2018

SU0881 : West along the Wilts & Berks canal, Royal Wootton Bassett

taken 6 years ago, near to Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, England

West along the Wilts & Berks canal, Royal Wootton Bassett
West along the Wilts & Berks canal, Royal Wootton Bassett
The canal here is lined on both sides by clumps of reedmace. In the distance is another footbridge over the canal. Seen from a small boat on a trip along the navigable stretch of the old canal.
Wilts & Berks Canal :: SU0981

The Wilts & Berks Canal was promoted from 1793 as a means of providing cheap transport. The Bill empowering construction of the canal received Royal Assent in 1795 and the canal was cut from the Kennet & Avon Canal at Semington, near Melksham, to the River Thames at Abingdon during the years 1796 to 1810. A link from Swindon to the Thames & Severn Canal at Latton (near Cricklade) was completed in 1819. This link, known as the North Wilts Canal, allowed traffic to bypass the difficult River Thames navigation between Lechlade and Abingdon.
The main line of the canal was 52 miles long, with six miles of branches and nine miles of the North Wilts Canal. It was cut to take narrowboats 72 feet long and seven feet wide, carrying 35 tons. There were 42 locks on the main line, 11 on the North Wilts Canal and three on the Calne branch. There were three short tunnels.
The canal enjoyed a period of prosperity between 1817 and 1841. However, with the coming of the Great Western Railway in 1841 decline set in. Stanley Aqueduct between Chippenham and Calne collapsed in 1901, stopping through traffic, and the canal was abandoned by Act of Parliament in 1914. LinkExternal link LinkExternal link


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Brian Robert Marshall and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Sport, Leisure Suburb, Urban fringe Canals Primary Subject: Canal
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Footbridge [6] · Reedmace [3] ·
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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SU0881, 33 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Brian Robert Marshall   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Saturday, 15 September, 2018   (more nearby)
Submitted
Sunday, 16 September, 2018
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SU 081 817 [100m precision]
WGS84: 51:32.0759N 1:53.0596W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SU 082 817
View Direction
West-southwest (about 247 degrees)
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Image Type (about): geograph 
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