North Walsham & Dilham Canal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The North Walsham & Dilham Canal is the only canal in the English county of Norfolk. It is 7.3 miles long and runs from Smallburgh Junction with the River Ant to Swafield Bridge.

Smallburgh junction with River Ant - 0.0 miles

North Walsham canal junction - 0.4 miles

Tonnage Bridge, Dilham - 0.9 miles

East Ruston branch junction - 1.3 miles

Honing Lock - 2.1 miles

Honing Common Bridge, junction with Honing Staithe Cut - 2.6 miles

Lock No.2, Briggate Mill - 3.3 miles

Meeting Hill Branch junction - 4.1 miles

Lock No. 3, Ebridge Mill - 5.0 miles

Spa Common bridge - 5.9 miles

Lock No. 4, Bacton Wood - 6.0 miles

Austin Bridge - 6.5 miles

Bridge at Swafield Mills - 7.3 miles.

The canal was established in 1812 by an Act of Parliament as a wide gauge canal able to take a Norfolk wherry. It was built at a cost of £ 30,000 and opened on July 25, 1826, navigable all the way to Antingham Bone Mills. It carried manure, offal, flour, coal, and farm produce. In 1885, the canal was sold for £600, but the canal company's solicitor disappeared with the money. The flood of 1912 washed away several staithes. The wherry "Ella" made the final trading journey on the canal from Bacton staithe in 1934. The canal was never nationalised and still belongs to the North Walsham Canal Company.

Nowadays, the canal is only navigable for the first 2 miles from the Smallburgh end. There are moves to restore the canal, and at present there is work going on to restore the bottom lock.

North Walsham made 10 mosaics for the Millennium celebrations, and one shows a Norfolk wherry.