Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

History by Waterway from River Lee

River Lee

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

1424	Promoted under Acts.
1430	Promoted under Act.
1571	Promoted under Act.
1733	William Whittenbury	Surveyed the river. Later he tendered for the erection of a flash lock, providing a model with the tender, which was accepted.
1739	Promoted under Act.
4 August 1740	William Whittenbury	Is recorded as being surveyor to Trust.
1757	John Clark	Was appointed surveyor following the death of William Whittenbury.
5 August 1765	John Smeaton	He was asked to make a survey "so as to settle the navigation on a new plan as will be most conducive to the good of the public".
16 July 1766	John Smeaton	He was asked to survey the navigation with Thomas Yeoman as his assistant.
16 July 1766	Thomas Yeoman	He was asked to survey the navigation as assistant to John Smeaton.
September 1766	John Smeaton	He reported the results of his survey of the navigation, which was developd before the use of pound-locks. He found eighteen flashes at weir and staunches, as well as a lock at Ware and tide-gates at Bromley. He recommended that new cuts should be made (including from Bromley to the Thames and Limehouse, and at Hackney, Edmonton and Waltham Abbey) and the replacement of flash-locks with pound-locks.
1767	Promoted under Act.
1 July 1767	Thomas Yeoman	He was elected surveyor and collector for the new river trustees.
25 February 1769	Edward Rubie	Was appointed assistant to Thomas Yeoman at a salary of £80 a year and was given £21 for removal expenses from Portsmouth.
1771	Benjamin Lewis	Was appointed Engineer following Thomas Yeoman in the post.
Late July 1771	Thomas Yeoman	He resigned from his post of surveyor.
1779	Promoted under Act.
December 1779	John, senior Glynn	Was appointed engineer at £120 a year and was given the task of repairing most of the locks.
December 1779	Benjamin Lewis	He was blamed for the unsatisfactory state of the navigation and was dismissed after showing the river to his successor, John Glynn.
August 1784	John, junior Glynn	On the death of his father he succeeded to the post of engineer.
April 1791	James, senior Griggs	He had previously been foreman but was now acting as surveyor due to John Glynn's illness.
September 1791	James, senior Griggs	He was formally appointed surveyor.
After 1799	John Rennie	He was asked to survey the river to see if it could be flooded as a defence against an invasion by Napoleon. He raised a number of objections to such a scheme but the government went ahead with the works although they were never completed.
15 September 1804	John Rennie	Following a survey of the navigaion he made a report proposing two new cuts. The first was to avoid the mills and millstreams at Enfield, Tottenham and Lee Bridge. The second was to avoid the course from Old Ford to Bow Bridge. No actiion was taken on this.
1805	Promoted under Act.
1844	Francis Giles	Assisted by James Griggs, the Lee surveyor, he surveyed the river and recommended that the number of locks be reduced to 17 from the 25 principal locks and 3 half locks. He also recommended line straightening and a 7 feet depth to allow 100-ton barges to use the river.
1844	James, junior Griggs	He assists Francis Giles with a survey of the river.
1850	Promoted under Act.
1850	James Meadows Rendel	He wrote a report recommending improvements to the river.
7 September 1850	Nicholas Beardmore	Appointed engineer.
18 March 1851	Nicholas Beardmore	Promoted to surveyor.
10 September 1864	Nicholas Beardmore	Rammey Marsh Lock opened. Part of a series of major improvements to the navigation that he undertook, starting in 1850.
1916	The Rivers Lea & Stort. By P Bonthron. First published.
1980	IWA Nationl Festival in the Lea Valley.
1989	IWA National Festival at Waltham Abbey.
1994	IWA National Festival at Waltham Abbey.
2000	The IWA National Festival at Watham Abbey.

Leek Branch - Trent and Mersey Canal

1797	Started around 1797.

Loughborough Navigation

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

1766	Authorised by Act (river improvements).
1776	Authorised by Act (canal work).
1776	John Smith	He was appointed engineer to build the navigation on contract.
1777	John May	He was put in charge of the building of Redhill Lock and other improvements, as recommended by William Jessop, and employed contractors to do the work.
Late 1777	William Jessop	He was called in to suggest improvements to the navigation and advised the building of a new lock at Redhill and the deepening of the upper canal to act as a reservoir.
After December 1777	John Smith	He was thought too slow and was replaced.
1780	Opened.
1819	John Kiddey	As company engineer he reports that the navigation at Long Whatton and Kegworth bridge was dangerous and inconvenient and could be improved by new cuts.
April 1826	John Kiddey	It was reported that his new cut and bridge at Kegworth had been completed in a very efficient and workmanlike manner.
1846	George Stephenson	He proposed to the company that they, together with the Leicester company and himself, should jointly build a railway line from Derby to Rugby along the Soar valley.
1916	Leicestershire Waterways. By P Bonthron. First published.
1932	Became part of the Grand Union Canal.

