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The History of the Grand Junction Canal.

Authorised in 1793 with a capital of £600,000, (it actually cost £1,646,000!), it was a to be a broad canal from the River Thames at Brentford up to the Oxford canal at Napton with branches to Northampton and Buckingham. Additional branches to Paddington and Aylesbury were authorised in the next two years.

It was born out of frustration over the length and time taken to travel between the fast growing city of Birmingham and the country's capital, London. The opening of the Coventry in 1790 meant that the 280 miles had been reduced to 228 miles but transhipment from narrow boat to Thames Lighter was still necessary at Oxford.

It would be a major construction 93 miles long with two summit levels and two major tunnels with an estimate of £600,000, but it would be 64 locks shorter than the Oxford route and it would not be subject to the flooding of the River Thames. William Jessop was principal engineer, James Barnes as resident engineer.

1794 The first section of the route was open within 18 months. This was the 10 mile stretch, from the River Thames to Uxbridge, of which the first couple of miles (through Brentford to Hanwell) used the River Brent.

In 1795 Braunston tunnel found 300 yards had to be built through quicksand and there was also a miss alignment, but it was still opened in 1796 as part of the route from Braunston to Weedon another ten miles.

In 1797 the southern section of the Grand Junction Canal was extended to Hemel Hempstead. Eleven miles north of Hemel Hempstead the Wendover Arm was "opened" though as yet it was a branch without a trunk! It travelled west for 6 miles from Bulbourne Junction to Wendover. It was primarily built as a vital water feeder for the main line as it entered the Grand Junction at the summit level.

In 1799 the southern end was completed to Tring on the summit level. To the north, some 7 miles south of Stoke Bruerne, there were great problems for the resident engineer James Barnes. An embankment and aqueduct were needed to cross the valley of the River Great Ouse. The first embankment crumbled badly and it took years to build and secure a new one. In the meantime, locks were used to take the canal down to the River Great Ouse allowing boats to cross on the level. However, this was always unsatisfactory due to the danger of floods.

Blissworth tunnel was much tougher due to clays and problem with springs. Work came to a standstill in 1795, Jessop suggested a flight of 29 locks instead, in 1799 a road and then in 1800 a double tramroad to the bottom of Stoke Bruerene locks enabled traffic to pass. The tunnel had to be re-dug on a different line only opening in 1805. The tramroad was then moved to Northampton until that branch was built in 1815.

In 1801 the branch was opened from Bull's Bridge to Paddington Basin, 3 miles. This gave an all canal route from London to Birmingham In turn the Regeants canal was authorised in 1812, when completed in 1820 it went through to the river Thames at Limehouse. In the early 1800's brickworks were to spring up between West Drayton and Hayes to feed the construction of London.

In 1801 the short branch to Stoney Stafford was extended by nine miles into Buckingham.

In 1802 a reservoir was built on the summit level near Tring,Wilstone Reservoir it fed water up (via a pump) into the Wendover Arm which joined the Grand Junction at the top of the Marsworth lock flight.

A planned branch to Daventry was never built and in 1803 a reservoir and feeder channel was built instead.

In 1805 Blisworth Tunnel opened and the new route between London and Birmingham could be used in its entirety. Blisworth The final canal was 93½ miles long with 101 locks. Branches and Arms put the total up to 136 miles with 137 locks. The cost was £1,646,000

In 1805 steam back pumping was introduced at Braunston with two small reservoirs created to hold water from locking. A more powerful steam engine was installed in 1810.

In 1806 once the canal was open it became apparent that water supplies to the summit level at Tring were not adequate. A second reservoir was built to supplement Wilstone Reservoir. This was Marsworth Reservoir, built right along side the canal next to the lower locks on the Marsworth flight. In 1811 still in desperate need for more water on the summit level, they expanded Wilstone Reservoir.

In 1806 the River Ouse the embankment collapsed, two years later the aqueduct failed a temporary wooden trough carried traffic through until in 1811 a permanent iron trough was installed.

In the Napoleonic Wars due to the threat of invasion a central fortified citadel was built at Weedon with a short branch from the Canal.

