History Grand Junction Canal

1 history

1.1 need
1.2 construction
1.3 branches
1.4 acts of parliament
1.5 further development

history
need

by 1790, extensive network of canals in place, or under construction, in midlands. however, route london via oxford canal river thames @ oxford, , down river capital. river, particularly upper reaches, in poor condition navigation compared modern canals. river suffered shallow sections , shortage of water leading delays @ locks, , there frequent conflicts mill owners on water supplies.

in 1791–1792, 2 surveys of route brentford on thames braunston on oxford canal carried out, first james barnes , william jessop. there other proposals alternative direct route london, , 2 bills put parliament, bill grand junction canal passed on 30 april 1793.

construction

the act of parliament authorised company raise £600,000 fund construction of main line eastern branch of river brent enters thames @ syon house near brentford, oxford canal @ braunston. authorised branches daventry, river nene @ northampton, turnpike road (now a5) @ old stratford, , watford: daventry , watford not built.

william jessop appointed take charge of construction started both ends. on 3 june 1793 engineer, james barnes, appointed @ rate of 2 guineas (£2/2s or 2 pounds , ten pence in decimalised currency) per day plus half guinea (10s/6d or decimal £0.525) expenses.

berkhamsted station on london , birmingham railway grand junction canal on right-hand side.

at north end, there problems construction of blisworth tunnel: quicksand encountered, , errors made in alignment meant tunnel had pronounced wiggle. opening of braunston tunnel, line open oxford canal through weedon bec in june 1796. however, blisworth tunnel continued cause problems, collapsing in january 1796. canal opened braunston blisworth in 1797. canal thames reached 2 waters near hemel hempstead in 1798, bulbourne @ north end of tring summit in 1799, , stoke bruerne @ south end of blisworth tunnel following year.

thus, exception of blisworth tunnel, main line open in 1800. allow goods cross gap, road built in 1800 on top of blisworth hill and, later, upon recommendation of committee member joseph wilkes, benjamin outram contracted build tramway on hill.

james barnes proposed work begin again on tunnel on new line. robert whitworth , john rennie called in advice, , supported proposal. however, construction on new line did not start until june 1802, , not completed until march 1805.

initially, 9 locks used in temporary arrangement lower , raise canal crossing of river great ouse @ wolverton @ river s water level. in 1799, william jessop designed three-arch masonry aqueduct , embankment cross river , replace locks. collapsed in 1808, , wooden trough used temporary replacement. decided build iron aqueduct, benjamin bevan engineer. foundation stone replacement aqueduct laid on 9 september 1809, , opened on 22 january 1811.

the grand junction canal had reduced distance london midlands 60 miles (100 kilometres)—via oxford , river thames—and made journey reliable. result, thrived: in 1810 carried 343,560 tons of goods through london, equal amounts , out of capital.

the branches

the grand junction s original act in 1793 authorised branches daventry, river nene @ northampton, turnpike road @ old stratford (north-west of modern milton keynes), , watford in hertfordshire: daventry , watford not built. branch old stratford amended before built (see below). branch northampton delayed plans of leicestershire , northamptonshire union canal reach northampton , join grand junction came nothing. link northampton made tramroad transferred blisworth tunnel, 5-mile (8-kilometre) canal gayton being opened in 1815. link leicester achieved opening of grand union canal, took more direct route foxton in leicestershire grand junction @ norton junction.

the 1794 act authorised 3 further branches, aylesbury, buckingham, , wendover. 6.5-mile (10.5-kilometre) navigable feeder wendover summit level @ tring opened in 1799, while 10.5-mile (17 kilometre) buckingham branch, extension of original proposal link main road @ old stratford, opened in 1801: both fell disuse, though wendover arm undergoing active restoration, , part of again navigable. aylesbury arm envisaged become through route thames , wilts , berks canal , kennet , avon canal, 6-mile (10-kilometre) branch town, opened in 1815, never extended.

the act of april 1795 authorised 13.5-mile (22-kilometre) branch paddington bull s bridge near hayes: completed in 1801 and, large basin @ paddington , many wharfs along length, became important trade route, more subsequent opening of regent s canal. branch acted source of water river brent.

the act of june 1795 authorised branch st albans: not built.

the last branch authorised , built 5-mile (8-kilometre) route slough, opened in 1882.

acts of parliament

33 geo. iii. c. 80, received royal assent on 30 april 1793


an act making , maintaining navigable canal oxford canal navigation @ braunston, in county of northampton, join river thames @ or near brentford, in county of middlesex; , collateral cuts said intended canal.


34 geo. iii. c. 24, received royal assent on 28 march 1794


an act making navigable cuts towns of buckingham, aylesbury, , wendover, in county of buckingham, communicate grand junction navigation authorized made act of last session of parliament, , amending said act.


35 geo. iii. c. 8, received royal assent on 5 march 1795


an act authorizing company of grand junction canal vary course of part of said canal, in county of hertford, render navigation thereof more safe , convenient, , making other amendments , alterations in act made in thirty-third year of reign of present majesty, making said canal.


