16-690: The Chichester Canal is a ship canal in England, currently navigable at either end, save for two low-level modern bridges obstructing the middle of the route. Its course is essentially intact, 3.8 miles (6.1 km) from the sea at Birdham on Chichester Harbour to Chichester through two locks . The canal (originally part of the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal ) was opened in 1822 and took three years to build. The canal could take ships of up to 100 long tons (100 t ). Dimensions were limited to 85 feet (26 metres) long, 18 feet (5.5 m) wide and
32-462: A barge canal suitable for vessels of similar length and width constraints. Ship canals may be specially constructed from the start to accommodate ships, or less frequently they may be enlarged barge canals or canalized or channelized rivers . There are no specific minimum dimensions for ship canals, with the size being largely dictated by the size of ships in use nearby at the time of construction or enlargement. Ship canals may be constructed for
48-425: A draft of up to 7 feet (2.1 m). As denoted by the suffix -chester, Chichester is a Roman settlement ( Noviomagus Reginorum ), and 300 Denarii were unearthed when Chichester Basin was formed in the 1820s. Proposals for a canal linking Chichester directly to the sea go back as least as far as 1585 when an act of Parliament was passed allowing a cut linking Chichester with the sea. Further proposals were made in
64-630: A figure of £1,000 to put the canal back into full working order; key tasks were repair of locks, bridges and the removal of weeds and mud from the channel. By 1898 only 704 tons of goods were carried – tolls for the year were £18. The last recorded commercial traffic was in 1906 when a load of shingle was carried from the Harbour to the basin. In the same year it was found that the swing bridge at Donnington and Birdham needed to be repaired or replaced. Westhampnett Rural District Council wanted to replace them with fixed bridges (which would have blocked
80-556: A new act of Parliament which was obtained in 1819. In the same year the construction of the Chichester branch began. In digging out of the basin a hoard of 300 Denarii was found. The section of the canal that would become the Chichester Canal was formally opened on 9 April 1822 The Portsmouth and Arundel Canal was conceived as part of a bigger plan to provide a secure inland canal route from London to Portsmouth , but by
96-598: A number of reasons, including: Early canals were connected with natural rivers, either as short extensions or improvements to them. One of the first canals built was the Grand Canal of China , which was developed over a long period starting in the 5th century BCE. In the modern era, canals in the United Kingdom are typically associated with the Duke of Bridgewater , who hired the engineer James Brindley and had
112-688: A ship to move between different altitudes, and puddling , which waterproofed the canal. The standard used in the European Union for classifying the navigability of inland waterways is the European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International Importance (AGN) of 1996, adopted by The Inland Transport Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), which defines
128-517: Is a canal especially intended to accommodate ships used on the oceans, seas, or lakes to which it is connected. Ship canals can be distinguished from barge canals, which are intended to carry barges and other vessels specifically designed for river and/or canal navigation. Ships capable of navigating large bodies of open water typically have more draft, and are higher above the water than vessels for inland navigation. A ship canal therefore typically offers deeper water and higher bridge clearances than
144-662: The Chichester Yacht Company while the upper part of the canal was leased to Chichester Canal Angling Association. In January 1994 floodwaters in lower Chichester were diverted into the canal. A 2009 restoration of Casher's Lock was halted due to the presence of water voles . This is not necessarily an insurmountable obstacle; see ecology work on the Stroudwater Navigation , where in partnership with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust , wetland habitats alongside canal construction are helping to extend
160-514: The canal) but the Corporation of Chichester wanted to keep the canal open to traffic. By 1923 the corporation appears to have accepted that there would be no further great loads; it authorised and funded fixed bridges. The canal was officially open for trade until June 1928 before being formally abandoned. In 1932 the section of the canal between Cutfield Bridge and Salterns lock was reopened to allow yachts to be berthed there. The open section
176-492: The early 19th century, with schemes being proposed in 1801, 1802, 1803 and 1811, but none of these came to pass and as a result the first link to the sea was via a branch of the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal opened in 1822. In 1817 it had been decided that the section between Chichester and Chichester Harbour, unlike the rest of the canal, would be built large enough to carry boats of 100 tons. Putting this into practice required
SECTION 10
#1732779723255192-802: The first canal (the Bridgewater Canal ) built that ran over a flowing river. In the United States, the canal that brought about an age of canal building was the Erie Canal . It was a long-sought-after canal and connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River . This canal initiated a half-century-long boom of canal building and brought about many new features that allowed canals to be used in different areas previously inaccessible to canals. These features include locks, which allow
208-430: The range of endangered species. As of 2024, the last stretch of the canal, including Saltern's Lock allowing access to Chichester Harbour, awaits restoration. Download coordinates as: [REDACTED] Media related to Chichester Canal at Wikimedia Commons 50°48′47.58″N 0°46′27.71″W / 50.8132167°N 0.7743639°W / 50.8132167; -0.7743639 Ship canal A ship canal
224-560: The time the route was completed, the war with France had ended. With the reason for its construction removed, the canal was not a commercial success, and apart from the Chichester section, it had fallen into disuse by 1847. The canal was transferred to the Corporation of Chichester by the Chichester Canal Transfer Act 1892 ( 55 & 56 Vict. c. cxxxviii). In November of that year the City Surveyor gave
240-525: The towpath) and a low dam above Cutfield bridge. The partial diversion proved hard to control and the fluctuations damaged the canal and a houseboat; argument as to the duty to compensate lasted until June 1947. In 1953 the canal and surrounding lands were sold to West Sussex County Council for £7,500. The council let plans be known to use part of the canal for road improvement, on opposition and with higher priority issues for funds, these never took place. The section below Cutfield Bridge continued to be leased to
256-530: Was initially leased by D. S. Vernon but in 1934 he transferred it to the Chichester Yacht Company. In Britain in World War II the canal towpath was made an anti-tank and anti-barge route by the 4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom) to militate against a German invasion. This entailed dismantling four swing bridges, diversion of some of the Lavant to raise the water by 3 feet (0.91 m) (thus over
#254745