Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

History by Waterway from Haslingden Canal

Haslingden Canal

1793	Samuel Fletcher	Conducted a preliminary survey of the canal line with Charles McNiven.
1793	Charles McNiven	Conducted a preliminary survey of the canal line with Samuel Fletcher.
1793	William Bennet	Conducted a detailed survey of the canal line previously surveyed by Charles McNiven and Samuel Fletcher.
1794	Authorised by an Act to join the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal, at Bury, to the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, at Church near Accrington, but never built.

Huddersfield Broad Canal

See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.

1766	James Brindley	Surveys line for canal.
1766	Robert Whitworth	He surveyed from the Calder & Hebble at Cooper Bridge to Kings Mill, Huddersfield.
1769	Robert Carr	He and Luke Holt were appointed surveyors or resident engineers to rebuild and complete the navigation after flood damage.
1773	Joseph 1 Atkinson	Assisted Luke Holt in a survey for the canal.
1773	Luke Holt	Surveyed a route for the canal assisted by Joseph Atkinson
1774	Promoted under an Act.
1774	Joseph 1 Atkinson	Gave evidence to the Commons committee on the passage of the Bill.
1776	Opened.
1872	William Hammond Bartholomew	Arranged with Sir John Ramsden for enlarged carrying trade premises at the Huddersfield wharf.
2002	The Inland Waterways Association National Festival was held at Huddersfield.

River Hull

1796	William Chapman	Both he and William Jessop submitted reports on land drainage schemes for the river.
1798	William Chapman	A land drainage Bill based on his 1796 report was taken through Parliament (by William Jessop).
1799	William Chapman	He starts work on the River Hull land drainage scheme.
1810	William Chapman	He completes the work on the River Hull land drainage scheme started in 1799.

River Humber

1883	William Hammond Bartholomew	He led the successful opposition to a railway bridge across the Humber.
1909	Sir William Matthews	He studied the estuary and issued a critical to the Humber Conservancy Board, The board concluded that £367,000 needed to be spent on improvements.
1975	A Life on the Humber by Harry Fletcher, Published by Faber & Faber Ltd.
1996	Flying Sail - Humber Keels and Sloops by Michael E Ulyatt, Published by Mr Pye Books - Paperback giving a short history of the Humber sloop and keel.

Huddersfield Narrow Canal

See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.

Mid 1793	Nicholas Brown	Did the original survey for the line of the canal.
22 October 1793	Benjamin Outram	He reports on the proposed canal which he estimates at £178,748 exclusive of plarliamentary expenses.
1794	Promoted by an Act.
April 1794	Benjamin Outram	He is appointed engineer.
April 1794	Nicholas Brown	Appointed surveyor and superintendent under Benjamin Outram.
July 1795	John Evans	Was employed at 2 guineas a week in charge of building Standege Tunnel under Benjamin Outram. He later did some contracting.
After November 1795	Benjamin Outram	He decides to only work on Standedge Tunnel from the two ends thus saving the expense of sinking the very deep shafts that would be needed to work at more places but extending the completion date.
September 1797	Benjamin Outram	He reports that the Standedge tunnel contractor Thomas Lee could not complete his work under his present terms and would be ruined if he was not given some allowance for the unforseen dificulties encountered. The committee increased his rate for the contract and allowed him an extra year.
1798	John Evans	He left his job working on Standedge Tunnel.
Early 1799	Nicholas Brown	With Standedge tunnel the only remaining major work to be completed, his job came to an end.
1800	John Varley	He was doing some flood repair work for the company and they considered him for work on the Standedge Tunnel. They were satisfied with his character but all his sureties backed out (his engineering reputation was not the best) so he was only used for some limited tunnelling work.
October 1800	Benjamin Outram	Was asked to report on a tramoad from Woolroad to Marton that had been suggested by the Peak Forest company as a stop gap until Standedge Tunnel was completed. Nothing came of this idea.
October 1801	John Rooth	Was assisted by John Rooth in tunnelling at Standedge.
October 1801	John Booth	Was assisting John Rooth in tunnelling at Standedge.
Early 1802	John Woodhouse	He had made a bid for a contract to dig the middle section of the tunnel but withdrew when he got a contract on Blisworth Tunnel on the Grand Junction Canal.
1811	Opened.
1811	Standedge Tunnel was completed under the direction of John Rooth and the opening ceremony took place on the 4th April 1811.
1814	Nicholas Brown	Appointed engineer.
1819	Nicholas Brown	Left his post as engineer.
1819	John Raistrick	Appointed engineer.
Mid 1819	John Raistrick	He proposed a steamboat working on a chain laid in Standedge Tunnel could be used for towage but the idea seems not to have been followed up at the time.
1822	John Raistrick	About this time he offered to run a steam tug through Standedge Tunne lat a charge not exceeding 3 shillings if he were allowed to operate free of dues for ten years. A tug was operating by late 1824.
1822	Mr Wharton	He experimented with a steam boat, which resulted in tests being made of steam tugs through Standedge Tunnel using the Raistrick's chain principle.
1834	John Raistrick	He suggests creating an artifical current by pumping to propel boats through Standedge Tunnel.
1843	John Raistrick	Left his post as engineer.
1944	Closed by the LMS Railway Act.
1998	The South Pennine Ring by John Lower, Published by Hallamshire Press - A boaters' and walkers' guide to the Huddersfield and Rochdale Canals.
2001	Canal reopened on 1 May.

