Notable Embankments

[Pluto]

Amongst all the early canal construction material I have - though I can't find it at the moment - is a drawing showing an embankment being built, with spoil being delivered on narrow floats. A wooden extension channel allowed the float onto the space where the embankment was required, and the spoil could be shovelled off on either side, with the wooden channel being moved forward at the embankment grew. That, of course, requires the canal to be usable. With Brindley's supposed ballast boats, there could be two wooden channels, with the hopper discharging between them.

 

From water supply details for the L&LC, it would seem that the canal was filled slowly over a long time, as it would have been impossible to find the required volume of water quickly before reservoirs were completed and filled. The water for the original filling came from local streams, and could only be taken when there was an excess as the water was also needed by mills. With two or three feet of water in the canal, it would be possible to use floats carrying ten tons or so on a wide canal, and this would be one way of achieving the necessary movement of spoil. Part filling the canal at an early stage would not only allow the movement of heavy earth, but would confirm that the canal was holding water and that the levels were correct. I also have details of the number of men, horses and carts being used on construction circa 1800, and the low number of carts and horses suggest that little was being carried any distance. I think I put details in an earlier thread on puddle a year or so ago.

 

To finish is a picture of the remains of one of the L&LCs hopper boats, used for raising the bed of the canal after subsidence. This one was photographed by Roger Lorenz at Plank Lane, Leigh.

[Heartland]

It is also clear from canal company minutes on the narrow midland canal that forms of boats were used to move spoil to assist with embankment construction, but with later canals contractors might use narrow gauge railways to assist with the transport of spoil.