The Sleaford Canal is found in Lincolnshire and was built
as a 12.5 mile canalisation of the River Slea running through rural
Lincolnshire from a junction with the River Witham to Sleaford. It is
currently partially navigable with restoration underway.
With the development of the waterways in the 18th
century the growing Town began to look at its own resources realising the
need for a better transport link to the outer world. One option was
improving the River Slea, which was
then not Navigable beyond Kyme, partially because of an inadequate
channel and partially because of the water mills and fish weirs.
Three presentations to Parliament for the appropriate Act
failed in 1791 and then Wiliam Jessop and John Hudson were commissioned
to do a new survey and present plans based on it, both werewell
experienced and William Jessop at least commanded great respect as an
engineer, which it was hoped would help impress Parliament. Sir Joseph Banks
also lend his support to the cause and the Act was finally passed at the
fourth attempt in June 1792. With the Company of Proprietors of the Sleaford
Navigation being formed.
Work commenced swiftly and proceeded well with William
Crawley as Engineer building a broad canal with locks capable of carrying
boats 72 feet by 15 feet, though money ran out and the terminus was built at
Carre Street Slaeford instead of the originally intended Castle Causeway,
but Sleaford still had its canal.
Trade was adequate though the overspend in construction
meant it was not until the 1820s that the first dividends were paid and
evidence of initial success was shown in the development of the facilities
at Sleaford being improved such as the building of a Crane and
weighing machine as well as a house for the Clerk of the Canal.
1857 then saw the arrival of the railway with a line to
Grantham being built with a an extension to Boston two years later and
further developments beyond that, which soon constituted a major threat to
the commercial success of the canal, which was trading at a loss by 1871,
with an act of abandonment obtained in 1878.
Restoration began with the formation of the Sleaford
Navigation Society in 1977 whose enthusiastic endeavours led to the
restoration of the lock at Lower Kyme and the first 8 miles of canal being
restored to navigable water by 1991, with full reconstruction of the
waterway later declared viable by a report in 1997. The Navigation’s Seed
Warehouse was preserved from demolition in 1998 now forming part of an Arts
centre and work continues with a lift bridge installed in the Town Centre in
2008, the hydraulic mechanism not being fitted until Jan 2010, but progress
continues at a steady pace.