Leven Canal

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The entrance of the canal as seen from the river

The Leven Canal canal runs for 3.25 miles (5.1 km) from the River Hull to the village of Leven, East Riding of Yorkshire.

1 Location
2 History
3 Acknowledgments
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Location

The Leven Canal runs from the River Hull between Arram and Aike, to the south end of the village of Leven. It borders the Leven Carrs in the north, and Eske and Routh Carrs in the south. As it enters Leven it passes Little Leven. Just upstream on the River Hull is the start of the Driffield Navigation.

[edit] History

Mrs Charlotta Bethell was a widow who owned large amounts of land in the East Riding of Yorkshire, commissioned William Jessop to make a survey to create a canal to Leven. Jessop came back with an estimate of £4,041 to make a canal from the River Hull to the village.

The canal was opened in 1805, but its cost had exceeded Jessop's estimate, and tolls had to be increased. Mr Richard Bethell paid half the cost to improvements to Hull Bridge, which vessels from Kingston upon Hull had to pass through.

The 3.25 mile long canal was constructed to allow Humber Keels to reach the granaries and warehouses at Canal Head in the village. One of the original two warehouses built at the canal basin in 1825 still remains, though it has been converted into a private residence.

Coal, lime and building materials were imported, while local agricultural produce was sent down the river to Hull.

Not only is the canal fairly unique by being owned by a woman, but also had a female lock keeper. Matilda Simpson was the daughter of Thomas Jacques and Jane Taylor in born either in Cottingham (1851 and 1881 census), or Dunswell (1901 census) depending on which census you believe on the 7th August 1814. She married David Simpson on 23 June 1834 in Leven.

On the 1951 census William Simpson is recorded as being the lock keeper of Lock house, Leven, aged 75. Also living at the lock house are his wife, Margaret age 71, son David age 41, and David's wife, the aforementioned Matilda age 35. With children, and other close family members, 12 people resided at the lock house!

It is assumed that David took over as lock-keeper when his father William died on 20 Mar 1853. However, David and his son, John were drowned in a tragic accident. This was reported in a Beverley Guardian report of 9th November 1872. After David, his son, and his son's wife visited Beverley, David walked back, but the other two caught a train later that day. The night was very stormy and dark, and a small boat used by them as a ferry was moored on the Arram bank. The son's wife did not want to cross in the small boat, but David's son crossed to pick up a large boat. On his attempted return to the other bank with his father they both fell in the rough waters, and died.

The canal was very busy during it's life, but traffic started to fall off in the 1930s. Eventually the lock fell into disuse, and Leven Canal became cut off.

Yorkshire Water cut the canal in half when they did not want to upkeep an aqueduct of the "Old Sal" or Holderness Drain. The canal is still currently in water as the canal is an SSSI, a small pipe was placed over the drain for drainage of the canal.