History River Avon, Warwickshire

one of 2 lock gates between river avon , stratford-on-avon canal

meanwhile, upper avon navigation between stratford , evesham owned relatives of lord windsor, had died in 1758, , condition gradually deteriorated. because of sinuous course of upper river, never considered through navigation, except brief period when william james thought become through route. bought of shares in upper avon company in 1813, , persuaded stratford canal shareholders there should junction between canal , river @ stratford, opened on 24 june 1816. in 1822, spent £6,000 repairing locks on upper river, , became bankrupt. navigation taken on 7 men, connected stratford canal, turned lucy s lock @ stratford two-rise staircase lock, constructed 3 new locks, , improved river dredging. of subsequent traffic local, competing lower avon delivery of coal evesham. upper avon leased stratford canal 1842, there little traffic, , lease not renewed in 1847. arrival of oxford, worcester , wolverhampton railway @ stratford sealed fate, , when company failed sell navigation local landowners £150, abandoned in 1857. john broughton, railway manager @ stratford, persuaded buy navigation £300 local traders, venture short-lived. broughton succeeded, , railway, called west midland railway, became part of great western railway. in 1875, gwr decided no longer maintain river, , appeal railway commissioners in 1877 ruled not obliged so.

the lower avon navigation never quite fell total disuse. worcester , birmingham canal renewed lease in 1851 further 21 years, traffic severely hit opening of railway link ashchurch evesham in 1864. receipts had dropped £139 in 1872, , canal company did not renew lease again. somehow navigation remained open, , commercial traffic declined, there gradual increase in pleasure usage. end of second world war 1 barge plying stretch between tewkesbury , pershore, , river above pershore became unnavigable.