The Lorrains lock was supplied with water from a water intake located in the Allier. A channel overlooking the river allowed flat-bottomed boats to enter the lock. In 1872, a dam was built on the Allier opposite the lock to compensate for the constant erosion of the river. This finally got the better of the work of men. At the beginning of the 20th century, the drop in the level of the Allier made the lock unusable.
This lock is unique in France with its circular construction. Its 32-meter diameter stone basin was built between 1835 and 1841.
It is located near the Guétin canal bridge and a dam on the Allier River, which allowed water to be drawn from it and transported to the Loire lateral canal.
At the time, boats used this feeder channel to cross from the Allier to the canal, but it was decommissioned in 1950, and now only water travels this route.