In 1814 the link to Leicester opened and was named the Grand Union Canal (the Old Union). However, the owners of this new route had built it to narrow canal dimensions. This greatly annoyed the Grand Junction Company who had once again pushed for a broad canal. All the same, it meant they had now established access to Leicester and the north without it having cost them a penny.

In 1816 despite expanding Wilstone Reservoir 5 years earlier, the company desperately needed more water. Two more reservoirs (to make 4 in all) were begun. The first to be completed was Tringford Reservoir to the west of the Grand Junction Canal, close to Wilstone and Marsworth reservoirs. The forth and final reservoir was completed at Tring in 1817. This was Startopsend Reservoir, built just north of Marsworth Reservoir alongside the bottom lock of the Marsworth flight. All 4 reservoirs (all within a ½ mile radius of each other) were interconnected by culverts that fed the Wendover Arm near its junction with the main line. Rainwater was not enough to replenish the thirsty canal; water was fed into the 4 reservoirs from every nearby stream, from run-offs and even from the local sewage works. But even this was not enough in dry weather. So in 1818 a pumping station at Tringford opened to improve the feed from the 4 Tring reservoirs. It used a Boulton & Watt engine and began pumping water into the Wendover Arm in August of 1818. For a short period the reservoirs just about coped with the heavy lock usage, but not for long.

The branch to Northampton was delayed to see if the Leicester to Northampton Junction would be built. It was not, but there was a lot of pressure from the town. So when the Blisworth tramroad was finished with it was re-laid to make a connection in 1805. This however was not permanently acceptable so by 1815 a branch was built, five miles long with 17 narrow locks.

Various schemes were suggested for a link to the Thames in the Aylesbury area or to the Kennett and Avon or to the Wilts and Berks in the early 1800's due to the state of the lower Thames. They all came to nothing and finally a branch of 7 miles with 16 locks was built down to Aylesbury by 1815

There were a number of proposals for a link to Bedford and the River Ouse but nothing happened.

In 1820 the Regents Canal (owned by a separate company) opened in the heart of London. It connected to the Paddington Branch on the west of the city and ran to Limehouse on the east side. On route it passed many large trading areas such as Camden and Islington and many more were soon established along the line.

Trade prospered in 1810 120,000 tons of coal were carried to London. By 1830 it was over 190,000 tons. In 1810 total trade was 350,000 tons to London. From 1800 till 1838 the company enjoyed prosperity and financial security with high dividends paid out.

In 1830 the Oxford Canal completed a major improvement scheme - long overdue -, which, among other things, straightened out many miles of Brindley loops. Some of these indirectly affected the Grand Junction Canal by way of any traffic, which travelled on the northern Oxford Canal, but more importantly it directly affected the main line route to Birmingham. Part of the 5 mile stretch between Braunston and Napton consisted of a 2¾ mile loop, this was re-routed via a short, straight embankment which cut a whole 2 miles out of the journey. It also meant that Braunston Junction (or Braunston Turn as it was known) moved ½ a mile further north and therefore, the Grand Junction Canal also now terminated slightly further north. Over the new junction and across the old junction, cast iron footbridges (made at Horseley) were installed to carry the new towpath.

Water - or the lack of it - was a constant problem for the company. It had become so bad that restrictions were imposed so that boats were only allowed to pass through the locks in pairs. The penalty (or "forfeit") was to pay a double toll.

In response to hold ups and to railway competition in 1835 the locks at Stoke Bruene were doubled to reduce congestion. In 1838 new reservoirs and back pumping was installed at Tring to reduce summer delays.

In response to sever water shortages between 1838 and 1841 narrow locks were built beside the existing locks between Fenny Stratfod and Bulbourne. Steam back pimping was also introduced on the north approach to Tring summit.

In 1839 tolls were reduced again as more businesses chose to use the faster railways. More reductions followed over the next few years and it is this era which saw the start of what we think of as "traditional" boating life. Because of the railways, the tolls were lowered, the profits reduced and the wages of the boatmen were cut. The majority of them could not afford to work on a boat and keep his wife and children at home somewhere along the line. So, the families left their homes and lived on the boats. An almost impoverished existence ensued and a gypsy lifestyle was created.

