Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.

History by Waterway from Caledonian Canal

Caledonian Canal

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

1802	Thomas Telford	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	William Jessop	He was appointed consulting engineer for the project.
July 1803	Thomas Telford	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	William Jessop	He estimated the cost of the canal as £474,500 excluding land purchase.
Summer 1804	William Jessop	He advised Thomas Telford to appoint two resident engineers or superintendents.
Summer 1804	Thomas Telford	On William Jessop's advice he appointed Matthew Davison and John Telford as resident engineers.
1805	William Jessop	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	Thomas Telford	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	Thomas Telford	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	Thomas Telford	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	Thomas Telford	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	Thomas Telford	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.

River Cam

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

1618	Richard Atkyns	Reported on a survey of the river and the conflicts between navigation and drainage interests and sandbanks between Clayhithe and Cambridge.
1702	River improvements were promoted by Act.
1813	Promoted by Act.
1829	Charles Humfrey	He issued his report on the river and estimated it would cost £5,125 to carry out his recommended improvements. He also suggested that the Jesus Green Sluice, which was a few hundred yards downsteam from the present lock, should be rebuilt and had advice on how barge traffic past the colledge backs could be improved.
1916	The River Cam. By P Bonthron. First published.
1930	Photographs taken between the 1930s and 50s published by Cambridgeshire Libraries Publications in 1996 in the book Along the Cam and the Great Ouse with Briscoe Snelson.
1993	The Rivers Cam & Lower Great Ouse, Published by Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson -Large scale chart of the rivers in an A5 ring binder. Compiled together with the Great Ouse Boating Association.
1996	Along the Cam and the Great Ouse with Briscoe Snelson by Peter Snelson, Published by Cambridgeshire Libraries Publications 1996 Photographs taken between the 1930s and 50s.

River Cart

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

1753	Authorised by an Act but no work done under this Act.
1787	Authorised by an Act work, on a cut, following this second Act.

Cumberland Canal Project

6 February 1808

Thomas Telford

He reported on the canal project adding that the £109,393 estimate could be reduced by £20,000 if the canal was built the same size as the Bridgewater or by £50,000 if it was a narrow canal. He said the canal could be extended to Eskdale and up the Eden valley as part of the route to Newcastle.

Chichester Canal

1817	Promoted by an Act.

Cottingham & Hull Canal project

1803

Thomas Dyson

Was consulted about the estimate for the canal.

Chard Canal

1831	James Green	He examined a proposal for the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal Company to build the main drain at Westmoor as part of their navigation and suggested it would be better for them to make a branch direct to Chard.
Mid 1831	James Green	He carried out a survey and proposed a canal leaving the Bridgwater & Taunton at Creech St Michael with five pounds separated by inclined planes and lifts. The cost was estimated at £57,000 andthe completion time as five years.
1834	Authorised by an Act.
1834	William Cubitt	He recommended Sydney Hall as engineer for the canal.
1834	Sydney Hall	He was appointed engineer.
1834	Issac Whitewood	He was assistant engineer.
1841	Open to Ilminster.
1842	Open to Chard.
1842	Sydney Hall	He was working on the Chard Common incline.
July 1842	Sydney Hall	By this time he had left the company.
1853	Peter Bruff	Appointed engineer.
1868	Closed.

Chester Canal

1762	James Brindley	Surveys canal line.
1772	Authorised by an Act.
April 1772	Samuel Weston	He was appointed engineer. His prevoius experience having been as surveyor and as a contractor for cutting.
April 1772	John Lawton	He was employed as assistant engineer to Samuel Weston.
1774	Thomas, Senior Morris	Was called back from Ireland to take up the appointment of engineer.
1774	Samuel Weston	He left his post as engineer.
1775	Opened to Beeston.
Late 1775	Joseph Taylor	About this date he became engineer.
September 1775	Josiah Clowes	Became resident engineer after apparently having previously been a carrier on the Trent & Mersey. It was not long before he was dismissed for inattention to duty.
September 1775	Thomas, Senior Morris	He had been dismissed by this date.
Early 1776	Mr Moon	Around this time he briefly served as company engineer.
1779	Opened to Nantwich.

