North Walsham & Dilham Canal
The North Walsham and Dilham Canal is to be found in
Norfolk and is a 87 mile canalization
of the River Ant running from Swafield bridege to the River Ant at Swafield
Bridge and constructed to carry Norfolk Werries, which makes it a little
wider than most other canals.
An Act of Parliament passed in 1812 authorised this
project in 1812 with the resulting establishment of the” Company of
Proprietors of the North Walsham and
Dilham Canal Navigation”…. who
were obviously not going to use one word when half a dozen would do!
Work started in 1825, the delay being accounted for by
necessary negotiations with Issac Harris Lewis, who already owned a quay at
Dilham and was seeking compensation for loss of trade, which was finally
settled at £1500, the case resolved April 1825 with work commencing the same
month. Amnd by 14th June 1826 Wherries were able to reach
Cubbitt’s Millwith completion in August 1826.
The Engineer in charger was John Millington, this being
his only canal.
The main cargoes of the canal were related to Agticulture
and the meat trade, carrying offal to the bone mills at Antingham
( which must have been a delight ), plus grain , flour and manure to
service the local farming community. 1885 saw the canal sold for £600 (
though the Solicitor ran off with the money
… they still do that, but not so blatantly , perhaps. )
The canal was abandoned above Swafield Wharf in 1927 after
severe flooding in 1918 left several wharfs ( Slaithes ) beyond reasonable
repair and the land returned to agricultural use.
Unlike most canals the waterway was not nationalised
( not having become part of a Railway company ) and remained the
property of the North Walsham Canal Company, though a section above Bacton
Wood Lock was bought by the Old Canal Company in 2009 with the view to
restoration, work having begun on Bacton Mill lock, with the hope of
restoring water and use to the mill.
Currently the canal is navigable for 2 miles from
Smallburgh and for two mile section up to Honing lock.
The prospect of restoration is being reviewed by the East
Anglian Waterways Association in conjunction with the North Walsham and
Dilham Canal Trust and working parties are about the business of gradually
restoring the canal to a fully navigable state.
There is a long way to go, but watch this space…