Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

History by Waterway from Newcastle-under-Lyme Canal

Newcastle-under-Lyme Canal

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

1795	Authorised by an Act.
1800	Completed in about 1800.
May 1853	Charles Trubshaw	He was appointed engineer to build a short Canal Extension Railway from the canal basin to the Sneyd's railway. This line was worked by horses and cost £1,725.
1921	Part closed.
1935	Abandoned in 1935.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Junction Canal

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

1798	Authorised by an Act.
1864	Closed.

North Walsham and Dilham Canal

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

January 1811	John Millington	He did a survey for a canal from the River Ant near Dilham to North Walsham.
September 1811	John Millington	He did a survey for a canal from the River Ant near Dilham to North Walsham.
1812	Promoted by an Act.
5 April 1825	John Millington	Canal cutting started under his direction employing a hundred navies from Bedfordshire.
1826	John Millington	He completed the canal.
1827	John Millington	He left his post as engineer.

Newdigate Canals

After 1765	Sir Roger Newdigate	Built canals on his Arbury estate near Nuneaton, expanding an earlier system of "boatways" used to carry coal from the family mines.
1770	Mostly built between 1770 and 1795.
1795	Mostly built between 1770 and 1795.
1795	William Bean	Completed the 5.5 mile of private canals, with 13 locks, that were started around 1764.
1819	Most traffic had ceased by 1819.

North Wilts Canal

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

June 1810	William Whitworth	The Wilts & Berks Canal company sent a letter to the Thames & Severn company saying that he had surveyed a line from near Wootton Bassett to Ewen, above Siddington, on the Thames and Severn summit so joining the two canals. At this time this canal was called the Severn Junction Canal.
1813	Authorised by an Act.
1813	William Whitworth	He estimated the cost for the 9 mile canal with 12 locks at £52,000 and an extra £1,162 for the basin at Latton Junction.
1819	Opened.
1906	Traffic ceased.
1914	Abandoned by an Act.

Newport Pagnell Canal

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

1793	James Barnes	Surveyed the route for the proposed canal.
Late 1813	Benjamin Bevan	Made the survey for the Bill that became an Act in June 1814.
1814	Authorised by an Act.
1817	Opened.
1863	Closed.

Old Grand Union Canal

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

1808	Thomas Telford	He and James Barnes made the preliminary surveys for the line of the canal.
1808	John Woodhouse	About this time he, supported by a Leicester group, put forward a line for the canal with a tunnel.
1808	Benjamin Bevan	Appointed engineer at a salary of £500 a year plus £200 a year expenses.
1812	Benjamin Bevan	Found quicksands and other difficult geological conditions in the proposed line of Crick Tunnel that led to a realignment and £7,000 extra cost.

Oakham Canal

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

1785	William Jessop	He is commissioned to do a survey for the canal although the work was done by Robert Whitworth.
1785	Robert Whitworth	He did a survey for a canal from Melton Mowbray to run west of Stapleford, through Leesthorpe and Ashwell to Oakham.
1792	William Jessop	He did a general survey for the line of the canal.
1792	Christopher, junior Staveley	He did a detailed survey for the canal line and later became engineer.
1793	Authorised by an Act.
1797	William Dunn	Replaced Christopher Staveley as engineer and completed the canal.
Late 1797	Christopher, junior Staveley	He left his post as engineer.
1802	Completed.
1809	Hamilton H Fulton	He surveyed a line, under Thomas Telford's supervision, for the extension of the canal from Oakham to Stamford. There were also to be connections from the Welland near Market Deeping and to the Nene at Peterborough.
1809	Thomas Telford	He supervised Hamilton Fulton in a survey of an extension of the canal to Stamford.
1809	Benjamin Bevan	Surveyed a line for extending the canal from Market Harborough to Stamford with a connection to Boston through the South Forty Foot Drain.
1846	Abandoned.
1968	The Oakham Canal by David Tew, Published by Brewhouse Press - Limited edition of 450 with 19 coloured plates and 25 illustrations by Graham Rigby.
1984	The Melton to Oakham Canal by David Tew, Published by Sycamore - Illustrated book issued as a limited edition of 1,000.

