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The History of the Ashby Canal.

This canal was originally intended as a through route from the River Trent at Burton to the Coventry canal near Bedworth. In 1792 the canal was started with support from the coalfield and lime works near Ashby de la Zouch which wanted an outlet to the south.

Authorised in 1794 it was to be 43 miles long. By 1798 the money had run out, the expensive part lay ahead, locks, reservoir, pumping station and a tunnel, being required. So it was decided to stop the canal at Moria and the planned branches to Ticknall and Cloudhill were built as plateways.

By 1800 it became apparent that the quality and quantity of coal from the Leicester mines was nothing like believed. However another plateway was constructed 1 ½ miles from Moria to Newfields Pits.

In 1804 the canal was open up to Moria. Now the Grand Junction was opening with prospects of more trade, also new good quality coal had been found at Moria so the canal was overhauled and trade started.

By 1815 this new coal was proving very popular in London and Oxford so much so that the working boatmen latter knew the canal as the "Moira Cut".

Over the next years the canal company built many more plateways to collieries etc to bring in trade.

In 1845 the Midland railway bought the canal for £110,000 intending to switch the coal traffic to their railways, but action by the Oxford and Coventry canal succeeded in blocking this and coal traffic continued along the canal into the 20th century although there was a gradual fall from 140,000 tons in 1860 down to 33,000 by the end of the 19th century. Largely due to the decline of the Coventry canal that meant it could not longer influence the railways.

In 1856 a steam tug called Pioneer was put into service by the Moria Colliery company, but the Midland Railway as owners of the canal banned its use due to damage to the banks. In 1859 after protests right to the House of Lords permission was granted for Steam Boats to work from Moria to Braunston. So in 1859 the company purchased another tug called Volunteer.

In the 1900's subsidence dug to mining became a major problem. In 1918 a breach near Moria resulted in the construction of a new stretch of canal at a cost of £10,000, at a time when the total tolls for the canal were under £1,000 a year!

Subsidence continued to affect the Moria area so the last two and a half miles were abandoned in 1944 leaving the terminus at Donisthorpe. This was followed in 1957 by abandonment of another 5 miles from Donisthorpe to Measham.

In 1965 Ilot Wharf was reopened to enable coal traffic, 12,000 tons a year, to Dickinson's Paper Mills at Croxley to continue. Further subsidence in 1967 lead to the loss of this wharf when the canal was closed to its present terminus at Snarestone. The coal contract was lost. Parts of the abandoned route were now filled in and bridges lowered.

In 1966 the Ashby Canal Association was formed first to prevent any more closures, then to reopen that which had been closed.

Just before Snarestone is Gopsall Wharf. In 1969 the Ashby Canal Association started to ship coal from Gopsall Wharf in an attempt to keep traffic on the canal. It lasted till 1978.

In 1992 the local council undertook a feasibility study of restoration of the closed section of the canal. In Measham parts of the old canal line had been completely blocked by new buildings and the way around this could have been a big stumbling block if not for an abandoned railway running parallel to the canal - the very railway that was built to put the canal out of business would now become a part of the canal itself! Use of the railway would also see the creation of a new and exciting structure. Rather than passing under Measham High Street via the canal's original route, the new waterway would cross over the road at the site of a railway bridge that would be rebuilt as an aqueduct.

In 1994The first area of restoration was at Moira at the northern end of the abandoned section where the Moira Furnace Restoration Trust was restoring a large blast furnace building. The Ashby Canal Restoration Steering Group restored the canal alongside the building to provide a focal point for the whole canal restoration scheme. The Chairman of Leicestershire County Council officially opened this restored section of canal in November 2001

In 1997 The Ashby restoration was awarded £1 million in funding from the Rural Challenge scheme. This would go towards the restoration of the route near Measham and the building of new sections along the former railway line. However, later in the year, it was announced that the funding had been withdrawn because the local council had been unable to purchase land belonging to a local farmer.

In 2005 following a public enquiry Leicester County Council won a "Transport Works Act", this will enable the extension despite the opposition.

Sources.

Nicholson Guides to the Waterways.

Roots & Routes, Peter Hardcastle's Website
http://www.canals.btinternet.co.uk/index.htm

The locals guide to the Ashby Canal. Published 2004 by the Ashby Canal Association. ISBN 0-9547112-0-3

Canal Companion, South Midlands J.M. Pearson. Published by Central Waterways Supplies of Rugby in 2004. ISBN 0-9545383-8-2

If you have any questions then do ring us on 07977 229103
or email us at martinreed@reedboats.co.uk