North Walsham & Dilham Canal

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North Walsham and Dilham Canal
Canal
Country	England
State	Norfolk
Region	East of England
District	North Norfolk
Source	begins Swafield Bridge
Mouth	Merges with the River Ant
Length	8.7 mi (14 km)
in North Norfolk
watermills Briggate Mill Ebridge Mill Bacton Wood Swafield Mill Antingham Bone Mills

North Walsham and Dilham Canal

legend Antingham Ponds Terminus Antingham Mill Pond Bradfield bridge Bradfield Broad Swaffield upper lock Swaffield lower lock Swaffield bridge Royston bridge Bacton Wood lock and mill Bacton Wood bridge Ebridge lock Ebridge Mill Meeting House Staithe Briggate lock Briggate Mill Honing Staithe Honing bridge Honing lock East Ruston East Ruston branch Tonnage bridge Dilham Staithe Tylers Cut Smallburgh River Jn Wayford bridge River Ant

The North Walsham and Dilham Canal is a waterway in the English county of Norfolk. It is accepted officially that this waterway is the only canal in Norfolk although it is the canalization of the upper reaches of the River Ant. This navigation was constructed with locks a little wider than most canals in the UK to accommodate the use of the Norfolk wherries. It is 8.7 miles long and runs from Swafield Bridge to a Junction with the River Ant at Smallburgh.

[edit] History

The navigation was established in 1812 by an Act of Parliament and was built at a cost of £ 30,000 and opened on July 25 1826. The canal was designed and built by an engineer by the name of John Millington^[1] who came from Hammersmith in London. North Walsham and Dilham Canal was his only canal building venture. Later in his career he went to the United States of America and wrote ‘’Elements of Civil Engineering’’ which includes much information on canal building The main use of this canal was to carry offal to the two Antingham Bone Mills, although other cargoes were carried such as manure, flour, corn, 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 nationalized and still belongs to the North Walsham Canal Company. 0

[edit] Locks and Watermills

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^[2] - 3.3 miles

Meeting Hill Branch junction - 4.1 miles

Lock No. 3, Ebridge Mill^[3] - 5.0 miles

Spa Common bridge - 5.9 miles

Lock No. 4, Bacton Wood ^[4] - 6.0 miles

Austin Bridge - 6.5 miles

Bridge at Swafield Mills ^[5]- 7.3 miles.

[edit] The Canal Today

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. East Anglian Waterways Association has undertaken a detailed environmental survey of the canal and engineering studies on lock restoration and other technical matters. East Anglian Waterways Association has held work parties at Honing, Briggate and Ebridge Locks, and sessions to clear encroaching trees from the bottom two-mile stretch up to Honing Lock that is currently largely navigable.

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

[edit] See also

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

[edit] References

v • d • e Rivers and Watercourse of Norfolk River Ainse (or Eyn) • River Ant • River Babingley • Beeston Beck • River Bure • River Burn • River Chet • River Cong • Gaywood River • River Glaven • River Great Ouse • Gur Beck • Hagon Beck • River Heacham • River Hor • River Hun • River Ingol • River Little Ouse • River Mun • River Nar • River Nene • North Walsham & Dilham Canal • Panford Beck • Penny Spot Beck • Scarrow Beck • Spring Beck • River Stiffkey • River Tas • River Tat • River Thet • River Thurne • River Tiffey • River Tud • River Waveney • River Wensum • River Wissey • River Yare •

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