Chesterfield Canal

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

After 1769	John Grundy	He proposed a line from Chesterfield to the Trent that was over five miles shorter and £23,430 cheaper than the line that Brindley proposed but it did not include Worksop or Retford on the route.
24 August 1769	James Brindley	Presented to a meeting at Worksop the plans and estimates resulting from his survey. The line was to run from Chesterfield, through a tunnel at Norwood, past Shireoaks, Worksop and East Retford to Stockwith on the Trent. The cost was estimated at £100,000.
1771	Promoted by an Act.
Mid 1771	James Brindley	Engaged for superintending the Execution of the Works.
Late 1772	John Varley	Following Brindley's death he moved from his post of Clerk of Works to become resident engineer with Hugh Henshall.
Autumn 1772	Hugh Henshall	Was appointed to act as consultant following Brindley's death.
Late 1773	John Varley	The committee found that his books were in a muddle and that the tunnel contracts "have been improvidently made and at prices greatly exceeding the real value thereof and in a collusive manner". One of the contractors was his brother Thomas Varley. He (John Varley) was kept on but three other Varleys were dismissed and his co-resident engineer, Hugh Henshall, became chief engineer.
1777	Opened.
1777	Thorpe Locks and Turner Wood Lock Double Locks built as staircase locks.
22 October 1852	George, junior Leather	He reported on the line of the Sheffield & Chesterfield Junction Canal which had been surveyed by Mr Burke. In general he approved of the 7.75 mile line but suggested it be lengthen by about a mile to reduce earthworks and estimated the cost at £75,870.
1992	The Waterways Revolution by Christine Richardson, Published by Self Publishing Association - The history of the first ten years of the Chesterfield Canal.
1994	The Walkers' and Boaters' Gude to the Chesterfield Canal and Cuckoo Way by Christine Richardson & John Lower, Published by Hallamshire Press.
1996	Minutes of the Chesterfield Canal Company 1771-1780 by Christine Richardson, Published by Derbyshire Records Society.

Central Junction Canal project

1810

John Rennie

Was surveyed under his supervision.

Caldon Branch - Trent and Mersey Canal

1772	James Brindley	Survey the route for the canal, during which he caught a chill that led to his death.
1779	Opened.
1802	John Rennie	He was engineer for the third rail line between Froghall and the Caldon quarries. This was a four mile double line of plateway rising 649 feet through a combination of inclined planes and normal gradient track.
1841	Before 1841 the Caldon branch had a three lock staircase at Hazelhurst, then the course of the canal was changed so that the main line went under the Leek branch, as it does today, and three new separate locks were built.
1961	The section from Hazelhurst to Froghall became un-navigable.
1963	A public meeting at Leek, on the 18 February, was followed by the setting up of the Caldon Canal Committtee.
1974	Fully reoppened for navigation.
1979	The Caldon Canal and Tramroads by P Lead, Published by Oakwood Press.
1997	Rudyard Lake - The Bicentenary 1797 - 1997 by Basil Jeuda, Published by Churnet Valley Books - History of this resevior that supplies the Trent & Mersey Canal with water via the Leek Arm of the Caldon Canal.

Coombe Hill Canal

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

1792	Promoted under Acts.
1796	Opened.
1867	G W Keeling	He was asked to report on the canal and concluded that it could not be made to cover its expenses and would be better turned in to an osier bed.
1876	Closed under an Act.

Commercial Canal project

Autumn 1795	Robert Whitworth	He surveyed the line for the canal.
Before October 1796	William Jessop	He re-surveyed the proposed route.

