Emmet's Abandoned Canal - Bradford

[adventureme]

Hi All,

 

I have been doing a lot of research on the abandoned and not very well known Emmet's Canal on the outskirts of Bradford, I have just made a video exploring the remains and the back story for my channel. I was just wandering if anyone had any further information on this canal other than what I have stated in the video. I would like to do a second part with a bit more information. Also, it's claimed in a few different places that this canal was 2 miles in length, however the old maps and conflicting information suggests it was only 1 mile long. Some are suggesting it crossed where the M62 now stands and further beyond.

If you would like to see the video, please use the link below;

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szQC9A59vdw

[Pluto]

The best account of Emmetts Canal is by John Goodchild, published in the Railway & Canal Historical Society Journal, Vol.5 Sept 1959, pp98-99. There is certainly some conjecture as to whether this was a canal at all, and it may just have been a water supply to the colliery which may have used a water wheel as a power supply, not uncommon at the time. The navigation embankment - the 1988 photo you use was actually taken by me in 1987 - could have been for a tramway, as these needed to be as level as possible where horses were used. There would certainly have been a weir in the river at the 'upper' end of the canal, though this would be an unlikely place for a water wheel. There could have been a second weir higher up the river which would have supplied a wheel at a higher level, the tail race bringing water back down the the 'navigation', which was the water supply to a second wheel at the colliery. John Goodchild knew the surviving records of industry in this area better than anyone, and I am pretty certain he would have made me aware had he come across anything significant subsequent to his 1959 article. An extension of this channel seems unlikely, given that the undulating nature of the land would have been unsuitable for cheap construction. I suspect that unless some 'new' archive material is found, the truth about this short 'canal' will remain hidden.

[Chris Lowe]

I have Emmets canal as being here, but wasn't totally convinced I had it right.

 

 

[adventureme]

7 hours ago, buccaneer66 said:

I have Emmets canal as being here, but wasn't totally convinced I had it right.

 

 

If you watch my second part of the video coming soon, I follow this extended route. I wasn't convinced it carried on further, but now I am. 

17 hours ago, Pluto said:

The best account of Emmetts Canal is by John Goodchild, published in the Railway & Canal Historical Society Journal, Vol.5 Sept 1959, pp98-99. There is certainly some conjecture as to whether this was a canal at all, and it may just have been a water supply to the colliery which may have used a water wheel as a power supply, not uncommon at the time. The navigation embankment - the 1988 photo you use was actually taken by me in 1987 - could have been for a tramway, as these needed to be as level as possible where horses were used. There would certainly have been a weir in the river at the 'upper' end of the canal, though this would be an unlikely place for a water wheel. There could have been a second weir higher up the river which would have supplied a wheel at a higher level, the tail race bringing water back down the the 'navigation', which was the water supply to a second wheel at the colliery. John Goodchild knew the surviving records of industry in this area better than anyone, and I am pretty certain he would have made me aware had he come across anything significant subsequent to his 1959 article. An extension of this channel seems unlikely, given that the undulating nature of the land would have been unsuitable for cheap construction. I suspect that unless some 'new' archive material is found, the truth about this short 'canal' will remain hidden.

Thank you for that information. I explore the second section in my second part coming soon. Keep your'e eyes peeled for that. It convinced me in the end that it did go further. 

Much of what you said, I suspected. But counter information was telling me otherwise. We may never know. 

And thanks for that picture by the way, I found it on google. If you give me your name I can credit you on the video for it.

Darren

[Chris Lowe]

8 hours ago, adventureme said:

If you watch my second part of the video coming soon, I follow this extended route. I wasn't convinced it carried on further, but now I am. 

If you find my map needs alteration I'll fix it, as it is the base map used by cana(rail)lmaponline.