Canal Timeline
1745
William Jessop Born
1750
Most roads included in the Turnpike Act heavy tolls levied on most popular trade routes
1770
Louth canal completed
1774
Grantham to Sleaford waterway suggested
1779
Erewash Canal opened providing access to cheap Derbyshire coal
1780s
Plans develop for Grantham to Trent link
1790
Jessop surveyed the Trent/Grantham route and estimated the cost at £58,000.
1791
Plan put to Nottingham to Grantham canal group & approved
1792
Plan opposed by Newark to Grantham group & rejected by Parliament
1793
Plan passed by Parliament which included provision for a junction to Newark
1797
In February William King section from Hickling to Grantham completed & filled with water
Late spring canal opened after difficulty retaining water in the Cropwell area
1814
William Jessop Died
1815
Belvoir Railway installed
1841
Maximum volume of traffic on canal
1845
Canal sale agreed with Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway
1854
Sale finalised with Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway
1861
Canal sold to Great Northern Railway (GNR)
1929
Last boat traffic
1936
Canal closed by Act of Parliament and classified as suitable for agricultural purposes
1950s
46 bridges demolished and lowered
1963
Canal transferred to the ownership of British Waterways Board, later British Waterways (BW)
1968
Canal classified as ‘Remainder’ – with no potential use.
1969
Proposal to infill the canal – opposed by Grantham Civic Trust & IWA
1970
Formation of The Grantham Canal Restoration Society 1971 – Hickling boat rally
1972
Stathern boat rally
1973
Trent Bridge boat rally
1976
Iron stone quarrying ceased in the area
1977
Proposal for coal mining in the Vale of Belvoir
1982
Mining application rejected
1992
Approval given to remove Woolsthorpe railway embankment
1993
Casthorpe Bridle Bridge opened
Denton Slipway built
1994
Woolsthorpe boat rally & gate renewal of Locks 16-18 completed
Grantham Canal Navigation completed restoration of section from Hickling to Hose
1995
Casthorpe Road Bridge opened
2002
Locks 6 & 7 restored 2007 – Denton to A1 dredged & IWA National Trailboat Rally
2008
Woolsthorpe Top lock 18 rebuilt
2009
Harlaxton Wharf rebuilt
2010
Trip boat “The Three Shires” purchased. Woolsthorpe & A1 moorings installed
2013
Gates at Lock 18 replaced
2014
Application made to National Lottery for restoration of Locks 14 & 15
2015
Work commenced rebuilding Lock 15
2018
Work commenced rebuilding Lock 14
2019
Lock 15 Opened by Richard Parry, Chief Executive CRT with Cllr. Jackie Smith, Chairman SKDC
Contributors & Acknowledgements
The Grantham Canal Society gratefully acknowledges the contributions made by the following who have provided details and photographs to help complete this publication.
Editor
Steve Swann
Photography
Our particular thanks to Dave Healey for allowing us to use many of his splendid photos
Also our grateful thanks to the following for the use of their photos: Steve Swann, Tony Jackson, Jim Freeman, John Clark, Ann Moulsher, Angela & David Davis, Mike Lane, Bernard Jessop, Dave Cross, GCS Archive, Ken Brockway, Paul Watson, Peter Stone, Mark Hubbard Maggie Shirran,, John Manterfield, Humphrey Platts, Debbie Spencer Grantham Library, Leicester Library, Science Museum Group Collection Roz Symonds, Belvoir Castle
Publications
Grantham Matters, Britain From Above, Grantham Memories
Contributors
Tony Jackson, Mike Atherley, David Lyneham-Brown, Fred Marsh, Peter Stone, Mike Stone
Bibliography
The Grantham Canal. Early Days: R. Philpotts
The Grantham Canal Today: Chris Cove-Smith
The Grantham Canal Guide: Tony Pitman
‘Meander Through The Beautiful Vale of Belvoir’: Grantham Canal Society
Waterways Guide: Nottingham, York & the North East. Collins Nicholson
Heather Lackey: Dissertation
The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands Parts 1, 8 & 9: Eric Tonks
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