house. It likely used the hills as a back wall. Sadly, little remains of this construction. It was probably used for agricultural activity. During times of scarcity, remains of tiles were used to rebuild some walls. These were very likely taken from the collapse of the original construction. It was the keeper’s house of the lock.
The S\u00e9ptima Esclusa stands as a testament to Madrid’s maritime aspirations. It also shows its industrial past. Though largely hidden today, it remains a vital piece of the city’s history.