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Royal Commission on the Canals and Inland Navigations of the United Kingdom.

Reports and publication including maps and pland from the Royal Commission, evidence presented to the Commission and related publications.

1906 - 1911

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A resurgence in interest in inland waterways, following the succesful completion of the Manchester Ship Canal led to the Associated Chambers of Commerce requesting a Royal Commission to examine the problems of the industry in 1900. Bills were introduced in 1901, 1904, 1905 and 1906 but all failed, until in 1906 the Association secured a Royal Commission chaired by Lord Shuttleworth. Under the Chairman were commissioners including Sir John Brunner of Brunner, Mond & Co, James C Inglis, General Manager of the Great Western Railway and HF Killick a director of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. At the time of the Commission there were 4,670 miles of waterway in use of which nearly one third were owned by railways, some were failing and closing while others like the Weaver were advancing. The Commission collected evidence from all over the waterway network and reported on its findings, which concluded that there was a lack of standardisation, too many ruling authorities and not enough finance available to support the improvement of the waterways. It recommended the improvement of navigations linking the Midlands with the four major estuaries of the Mersey, Humber, Severn and Thames. Some waterways were to be enlarged to take at least 100 ton craft while lareger river were to be enlarged to take craft up to 750 tons capacity. A number of new routes were proposed 1. Birmingham and Leicester to London, 100 ton capacity 2. Leicester, Burton and Nottingham to the Humber, 300 ton capacity with the Trent below Nottingham improved to 750 ton capacity 3. Wolverhampton and Birmingham to the Mersey, 100 ton capacity and 4. Wolverhampton and Birmingham to the Severn, 100 ton capacity with the Severn improved to 600 ton capacity from Stourport to Worcester and 750 tons down to Gloucester, the Gloucester and Sharpness Ship Canal was to take vessels carrying up to 1200 tons. The final report was published in 1909 with an Irish report published in 1911. The cost of improvement was estimated at £17 1/2 million, overseen by a central Waterway Board with full time paid commissioners. The scheme was seen as unfair to unimproved waterways like the Birmingham network and also to railways, it was also seen as too expensive by the general public. In the event the work of the Royal Commission of 1906 was overshadowed by Irish home rule and the 1914-18 war and apart from works on the Trent, none of the recommended works were ever carried out.

BW181Waterways Association collection