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Extreme Canals - north south east west

magpie patrick

By magpie patrick
in History & Heritage

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magpie patrick Veteran II

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Posted
Posted

I picked this up at our local bookshop - a very slim volume on the Dingwall Canal by Ken Clew, who was better known for his histories of canals round my neck of the woods. The book claims the Dingwall Canal to be the most northern in Britain, and as it's north of the Caledonian Canal I don't dispute that claim. But it set me thinking. Whatever southern most? And western... and Eastern...?

 

I realise this depends on the geographical unit. Connected system?England? Great Britain? The British Isles? Its a fair bet England has the Eastern and Southern contenders. But where would the northern and western outliers be by each definition? 

 

Just wondering 🤔 as one does

20230418_203347.jpg

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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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Posted

South I think it is Godalming on the Wey. West may be Llan or Bath? 

 

East I think if it is a canal maybe it is the Chelmer and Blackwater. 

 

None of these checked on a map just off the top of my head. 

 

 

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Tonka Veteran

Tonka

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Posted
48 minutes ago, magnetman said:

South I think it is Godalming on the Wey. West may be Llan or Bath? 

 

East I think if it is a canal maybe it is the Chelmer and Blackwater. 

 

None of these checked on a map just off the top of my head. 

 

 

Littlehampton when the Wey and Arun was open

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TheBiscuits Veteran II

TheBiscuits

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, magpie patrick said:

I realise this depends on the geographical unit.

Connected system?

England?

Great Britain?

The British Isles?

Its a fair bet England has the Eastern and Southern contenders. But where would the northern and western outliers be by each definition? 

 

I'd offer these

 

North:

Connected system - Lancaster Canal

England - Ulverston Canal if the Tees Navigation doesn't count

Great Britain - Dingwall Canal as per OP

The British Isles - Dingwall Canal as per OP

 

West:

Connected system - Llangollen Canal

England - Bude Canal

Great Britain - Crinan Canal

The British Isles - Cong Canal

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Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

I'd offer these

 

North:

Connected system - Lancaster Canal

England - Ulverston Canal if the Tees Navigation doesn't count

Great Britain - Dingwall Canal as per OP

The British Isles - Dingwall Canal as per OP

 

West:

Connected system - Llangollen Canal

England - Bude Canal

Great Britain - Crinan Canal

The British Isles - Cong Canal

 

The Tees is a river. The only 'man made' bits are the entrance and exit to the lock at the barage. 

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John Brightley Proficient

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Posted
Posted

There are several man-made waterways in Norfolk which are significantly further east than the Chelmer and Blackwater. The most easterly navigation which is called a canal is the North Walsham & Dilham Canal. However the most easterly waterway is Lake Lothing in Lowestoft which is also man-made.

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Posted
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34 minutes ago, John Brightley said:

There are several man-made waterways in Norfolk which are significantly further east than the Chelmer and Blackwater. The most easterly navigation which is called a canal is the North Walsham & Dilham Canal. However the most easterly waterway is Lake Lothing in Lowestoft which is also man-made.

 

Is a 'lake' a canal though?

 

That looks like its the same as any of the 'broads'.

 

For an actual 'canal' I raise you Haddiscoe cut.

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12 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Oulton Dyke.

 

Tell me you didnt Google that? And be honest.

Just now, John Brightley said:

Well, Mutford Lock, Lowestoft actually beats Oulton Dyke or Haddiscoe, as it was a new canal constructed in 1828. (Off topic: it could also be the only lock in the UK to have different tides either side of it)

 

Is a lock an actual canal though?

 

I dont think it meets the definition.

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TheBiscuits Veteran II

TheBiscuits

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4 minutes ago, M_JG said:

Tell me you didnt Google that? And be honest.

 

 I looked up Haddiscoe cut on google maps to see where it was, and spotted a suspiciously straight waterway to the east of it.  Then I googled it to check if it was man made, being called a dyke.

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John Brightley Proficient

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Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Tell me you didnt Google that? And be honest.

 

Is a lock an actual canal though?

 

I dont think it meets the definition.

Well, Mutford Lock and the cut leading to it are about 80 metres long, which is a fair bit longer than the Wardle Canal which is 47 metres according to Wikipedia. Now, I must go to bed ...we can have more discussions tomorrow 🙂

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David Mack Veteran II

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Posted
Posted (edited)
7 hours ago, DandV said:

Well perhaps we should add the extremities in the vertical plane?

Highest; Huddersfield narrow at the Standedge tunnel.

Lowest;  Middle Level Navigation which is below mean sea level. 

Which reminds me of a question I posed on another list a long time ago:

What is the longest journey (distance) you can travel on the connected UK waterways network, not passing over any section more than once (in either direction), without using tidal waters, and passing through locks in a downhill direction only?

Edited by David Mack
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