Oakham Canal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Oakham Canal ran from Oakham, Rutland to Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It opened in 1802[1] after costing almost £70,000 to build.
The route passed through 18 locks in its 15 mile route but no aqueducts or tunnels were required, with just one large embankment near Edmondthorpe. The canal connected Oakham to the Melton Mowbray Navigation, the River Soar and the national waterways system. The main cargo carried was coal and agricultural produce. The navigation lacked a proper water supply which meant it was often impassable in the dry summer months. Competition from the railways resulted in the canal being sold in 1845 to the Midland Railway, builders of the Syston-Peterborough line and it closed soon after.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Waterscape.com: Oakham Canal Accessed 8 December 2007
- ^ This is Leicestershire Accessed 20 July 2006
[edit] See also
- Canals of Great Britain
- History of the British canal system
- Melton and Oakham Waterways Society
- The Melton to Oakham Canal by David Tew, 127 pages, published by Sycamore Press 1984 ISBN 0905837290
 |
This United Kingdom canal-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
