Cotswold Canals – History
Decline
Competition from the railways was growing and at the end of 1893, a notice was issued closing the canal east of Chalford until further notice.
Despite many protests the canal remained closed, but eventually led to the formation of a trust which took over the canal. The trust was formed by six other canal companies and five local authorities who re-opened the canal throughout its length in March 1899.
This achievement was short-lived however, as leakage on the summit caused the canal to close once again in June of that year.
In 1901 the canal was transferred to Gloucestershire County Council who began further restoration work.
The length of canal from Cirencester to the River Thames was re-opened in July 1902, from Stroud to Daneway in April 1903, and the summit pound in January 1904.
The first vessel over the re-opened summit was the “Staunch” in March 1904. The restored canal was still not completely reliable and was closed for at least twelve weeks of each year in 1905, 1906, and 1908 for repairs to the summit.
The picture below is of repairs to Puck Mill between 1904 & 1907.
It was also closed for twelve weeks in 1907 for repairs to Puck Mill Pound, which was emptying in four hours through leaks in the clay puddle lining.
The last loaded boat passed over the summit in May 1911 and only a few repairs were carried out in the next four years.
In 1927 the canal was formally abandoned from Lechlade to Whitehall Bridge in the Golden Valley, and in 1933 the remaining length to Stroud was also abandoned.
The Stroudwater Canal, which had remained independent, carried on until 1941 when traffic of all kinds effectively ceased. It was abandoned by Act of Parliament in 1954 despite vigorous lobbying to keep it open by local figures, notably Mrs. Airey.
After abandonment Gloucestershire County Council sold much of the Thames & Severn east of Chalford to the riparian landowners.
The fifteen years following the abandonment of the Stroudwater Navigation were the most destructive period in its history.
The sections of the Thames & Severn Canal abandoned in the early part of the century very soon became derelict.
Sapperton Tunnel suffered roof collapses in two places and sections of the canal were returned to agricultural use or had factory buildings erected over them.
The construction of the M5 motorway and its link road to the A38 resulted in the loss of Bristol Road and Westfield Locks and the one mile of canal linking them.
A flood relief scheme by Severn Trent Water Authority in the vicinity of Whitminster, merged the canal with the River Frome for about 400 yards and resulted in the infilling of Whitminster Lock.
A total of nine swing bridges were fixed. Over the years the remaining locks were allowed to decay with various service pipelines being installed at water level.
British Rail replaced the bridge over the canal at Stonehouse Court with a small “Armco” tube and the road crossing at Stonehouse was in filled. More recently the canal at Capels Mill Viaduct was in filled to provide the Stroud East/West Bypass. However, a bridge was incorporated into the scheme to allow future restoration.
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Sapperton Tunnel <<