Canal Near Romsey? (Hants)

[mark99]

I saw a reference to an "Old Canal" near Romsey - anyone know of it?

 

Near East Dean/Lockerly off the little River Dun?

Edited January 7, 2020 by mark99

[David Mack]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andover_Canal

 

Closed in 1859 and a railway laid over much of the route.

Edited January 7, 2020 by David Mack

[mark99]

Thank you David.

 

The River Dun is so small I could hardly believe it.

 

Anyone have any  idea what is was " used" to transport?

Edited January 7, 2020 by mark99

[magnetman]

Wide beams 

One unusual aspect of the Act was that it specified that the canal could open between 4:00 am and 10:00 pm, and that the maximum size of barges was to be 60 by 8 feet (18.3 by 2.4 m) with a draught of 3.5 feet (1.1 m).^[2]

 

[David Mack]

5 minutes ago, mark99 said:

 

Anyone have any  idea what is was " used" to transport?

According to wiki "The main cargos of the canal were coal, slates and manure coming in from Southampton water and agricultural produce going out, although boats were often unable to find cargos for the journey back out to Southampton water."

and since the canal never made any money I suspect there wasn't enough freight of any sort carried.

[pearley]

The canal went through a tunnel under Southampton city centre and the railway tunnel crossed over it. Caused trouble for years.

[Pluto]

A map of the canal as intended. In 1790, Rennie reported on an extension of the Basingstoke Canal to Salisbury, details can be found in his notebooks in the Institution of Civil Engineers Archive.

[mark99]

It was connected too/branched through to Salisbury. Parts of which I'm sure are still in water at Salisbury as I recall seeing it.   (Salisbury and Southampton Canal rather than just the Andover Canal).

[Chris Lowe]

It did connect to the Salisbury and Southampton canal, and just along the coast was the Itchen navigation as well.

 

 

[magpie patrick]

The Salisbury and Southampton Canal was a curious beast, it was barely open, carried almost no traffic and although the main part was from the Andover Canal to Salisbury they were also the promoters of an extension to the Andover Canal at the Southampton end that led to some derision as it followed the river which was already navigable.

 

"Southampton's wise sons find their river so large

though twill carry a ship, twill not carry a barge

the solution to this, their sage noddles devised

they cut a snug ditch to run by it's side

 

Like a man who contriving a hole in his wall

for each of his cats, one large, t'other small

Made a great hole for great cat to go through

and along side a small one, for little puss too"

 

Or something to that effect....

 

The railway tunnel was, strictly speaking, on the Salisbury and Southampton Canal - it was not a success.

 

Edited January 8, 2020 by magpie patrick

[Chris Lowe]

1 hour ago, magpie patrick said:

The Salisbury and Southampton Canal was a curious beast, it was barely open, carried almost no traffic and although the main part was from the Andover Canal to Salisbury they were also the promoters of an extension to the Andover Canal at the Southampton end that led to some derision as it followed the river which was already navigable.

They didn't actually finish building the line to Salisbury did they, it stoped short at Alderbury.

[magpie patrick]

4 minutes ago, buccaneer66 said:

They didn't actually finish building the line to Salisbury did they, it stoped short at Alderbury.

No, they didn't, as you say it got as far as Aldebury. I'm not sure the S&S ever carried any traffic that actually paid a toll. 

Edited January 8, 2020 by magpie patrick

[Chris Lowe]

I shall have to dig out my book on it and have a read.

 

You can still follow a lot of the route of the S & S on GE and some of the Andover south of the junction, north of the junction the Andover is under the railway apart from the odd loop.

 

a quite useful youtube video 

 

Edited January 8, 2020 by buccaneer66

[Chris Lowe]

This answers a lot of questions Southampton Canal Society

[mark99]

Cheers. Good stuff.

[Chris Lowe]

There are nice photos on the Southampton Canal Society site.