Campbeltown Canal

1794	Completed.
1856	Closed.

Cinderford Canal

1795	Completed by this time.

Cann Quarry Canal

1778	John Smeaton	He was asked by John Parker, proprietor of the Cann slate quarry, to survey for a canal from there to the new bridge over the River Plym at Marsh Mills, from where barges could reach Plymouth on the tide. He considered a 2¼ mile canal was practicable but recommended a railroad on economic grounds.
1829	Opened to Earl Morley's slate quarries.
1839	Closed.

Cod Beck

1767

John, junior Smith

He supported Richard Firth in giving evidece for the parliamentary Bill.

River Colne

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

1623	River improvements were promoted by Act.
1689	Promoted by an Act.
1718	Promoted by an Act.
1740	Promoted by an Act.
1750	Promoted by an Act.
1781	Promoted by an Act.
1824	Peter Bruff	Produced a plan for a ship canal to run parallel to the river from Hythe to Wivenhoe. He also proposed a 2.25 mile barge canal from Hythe to Lexden.
1971	Down Tops'l - The story of East Coast Sailing Barges by H Benham, (2nd edition) Published by George G Harrap & Co. - This illustrated work includes river and creek navigation on the Crouch, Colne and Roach.

Carlisle Canal

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

29 June 1807	William Chapman	The Canal Committee meeting considered his report proposing a canal from the town to the sea. The cost was estimated at 40,000 pounds if it took vessels of up to 45 tons or between 55,000 and 65,000 pounds for craft up to 90 tons.
22 August 1807	William Chapman	He added an appendix to his report of 27th June proposing both a 90 - 100 ton canal for the Irish, Scottish and Liverpool trade, and a 50 ton line to the collieries near Maryport, saying "I see by the newspapers, that the Sea Vessel Canal from Carlisle appearsto be as warmly espoused as that to Maryport for Canal Boats".
1808	William Chapman	In making comments on Telford's proposals for the canal he suggests that a steam engine would be a cheaper way of supplying water to the canal than the Wigton branch unless the branch could be commercially justified and that the locks could be 65 by 16 feet with 6 feet over the cill rather than of Forth & Clyde dimensions. This would be big enough for the Mersey flats that were expected to be trading from Liverpool.
7 October 1817	William Chapman	He was asked to survey a canal route from Carlisle to the Solway Firthfor craft of not less than 70 tons. He was told he should "strictly adhere to the great ultimate object of connecting the east and west seas".
1818	William Chapman	He recommended a canal from Fisher's Cross (later to be called Port Carlisle) to Carlisle, 50 foot wide and 8 feet deep with locks 74 by 17 feet. The estimated cost was 73,392 pounds.
Early 1818	Richard Buck	Around this time he assisted William Chapman in a survey of the route for the canal.
1819	Authorised by an Act.
1819	William Chapman	Was appointed consulting engineer to the navigation.
Late 1819	Henry Buck	Was appointed resident engineer.
1820	Richard Buck	Was assisting William Chapman on the construction of the canal with his brother Henry working for some of the time as resident engineer.
March 1820	Thomas Ferrier	Was employed as overseer of works.
July 1820	Henry Buck	Resigned from his post of resident engineer.
July 1820	Thomas Ferrier	Following the resignation of the engineer, Henry Buck, he took over that role.
Late December 1822	William Chapman	Was dismissed by the canal committee after a disagreement over the quality of the work of the site engineer, Thomas Ferrier, who was backed by the committeee who rejected Chapman's criticism.
1823	Opened.
February 1823	Richard Buck	Was asked to leave the company following the dismissal of his former principal, William Chapman, in the previous December.
Late 1826	Thomas Ferrier	He left the company.
November 1835	Jesse Hartley	He produced plans for inner and outer docks at Port Carlisle.
June 1836	Jesse Hartley	He proposed to start work at Port Carlisle by enclosing the ground and building the outer dock with a single gate.
1853	Closed.

Text and photographs copyright of Jim Shead.