 Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead. |
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October 1777 | He was the engineer responsible for extending the navigation by building locks. He reported that about £3,600 had been spent and that another £2,951 was required to complete the navigation. | |
October 1777 | He reported on the river works currently in progess and stated some £3,600 had been spent and another £2,951 was needed to complete the navigation. | |
25 February 1778 | He agreed to continue work on the navigation following the raising of more funds. |
Description: Runs from Taunton to Bridgwater Docks. The canal has been restored although there are several bridges which obstruct navigation and reduce the statutory headroom.
History: Promoted under Acts of 1811 as the Bristol & Taunton Canal. In 1824 an Act passed to renew the powers under the 1811Act. Extension fom Huntworth and Bridgwater Dock construction promoted under an Act of 1837. Bridgwater Dock opened in 1841.
1811 | Promoted under an Act as the Bristol & Taunton Canal. | |
1824 | Act passed to renew the powers under the 1811 Act, which had lapsed, and authorise variations to the line. The new Act proposed an extension to Huntworth and Bridgwater Dock. | |
1825 | He proposed a ship canal from Combwich to Bridgewater. | |
1827 | Opened from Taunton to Huntworth. | |
Before 1827 | He was enginner for the canal. | |
1829 | He proposed a ship canal from Comwich to Bridgwater. | |
1835 | He was requested by the Bridgwater corporation to report on the practicability of building a ship canal from Combwich to Bridgewater, building a dock thereand extending the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal from the existing junction with the River Tone at Huntworth to the proposed new dock. | |
1837 | Extension fom Huntworth and Bridgwater Dock construction promoted under an Act. | |
1841 | Extension fom Huntworth and Bridgwater Dock opened on 25th March. | |
1994 | By Waterway to Taunton by Tony Haskell , Published by Somerset Books A history of the Bridgewater and Taunton Canal and the River Tone Navigation. | |
1994 | Reopened. | |
Description: Although originally intended to be a canal from the River Adur to, or near, Baybridge at West Grinstead on the Horsham to Worthing road it was only built as a widening of the river with a few small cuts and straightenings.
History: Authorised in 1825, opening date not known, little used after 1861 and abandoned in 1875.
1825 | He estimated a cost of £5,958 to widen the River Adur in places upstream of Bines Bridge and to straighten the channel, provide new cuts over a length of 3 miles and 3 furlongs and to re-build Bines Bridge. This was to produce a navigation 28 feet wide, 4 feet deep with two 7-feet deep locks 75 feet long by 12 feet 6 inches wide. |
Description: Runs from Chelmsford Basin to Heybridge Sea Lock at the mouth of the Blackwater.
History: Promoted under Acts of 1766 and 1793. Opened in 1797.
Points of Special Interest: In dry seasons water is very limited and strict limits are placed on the use of locks.
