The Lagan Navigation was built in the mid-to-late 18th century for the transport of goods to and from the mills and industries along the Lagan Corridor. In areas such as Newforge, where the River has a bend or was too shallow to facilitate the lighters, a sections of canal had to be dug to create a artificial canal. In most cases, this also required a lock so that the lighters were able to pass.

The lock keepers had to look after the locks, the canal banks and sometimes a weir to ensure that the water levels were adequate for the lighters to pass through. The weir for Lock No 3 was upstream towards Shaw's Bridge.

The two families most associated with Lock No 3 were the McCleaves and the Kilpatricks. George Kilpatrick, who came from a long line of canal folk, became the lock keeper in 1922 and shortly afterwards married Sarah. They had ten children, all born and raised in the Cottage. Each lock keeper was given a vegetable garden and in this case this is the area you are looking at if you look out the window. George Kilpatrick was also well-known for keeping goats at Lock No 3. He also built a lean-to on the gable end of the cottage near the towpath where he sold refreshments.

It is fitting then, that visitors to the site today can still do the same thing!