BW164/4
North-Riding Canal
Date
1800
Reference code
BW164/4
Administrative / Biographical history
The North-Riding canal scheme evolved from an earlier proposal by Ralph Dodd. In 1796 he produced plans for a canal from Stockton to Darlington and Staindrop to Winston, connected by branches with the Wear near Durham, and with the Ure at Boroughbridge. On the instructions of a meeting held in April 1800, George Atkinson surveyed for a narrow-boat canal from Ure near Boroughbridge to Piercebridge on the Tees, with branches to Bedale and Richmond, and another to High Worsall. Atkinson felt that traffic on the canal would largely be lime, coal, lead and stone. Whilst the scheme did not progress further, the need for better transport remained and progress was finally made in 1808 when the Tees Navigation Company was formed to improve the river below Stockton.
For more details, see 'The Canals of Yorkshire and North-East England' Volume 2 by Charles Hadfield.