![]() Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead. |
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Description: A network of waterways promoted by Acts passed in 1699, 1774, 1820 and 1828. Still partly commercial waterways although there is much pleasure traffic.
Points of Special Interest: A number of locks have been modernised to European standards where boatmen should observe coloured light signals.
See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.
Aire and Calder Navigation and River Aire
1695 | He surveyed the river and concluded it could be made navigable for less expence than expected. | |
1695 | About this time he assisted John Hadley with a survey of the Calder. | |
1699 | Promoted by Act. | |
1699 | He was appointed engineer at £420 per year. | |
1704 | Built Beal and Haddlesey Locks, with James Mitchell, so completing the original from Leeds to the Ouse. | |
1704 | Built Beal and Haddlesey Locks, with George Atkinson, so completing the original from Leeds to the Ouse. | |
1750 | Leesed the Aire Navigation for £4,400 a year, jointly with Thomas Wilson | |
1750 | Leesed the Aire Navigation for £4,400 a year, jointly with Joseph Atkinson | |
1760 | Was appointed engineer by Peter Birt, the lessee of the navigation. Over the next few years he spent about £4,000 on capital improvements and £9,000 on maintenance, mainly on weirs. | |
28 December 1771 | He reported on the state of the navigation saying "the original projectors.. ., not having had any notion of the extensive trade that was likely to be carried on by means thereof. . . formed their plan upon too diminutive a scale, and particularly with respect to depth. . . of water". There were many shallow lock sills giving only 2 ft 6 in depth at normal summer water and there was shoaling below the locks, which he Thought due to "endeavouring to save locks in point of number, and to save length of cutting". Of the lack of water in the tideway below Haddlesey lock, he said that in ordinary dry seasons "there will not be two feet of water up to Haddlesey lock at high water neap tides". At Weeland, about a mile below the limits of the Aire & Calder, there was another shoal "over which, though the neap tides sensibly flow, yet they do not make, in the whole, above two feet depth of water". In dry seasons when little flow of fresh water, flashes had to be provided but, perhaps only two a week due to millers' requirements and of the need to keep pounds up, "wherefore, vessels will be frequently from Stock Reach to Leeds or Wakelield, a week or more in making good their passage, that otherwise would be performed in fifteen hours". This he considered resulted in was underemployment of boats and men, delays and expense. | |
1772 | He surveyed the river on behalf of John Smeaton and recommended a 7.25 mile canal between Haddlesey and Newland near the mouth of the Aire. | |
January 1772 | He reports that he has aimed "to procure the essential of a navigation, the means of keeping vessels always afloat" and proposed improvements that would give 3 ft 6 in to ft of water, to take craft carrying 30 to 45 tons. These included dredging, rebuilding some mill locks, new cuts, especially a by-pass canal, to avoid low water and shoals, from just above Haddlesey lock to run on the south side of the river to Gowdall above Snaith with two locks or a similar one on the north side from Chapel Haddlesey to Newland beyond Rawcliffe. There was to be a second by-pass with one lock from Brotherton on the north side nf the river below Knottingley because "the Water is in general so shallow, that it becomes necessary, not only to raise the Water higher by temporary Boards placed on Beal Dam below, but to let down Flashes from the Mill Dam to carry the Vessels over the Shallows; and, for want of suflicient Water for the Purpose, the Vessels are often detained there in their passage many Days together". He also recommended cuts at Leeds (¼ mile, with a lock to replace the old one), Knostrop (7 furlongs, with two new locks to replace three old ones at mills), Woodlesford (1½ miles, with two new locks to replace two old ones), Methley (¾ mile, with floodgates and a lock to replace the old Methley lock) and floodgates and a lock on the mile cut to Castleford. Finally, he advised the undertakers to obtain powers to remove obstructions and build a towing path right to the Ouse. | |
December 1772 | He appeared before the parliamentary committee to support the navigation improvement plans and to oppose the rival Leeds & Selby Canal project. | |
1773 | He surveyed the whole river and accepted John Smeaton,s proposals between Leeds and Castleford and drew up new proposals under Smeaton's direction for the rest of the river. | |
1774 | Promoted by Act. | |
February 1774 | It is reported that he considers the number of craft on the navigation had increased by half in ten years. | |
