BW157/6

Kennet and Avon Canal (Canal Number 94)

1817-1953

BW157/6

The Kennet & Avon carried the bulk of the through London-Bristol traffic. The proposal for the Great Western Railway (GWR) to follow link those towns by rail was generally supported by all but the affected landowners and waterways, and the GWR got their Act in 1835. The GWR and the Berks & Hants Railway, completed in June 1841 and 1847 respectively, caused traffic on the Kennet & Avon to fall. GWR took over the canal on 1 July 1851and it was agreed that the Canal Committee would manage the canal and carrying business as Trustees for the railway. For the next twenty-five years the canal brought in ever-decreasing profits. The canal remained navigable but was not generally in good repair, and the problem was exacerbated by water shortages. GWR did repair pumps at Crofton and Claverton and dredged Wilton Water, and so could not be accused of neglecting the navigation. The carrying business stopped in 1873 and from 1900 all traffic on the canal was local. Road competition began eroding that after World War One. Having committed themselves to keeping the canal in good repair, GWR began an extensive and expensive programme of dredging, repuddling and lock repair towards the end of the 1930s, although they must have realised that they would not recoup the money spent. By the time it was completed, the only traffic were pleasure craft. On 1 January 1948, the canal was nationalised and taken over by British Transport Commission: Railway Executive (Western Region). The canal was transferred on 28 February 1949 to British Transport Commission: Docks & Inland Waterways Executive. There were attempts to abandon the navigation in 1955, but they were forced down in the face of public opposition. Instead, the entire canal was restored and was fully opened in August 1990. For further information see Edward Paget-Tomlinson's The Illustrated History of Canals & River Navigations and Charles Hadfield's The Canals of South and South East England.