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Seven Wonders of the Waterways

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The Seven Wonders of the Waterways is a list of landmarks on the navigable waterways of the United Kingdom. The list was originally compiled in 1946[1] by Robert Aickman, co-founder of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), at a time when the waterways network was largely derelict.[2] Today, the Canal & River Trust—formerly British Waterways—has jurisdiction over (and responsibility for) all of the sites except for the Barton Swing Aqueduct, which is owned and operated by the Bridgewater Canal Company.[3]

Background

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In 1946, the Inland Waterways Association was formed to campaign for the conservation of navigable waterways in the United Kingdom.[4] Robert Aickman, one of the co-founders of the association, proposed the list in his book Know Your Waterways as a method of highlighting significant feats of engineering on the canal network, as well as bringing attention to those at risk of becoming derelict.[5][6] At the time of the list's publication, six of the locations were navigable. The London Midland and Scottish Railway Company Act of 1944 formally closed the Llangollen Canal, although the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct remained in use as a water feeder for the wider Shropshire Union Canal network. Aickman successfully passed through the Standedge Tunnel in Yorkshire with L. T. C. Rolt in 1948, at a time when it was closed to all other traffic and awaiting restoration from its state of disrepair.[7] The Caen Hill Locks in Wiltshire became derelict shortly after the list's publication, with the last boat passage before restoration occurring in 1948.[8] The Anderton Boat Lift only became inoperational for a sixteen-year period beginning in the 1980s,[9] and the Barton Swing Aqueduct, the Bingley Five Rise Locks, and the Burnley Embankment have always—except for general maintenance—been navigable.

List

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Locations of the original Seven Wonders (green) and additional candidates (orange)

The original list comprises two aqueducts, two lock systems, one tunnel, one boat lift and one embankment. All but two of the sites date from around the Canal Mania period:

Name Type Description Waterway Principal engineer(s) Location Opened Heritage Coordinates Image
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Navigable aqueduct Longest and highest aqueduct in the United Kingdom[10] Llangollen Canal Thomas Telford
William Jessop		 Froncysyllte, Clwyd, Wales 26 November 1805; 219 years ago (1805-11-26) UNESCO World Heritage Site[11]
Grade I listed[10]		 52°58′14″N 3°05′16″W / 52.970556°N 3.087778°W / 52.970556; -3.087778
Standedge Tunnel Canal tunnel The longest, deepest, and highest canal tunnel in the United Kingdom[2] Huddersfield Narrow Canal Benjamin Outram
Thomas Telford		 Standedge, West Yorkshire, England 4 April 1811; 213 years ago (1811-04-04) Grade II* listed (north portal)[12] 53°35′28″N 1°57′44″W / 53.59107°N 1.96219°W / 53.59107; -1.96219
Caen Hill Flight Lock flight One of the longest continuous lock flights in the country, with a gradient of 1:44[13] Kennet and Avon Canal John Rennie Devizes, Wiltshire, England 28 December 1810; 213 years ago (1810-12-28) Scheduled Monument[14] 51°21′09″N 2°01′32″W / 51.35253°N 2.02559°W / 51.35253; -2.02559
Barton Swing Aqueduct Navigable aqueduct The world's only swinging aqueduct[15] Bridgewater Canal Edward Leader Williams Barton upon Irwell, Greater Manchester, England 1 January 1894; 130 years ago (1894-01-01) Grade II* listed[16] 53°28′29″N 2°21′08″W / 53.4748°N 2.3521°W / 53.4748; -2.3521
Anderton Boat Lift Boat lift The world's first commercially successful boat lift[17] Trent and Mersey Canal, River Weaver Edward Leader Williams
Edwin Clark		 Anderton with Marbury, Cheshire, England 26 July 1875; 149 years ago (1875-07-26) Scheduled Monument[17] 53°16′22″N 2°31′50″W / 53.2728°N 2.5305°W / 53.2728; -2.5305
Bingley Five Rise Locks Staircase locks Early example of staircase lock and steepest flight in the country (1:5)[18] Leeds and Liverpool Canal John Longbotham Bingley, West Yorkshire, England 21 March 1774; 250 years ago (1774-03-21) Grade I listed[19] 53°51′21″N 1°50′16″W / 53.8558°N 1.8379°W / 53.8558; -1.8379
Burnley Embankment Embankment Innovative solution to a canal crossing a wide river valley[20] Leeds and Liverpool Canal Robert Whitworth Burnley, Lancashire, England April 1801; 223 years ago (1801-04) Grade II (partial)[21][22] 53°47′19″N 2°14′15″W / 53.7885°N 2.237472°W / 53.7885; -2.237472

