Editing Wilts & Berks Canal (section)

==History==
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Abingdon to Trowbridge Canal Act 1795
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of Great Britain
| long_title            = An Act for making and maintaining a navigable canal from the river Thames or Isis, at or near the town of Abingdon, in the county of Berks, to join or communicate with the Kennet and Avon canal, at or near the town of Trowbridge, in the county of Wilts; and also certain navigable cuts therein described.
| year                  = 1795
| citation              = [[35 Geo. 3]]. c. 52
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 30 April 1795
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = 
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Wilts. and Berks. Canal Act 1801 
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act for enabling the Company of Proprietors of the Wilts and Berks Canal Navigation, to raise Money for completing the said Canal; and to alter, explain, and amend the Act, passed in the Thirty-fifth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, for making the said Canal.
| year                  = 1801 
| citation              = [[41 Geo. 3. (U.K.)]] c. lxviii
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 20 June 1801
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = Wilts. and Berks. Canal Navigation Act 1821
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo3/41/68/pdfs/ukla_18010068_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
The idea for the Wilts & Berks Canal grew from a proposal to construct a canal between [[Lechlade]] on the [[Thames and Severn Canal]] and [[Abingdon-on-Thames]] on the [[River Thames]]. A meeting was held at Abingdon in 1784, and the proposal gained support among local landowners. Subsequently, Frederick Page suggested a canal suitable for [[Thames sailing barge|Thames barges]] to run between a junction with the Thames and Severn at Kempsford and [[Wantage]], passing through [[Highworth]] near [[Swindon]] and [[Longcot]]. At Wantage, it would split into two, with one branch going to Abingdon and the other to [[Wallingford, Oxfordshire|Wallingford]], further downstream on the Thames. The [[Kennet and Avon Canal]] had also surveyed a route through [[Calne]] and [[Chippenham]], which had been discarded in favour of the route through [[Bradford-on-Avon]] and [[Devizes]]. A meeting to promote the ideas was held at Swindon on 12 November 1793, but presentation of a bill to Parliament was postponed until the plans were more mature.{{sfn |Hadfield |1969 |p=276}}

James Black, representing the Thames and Severn Canal, asked [[William Whitworth (engineer)|William Whitworth]] the engineer for his canal to survey the route, including a link to his canal. By 22 February 1794, plans were sufficiently advanced that they were approved by a committee meeting at Swindon. The Earl of Peterborough chaired the meeting, which also heard that agreement had been reached with the Kennet and Avon Canal, although the junction with the Thames was still not finalised. By the meeting held on 16 May, Abingdon had been chosen as the connection to the Thames.{{sfn |Hadfield |1969 |p=276}}

A [[bill (proposed law)|bill]] for a canal from Trowbridge on the Kennet and Avon Canal, running through Melksham, Dauntsey, Wootton Bassett, Swindon, Shrivenham, and Charlow to terminate on the Thames at Abingdon, was submitted to Parliament. It faced opposition from the city of [[Oxford]], who maintained that trade on the Thames above Abingdon and to the city would be considerably damaged, but despite their stance, the bill passed into law on 30 April 1795, when the '''{{visible anchor|Abingdon to Trowbridge Canal Act 1795}}''' ([[35 Geo. 3]]. c. 52) received royal assent. The length of the canal was initially {{convert|55.25|mi|km|1}}, but provision was made for developments at the Trowbridge end. The Kennet and Avon Canal were proposing to alter their route, and the Act allowed the proprietors to give the section from Trowbridge to Semington to the Kennet and Avon Company if their new route was authorised within three years and built within seven. The deviation was authorised, and the Kennet and Avon built the length from Trowbridge to Semington, from where their main line continued on to Devizes. The length of the Wilts & Berks was thus reduced to {{convert|51|mi|km}}.{{sfn |Hadfield |1969 |pp=276–277}}

As well as the main line, the Act authorised three branch canals, to Calne, Chippenham and Wantage. It allowed the company to raise £111,900 through 1,119 shares at a cost of £100 each for the construction of the canal, with powers to raise an extra £150,000 if required. Although the plans submitted to Parliament had been signed by both [[Robert Whitworth (canal engineer)|Robert Whitworth]] Snr. and his son William, the younger Whitworth worked with John Ralph on costings for the work. This was estimated at £103,603 for the original main line and £8,350 for the branches.{{sfn |Hadfield |1969 |p=277}} Robert Whitworth was contracted as engineer for the construction, on a similar basis as he had worked for the [[Ashby Canal]]. He would be responsible for design work and setting out, and would arrange to be on site for around three months each year. His son William would be on site as resident engineer, handling the day-to-day supervision of the project.{{sfn |Skempton |2002 |p=781}}

