Monument record MLI52709 - Caistor Canal, South Kelsey
Summary
The Caistor Canal dates from 1794, it closed in about 1860 but its remains survive.
Type and Period (2)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
PRN 52709
Caistor canal was built under an Act of Parliament as a branch of the Ancholme Navigation and terminated at a wharf at Moortown 5km short of Caistor, although it was meant to reach Caistor. It was four miles long with six locks (according to Priestley). {1}{2}{3}
The canal appears to have been opened to traffic in about 1800, there were actually five locks; Beck End, Ings, Willow, Moor and Mill. The total fall was 42 feet. {5}{6}
Five locks along the Caistor canal survive although 19th century OS maps show six. The locks are situated at TF 060 985, TF 050 967, TF 035 990, TF 030 990, TF 011 990 and the one that no longer survives was at TF 069 990. The locks are complete except for gates and paddles although several are suffering from root damage (in 2002). They are entirely of original late eighteenth century construction with a hard, durable stonework, perhaps a granite. Behind the stone facing is a core of rough coursed masonry. For a more detailed description of the monument including sketch plans see the correspondence in the SMR file. {8}
The Caistor Canal was built under an Act of Parliment of 1793 following the survey of the engineer William Jessop in 1792. It was disused by 1877. It ran from the River Ancholme Navigation eastward towards the town of Caistor, but only about half was constructed and it reached to the village of Moortown, a distance of about four and a half miles. 19th century Ordnance Survey maps show six locks. The highest of these, near the basin at Moortown, had totally disappeared by the 1960s together with any other remains of a wharf, basin, or buildings there might once have been at the village end. However the other five locks survive and are complete except for gates and paddle gear. The whole series of these locks and bridge is a significant survival of 18th century canal engineering and displays an impressive quality of construction. For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. {9}
The canal, completed in about 1794, attempted to link Caistor, an important market and administrative centre, with the river Ancholme and thence to the Humber and east coast and Yorkshire trading centres. However, for financial reasons, the canal terminated at Moortown, some three miles (and over 100 feet in elevation) short of Caistor. It closed in about 1860. Some of the stone-built locks survive in surprisingly complete condition. {10}{11}
Sources/Archives (11)
- <1> SLI3275 Index: SMR FILE. SOUTH KELSEY. TF 09 NW:S -.
- <2> SLI1063 Bibliographic Reference: P.L. Everson, C.C. Taylor and C.J. Dunn. 1991. Change and Continuity: Rural Settlement in North-West Lincolnshire. ARCHIVE NOTES.
- <3> SLI2735 Index: OS CARD INDEX. SOUTH KELSEY. TF 09 NW:9,1962, DA.
- <4> SLI1022 Bibliographic Reference: PRIESTLY, J.. 1831. NAVIGABLE RIVERS, CANALS AND RAILWAYS. -.
- <5> SLI3659 Map: OS. 1956. OS 6 INCH SERIES. TF 09 NW, NE.
- <6> SLI1098 Bibliographic Reference: BOYES, J. AND RUSSELL, R.. 1977. THE CANALS OF EASTERN ENGLAND. PP 300-3.
- <7> SLI178 Aerial Photograph: LUCK, G.. 1993-97. GORDON LUCK COLLECTION. -,1997, .
- <8> SLI8020 Correspondence: Padley, Chris. 2002. Caistor Canal, South Kelsey. South Kelsey.
- <9> SLI12435 Index: Department of the Environment. Jan 1985. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. 2 amendment, 02/04/04.
- <10> SLI15618 Article in Serial: Padley, Chris. 2009. 'Caistor Canal' in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. vol.44, pp.5-22.
- <11> SLI15619 Article in Serial: Padley, C.. 2009. Caistor Canal. LHA, 44 (2009), pp.5-22.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred TF 0481 9877 (6005m by 627m) Centre |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | SOUTH KELSEY, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (6)
- Parent of: Ancholme Tow Path Bridge at TF 010990, Caistor Canal, South Kelsey (Monument) (MLI98078)
- Parent of: Lock 1 at TF 010990, Caistor Canal, South Kelsey (Monument) (MLI98079)
- Parent of: Lock 2 at TF 030 990, Caistor Canal, South Kelsey (Monument) (MLI98080)
- Parent of: Lock 3 at TF 035 990, Caistor Canal, South Kelsey (Monument) (MLI98081)
- Parent of: Lock 4 at TF 050 988, Caistor Canal, South Kelsey (Monument) (MLI98082)
- Parent of: Lock 5 at TF 060986, Caistor Canal, South Kelsey (Monument) (MLI98077)
Related Events/Activities (1)
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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