Despite the narrow lock scheme of 1835 the water shortage problem kept coming back to haunt the company. Wilstone Reservoir was expanded for a second time and at Tringford pumping station a new engine, the York, was installed to aid the 21 year old Boulton & Watt engine. (These two engines continued to pump water into the Wendover Arm until 1913 when electric power took over).

In 1847 Pickfords, in line with their national policy ceased to trade on the canal. So soon after such actions were authorised by Parliament the Canal Company set up a direct carrying business in 1848. It's boats were involved n the Regeants Park explosion of 1874 and due to the £80,000 compensation payments it ceased to trade in 1876.

In response to this Fellows Morton and Clayton came into prominence. At their peak in the 1890's they were operating 26 carrying steamers. Then in 1912 Bolinder engines started to be installed and by 1926 the last of the steamers were converted to diesel. However in 1948 the FMC fleet was sold and wound up.

Inspired by use of steam tugs to tow coal boats from Moria on the Ashby to Braunston. In the early 1860's the Grand Junction introduced two steam tugs on the Paddington level and 9 carrying steamers for general use. From the start the steamers towed butty's when on the broad canals.

In 1869 a system of haulage by endless wire ropes propelled by external steam engines was installed in Braunston & Blisworth tunnels but there were problems, especially due to the bend in Braunston tunnel. In 1871 it was replaced by a service of steam tugs which lasted until it was withdrawn in 1936. After an accident in 1871 five ventilation shafts were opened at Blisworth, and in 1881 two more.

Bucking the trend a branch was built to Slough in 1883 to transport bricks into London and waste out to fill up the brick pits.

In 1893 the Grand Junction purchased the Leicester & Northampton Junction canal for £10,500 and the Old Union for £6,500. It also organised a guarantee of minimum receipts with an option to purchase for the Loughborough, Leicester and Erewash navigations. However the bad condition of the Cromford canal meant it did not achieve it's full potential.
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The Grand Junction then started to dredge the Leicester & Northampton Junction canal and the Old Union

They also decided to build an inclined plane at Foxton. It was opened in 1900 having cost £40,000 to build. It had been planned to widen Watford as well, but in 1902 Watford was rebuilt as Narrow locks and in 1908 Foxton locks were reinstated. In 1910 the incline plane was closed to be sold off as scrap in 1928. In 1911 the company had prohibited broad boats north of Stoke Bruene.

In 1895 the Grand Junction had tried to amalgamate with the Warwick canals but it was defeated by local opposition.

In 1897 the Wendover Arm was closed because its middle section was leaking badly. In fact it was discovered that the arm, originally only built as a feeder to the main line's summit level, was leaking more water than it was adding! In 1904 it was officially abandoned. However, the arm still exists today - though in a much shorter form - and is still a vital feeder for the main line as it runs along the southern edge of the Tring Reservoirs immediately before joining the main line. In the 21st century this arm is being progressively restored.

In 1914 the Grand Junction formed an alliance with the Regents Canal in London. A joint committee was set up and the companies worked closely together.

In 1929 the Grand Junction joined with the Reagents canal, the Warwick & Napton, the Warwick & Birmingham and the Warwick & Birmingham Junction canal companies to form the Grand Union Canal company.

In 1932 they also absorbed the Leicester Navigation, the Loughborough Navigation and the Erewash canal.

The new combined canal was over 300 miles long.

See Grand Union notes for continuing history of all the canals.

Sources.

Nicholson Guides to the Waterways.

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

Canal Companion, Oxford & Grand Union J.M. Pearson. Published by Central Waterways Supplies of Rugby in 2003. ISBN 0-9545383-0-7

Some pictures of this canal?

Bull's Bridge to Marsworth / Paddington Arm. / Marsworth to Gayton / Aylesbury Arm

Gayton to Norton / Norton to Braunston / Braunston to Napton /Napton to Warwick / Warwick to Lapworth

Lapworth to Camp Hill. / Camp Hill to Salford / Digbeth Branch.

General information

History of the canals which make up the present Grand Union canal.

Warwick to Napton / Warwick to Birmingham / The Grand Union.

Find our information about other canals on the canal index page.

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