Additional wonders

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A number of other canal locations have been proposed to expand or amend the list. In 2002, British Waterways published an alternative list based on the results of a poll, which removed the Burnley Embankment and the Barton Swing Aqueduct. This list saw the first inclusion of a Scottish location, the Falkirk Wheel:[23]

Name Type Waterway Principal engineer(s) Location Opened Heritage Coordinates Image
Falkirk Wheel Boat lift Forth and Clyde Canal/Union Canal Tony Kettle (design)
BWB/Arup/Butterley/RMJM		 Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland 24 May 2002; 22 years ago (2002-05-24) 56°00′01″N 3°50′30″W / 56.000278°N 3.841667°W / 56.000278; -3.841667
Sapperton Tunnel Canal tunnel Thames and Severn Canal Robert Whitworth
Josiah Clowes		 Sapperton, Gloucestershire, England 20 April 1789; 235 years ago (1789-04-20) Grade II listed (north portal)[24]
Grade II* listed (south portal)[25]		 51°42′58″N 2°04′00″W / 51.7162°N 2.0666°W / 51.7162; -2.0666

A list published by canal multimedia production company Videoactive proposed the "New Seven Wonders of the Waterways", replacing the Caen Hill Locks, Standedge Tunnel and Burnley Embankment and introducing the only non-navigable location:[1][23]

Name Type Waterway Principal engineer(s) Location Opened Heritage Coordinates Image
Foxton Inclined Plane Inclined plane Grand Union Canal Gordon Cale Thomas (design) Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England 1900; 124 years ago (1900) Scheduled Monument[26] 52°29′59″N 0°58′59″W / 52.4998°N 0.983°W / 52.4998; -0.983
Harecastle Tunnel Canal tunnel Trent and Mersey Canal Thomas Telford Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, England 30 April 1827; 197 years ago (1827-04-30) Grade II listed (both portals)[27][28] 53°04′27″N 2°14′11″W / 53.074167°N 2.236389°W / 53.074167; -2.236389
Crofton Pumping Station Pumping station Kennet and Avon Canal John Rennie Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire, England 1809; 215 years ago (1809) Grade I listed[29] 51°21′30″N 1°37′30″W / 51.35827°N 1.62511°W / 51.35827; -1.62511

In 2015, the Canal & River Trust ran a competition to establish the Lost Wonders of the Waterways World.[30] The resultant list highlighted three locations where canal restoration schemes are planned or underway:[31]

Name Type Waterway Principal engineer(s) Location Derelict Heritage Coordinates Image
Horse Park Bridge Accommodation bridge and canal bed Lancaster Canal John Rennie Sedgwick, Cumbria, England 1944; 80 years ago (1944) Grade II listed[32] 54°16′53″N 2°44′48″W / 54.281285°N 2.746755°W / 54.281285; -2.746755
Combe Hay Locks Lock flight Somerset Coal Canal William Bennet Combe Hay, Somerset, England 1898; 126 years ago (1898) Grade II listed[33] 51°20′38″N 2°22′08″W / 51.343878°N 2.368865°W / 51.343878; -2.368865
Walbut Lock Lock Pocklington Canal George Leather Thornton, East Riding of Yorkshire, England 1932; 92 years ago (1932) Grade II listed[34] 53°53′17″N 0°49′39″W / 53.888043°N 0.827573°W / 53.888043; -0.827573