Old River Lee

1571	Ancient navigation first improved under an Act of Parliament.

River Ouse (Sussex)

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

1768	John Smeaton	He suggested land drainage improvements and that there should be a lock at Piddinghoe but the lock was not built.
1788	William Jessop	He made a survey and estimated that it would cost £14,400 to make the river navigable for 30-ton craft from Lewes to Pilstye Bridge just past the Cuckfield to Balcombe road. The estmate was for a navigation with 25 locks but a shorter navigation from Lewes to Lindfield with 18 locks was estimated at £9,271.
1790	Promoted by Act.
1791	Promoted by Act.
1800	Promoted by Act.
1806	Promoted by Act.
1808	William Smith	He was appionted engineer.
1812	Navigation opened around this date.
1814	Promoted by Acts.

Oxford Canal

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

1767	James Brindley	Surveyed the route for the canal.
1769	Promoted by Act.
Early 1769	Samuel Simcock	He was appointed as James Brindley's assistant.
May 1769	James Brindley	Subscribed for £3,000 worth of shares
June 1769	Samuel Simcock	He and James King, the clerk of works, were told to set out the canal from Longford "in as Strait a Line as the Ground will permit".
Early September 1770	James Brindley	He sent his resignation to the company following a minute that they issued saying "the Engineer Surveyor and Clerks of this Company do not associate or drink with any of the Inferior Officers or Workmen". The company appologised for any offence caused and the resignation blew over.
Autumn 1772	Samuel Simcock	He was appointed engineer at a salarly of £200 a year.
1775	Promoted by Act.
1779	Samuel Simcock	He and Robert Whitworth surveyed the line for the canal form Banbury to Oxford.
1786	Promoted by Act.
1786	James Barnes	Appointed Resident Engineeer of the canal.
1786	Samuel Simcock	A Bill was presented to Parliament which included the proposition that he, Samuel Weston, and four others should build the canal from Banbury to Oxford for £29,000 on codition that they were given exclusive carrying rights and two-thirds of the profits. This was not accepted.
Mid 1786	Samuel Simcock	He was sent to Cambridgeshire to study the use of windmills for pumping water. One was ordered to be built at Hardwick Lock.
1790	Open except for Isis Lock.
1794	Promoted by Act.
1799	Promoted by Act.
1807	Promoted by Act.
1808	Promoted by Act.
1829	Promoted by Act.
1830	Frederick Wood	He made a number of chain survey books giving details of locks, bridges, mileposts and other canal features. Some of these were used to assist canal inspections for over a hundred years after they were prepared.
1976	The Oxford Canal by Hugh J Compton, Published by David & Charles.
1984	The Locks of the Oxford Canal, A Journey from Oxford to Coventry by J Craig, Published by Whittington Press - Each lock on the canal is illustrated by wood engravings and accompanying text. Issued as a limited edition of 350 copies.

Oxford Canal (Northern Section)

1768	Robert Whitworth	He produced a survey showing alternative lines from The Coventry Canal to Hillmorton, the shorter one, from Gosford Green, being 15¾ miles on one level. Compare this with the 26½ mile canal that was actually built between these points.
1778	Samuel Weston	He said that the error in taking the levels which resulted in the canal being about 6¾ inches higher than the Coventry Canal was "a most egregious error where a canal is so distress'd for Water". Of the 33 yard tunnel at Wolfhamcote he said "a Bridge wou'd have answered the purpose".
Late 1793	James Barnes	Surveyed the northern Oxford Canal on beha;f of the Grand Junction Canal Company to show how it could be widened and shortened.
1829	William Cubitt	Was appointed consult engineer to direct the straightening of the canal between Braunston and Hawksbury. These were completed in 1834.
1829	John Ferguson	Was appointed resident engineer for the work of shortening this section of the canal. The new line opened on 13th February 1834.
1829	Charles Vignoles	He surveyed a shortened and improved line for the canal.
Late 1829	Sir Marc Isambard Brunel	Engaged to recommend action on widening and shortening the canal line. He presented his proposals and a bill for £512 19s 7d.
1853	Frederick Wood	He produced a plan for a 12 chain (264 yard) cut north of Hawksbury Junction which would have cut out the awkward turn and shortened the route through to the northern part of the Coventry Canal by 2 miles.
1997	A Canal People: The Photographs of Robert Longden by Sonia Rolt, Published by Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd.