1677 | In his book England's Improvement by Land and Sea he recorded the results of his survey and estimated a cost of £8,000 to make the river navigable. | |
13 July 1733 | He started his survey of the navigation and later recommended the building of a canal for the estimated cost of £12,870 against the £9,355 he estimated was needed to make the river navigable. | |
1762 | He carried out a survey and estimated the cost of a navigation as £16,697. | |
1762 | He did a survey and estimate for the navigation. | |
19 June 1764 | The following extract from his letter to John Smeaton demonstrates the difficulties he had with the navigation promoters:
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1765 | He was asked to prepare proposals for the navigation but was too busy to accept. | |
1765 | He was asked to prepare proposals for the navigation but was too busy to accept. | |
1765 | He produced another plan which was used in the application for a Bill to parliament and estimated the cost as £13,000. He proposed widening the river to 30 feet at the surface and 20 feet at the bottom with a depth of 4 feet and locks 70 feet long and 14 feet wide. | |
1765 | Was approached to prepare a scheme in opposition to Thomas Yeoman's plan for the river but was too busy to take on the work. | |
1765 | He was asked to prepare proposals for the navigation but was too busy to accept. | |
1765 | He and his brother were retained by Maldon objectors to the navigation. They both contracted ague and fever on the survey from which he died. | |
1765 | He and his brother were retained by Maldon objectors to the navigation. They both contracted ague and fever on the survey from which he was ill for a year before he recovered.. | |
1766 | Promoted under an Act. | |
1792 | Charles Wedge surveyed a line to Heybridge Basin under his direction. | |
1792 | He surveyed a line to Heybridge Basin under the direction of John Rennie. | |
1793 | Promoted under an Act. | |
1793 | Matthew Hall carried out a survey of the canal under his direction. | |
1793 | Controlled the construction of the navigation, a task that he carried out on behalf of John Rennie to whom he was an assistant. | |
1793 | He surveyed the route under John Rennie's direction. | |
1793 | He recommended the deepening and straightening of the Blackwater as far as Fullbridge. | |
July 1793 | Richard Coates started work on the construction of the navigation under his direction. | |
1794 | He builds on his earlier report and suggests improvements of the Blackwater upstream to its junction with the Chelmer. | |
1797 | Opened. | |
25 May 1799 | Following complaints about shoals appearing after every flood he surveyed the navigation. In his report of 5th June he offers to contribute his time to rectify defects in the navigation. | |
25 November 1805 | Following complaints of water loss from millers at Moulsham, Barnes, Sandford, Little Baddow, Paper and Hoe he did a survey and reccomended improvements costing £4,918. | |
1993 | Barging into Chelmsford by John Marriage, Published by Ian Henry Publications Ltd - History, traffic and an update of the waterway. | |
Description: Runs from the junction with the Aire and Calder (Wakefield Section) to Sowerby Bridge.
History: Promoted by Acts of 1758, 1769 and 1825. Opened from Wakefield to Sowerby Bridge in 1770. The branch to Halifax was opened in 1828 and abandoned in 1942.
Points of Special Interest: Many of the locks still use the unique Calder & Hebble handspike to raise the paddles. Make sure you have one before navigating the canal.
1740 | He made a survey of the proposed navigation and together with Thomas Steers produced a projection. | |
1740 | He produced a projection of the proposed navigation together with John Eyes who had made the survey on which it was based. | |
1744 | Was granted a leese of the River Calder for £3,600. | |
Autumn 1756 | He was asked to survey a navigation between Wakefield and Elland but was too busy with work on the Eddystone lighthouse. | |
June 1757 | He was again asked to survey a navigation between Wakefield and Elland and agreed to come in the autumn, requesting a scale plan of the river in preparation. | |
21 November 1757 | He reported to a meeting at Halifax on his proposals, based on his recent survey, for a 23½ mile navigation to take 20 to 25 ton craft with a draught of up to 3 feet 6 inches. This was to run from Wakefield to Salterhebble bridge. | |
1758 | Promoted by an Act. | |
January 1758 | Did a survey to extend the proposed navigation to Sowerby Bridge. | |
7 July 1758 | He was appointed part-time superintendent (or engineer) at £250 a year. | |
25 November 1759 | His pay for work as engineer began and it is believed that construction started after this date. | |
After November 1759 | He assisted Smeaton on the Wakefield to Dewsbury section. | |
