WILTS & BERKS CANAL TRUST

At the Berkshire County Council meeting on Saturday afternoon, Mr J.F. Hawking, the County Surveyor, presented an important report on the state of the Wilts and Berks Canal. In the course of his report he says:-

In accordance with instructions received, I have traversed the whole length of the canal from the county boundary near Acorn Bridge on the Swindon main road, to Abingdon, where the canal joins the River Thames. I have also inspected the branches to Longcot and Wantage. All bridges have been carefully examined and in my report I have dealt with each one separately. Most of the draw bridges are in a very bad state of repair and with the exception of Grove Park Bridge, and bridge no. 39, I am unable to say that one single bridge is sufficiently sound in its present state to carry the increasing heavy traction traffic.

From the County boundary Acorn Bridge - to the Wantage branch there seems no shortness of water, with the exception of a length from lock No. 2 for a short distance going east. From this point to Grove Park Bridge (No 38) there seems very little water, but from the above named bridge to lock No. 10 there is a good depth of water. Beyond this point the water gradually gets less and nearing Abingdon the canal is very dry. The towpath is generally in very fair order with a few exceptions.

A length between braw bridge no 21 and the stone bridge no.2 on the main road from Challow Station to Childrey is grown over with bushes, in fact I had the greatest difficulty in making a way through, another years growth will completely block up this length of the towpath.

Under several of the bridges, the stone edging to the towpath has fallen into the canal, making it quite dangerous. The hedges along practically the whole length have not been cut for years and are enormous, and considerably curtail the towpath in places. The locks are generally in a very bad state, several of the side walls being dangerous and although most of the lower gates are in a very fair order, the top gates would never stand the strain of being opened.

I came across three cottages belonging to the Canal company for which rent is paid to the Company - one is near the Wantage branch, another between lock no. 10 and the Great Western Railway Bridge, and a third at Longcot Wharf. Two other cottages, one at lock 10 and other at lock 11 are tumbling down and quite uninhabitable. With the exception of a length in front of Mr Ormond's cottages near Grove Bridge the canal seems in a sanitary condition, but this short length is a receptacle for all kinds of rubbish.

The length of the main Canal through Berkshire is 21 miles with two branches to Longcot and Wantage.

Brick and stone bridge no.39 width 17ft 6in span 12ft 6in. This is a brick bridge with 18un arch, stone abutments and parapet wall and carries the district road from Steventon to East Hanney. The whole structure, with the exception of the stone caps to the two piers is in very good order. Along this reach there is plenty of water and the canal is much wider, it is known as Steventon basin.

Lock 11 Steventon Lock, up to this point this lock is the worst condition of any, both walls are in a dangerous state and the lock is fenced around with posts and barbed wire. The top and bottom gates are in very bad repair. Draw bridge no. 41 width 10ft span 10ft. The woodwork on this bridge is in poor condition and the abutment is little better. There is very little water at this point. Lock 12 known as Drayton lock, both top and bottom gates were open and also the sluices at each side of this lock, thus the water only just trickled ove the upper sill, both the north and south walls of this lock were in places in a bad state. The canal at this point is quite overgrown. Adjoining this lock on the north side is a cottage in a dilapidated state in places shored up.

Wooden bridge 42 width 10ft 3in, span 8ft 6in. This bridge is by Drayton lock is a wooden bridge in fair order, is has recently had a new floor but is only fit for light traffic. The abutment walls are in good condition. Draw bridge 42 width 10ft span 11ft 6in - as a whole the woodwork is in a bad state, part has been repaired at recent date but is only fit for light loads. The abutments are weak, there is little water in the canal and for a long distance it is completely overgrown. Draw bridge 44 - The timber of this bridge has quite recently been considerably strengthened and repaired, it has additional joists put in and new flooring and the bridge permanently fixed down, the abutments are only in fair order.

Draw bridge no 46. Width 10ft 4in span 11ft 6in - this bridge carries a road from the main Abingdon and Drayton road to the mill, the woodwork is in fair order but the abutments are very bad and may easily collapse, there is practically no water in the canal and it is completely overgrown. Lock 13 this lock is about half way between 46 and 47. The side walls are in very good order with the exception of the footings in one or two places, but both gates have gone and there is no running water over the sill, this lock has a depth of 14ft.

Brick and stone bridge no 47 width 20ft 9in span 19ft 3in - this bridge carries the main road from East Ilsley and Drayton to Abingdon. It is a brick bridge built on the skew, the abutment are of stone the parapet walls of brick, the brick itself is fairly sound but there is only 3in of cover on the crown of the arch, the retaining wall on the south east side of the bridge which holds up the approach is in bad repair part of it having fallen down. The canal is absolutely dry along this reach.

Draw bridge no 48 width 10ft 3in span 10ft 6in the state of this bridge is very bad, the woodwork is rotten and the bricks in the abutment falling out, as a horse and cart went over, I noticed the timber work gave several inches when the cart was in the centre, the basin adjoining the bridge has a good wall on the north side to hold up the towpath but there is little water in it. Lock 14 - The walls of this lock are in good order but both the top and bottom gates are in very poor condition, no water was running over the sill, adjoining the basin there used to be good wharfage accomodation but the land has been sold.

Bridge no. 49 width 15ft span 8ft 9in - this bridge carries the road from Abingdon town to the Sewage farm and is an unsafe and in a dangerous condition, the arch is very flat and is only 9in thick, it might easily collapse if a heavily loaded wagon went over it. Here the canal joins the river Thames.

Swindon Advertiser - 1908