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b "The Seven Wonders of the Waterways". Canal DVDs. Videoactive. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b "The seven wonders of the waterways". canalrivertrust.org.uk. Canal & River Trust. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  3. ^ "About us". Bridgewater Canal. Bridgewater Canal Company. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Introduction to Waterways History". www.waterways.org.uk. Inland Waterways Association. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  5. ^ Shead, Jim. "Seven Wonders of the Waterways". www.jim-shead.com. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Seven Wonders of the Waterways". Great British Boating. Drifters Leisure. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  7. ^ Rolt, LTC (1950). The Inland Waterways of England. London: George Allen and Unwin. pp. 88–89. ISBN 9780043860038.
  8. ^ Clew, Kenneth (1968). The Kennet & Avon Canal : an illustrated history (2nd ed.). Newton Abbot: David and Charles. pp. 145–147. ISBN 9780715359396.
  9. ^ Bridge, Adrian L; Preece, Dawn (2019). A-Z of Northwich & Around. Stroud: Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 18. ISBN 9781445692609.
  10. ^ a b "Pontcysyllte Aqueduct - Graces Guide". www.gracesguide.co.uk. Graces Guide. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  11. ^ Historic England. "Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal (1000106)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  12. ^ Historic England. "ENTRANCE PORTAL TO STANDEDGE CANAL TUNNEL, Kirklees (1266901)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Caen Hill Locks | Canal & River Trust". canalrivertrust.org.uk. Canal & River Trust. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  14. ^ Historic England. "Caen Hill locks, Devizes (1004694)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  15. ^ Dickens, Steven (2017). Manchester Ship Canal through time. Stroud: Amberley Publishing. p. 7. ISBN 9781445639840.
  16. ^ Historic England. "BARTON BRIDGE, BARTON AQUEDUCT AND CONTROL TOWER, Non Civil Parish (1356522)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  17. ^ a b Historic England. "Anderton Boat Lift, aqueduct, basins, meter building, toll houses and buried remains of salt chutes, inclined planes, the east basin and dockside features, Anderton with Marbury (1021152)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  18. ^ Winn, Jasper (2018). Water ways : a thousand miles along Britain's canals. London: Profile Books. p. 346. ISBN 9781782833345.
  19. ^ Historic England. "LEEDS AND LIVERPOOL CANAL FIVE RISE LOCKS WITH OVERFLOW CHANNEL, Bradford (1314303)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  20. ^ "The Burnley Embankment - The Straight Mile". www.weaverstriangle.co.uk. Weavers' Triangle. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  21. ^ Historic England. "AQUEDUCT APPROXIMATELY 40 METRES OVER RIVER CALDER AT SD 8437 3225, Burnley (1022603)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  22. ^ Historic England. "4 LIME KILNS IN WALL ATTACHED TO CANAL EMBANKMENT TO REAR OF NUMBER 38 (NUMBER 38 NOT INCLUDED), Burnley (1313399)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  23. ^ a b Dawson, Stephen; Dawson, Lucy. "Seven Wonders of the Waterways". www.luphen.org.uk. Luphen. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  24. ^ Historic England. "NORTH ENTRANCE TO SAPPERTON CANAL TUNNEL, Sapperton (1089674)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  25. ^ Historic England. "SAPPERTON CANAL TUNNEL (SOUTH ENTRANCE) ON FORMER THAMES AND SEVERN CANAL, Coates (1089301)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  26. ^ Historic England. "Inclined plane immediately east of Foxton Locks, Foxton (1018832)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  27. ^ Historic England. "Harecastle tunnel portals and attached retaining wall, Kidsgrove (1038558)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  28. ^ Historic England. "TRENT AND MERSEY CANAL HARECASTLE TUNNEL PORTALS AND ATTACHED RETAINING WALLS, City of Stoke-on-Trent (1210692)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  29. ^ Historic England. "CROFTON PUMPING STATION, Great Bedwyn (1034049)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  30. ^ "IWA Bulletin February 2015". www.waterways.org.uk. Inland Waterways Association. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  31. ^ "Lost Wonders of the Waterways" (PDF). NABO News. National Association of Boat Owners. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  32. ^ Historic England. "HORSE PARK BRIDGE OVER LANCASTER/KENDAL CANAL, Helsington (1145748)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  33. ^ Historic England. "FLIGHT OF 5 LOCKS ON THE FORMER SOMERSETSHIRE COAL CANAL, Southstoke (1232613)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  34. ^ Historic England. "POCKLINGTON CANAL WALBUT LOCK, Thornton (1083859)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
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