Ivelchester & Langport Navigation

See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.

1794	William Bennet	Examined the route as engineer with Charles H Masters as his surveyor. He reported in October to a meeting chaired by the Earl of Ilchester when he stated the estimated cost as £5,102.
1794	Charles H Masters	Examined the route as surveyor with William Bennet as engineer.

Ipswich & Stowmarket Navigation

1789	I Lenny	Did the survey for the navigation that was used for the 1790 enabling act.
21 July 1790	James Smith	He was appointed at a salary of £300 for the period up to 1st October 1791.
15 January 1791	James Smith	He was ordered to set up a brickworks at Hanford bridge.
13 December 1791	John Rennie	Started a three day survey of the navigation construction and reported a week later. The section from Stowmarket to Needham Market was almost complete but the towpath needed raising. He recommended swing bridges for small roads, timber fixed bridges for larger roads and brick for public road bridges.
Late December 1791	I Lenny	His original survey is criticised by John Rennie who says "The original survey is very incorrect. I am surprised that Mr Lenny should have paid so little attention to accuracy".
23 April 1792	John Rennie	He estimated it would cost £12,762 to complete the navigation, including £6,600 for 12 locks at £550 each.
4 May 1792	John Rennie	Having examined the lower end of the navigation he reported that the best junction with the Orwell was the one proposed by William Jessop. He reiterates an earlier concern over timber built locks and recommends reconstruction of these 'when the navigation begins to pay'.
28 December 1792	John Rennie	On his advice the trustees applied to parliament for a second Bill to raise a further £15,000. He gave evidence in support of this.
10 October 1804	James Austin	Appointed surveyor.
1805	James Austin	Absconded from his post as surveyor and had a ten guineas reward placed on his head by the trustees of the navigation.
January 1819	William Cubitt	At a meeting in Eye his report on a canal from Ipswich to Eye was presented. It included a tunnel through the hills at Mendlesham and was estimated at over £100,000.

River Idle

See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.

1720	Promoted under an Act.
1972	Navigation rights were ended by the Trent River Authority (General Powers) Act 1972.

Isle of Dogs Canal

See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.

1799	Authorised by the West India Dock Act.
1805	Completed.
1829	Became part of London Docks.

River Itchen

See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.

1710	The river was made navigable to Winchester.
1869	Commercial traffic ceased.

River Ivel

See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.

1756	Langley Edwards	He surveyed the river and produced a plan to make it navigable from Tempsford to Biggleswade Mill.
1757	Navigation improvements authorised by an Act.
1757	Thomas Yeoman	He and Langley Edwards were appointed surveyors.
Spring 1757	Langley Edwards	Gave evidence to the Parliamentary committee examining the navigation bill. He proposed a depth of 3 foot for 20 ton barges which would pay a charge of 3 pence a lock.
May 1757	Langley Edwards	Was appointed surveyor together with Thomas Yeoman.
1758	Navigation improvements completed to Biggleswade (7 miles).
1807	Benjamin Bevan	Surveyed the river from Biggleswade to Shefford and conluded that the navigation could be extended by the construction of seven nmore locks and other works totalling £8,000.
1819	Francis Giles	He estimates a cost of £11,000 to make the river navigable from Biggleswade to Langford Bridge, £32,000 for continuing to Hitchen and £36,000 to Baldock.
1821	Francis Giles	He estimates a cost of £14,000 to make the river navigable from Shefford. It was later found that he had only estimated to Clifton Common and another £1,700 was required to take it to Shefford.
1822	Francis Giles	Around this time he surveys the old part of the navigation and recommends that £3 - 4,000 is needed to put it into a proper state of repair.
1823	Navigation improvements extended to Shefford.
1876	Closed.

Kennet and Avon Canal

See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.