35 geo. iii. c. 43, received royal assent on 28 april 1795


an act making navigable cut grand junction canal, in precinct of norwood, in county of middlesex, paddington, in said county


35 geo. iii. c. 85, received royal assent on 2 june 1795


an act making , extending navigable cut town of watford, in county of hertford, town of st. alban, in same county,


36 geo. iii. c. 25, received royal assent on 24 december 1795


an act enable company of proprietors of grand junction canal finish , complete same, , several cuts , other works authorized made , done them, virtue of several acts of parliament


38 geo. iii. c. 33, received royal assent on 26 may 1798


an act confirming , carrying execution articles of agreement made , entered between beilby, lord bishop of london, thomas wood, esq. sir john frederick, bart. , arthur stanhope, esq. sir john morshead, bart. , dame elizabeth wife, , robert thistlethwaite, esq. , selina wife, , company of proprietors of grand junction canal; , other purposes therein-mentioned


41 geo. iii. c. 71, received royal assent on 20 june 1801


an act enabling company of proprietors of grand junction canal more effectually provide discharge of debts, , complete whole of works executed them, in pursuance of several acts of thirty-third, thirty-fourth, thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, , thirty-eighth years of reign of present majesty; , altering , enlarging powers , provisions of said acts


43 geo. iii. c. 8, received royal assent on 24 march 1803


an act empowering company of proprietors of grand junction canal, raise further sum of money enable them complete works authorized executed, in pursuance of several acts passed in thirty-third, thirty-fourth, thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, thirty-eighth, , forty-first years of reign of present majesty; , amending, altering, , enlarging powers , provisions of said acts


45 geo. iii. c. 68, received royal assent on 27 june 1805


an act altering, amending, , enlarging powers of acts making , maintaining grand junction canal


52 geo. iii. c. 140, received royal assent on 9 june 1812


an act explain, amend, , enlarge powers of acts passed making , maintaining grand junction canal


58 geo. iii. c. 16, received royal assent on 17 march 1818


an act enable grand junction canal company vary line of part of canal in county of hertford, , altering , enlarging powers of several acts relating said canal.


59 geo. iii. c. 111, received royal assent on 22 june 1819


an act vary , alter acts of present majesty, relating grand junction canal, grand junction water works, , regent s canal, in order effect exchange of water, better supply of regent s canal navigation , grand junction water works.

this list incomplete. among missing act authorising construction of slough arm, , acts in 1928 authorising formation of grand union canal.

further development

a clause under acts allowed grand junction canal supply drinking water. accordingly, grand junction waterworks company established in 1811, taking water river colne, river brent , reservoir in north west middlesex known ruislip lido. these waters proved unsatisfactory , company transferred inlets river thames.

the importance of trade between london , midlands meant railway competition threat canal compared others in country. john rennie undertook survey in 1824 london birmingham railway.

there ambitious proposals new canals. in 1827 there proposal london , birmingham junction canal stratford-upon-avon canal braunston. in 1832, william cubitt proposed central union canal worcester , birmingham canal near worcester bar via solihull oxford @ ansty, while in 1833 there proposals london , birmingham canal, stratford direct regent s canal, bypass grand junction canal entirely. this, railway threats, spurred grand junction making improvements.

the london , birmingham railway completed in 1838 and, exception of oxford canal, canals on route london birmingham co-operated reduce tolls compete railway. result, there increase in traffic, income reduced.

to cope traffic volumes, locks @ stoke bruerne duplicated in 1835, , new larger reservoirs built @ tring ease serious water shortage. in 1848 grand junction entered carrying trade, pitting boats directly against railway competition. 1864, steam narrow boats acquired, working butty, , these penetrated far erewash canal. carrying given in 1876 because did not pay.

by 1871 tunnels @ braunston , blisworth becoming bottlenecks , steam tugs provided tow strings of waiting boats through.

under encouragement of major carriers fellows morton , clayton, grand junction bought (old) grand union canal , leicestershire , northamptonshire union canal in 1894 , worked other navigations encourage more through traffic london: grand junction concerned through traffic being deterred poor condition , high tolls of railway-owned cromford canal , nottingham canal.

top lock @ stoke bruerne

an inclined plane opened @ foxton locks in 1900, part of plan enable wide barges use grand union canal , bring more traffic on main line of grand junction east midlands. widening of locks @ watford planned, not carried through. consideration given constructing other inclined planes part of plan enlarge canals carry 80-ton barges, no more built.

with ever more traffic going rail, canal s significant weapon low tolls. while slowed decline in volumes, did large reductions in income, , consideration given amalgamations other canals.

concerns began develop state of repair of canal via warwick birmingham, on grand junction reliant through route. in 1925, discussions began 3 warwick canals , regent s canal, , in 1926 merger agreed. regent s canal bought grand junction canal , 3 warwick canals, , 1 january 1929 became part of (new) grand union canal.