Oxford Canal (Southern Section)

1677	Andrew Yarranton	In his book England's Improvement by Land and Sea he proposed making the River Cherwell navigable from Banbury to Oxford for £10,000 so that corn from the area could be carried to London.
1779	Robert Whitworth	He and Samuel Simcock survey the line for the canal extension from Banbury to Oxford.
June 1785	Samuel Weston	He was commissioned by the company to survey the Cherwell from Banbury to Oxford (as well as the Swift from Cocford to Lutterworth) to see if it could be made navigable. He thought it could.
1786	Samuel Weston	A provision in the canal Bill gave him, Samuel Simcock and four others connected with the canal, exclusive carrying rights and two-thirds of the profts in return for building the canal from Banbury to Oxford for £29,000. This was rejected by Parliament.
1796	Isis Lock was opened.
1870	Fenny Compton Tunnel was opened out. The name remains and its site can be recognised by the straight stretch of narrow canal in a cutting crossed by several bridges.
1939	L. T. C. Rolt, on board Cressy, made his historic trip from Banbury, later recorded in his seminal classic canal book Narrow Boat.
1955	IWA National Rally at Banbury held 30th July to 1st August.

River Ouse (Yorkshire)

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

1642	Promoted by Act.
1657	Promoted by Act.
4 May 1699	Thomas Surbey	He arrived in York to survey the river. Based on this survey he later recommended a lock, 100 feet long and 20 feet wide, at Naburn.
July 1699	John Hadley	He was engaged to survey the river and concluded a lock was needed ay Naburn.
1726	William Palmer	He surveyed the river above York while working for York corporation.
1727	Promoted by Act.
1727	William Palmer	He produced a survey of the whole river from York to Trent Falls for a new Act of parliament that established trustees for the river. After the Act was passed he was taken on as manager and engineer.
1732	Promoted by Act.
1748	John, senior Smith	He surveyed the river and recommended vigorous dredging.
1752	John, senior Smith	About this time he surveyed the river and produced a plan for a lock at Naburn, which he estimated would cost £5,517.
1767	Promoted by Act.
1769	Navigation from Widdington Ings to Swale Nab opened.
1790	William Jessop	He reported that he was told that there were not more than three seagoing craft a week going above Selby and that this figure included Hull Sloops and small vessels from Gainsborough and Rotherham.
1802	William Pontey	He was consulted on the propsal to take a cut from above Strensall to Sheriff Hutton bridge. He approved the idea and was given charge of the work. The cut was open by about the end of June 1804.
1833	Thomas Telford	He advised that Thomas Rhodes should be used to look at the problems of the river.
January 1834	Thomas Rhodes	He was called in on Thomas Telford's advice and wrote that the lack of steam traffic on the river was due to the size and shallowness of Naburn Lock and of the river below. He estimated it would cost £33,354 to make York accessible to 200-250 ton vessels. Over half the cost was for a new 140 foot by 36 foot lock with a 7 foot depth over the cill, estimated at £18,261.
1863	William Hammond Bartholomew	His scheme for deeping Goole Reach on the Ouse to take bigger steamers, prepared jointly with Thomas Page, engineer for the Ouse Trustees, was given approval and was completed in 1864.
1863	Thomas Page	As engineer for the Ouse trustees he jointly prepared a plan with William Bartholomew, the engineer of the Aire & Calder, for the deeping of the river at Goole by 3 foot to take larger steamers.
1866	William Hammond Bartholomew	Consulted by the trustees of the river and recommended the extension of Naburn Lock to 136 feet at the cost of £5,250.
1871	William Hammond Bartholomew	Reported to the Ouse trustees that regular dredging was required below Naburn Lock.
1876	Sir John Coode	Wrote a report proposing a new lock at Naburn to be 140 foot by 32 foot and the purchase of a dredger at a cost of £40,000.
1886	A F Fowler	He was asked to draw up plans for an enlarged lock at Naburn.
1888	A F Fowler	He suggests a new lock above the Wharfe mouth.
27 July 1888	A F Fowler	His new Naburn lock, 150 feet by 26 feet, was opened beside the old lock.
1889	L F Vernon-Harcourt	He suggested a half-tide lock at Kelfield below the River Wharfe junction.
1889	A F Fowler	He agrees with L F Vernon-Harcourt's suggestion for a half-tide lock below the Wharfe mouth.
1906	A Creer	He suggested a half tide weir below the Wharfe junction.
1967	The Yorkshire Ouse. The History of a River Navigation by Baron F Duckham, Published by David & Charles - Inland Waterways Histories series.
1975	IWA National Festival at York. The first year that the event was called a festival rather than a rally.
1982	Portrait of the Yorkshire Ouse by Ivor H Broadhead, Published by Hale.

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.