1779 | He was not regularly employed by the company after this date but was sometimes consulted. | |
Early 1792 | He was asked to survey the navigation and recommend improvements but was probably too busy to undertake the task. | |
1807 | He told shareholders "On the Navigation of the general Line of the Rivers, I think I may be permitted to say, it improves every Year, and is at present better than at any former time". | |
1816 | He ceased his role as company engineer. | |
1816 | He succeeded Elias Wright as engineer and put forward plans for improving the navigation to Leeds and building a new basin there. | |
October 1818 | He was to survey a line to the River Ouse. | |
6 January 1819 | He reports proposing a line from the Knottingley cut to Goole with a cut back into the River Aire at Bank Dole to give access to the Selby Canal, and a branch to the Dutch River at Newbridge. He estimated the cost as £137,700. | |
1820 | Promoted by Act. | |
1820 | He is dismissed for malpractice. | |
July 1821 | He proposes that there should be "an intermediate basin & locks" at Goole where the canal was to join the Ouse. He also ageed with the company board that the canal depth should be 7 feet rather than 6. | |
After July 1821 | He rebuilt locks on the navigation with a six foot depth over the sills even though it had been decided that the Goole Canal locks would have a 7 foot sill depth. He seems not to have been told but it cost him his job. | |
August 1824 | He recommended a piecemeal development plan for the main line from Leeds to Castleford with a 7 foot depth all the way. He also recommended a 7 foot depth on the Calder to Wakefield and a new cut. | |
1825 | Appointed Surveyor and Clerk of Works to the Aire & Calder, the offical title for their resident engineer. | |
1828 | Promoted by Act. | |
1829 | He surveyed a railway from Leeds to Selby and recommended the use of locomotives. His proposal was opposed by the Aire & Calder company but the Act for the railway was passed in June 1830. | |
1832 | While acting for the Exchequer Bill Loan Commissioners in the matter of the Heck & Wentbridge Railway he offered to sell the property to the canal company but they declined. | |
January 1836 | He writes of "the decided hostility of the Aire & Calder Company, as resolved upon at their meeting on Saturday 16th inst." concerning the proposed Manchester & Leeds Railway. | |
January 1839 | His plan for a Leeds & Armley Navigation, to take craft drawing up to 7 feet above Leeds Bridge, was put to the board. | |
25 March 1841 | The opening of the Bridgwater Dock and mile long canal that he had built as company engineer. | |
1852 | Suggested that a fly-boat be steam powered, propeller driven, and used as a cargo-carrying tug. This experiment proved successful and other similar craft were added to the company fleet. | |
1853 | On the death of his father he was appionted to succeed to the post of engineer. | |
1853 | Died while still engineer of the company. | |
1857 | Reported that the introduction of two public steam tugs running between Wakefield and Goole had helped to reduce towing charges on the navigation. | |
20 December 1861 | Proposed to the Board the lenghening of the ship lock at Goole, converting it to hydraulic-powered operation and the provision of compartment boats and hoists. The total cost he estimated to be £13,302. | |
14 January 1862 | Was authorised by the company to lenghten Ouse ship lock and to build one train of compartment boats. | |
7 February 1862 | Granted patent number 330 for his system of compartment boats (Tom Puddings) which were used on the canal for over a century. | |
1865 | Proposed the Leeds Extension Canal from Leeds to Armley mills. | |
1871 | He was paid £1,000 plus £220 for the cost of models in exchange for the right to use his compartment boat patents. | |
Early 1876 | Was made General Manager, in addition to his post as engineer, and was paid £1,500 per annum. | |
1879 | He reported that the compartment boat system was yeilding a 10.75% return on the capital invested after allowing for interest and depreciation. | |
1881 | His Aldam Dock at Goole was opened. | |
1887 | In his evidence on the Manchester Ship Canal Bill he said that the navigation took craft up to 187 tons, carriers doing only one-tenth of the carrying. | |
1888 | His 500 by 47 feet Victoria entrance lock at Goole was opened. | |
1895 | Formally retired but continued to work on building the New Junction Canal and as a consultant director untill shortly before his death. | |
1899 | Was appointed engineer. | |
1907 | He was appointed engineer. | |
Description: A proposed 36½ mile canal from Wilts & Berks Canal at Abingdon over the River Thames on an aqueduct via Thame and Aylesbury to join the Grand Junction at Marsworth. Never authorised or built.
