Wey and Arun Canal
|
|
The Wey and Arun Canal runs 23 miles through 26 locks from the River Wey at Shalford, Surrey to the River Arun at Pallingham. The first part of the canal ran between Pallingham and Newbridge Wharf. Known as the Arun Navigation it opened in 1787. In 1813 an Act of Parliament was obtained to allow the canal to be extended to the River Wey. Competition from the railways caused the northern section of the canal to be abandoned in 1871. The southern section managed to survive into the early part of the 20th century.
The canal is currently undergoing restoration by The Wey & Arun Canal Trust, with only a short section around Shalford being currently navigable.
See Also
- Canals of the United Kingdom
- River Arun
- River Wey
- Portsmouth and Arundel Canal - the two canals were intended to give secure inland navigation between London and the important naval base at Portsmouth
External links
- The Wey & Arun Canal Trust (http://www.weyandarun.co.uk/)
References
- P.A.L. Vine: London's Lost Route to the Sea: Historical Account of the Inland Navigations Which Linked the Thames to the English Channel (Inland Waterways Histories S.)