1718	John Hore	He was appointed engineer of the River Kennet and shortened the length of the navigation to 18.5 miles, 11.5 miles of which were artificial cuts.
1728	John Hore	He produced some figures of what was spent on making the Kennet navigable but these were rejected by the proprietors as he had kept no proper accounts. He was therefore not given the money he was claiming.
Late 1788	James Barnes	Made a survey of the line of the new canal.
Late 1788	Samuel Simcock	He, Samuel Weston and James Barnes made surveys for narrow and barge canals from Newbury to Bath.
Late 1788	Samuel Weston	He, Samuel Simcock and James Barnes made surveys for narrow and barge canals from Newbury to Bath.
August 1789	Robert Whitworth	Having a few months earlier received for comment the surveys of Samuel Weston, Samuel Simcock and James Barnes he reported favouring a line through Hungerford, Marlborough and Calne, subject to the water supplies being satisfactory.
November 1790	John Rennie	He reports that the water supply for the proposed canal is adequate, thus allaying doubts raised by Robert Whitworth's survey.
1793	Dennis Edson	Was employed to survey a possible canal from Bath to Bristol to bypass the river Avon.
1793	John Rennie	He was asked to make a new survey and communicate the results to Robert Whitworth, who was to advise the committee.He selected a route through Devizes with two branches one to Marlborough and the other to Calne and Chippenham.
Early 1793	Robert Whitworth	John Rennie was asked to make a new survey of the canal and to communicate the results to him.
1794	Promoted by Act.
1796	Promoted by a further Act.
1798	Promoted by a further Acts.
1799	John Rennie	The canal committee received complaints about the management of the company affairs which developed into an attack on Rennie. He was later exonerated.
1801	Promoted by a further Act.
1804	John Rennie	He estimated that £415,100 more was needed for construction.
1805	Promoted by a further Act.
1809	Promoted by a further Act.
1810	Fully completed when the Caen Hill Locks were finished on 28 December 1810.
1813	Promoted by a final Act.
Early 1825	John Blackwell	As the company engineer he was instructed to go into the North of England to see the operation of railways and locomotives and to report back to the committee.
10 September 1834	John Blackwell	Was directed to visit every part of the navigation to identify cost savings and improvements to trade.
After 1838	Isambard Kingdom Brunel	Suggests a junction between the Great Western Railway and canal at Reading.
28 October 1845	James Walker	He reported to the committee on their proposal to convert the towing path or the canal into a railway. He said that by rough walling the sides of the canal there would be enough room for two broad gauge lines and a better canal than at present. He estimated the cost as £800,000.
1852	Bought by the Great Western Railway.
1916	The Kennet & Avon Canal. By P Bonthron. First published.
1932	Kennet Country by Fred S Thacker, Published by Blackwell Publishers (Basil Blackwell Ltd).
1950	In May a stoppage at Burghfield, near Reading, made the canal impassable. This was the last year that the whole canal was navigable before its restoration in 1990.
1952	Caen Hill Locks at Devizes were impassable.
1968	The Kennet and Avon Canal - written by Kenneth R Clew , Published by David & Charles - An illustrated History.
1985	The Kennet by Wilson Stephenson, Published by Frederick Muller - Part of the Rivers of Britain series.
1990	The 29 locks at Caen Hill, Devizes, were reopened by HM The Queen on 8th August 1990.
1997	Pub Walks Along the Kennet & Avon Canal by Nigel Vine, Published by Countryside Books - 20 Pub Walks on the Canal.
1997	The Kennet & Avon Canal by John Russell, Published by Millstream Books.

Kidwelly & Llanelly Canal

See Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals for more information.

1812	Authorised by an act of 1812 and built in two phases with a six year gap between the completion.
1812	James Pinkerton	He was appointed engineer.
1812	David Davies	He was engineer for the canal.
1812	Edward Martin	Together with David Davies he was appointed engineer.
1824	The first phase completed in June 1824.
1830	The extension to Burry Port started in September 1830.
1833	James Green	He recommended that the canal should be extended to Pembrey New Harbour, a new tramroad connection should br made and that the Gwendrath valley line should be extended for over 5 miles, with three inclined planes.
August 1835	James Green	The extension to the old main line that he proposed in 1833 was now complete.
Late 1836	Alfred Thomas	He produced a plan for a tramroad from the canal at Kidwelly to the entrance of the River Towy at Ferryside. This would enable coal to be loaded into tramroad waggons at the collieries and transported to the canal where the waggons would be put onto boats.
30 January 1836	James Green	He left his post of engineer having failed to complete the inclined planes for the estimated cost.
February 1836	James Green	He ceased being engineer for the Burry Port company after a failure of the walls caused the harbour to be closed.
1 July 1837	James Green	His Gwendraeth valley line had been built at a cost of £55,918. It incuded 3 inclined planes with 57, 56 and 84 feet rises plus two locks.
1867	Closed about 1867.

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.