WILTS & BERKS CANAL TRUST

An Important Report Feb 7 1908

At the Berkshire County Council meeting on Saturday afternoon, Mr. J.F.Hawkins. 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 generally is in a very fair order with a few exceptions.

A length between draw bridge No. 21 and the Stone Bridge No. 22 on the main road from Challow Station to Childdrey, 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 generally are 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 No. 10 and the other at lock No. 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 swing gates along the towpath are in many cases in a dilapidated state and several quite past repair.

At the Abingdon end of the canal, there used to be good wharfage accommodation in he past, but when the finances became low all the available land was sold. The length of the main canal through Berkshire is 21 miles, and with the two branches to Longcot and Wantage 22 miles 8 furlongs.

The report goes on to say:-- Brick and Stone Bridge No. 39, width 17ft 6in. span 12ft 6in.-This is a brick bridge with 18in 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 on the east side, is in very good order. Along this reach is plenty of water and the canal is much wider, it is known as Steventon basin.

Lock No. 11 -Steventon Lock, up to this point this lock is in the worst condition of any, both walls are in a dangerous state, and the lock is fenced round with posts and barbed wire, the top and bottom gates are in very bad repair.

Brick and Stone Bridge No. 40 width 10ft 6in,; span 8ft 9in -adjoining lock No. 11 is a bridge with a brick arch in good repair, but the stone facing on the east elevation is falling out, the parapet wall on the west side has completely disappeared but the one on the east side is in good order, the retaining walls below the lock are in a very poor state, up to this lock, with the exception of a few lengths, there has been plenty of water, but from this point it seems to gradually get less.

Draw Bridge No. 41. width 10ft ; span 10ft-the woodwork on this bridge is in a very bad condition and the abutments very little better, there is very little water at this point.

Lock No. 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 over 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 grown over. Adjoining this lock on the north side is a cottage in a dilapidated state in places shored up.

Wooden bridge No. 42 width 10ft 3in span 8ft 6in, this bridge by Drayton lock is a wooden bridge in fair order, it has recently had a new floor but is only fit for light traffic, the abutment waals are in good condition.

Draw bridge No.42 width 10ft; span 11ft 6in -as a whole the woodwork is in a bad state, part has been repaired at a recent date but it is only fir to carry light loads, the abutments are weak, there is very little water in the canal and for a long distance it is completely grown over.

Draw bridge No. 44. width 11ft 6in span 11ft 6in the timberwork of this bridge has quite recently been considerably strengthened and repaired, it has had additional joists put in and new flooring, and the bridge permanently fixed down, the abutments are only in fair order.

Draw bridge No. 45. width 10ft 3in ; span 11ft-the woodwork of this bridge is in fair condition but only fit to carry light traffic, the abutments are in a bad state of repair.

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 might easily collapse, there is practically no water in the canal and it is completely overgrown.

Lock No. 13. this lock is about half way between bridge No.46 and bridge No. 47. the side walls in very good order with the exception of the footings in one or two places, but both gates have gone and there is no water running 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 Iisely and Drayton to Abingdon. It is a brick bridge built on the skew, the abutments are of stone the parapet walls of brick, the bridge 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.

On November 22nd I wrote to the Secretary of the Canal Company to repair this wall and received the following reply:--

25th November 1907.

The point seems to be that the canal company usually owns the slopes of the approaches, which in this case are claimed by adjoining owners who have always it is alleged, claimed these slopes, or rather the level ground where the slopes would be, and it is to avoid the covering up of their land with earth in the making of a slope, that the retaining wall was built, and not for the purpose of the bridge at all. I think this is a reasonable position, as a matter of fact I doubt if they can show a title to the land in question, it is said by old inhabitants that they cannot, and I think under such circumstances they should keep the approach wall good."

As this letter did not seem satisfactory I brought the matter before the highways and bridges committee, and they instructed me to obtain an estimate and repair the wall without predjudice. This I have done. 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 abutments 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 this bridge has a good wall on the north side to hold up the towpath but there is very little water in it.

Lock No. 14-the walls of this lock are in good order but both the top and bottom gates are in very bad condition, no water was running over the sill, adjoining the basin there used to be good wharfage accommodation but the land has been sold.

Brick 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 dangerous condition, the arch is very flat and is only 9in thick, it might easily collapse if a heavily loaded wagon went over it. There is only 2in of covering over the crown of the arch in the centre of the roadway.The parapet and the abutment walls have been recently pointed.Here the canal joins the river Thames.

Swindon Evening Advertiser Feb 7 1908