There have been multiple stories about how the Dog in a Doublet lock got its name
All across Cambs, there are places and pubs with hilarious names, leaving people to question how that name came to be. One such spot is the Dog in a Doublet Lock.
Dog-in-a-Doublet Lock No 38 is a major waterways place at the junction of the River Nene (main river) with the River Nene (tidal section). The tidal section of the River Nene downstream of Peterborough was an important trade route, with improvements for both navigation and drainage being made from at least the 15th century.
This section of the river gradually fell into poor condition and repairs were eventually made as a result of the 1930 Land Drainage Act. A new lock and sluice was then constructed by the Dog in a Doublet pub – and the lock seems to have been named after the pub.
Opened in 1937, this maintained water levels to Peterborough and prevented tidal waters from entering the city. Commercial traffic returned to the lower river and the port of Wisbech was improved to allow access to larger sea-going vessels.
Today, the Dog in a Doublet pub is no longer open, and is set to become a private home. There have been reports that the initial name of the pub was inspired by a former Dutch landlady, who knitted a doublet for her dog when he lost all his fur.