Llechryd Canal

1772	Built about 1772.

Llandeilo & Llandovery Canal projects

Early 1793

Thomas, senior Sheasby

He was called in to survey a canal from Pen-coed to Llandovery. There were to be two branches one from Pontardulias up the valley of the Gwili to Myndd Marw and the other from Kidwelly up the Gwendraeth.

Leeds & Liverpool - Leigh Branch

1801

Samuel Fletcher

He estimated the cost of the branch with two locks at £29,826.

Llansamlet (Smith's) Canal

1784	Completed about 1784.
1852	Closed about 1852.

Leeds & Liverpool - Rufford Branch

October 1781	Richard Owen	He reports the construction of branch has been completed.
December 1796	Robert Whitworth	He reported that a canal was proposed from the Lancaster Canal to the Ribble opposite the Douglas outfall. He suggested that the Leeds & Liverpool could improve the Douglas up to Sollom lock by an artifical cut and thus provide a route between the two canals.

Leeds & Liverpool - Springs Branch

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

1773	Agents of Lord Thanet, then a minor and owner of Skipton Castle, obtained an Act on 10 May 1773.
1797	Opened.

Leominster Canal

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

20 December 1777	Robert Whitworth	He proposed a canal from Hereford through Leominster and Pensax to Stourport.
Autumn 1789	Thomas Dadford junior	Made a survet and an estimate for a 31 mile canal with three tunnels the whole costing £83,000.
1790	Thomas Dadford junior	Following proposals for a canal from Kington to Leominster the two schemes were amalgumated and he produced plans and estimates for a 46 mile canal rising 46 feet from Kington then falling 496 feet to the Severn.
1791	Authorised by an Act.
July 1791	Thomas Dadford junior	He started construction of the canal as its engineer.
1794	Part open.
December 1795	Thomas Dadford junior	John Rennie criticised his work on the canal.
December 1795	John Rennie	Following proplems with the construction of the canal he was asked to advise. He was critical of Thomas Dadford junior's work and estimated that £20,000 was needed to complete the Southnet to Leominster section and £135,937 to finish the rest.
1796	18.5 miles, and 16 locks, open by 1796 but no further progress, or connection to any other waterway, was made.
1803	John Hodgkinson	He suggests tramroads as a cheaper alternative to canal cutting for connecting the canal to Kington and Stourport. An Act was passed in August to authorise the building of these tramroads.
27 February 1834	John Urpeth Rastrick	He was asked to survey the route from the Rea Aqueduct at Newnham to connect the canal to the River Severn. He reported in early August.
March 1835	John Urpeth Rastrick	He produced a report (while working as engineer of the Staffordshie & Worcestershire Canal) on a cheaper version of the Leominster Canal to the Severn tramroad. The cheapest option was £44,394. The idea was not taken further.
1859	Closed.

Lancaster - Morecambe Ship Canal project

1845

Edmund Sharpe

He attacked the plans for a new dock at Thornbush, Lancaster, and pressed for the ship canal scheme on behalf of the North Western Railway.

London Canal Project

Early 1770

James Brindley

He was asked by the city of London to suggest how navigation of the lower Thames could be improved. In June he proposed a by-pass canal, for craft of 200 tons, from Monkey Island, below Maidenhead, to Isleworth. He estimated the cost at £47,885 including branches to the river at Windsor and Staines.

Lancaster Canal - Glasson Dock Branch

1793	Authorised by an Act of May 1793.
1823	Work started.
1826	The branch was opened in June 1826

Little Ouse or Brandon River

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

1670	The first act was passed relating to navigation on the river.
1751	A second act was passed to make the river navigable and to appoint commissioners.
1810	A third act was passed relating to navigation on the river.

London - Portsmouth Canal project

1803	John Rennie	He put forward a canal route to rival William Jessop's proposal for a railway connection. The canal was to be 100 mile long with 41 locks and a 4,400 yard tunnel between Coulsdon and Merstham. From the Croydon Canal it was to run through Merstham, Crawley, Ifield, Horsham Common, Pulborough, Mundham, Chichester, Emsworth and Havant to Portsmouth. He also suggested branches to the Medway, Ouse, Adur and Arun. He estimates the cost without branches to be £720,649 for a broad canal and £571,621 for a narrow canal.
15 March 1804	John Rennie	The Bill for his planned canal was defeated.