Work started at the westen end, in the hope that once the canal reached Chippenham and Calne, they could generate revenue from the transport of coal, although this depended on the [[Somerset Coal Canal]] and the western end of the Kennet and Avon being completed. There were problems with cash flow, as the sale of shares had only raised £61,512 by 1801, all of which had been spent, leaving a shortfall of £85,199. They could not use the powers of the 1795 Act to borrow money until all of the original shares had been bought,{{sfn |Hadfield |1969 |p=277}} and so another [[Act of Parliament]], the '''{{visible anchor|Wilts. and Berks. Canal Act 1801}}''' ([[41 Geo. 3. (U.K.)]] c. lxviii), was obtained allowing the company to raise a further £200,000 from shares to complete the canal.{{sfn |Priestley |1831 |p=679}} Having failed to sell all the £100 shares, new shares were issued at steadily decreasing values, to attract new classes of investors. The shares were issued at £65, £60, £40, £25 and finally £12 10[[shilling (British coin)|s]]. A total of 7,436 shares were eventually sold, raising £224,393. This was supplemented by £22,200 from optional notes and by the company running up debts.{{sfn |Hadfield |1969 |p=280}}

The canal was cut during the years 1796 to 1810. Robert Whitworth Snr. remained as an engineer on the canal from 1796 until he died in 1799, making regular progress reports to the company. William Whitworth was resident engineer during this period and subsequently became engineer until the canal's completion.{{sfn |Skempton |2002 |p=791}} The company hoped that construction would be completed in 1805, but it was not, and the canal opened in stages as it was finished. Swindon was reached in June 1804, South Marston in July 1805, and it opened to near Longcot in December 1805. A branch to Longcot was constructed in 1807, although it was not authorised, and this was resolved by an addition to an act obtained in 1835. Abingdon was reached on 22 September 1810. A boat carrying the proprietors passed through the final lock into the Thames at 2:30pm, who then departed to the Council Chamber for a celebration that went on late into the evening. The final cost of the project was £255,262.{{sfn |Hadfield |1969 |pp=278,280}}

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Wilts. and Berks. Canal Act 1810
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = 
| year                  = 1810
| citation              = [[50 Geo. 3]]. c. cxlviii
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 2 June 1810
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = Wilts. and Berks. Canal Navigation Act 1821
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = repealed
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo3/50/148/pdfs/ukla_18100148_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Wilts. and Berks. Canal Navigation Act 1813
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act for explaining and amending an Act of His present Majesty, for making a Navigable Canal from the River Thames or Isis, near Abingdon in the County of Berks, to join the Kennet and Avon Canal, near Trowbridge in the County of Wilts; and certain Navigable Cuts.
| year                  = 1813
| citation              = [[53 Geo. 3-1813|53 Geo. 3]]. c. cxx
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 3 June 1813
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = Wilts. and Berks. Canal Navigation Act 1821
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = repealed
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo3/53/120/pdfs/ukla_18130120_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Wilts. and Berks. Canal Navigation Act 1815
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to enable the Company of Proprietors of the Wilts and Berks Canal Navigation to raise Money for discharging the Debts of the said Company.
| year                  = 1815
| citation              = [[55 Geo. 3-1815|55 Geo. 3]]. c. vi
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 23 March 1815
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = Wilts. and Berks. Canal Navigation Act 1821
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo3/55/6/pdfs/ukla_18150006_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = {{visible anchor|Wilts and Berks Canal Navigation Act 1835}}
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act for consolidating the Shares in the Wilts and Berks Canal Navigation, and for extending the Powers of the Act of Incorporation of the Company of Proprietors of the said Canal.
| year                  = 1835
| citation              = [[5 & 6 Will. 4]]. c. lix
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 3 July 1835
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Will4/5-6/59/pdfs/ukla_18350059_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}

The main canal was {{convert|51|mi}} long, with branches totalling a little over {{convert|6|mi|km|0}} to Chippenham, [[Calne]], [[Wantage]] and [[Longcot]]. Although initial plans were for a canal suitable for Thames barges, it was cut as a narrow canal to take [[narrowboat]]s {{convert|72|ft|m}} long and {{convert|7|ft|m|1}} wide. From Semington, the canal passed through 24 [[canal lock|locks]], which raised the level by {{convert|189|ft|3|in|m|1}} to the summit pound between Wootton Bassett and South Marston. A further 18 locks enabled the canal to descend {{convert|163|ft|9|in|m|1}} to Abingdon. There were also three locks on the Calne branch.{{sfn |Hadfield |1969 |p=280}} There were three short tunnels.