SLHS Canal Construction

Background

The Grand Union Canal actually didn’t come to be known by this name until 1929. Before that, as it’s name suggests, it was an amalgamation of many smaller canal systems. It’s main predecessor, the Grand Junction Canal from London to Braunston, had been built for barges with a broad beam of 14ft ie wider than two standard 6’ narrow boats. The remainder to Birmingham was single width. However this was a crucial section for trade and so exploitative tolls were exacted upon the traveling traders.

Concepts Behind Construction

The industrial revolution, as we call it today, was in full swing. Companies supplying goods couldn’t fail to make a profit but how much profit depended on their business plan.

Our solicitor William James had become a businessman. He had coal to ship south. And he had ambitions to take it even further south yet exploitative tolls were detestable to him. He wanted to reduce his considerable costs so he joined the board to plan a canal to run roughly parallel to the Grand Union Canal not far away and compete with it by offering cheaper tolls.

Partial Construction

The Stratford Canal Company acquired its required Act Of Parliament, issued shares and in 1793 commissioned Josiah Clowes to build it starting at its most northly point -a new junction with the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

Guillotine Stop Lock

The movement of water from one company to another was seen as theft and so at it’s junction with the Worcester & Birmingham Canal the new Stratford Canal was fitted with a unique guillotine gate at Lifford Lane, Kings Norton.

Although ¾ of a mile down the line there was a 300m tunnel to build at Brandwood confidence was high. Started in 1793 sadly this tunnel took 3 years to build and due to higher cost it was decided to build it without a towpath so boats would have to be ‘legged’. Later sections of canal had to cross marshy ground and yet other parts were short of water. Working on four canal systems at the same time, and therefore probably due to over work Clowes died in 1795. More money was raised and his Number 2, Samuel Porter, took over the scheme. Sadly by the time he reached Kingswood, roughly half way, in 1802 even he ran out of money. To make use of what they’d built so far they joined it to the Grand Union there (see right).

SLHS Picture & Document Archives..

1. Picture Vault:  Stratford Canal

● Unique Barrel Cottages  ● Unique Split Bridges   ● Guillotine Lock   ● First British Canal Restored*

● Unique Beam Engine

Runs 25.5mi/41km, 352ft tunnel, 56 locks, between Kings Norton, Birmingham and Stratford. Engineer: William Clowes. Max barge size: 70ft x 7ft

Canal Connection To Go South Of Stratford

It is well-known that the great Engineer Thomas Telford disliked locks immensely. However what is not so well-known is that in 1827, before the competition of the railways really began to bite, he proposed to connect Stratford to the south via a new canal to the Grand Union Canal at Braunston, only a little higher in elevation, a mere 22miles east. He disliked the massive number of locks from Stratford up to Kingswood Junction and then down the Hatton flight all the way into Warwick and beyond. He would join the two directly.

Speculatively William bought the Upper Avon and

It got as far as a proposed Act of Parliament but he got distracted. By which time canal transport could be seen to be struggling against it’s far quicker and greater capacity rival.

Later, in 1833, there were proposals for a London and Birmingham Canal, from Stratford direct to the Regent's Canal, which would bypass the Grand Junction Canal (later, in 1929, to be the Grand Union Canal as noted above), and it’s unfortunately kinked Blisworth Tunnel, entirely.

Barrel Roof Cottages

As far as we are aware barrel roofed cottages are unique to the Stratford Canal. Six were originally built. Of course rather than put in beams, purlins and rafters an iron arched roof is quickly assembled and self-supporting. By putting in a full width ceiling the heat in the building is retained. Nowadays their unusual aspect is seen as very attractive much sought after.

Split Bridges

Whilst the Act Of Parliament gave permission for a canal to be built across farmer’s land it also stipulated that any access that the farmer enjoyed before the canal was to be provided for after it was built.

Other than building aqueducts, which are extremely expensive, and required maintenance or digging tunnels underneath this meant the building of bridges. Lots of them. Stratford’s canal was to be built quickly and to operate without hold ups. the higher or wider the bridge the more expensive it is. The height of people and horses were far above the height of the boats. Therefore the decision was taken that the towpath was not to go under the bridge but round it. Thus it could be lower and narrower. In fact the approaches could just be ‘grubbed up’ from the earth roundabout.

However this meant that the horse would need to be uncoupled from the barge and led round whilst it coasted underneath. Yet with so many bridges this was not going to be efficient.

So Clowes built his bridges from two cantilevered sides with a gap in the middle. Thus the horse’s rope could just pass straight through.

They are a constant feature on the Stratford Canal. Several other examples exist. For instance on the upper end of the Trent & Mersey Canal. This is so wide that the slot is off to one side -the side nearest the towpath.

● These items have aspects that uniquely contribute to national or world history.

The Stratford Canal connection to the Grand Union at Kingswood.

James Takes Charge

With his acute business imperative William became Chairman, raised more share money and in 1812 personally took on responsibility for the construction by of the remaining southern section. This itself had technical challenges.

Earlswood Lakes

Such was the traffic on the canal, and thus it’s demand for water, that in 1820 three reservoirs were dug at Earlswood. Whilst French prisoners of war were used to dig them out I have seen an article that claims the final cost came to just under £1/3M. However this is a gigantic sum and Wikipedia says that this was the cost for the entire canal.

Unique Beam Engine

Whilst there was a stream to fill these up water was required upstream and so a single acting beam engine was installed. It was unique in that the bottom of the cylinder was open and steam admitted only to the top and the weight of the water rocked the beam back the other way. It was designed to work at a variable rate against a very variable head of 0 - 15 ft. William James’ coal was brought to the boiler by a spur off the main line of the canal.  (See external link: Earlswood Enginehouse). I have also read that there was more than one engine (see Canal River Trust) but I am very skeptical as no other standard width canal in the country uses more than one engine and it would be a tight squeeze in the extant building. The engine operated for 113 years from 1823 - 1936.

Edstone Aqueduct

Whilst the overall trend was a significant fall of the land down to the River Avon, costly enough in terms of locks and time to negotiate them, the lay of the land was undulating and more innovation was required and so three aqueducts were built under William Whitmore as Engineer.. These are unusual in that the towpath is level with the ducting. One was to be the longest in England and it unwittingly became the sole reason for the ultimate survival of the canal 100 years later See Edstone Aqueduct.

Horse Help Feature

Using a single horse to start and stop a 35 ton narrowboat is not easy and doing it without mechanical aids is dangerous. So the Mother Of Invention saw the creation of a very clever system.

See additional page: Narrowboat Acceleration System

To return to Master page click on ‘Canal’ above.

Split bridge and barrel cottage at Lapworth.

More Information

1. How A Lock Works:             YT: STEM
   

2. Glossary of boating terms:  BraunstonMarina