Horncastle Canal

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The Horncastle Canal was a broad canal which ran 11 miles from River Witham to Horncastle through 11 locks largely following the course of River Bain. The canal gained its act of parliament in 1792 and was opened in 1802. Initially business was slow and it was not until ten years after the canal had opened that the first dividend was paid. However from there profits gradually increased until 1855 when the Great Northern Railway opened a branch line in competition to the canal. From then on the canal went into decline the last dividend was paid in 1873. Against this trend a short cut know as the Tumby Cut was built in 1876. The canal was finally abandoned in 1889 although this had largely been the case for about a decade before the formal declaration. The lower reaches of the canal remained in use until 1910 with boats taking cargo from the River Witham to Coningsby.

The canal is currently abandoned although there have been suggestions that it could be restored.

[edit] See also

• Canals of Great Britain
• History of the British canal system

[edit] External Links

• Photos of Horncastle Canal as it looks today