History: In 1809 the idea was advocated by the Wilts & Berks as the Western Junction Canal extension to to their navigation. It was revived again in 1813 and 1817 with the support of the Grand Junction Canal company.
1828 | He made a new estimate of the costs of the canal which was lower than the previous £200,000 estimate. |
Description: A proposed canal with 24 locks from Ashburton, down the River Dart Valley, to a point above Totnes, where it was to join the navigable river.
History: Proposed in 1792 but never authorised.
1793 | Called in to review the original line proposed by F King. Together they managed to reduce the estimate from £15,000 to £10,000. | |
1793 | He made a survey and proposed a canal with 24 locks rising 202.5 feet to a basin below Ashburton at an estimated cost of £15,000. |
Description: 18.25 miles from Inverurie to Aberdeen was closed each winter (Dec - Mar) because of ice and snow.
History: Authorised by an Act of 1796 and opened in 1805 closed in 1854.
See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.
Spring 1787 | He proposes that the size of the planned canal should be increased to 27 feet 4 inches wide at the surface, 14 feet wide at the bottom and 4 feet deep. | |
1796 | Authorised by an Act. | |
1796 | He was appointed consulting engineer. | |
1805 | Was opened. | |
1854 | Was closed. | |
Description: 6.75 miles of canal from Ty-draw near Aberdare to Abercynon where it joined the Glamorganshire Canal.
History: Promoted by an Act of 1793 and opened in 1812 and closed in 1900.
See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.
1793 | Authorised by an Act. | |
1793 | He subscribed to £2,000 of shares jointly with the other three Dadfords, all working on Welsh canals. | |
1793 | He subscribed to £2,000 of shares jointly with the other three Dadfords, all working on Welsh canals. | |
1793 | He subscribed to £2,000 of shares jointly with the other three Dadfords, all working on Welsh canals. | |
1793 | He subscribed to £2,000 of shares jointly with the other three Dadfords, all working on Welsh canals. | |
September 1794 | By this time he had completed a 3 feet 2 inche gauge edge railway from Bryngwyn collieries (south-east of Hirwaun) to Pendeyrn and possibly some way further towards Aberdare. | |
July 1800 | He is asked to re-survey the canal and to recommend improvements to the existing tramroad. | |
1 August 1800 | He reported that the canal could be built for £10,500 and that a tramroad 1.5 miles long to the Aberdare Iron Company's works at Llwydcoed would cost £1,500. | |
Late 1809 | He was engaged as resident engineer. | |
Autumn 1809 | He re-surveyed the line of the proposed canal. | |
1810 | Together with David Hopkin he was the contractor on the canal. | |
August 1811 | He was appointed resident engineer. | |
August 1811 | He resigned his post as resident engineer and went to the Severn & Wye Railway & Canal Company as clerk and engineer. | |
1812 | Opened. | |
November 1851 | Was ordered to provide transfer facilities at Aberdare to allow the transfer of coal and other materials between the railway and the canal tramroad. | |
1900 | Closed. | |
Description: From junction with Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Main Line, and Leeds Bridge to entrance locks to Goole Docks, junction with River Ouse.
History: Wholly opened from Leeds to Wakefield in 1704 and to Selby in 1721.
Points of Special Interest: The large locks are electrically operated, by lock keepers when commercial traffic is expected but by boaters at other times. A red light means don't enter the lock, green means enter and amber means the lock is boater operated.
1704 | ACML | |
1721 | Wholly opened from Leeds to Selby. | |
1818 | His new basin at Leeds was opened. | |
September 1818 | He was asked to help Thomas Wood, the company engineer, in a preliminary survey of a route from Haddlesey to the Dutch River. | |
September 1818 | He was asked to do a preliminary survey of a route from Haddlesey to the Dutch River with the help of George Leather junior. | |
September 1819 | He was asked to survey a possible branch to the limestone quarries at Womersley. | |
1820 | He reported that the navigation improvements to Leeds were complete. | |
July 1820 | He was given charge of construction of the new cut. | |
23 January 1822 | He wrote a report proposing dock accommodation at Goole for Brigs. | |
After 1834 | Was assistant engineer to George Leather, junior, in the building of Goole Dock and ship lock. | |
After 1834 | Was building of Goole Dock and ship lock, assisted by James Abernethy | |
1836 | He is asked to report on making a short cut to join the Goole canal to the River Don. | |
1840 | He designed a new dock at Leeds. | |
1841 | Under his direction work began on the new Goole Dock, which was completed in 1843. | |
1981 | IWA National Festival at Leeds. | |
Description: This consists of a navigable length of the River Aire plus the Selby Canal and forms a link between the A&CN main line at Bank Dole and the River Ouse at Selby.