November 1761 | He and Matthias Scott were appointed as surveyors. | |
November 1761 | He and John Gwyn were appointed as surveyors. | |
November 1762 | He was assigned to collect tolls on for the newly opened part of the lower river. | |
15 November 1764 | He claimed no salary after this date and was replaced by James Brindley in the following January. | |
1765 | Became engineer in succession to Smeaton. | |
January 1765 | He was dismissed when Brindley took over responsibility from Smeaton. | |
January 1765 | He was dismissed when Brindley took over responsibility from Smeaton. | |
31 January 1765 | Following his survey he presents his plans and estimates, for extending the Calder Navigation to Sowerby Bridge, to a meeting of the commisioners. He was then appointed "Surveyor, Manager and Undertaker" for carrying out the works at one and a half guineas a day. | |
1768 | Around this time he did a survey for a 2 mile 5 furlong canal with 20 from Godley bridge, near Halifax, to the Calder navigation. This was probably done on behalf of a private group of promoters or single promoter. | |
Spring 1768 | He surveyed the river following the February floods which he reported as "higher than any flood in man's memory, of of which there is any tradition". | |
1769 | Promoted by an Act. | |
1769 | He supported the Bill in parliament which became the Act giving powers to extend the navigation to Sowerby Bridge, raise extra capital and change the name of the waterway to "The Company of Proprietors of the Calder & Hebble Navigation". | |
16 May 1769 | The navigation company committee nominated him and Robert Carr as surveyors or resident engineers. | |
18 May 1769 | The navigation company committee nominated him and Luke Holt as surveyors or resident engineers. | |
1770 | Opened from Wakefield to Sowerby Bridge. | |
1770 | He surveyed two possible branches one betweem Birstall and Dewsbury and the other to Bradford via Cleckheaton the Spen valley. | |
December 1770 | He surveyed the newly openned line to Sowerby Bridge and found "the River now put into as good a State of Security as could possibly be expected in the Time and is indeed in the General in a very defensible Condition". | |
1771 | He was asked the best way to supply water to the summit at Sowerby Bridge and advised the construction of a "Tunnel made in the way of an Adit or Sough, such as those made for draining Collieries" from Hollis Mill through the high ground. It was started in June 1772 and was completed in March 1774. | |
March 1774 | Left the company's service. | |
December 1775 | He was engaged to build Mirfield cut with John Pinkerton as contractor. | |
1779 | He reported on and approved John Smeaton's proposals for improvements to the navigation. | |
1779 | He surveyed the navigation and suggested changes including the replacement of the staircase pair of locks that James Brindley had installed at Salterhebble plus the single Brooksmouth lock by a new set of three single locks. | |
1779 | Appointed resident engineer following Robert Carr's depaarture. | |
1779 | Left the company and was succeeded by William Brassey. | |
After 1779 | He and John Pinkerton started three businesses which took advantage of the new Mirfield Cut, lime-burning, a colliery and a dry dock. | |
1780 | He started work on improvements at Kirklees and a new cut at Brighouse. | |
1782 | Under Jessop's direction he starts work on replacing the single Brooksmouth lock and the two-rise Salterhebble locks with three new locks. | |
1785 | Battye Ford cut is extended to his plans. | |
1791 | Around this date he gave up his interest in the lime-burning and colliery business on Mirfield cut. | |
1792 | He was not employed as consultant after this date when Thomas Bradley became the canal engineer. | |
Early 1792 | Left the company. | |
December 1792 | Appointed engineer at £105 a year. | |
1794 | The company paid him £105 for his part in supporting the Rochdale Canal Bill in its passage through parliament. He was now recognised as a fully competent engineer and from this time on he undertook all the planning and execution of his work, the company no longer employing William Jessop as consultant. | |
1800 | Around this date he gave up his interest in the dry-dock business on Mirfield cut. | |
1808 | He was consulted by the company concerning a dispute with Sir Thomas Pilkington over the building of new locks at Fall Ing. | |
1816 | Went to the rivers Thames and Trent to assess their dredgers. | |
1816 | He met the company's engineer, Thomas Bradley, in London to discuss dredgers. Donkin had previously sent a plan for a dredger to the company. | |
1817 | He received an order for a dredger from the company. | |
1819 | The company awarded him £500 as remuneration for his past long and valuable services. They also promised him a pension of £200 a year when he retired and added £100 a year to his present salary. | |
