Fontinettes boat lift

The Fontinettes Boat Lift (French: Ascenseur des Fontinettes) was built in the late 19th century in Arques, near Saint-Omer in the Pas-de-Calais to connect the River Aa and the Neufossé canal in France.

It was designed to avoid the need to use five locks which took some 90 minutes to change height by 13 meters. It was inspired by the similar Anderton Boat Lift built in 1875 in Cheshire, England.

The Fontinette Boat Lift was built between 1885 and 1888 and worked until 1967. It was then replaced by a big, single lock built further upstream. The lift was rescued from demolition by a local conservation group and guided tours are available during the summer months for a small fee.