Little Punchard Gill Boat Level

1860	Closed around 1860.

London to Portsmouth Ship Canal schemes

Late 1824	N W Cundy	Published a preliminary report proposing a canal 28 feet deep and around 150 foot wide with about four locks 300 feet long by 64 feet wide.
Autumn 1824	N W Cundy	He criticised James Elme's plan for a tida ship canal and soon afterwards announced his own Grand Ship Canal from London to Arundel Bay.
Autumn 1824	James Elmes	He produced a plan for a ship canal costing £4m or £5m.
1825	Francis Giles	He was asked to take the levels for the combined scheme of John Rennie, James Elmes and N W Cundy.
March 1825	Sir John Rennie	He proposes, with his brother, "a ship canal from London to Portsmouth, capable of conveying Line of Battleships and the largest Merchantmen" 86 miles long, 300 feet wide and 24 feet deep. The route was to be via Guildford, Loxwood and the Avon Valley. The cost was estimated at £7 millon. They were later asked to survey alternative lines.
March 1825	George Rennie	He proposes, with his brother, "a ship canal from London to Portsmouth, capable of conveying Line of Battleships and the largest Merchantmen" 86 miles long, 300 feet wide and 24 feet deep. The route was to be via Guildford, Loxwood and the Avon Valley. The cost was estimated at £7 millon. They were later asked to survey alternative lines.
March 1825	N W Cundy	A joint meeting is held to consider his and the other two schemes proposed. The meeting agrees that such a scheme could be achieved for less than £5 million and that it would be of great advantage.
September 1825	N W Cundy	He issues a report attacking the line and surveying methods of George and John (the younger) Rennie.
1827	Sir John Rennie	He and his brother were consulted by the Admiralty on a proposed canal to be called the Grand Imperial Ship Canal but they thought the scheme was not financially viable.
1827	George Rennie	He and his brother were consulted by the Admiralty on a proposed canal to be called the Grand Imperial Ship Canal but they thought the scheme was not financially viable.
1827	N W Cundy	He issues a third report on the canal - now called the Grand Imperial Ship Canal on the orders of the Duke of Clarence.

London & Southampton Ports Junction Canal project

1796	Joseph Hill	He did a survey for the proposed canal and estimated the cost at £127,000.
1796	George Smith	He made a survey of the route and estimated the cost as £157,566.
Before 1796	John Chamberlain	Made an early survey for this route.

Louth Navigation

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

October 1756	John Grundy	He reported on his preliminary survey of the proposed navigation.
18 February 1760	John Smeaton	The town clerk of Louth wrote to him asking for assistance. He replied five days later requesting more information and adds "P.S. Is the expense and practicallity the chief point, or the getting the Bill through Parliament on account of expected opposition?".
1 March 1760	John Smeaton	The town clerk of Louth wrote saying that little opposition was was expected and that it was desireable to get the canal Bill into Parliament in the next session. However, the promoters were not willing to proceed until he had confirmed John Grundy's report.
11 March 1760	John Smeaton	He replied to the letter of the 1st advising them to hasten slowly and explained that he was busy and would no wish them to delay their Bill because of him.He also wrote " I will, however, give you this caution to be very careful of giving public notice as early as possible of your intention to apply to Parliament and in making the gentlemen of your country acquainted with your scheme. Be very careful in applying to the land-owners whose estates lay upon or near the intended navigation, and if possible get the consent of the majority of the principals of those who may be affected by it, for if the least opposition arises, which seldom shows itself till after the petition is presented to the House. they generallyhang upon those matters; for upon this footing the Wey Bill was thrown out last year, tho' it is likely to pass this, and the present year the Tamworth petition has been thrown out upon the same footing without ever entering into the merits thereof. I am Sir Your most humble servant. J. Smeaton".
7 August 1760	John Smeaton	He met John Grundy and went through Grundy's report and confirmed that Tetney Haven was the proper outfall to provide communication with the Trent so that flat bottom barges could navigate into Yorkshire without going to sea. He estimated the cost as £15,590 for a 'Two Barge Canal', £13,686 for a "One Barge Canal" and £10,884 for "Lighter drawing 2 feet".
7 August 1760	John Grundy	Went though his proposal for a 9 lock, 11 mile, navigation with John Smeaton.
6 December 1762	John Grundy	A petition was presented to parliament for a navigation based on his proposals and an Act was passed in March 1763.
1763	Authorised by an Act.
1764	Opened.
1915	Fallen into disuse by 1915.
1924	Closed by a warrant of the Minister of Transport on 8 August 1924.

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.