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The Oxford Canal
is one of the central canals to the UK inland waterways system forming
junctions with the Thames, The Grand Union and the Coventry Canal and
forming an important artery for
trade between the Midlands and London.
Overall it is a narrow canal of78 miles in length, now
used very little commercially , but of importance to leisure boats touring
between the Midlands and London.
From the midlands end the canal starts at Sutton stop near
the village of Hawkesbury, forming two junctions with the Thames at Oxford
finally ending at Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford, the original terminal basin
now being a car park.
The original idea was promoted by Sir Roger Newdigate MP
resulting in the Act of 1769 which allowed the original project to commence,
the route having been previously surveyed by James Brindley, with Samuel
Simcock appointed as his assistant once work had started. An interesting
note is that in 1770 James Bridley offered his resignation after company
minutes decreed that “ the Engioneer
Surveyor and Clerks of this Company do not associate or drink withandy of
the Inferior Officers or Workmen”
Of course taken literally this would have made the work
near impossible as good communications with those on the “front Line” would
have been vital to keeping an eye on the project for any developing
problems, such as leaks, but you
also suspect that James Brindley was also showing his respect for the
“Working Man” and making a stand against the pompous attitudes of some of
the Directors.
Brindley accepted an apology and the project continued.
A second Act was required in 1775 as funds were running
low and more fund raising was needed to allow the now stalled project to
continue. By 1778 the canal had reached Banbury, where the project again
stalled due to financial problems and work on the final section to Oxford
had to be delayed until1786 and even then completed on a tight budget which
meant wooden swing bridges were used , where previously brick bridges would
have been built etc….
Further economies included use of the section of the River
Cherwell at Shipton–on–Cherwell, which may be regretted to this day as the
influence of the river makes for difficult navigation.
The final section into central Oxford was officially
opened 1st Jan 1790.
Until the completion of the Grand union in 1805 the Oxford
canal enjoyed a very respectable popularity and profit margin, becoming the
principal route from the midlands to London.
Rivalry with the
Grand Union became intense, with extortionate tolls being charged where the
Grand union traffic had to cross into the Oxford canal near Oxford and much
political manoeuvring going on in the background as each company tried to
outmanoeuvre the other to their own advantage. Though in the end both fell
victim to the development of the railways, though both fared
better than most other canals
against this eventuality.
The Oxford canal remained profitable until the 1950’s,
though in 1951 it lost the Basin at Oxford , which was filled in.
Nationalisation came with the railways in
1948, with the canal then passing into the hands of The British
Transport Commission and later to British Waterways from whence it has seen
restoration for leisure use.