Late 1824 | He estimated that it would cost £34,533 to build the branch from Salterhebble to Halifax. The enabling Act was passed the following year. | |
1825 | Promoted by an Act. | |
1828 | Branch to Halifax opened. | |
28 March 1828 | The opening of his completed Halifax Branch. | |
1832 | Now in poor health, the company appointed William Gravatt as engineer, nominally under his control. | |
1832 | Recommended William Gravatt as engineer for the navigation under Thomas Bradley. | |
1832 | He was appointed as engineer on the recommendation of Bryan Donkin. He stayed only a matter of months despite his "Talents un-questionably of a superior Order" in favour of someone "of more experience in the management of Workmen in this part of the Country". | |
May 1833 | Appointed engineer and soon after recommended 60,000 pounds worth of improvements to the navigation. | |
1834 | He was asked to report following an Act that allowed improvements to the navigation up as far as Mirfield. He suggested large-scale works at the cost of £83,403. The committee and shareholders agreed on a smaller navigation 7 feet deep and 50 foot wide. | |
Early 1836 | He and others representing the promoters of the Manchester & Leeds Railway Bill approached the company with offers of good bridge clearances for navigation, and free access for the navigation to "Fields of Coal or other Minerals" but failed to persuade the company not to oppose the Bill. | |
Mid 1882 | Took charge of the improvement and enlargement of the locks. | |
February 1886 | The company said that he had treated them "very cavalierly" in dealing with the £5,700 dilapidation charges arising from the end of the Aire & Calder's leese of the navigation. | |
1942 | Halifax Branch abandoned. | |
1972 | Yorkshire's River of Industry by J Ogden , Published by Terrence Dalton Ltd. The River Calder. | |
Description: A 60 mile, 29 lock, ship canal through the Great Glen from Inverness to Fort William.
History: Authorised by Acts of 1803 and 1804 and completed in 1822.Built by William Jessop and Thomas Telford.
1802 | After surveying the area around this time he recommended that public works should be carried out to "furnish employment for the industrious and valuable part of people in their own country" and advised the building of waterways and roads in the highlands and a canal through the Great Glen. | |
1803 | Authorised by an Act. | |
1803 | He was appointed consulting engineer for the project. | |
July 1803 | Around this time he was appointed principal engineer at a daily rate of 3 guineas plus travelling expenses. | |
1804 | Authorised by an Act. | |
April 1804 | He estimated the cost of the canal as £474,500 excluding land purchase. | |
Summer 1804 | He advised Thomas Telford to appoint two resident engineers or superintendents. | |
Summer 1804 | On William Jessop's advice he appointed Matthew Davison and John Telford as resident engineers. | |
1805 | He and Thomas Telford decided that a basin should be made for Corpach sea-lock and that the locks should be arranged as staircase flights to save expense. | |
1805 | He and William Jessop decided that a basin should be made for Corpach sea-lock and that the locks should be arranged as staircase flights to save expense. | |
April 1805 | He told the commissioners that the eastern district of the canal employed about 500 workers, mainly from around the Moray Firth, and in the western district there were 404, including about 300 "strangers" from Appin, Arisaig, Kintyre, Lismore, Morrar and Skye also some crofters who had stettled on Corpach Moss after being evicted by Cameron of Lochiel from their farms on Loch Arkaig. | |
1811 | Eight lock staircase built at Banavie. | |
1813 | Muirtown four-rise staircase locks built. | |
1818 | He was engaged in negotiations with Colonel Alexander Ranaldson McDonnell of Clanronald and Glengrry about the course of the navigation through Loch Oich. | |
May 1818 | He gave the increased price of food and labour, the higher than expected cost of land, extra sections of canal that needed clay linings, more rock cutting than estimated and the assembling of dredgers in remote country as the reasons for the canal construction taking longer and costing more than was planned. | |
1820 | Five lock staircase built at Fort Augustus. | |
1822 | Completed. | |
1826 | He attributes the premature decay of the Gairlochy regulating-lock to it being built with inferior stone, no better being available in the area prior to the canal being in use. | |
1916 | The Caledonian Canal. By P Bonthron. First published. | |
1972 | The Caledonian Canal by A D Cameron , Published by Terrence Dalton Ltd. | |
1992 | Caledonian - Monster Canal by Guthrie Hutton, IPublished by Richard Stenlake - Pictures of the canal earlier this century with informative captions. | |
Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.
