Proposed extensions to the Stamford Canal
Because of its success, there were proposals to use the Stamford Canal route to both extend it upstream, downstream and across country!
Inland towards Market Harborough, downstream from Deeping St James to the River Nene and Peterborough or across country from Market Deeping to the River Witham and Boston via the South 40 Foot drain.
When the Melton Mowbray Navigation was being planned in 1785, there were discussions of a link to Oakham, which eventually became the Oakham Canal, and onwards to Stamford.
The idea of a canal from Stamford to Oakham, 11 miles (18 km) due west, was revived in 1809, with plans for a 7-mile (11 km) link from Stamford to the Nene at Peterborough, and a connection from near Market Deeping northwards to the South Forty-Foot Drain, from where Boston could be reached.
A bill for this, together with one for a rival scheme to link Stamford to the Grand Junction Canal, which also included a connection to the South Forty-Foot Drain, were put before Parliament in 1811, but neither met with any success. The idea was raised again in 1815 and 1828, but no further action was taken.
Those petitions are going to be discussed in more detail here:-
MARKET HARBOROUGH TO STAMFORD CANAL
This record is held by Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Record Office
Reference: QS72/13
Title: MARKET HARBOROUGH TO STAMFORD CANAL
Description: Course of Canal:-
1) Main Canal from the Union Canal near Market Harborough in the County of Leicester to the Welland Navigation at Stamford in the County of Lincoln, crossing the Leicestershire parishes and townships of:- Great Bowden.
2) Reservoirs (2) on the river Welland in the parishes of Husbands Bosworth in the County of Leicester and Hothorpe in the County of Northampton, with feeder cut therefrom to the Union Canal in the parish of Lubenham, crossing the Leicestershire parishes and townships of Husbands Bosworth, Theddingworth and Lubenham.
3) Reservoir in the parishes of Boxton, Kibworth Harcourt and West Langton in the County of Leicester, with feeder out therefrom to the Union Canal near its junction with the above Canal to Stamford, in the Parish of Great Bowden, crossing the Leicestershire parishes of West Langton, East Langton and Great Bowden.
Plan; Book of Reference.
Date: 29th Sept 1810
Held by: Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Record Office, not available at The National Archives
QS72/14 29th Sept 1810
MARKET HARBOROUGH TO STAMFORD, SPALDING and PETERBOROUGH CANAL
Course of Canal:-
1) Main Canal from the Union Canal near Market Harborough in the County of Leicester, to the River Welland at Stamford in the County of Lincoln, and improved Navigation of River Welland from Stamford to Spalding in the County of Lincoln, crossing the Leicestershire parish of Great Bowden.
2) Branch Canal from the River Welland at the North Fen, Deeping St. James in the County of Lincoln to the River Nene at Peterborough in the County of Northampton.
3) Reservoirs (2) on the River Welland in the parishes of Husbands Bosworth in the County of Leicester and Hothorpe in the County of Northampton, with the feeder channel therefrom to the Union Canal in the parish of Lubenham, crossing the Leicestershire parishes and townships of:- Husbands Bosworth, Theddingworth and Lubenham.
4) Reservoir in the parishes of Foxton, West Langton and Kibworth Harcourt in the County of Leicester, with a feeder channel therefrom crossing the Leicestershire Parishes of West and East Langton and Great Bowden to the Union Canal, near its junction with the above Canal to Stamford.
5) Feeder Channel crossing the parishes or Townships of Werrington and Paston to the above Branch Canal from Deeping to Peterborough, in the County of Northampton.
These comments were found in another source:
Schemes to link the canal to the main network
The late 18th century and early 19th became known as the "Canal Age". During this time there were plans to link the Stamford Canal to the rest of the system in order to improve transport links to the rest of the country, and thus hopefully improve the prosperity of Stamford and district.
In 1786 Thomas Telford was asked to report on a plan for the construction of the Stamford Junction Navigation. He wrote as follows "entering the River Welland above Stamford bridge there is ample concruence for wharfage on both sides of the river. It will be necessary to continue in the river and present Navigation to the top of the third lock but I propose to deepen and widen the latter to suit boats of 14 feet beam and in place of the two clumsy ruinous locks to construct one, with new wastes and sluices more suitable to the trade and quantity of water. The distance from Stamford to the top of the third lock is 3 miles 506 yards and the fall is 7 feet. From the top of the third lock I propose to proceed...towards Boston... to carry the line under the road from Stamford to Deeping and nearby in direct line to the Caer Dyke".
This was the article in the newspaper declaring the intention to bring the act to parliament:-
In the early 19th century too, there was much debate about linking the, canal to the Trent and Market Harborough, but all the schemes were opposed by the Cecils, the Corporation and other adherents, so nothing was done. These were the submitted plans found in Kew
along with a few other documents!.
The 1810 map above just helped prove all of the details of the Stamford Canal, which never had an initial map drawn - as far as we know!!
The Telford map several of the schemes referred to was this one:-
Fens Link
Precursors
Although using a slightly different route, there are echoes of plans made in 1809 to link the waterways. Both were put before Parliament in 1811, but neither met with any success. The idea was raised again in 1815 and 1828, but no further action was taken.[6]
Fens Link today!
To see history repeat itself, in 2020 there is currently a scheme being funded to link Boston to the River Welland and then via Peakirk to the River Nene towards Peterborough!
The Stamford Canal << The earliest proper canal in England? <<