History: Cutting of the Selby Canal started in early 1775, built by William Jessop early in his career and opened in 1778.
1769 | He made a survey for a canal from Leeds to Selby and gave a preliminary estimate of £65,350. | |
1772 | He was employed to make a survey for the proposed Leeds & Selby Canal. His canal was to take 50 or 60-ton craft over a 23 mile 1 furlong route which included a long aqueduct and a 400 yard tunnel at an estimated cost of £59,468. | |
December 1772 | He supported John Longbotham's Leeds & Selby Canal in parliamentary evidence. This scheme was the alternative to the Aire & Calder's Selby Canal. | |
1773 | Under the direction of John Smeaton he drew up plans for a 5.25 mile canal between Haddlesey and Selby. | |
1773 | He attends a parliamentary committee on the projected Leeds & Selby Canal, which he surveyed. | |
1773 | He directs William Jessop in preparing proposals for the new route from Bank Dole to Selby. | |
1775 | Cutting of the Selby Canal started early this year. | |
Early 1775 | Cutting of the Selby canal began under his direction as engineer at £250 a year. | |
Early 1775 | He began cutting the canal as resident engineer under William Jessop. | |
1778 | The Selby Canal was built by William Jessop early in his career and opened in 1778. | |
November 1781 | He was told to errect and finish staithes at Selby immediately. He had already drawn up plans for these. | |
February 1782 | He was told to put up two more staiths at Selby and to prepare plans and estimates for such warehouses, cranes and lay-bys as he thought necessary there. | |
July 1782 | He is told to build the Counting House, Warehouse, Crane, Rigging House, Tarring House, Sailmaker's Shop and a place fordepositing old ropes at Selby in accordance with his plans and estimates. | |
1787 | He was told to errect two cranes at Selby, one on the river and oneon the canal with three gantries. | |
November 1792 | He came to examine William Martins Plans for a Dock and other facilities at Selby following a request to him in August. He recommended that work start immediately when he reported in January 1793. | |
1797 | He said that extra height dam boards had to be used at Haddlesey weir because the 3 feet 6 inches depth of the canal was too shallow.He also said that two miles of the canal had sandy banks which washed and blew into the canal necessitating frequent dredging. | |
Description: Castleford Junction (main line Goole to Leeds) to Wakefield Fall Ing Lock (junction with Calder and Hebble Navigation).
1799 | As company engineer he proposed building a depot and workshops at Lake Lock on the Calder below Stanley Ferry. | |
1804 | He reported that better work was now being done more cheaply at the Lake Lock depot. There were 9 carpenters, 4 sawyers, 4 blacksmiths, a blockmaker with his boy and a sailmaker and an assistant. He wrote that "a better set of Workmen are not to be found in any Yard in the Kingdom, not only as to their ability in their Profession but also for their Industry, Sobriety and good Conduct". | |
July 1807 | He advised shareholders to oppose John Lee and Shepley Watson's proposal for using their new cut saying "to suffer any individual, or set of them, to have the Power over the Water, would be total Ruin of the Navigation". | |
1808 | He completed the building of the new Lake Lock. | |
1812 | He reported that only two more locks, at Penbank and Altofts, had to be dealt with before craft 18 feet wide could reach Wakefield. | |
1822 | He worked on alternative schemes based on John Rennine's plans for deepening the river to 7 feet and to take 100 ton craft. | |
October 1827 | His proposals were accepted for a cut from the Calder above Kirkthorpe lock, crossing the river at Stanley Ferry on a six-pier aqueduct with an iron trough and overhead trusses, then south to Fairies Hill and three new cuts reducing the distance to Castleford. | |
April 1834 | The board told him to prepare plans for the Stanley Ferry Aqueduct. | |
March 1841 | Discussed an interchange point with the Manchester & Leeds Railway, suggesting the rail crossing at Broad Reach as a suitable point. The proposal was not put into action. | |
1992 | IWA National Festival at Wakefield. | |