Historical Account of the Navigable Rivers, Canals, and Railways, of Great Britain/Barnsley Canal

by Joseph Priestley

BARNSLEY CANAL.

33 George III. Cap. 110, Royal Assent 3rd June, 1793.

46 George III. Cap. 13, Royal Assent 28th March, 1808.

This canal commences from the River Calder (the Aire and Calder Navigation) three quarters of a mile below Wakefield Bridge, and about three-eighths of a mile below the junction of the Calder and Hebble Navigation, at Fall Ing Lock, with the above-mentioned navigation; from thence, proceeding in a southerly direction, it passes Walton Hall, the seat of the ancient family of the Watertons, to which place there is a rise, from the Calder, of 117 feet, by fifteen locks, in the distance of two miles and three quarters. From Walton Hall the canal is level through Haw Park Wood, where there is a feeder, communicating with Hiendley Reservoir, which reservoir was made expressly for the purpose of supplying this canal. This is situate half-a-mile to the eastward, and originally occupied eighty acres, but the head of the reservoir has since been raised 4 feet, and it now covers a surface of one hundred and twenty-seven acres, the greatest depth being 40 feet. A powerful engine is erected here for the purpose of lifting water from the canal into the reservoir, when the long level is full, being the principal means of supplying the reservoir with water; and in droughty seasons it is readmitted by means of sluices. From Haw Park Wood, the canal continues its course, on a level, by Roystone, Carlton, and Burton, near which latter place, it crosses the River Dearne by an aqueduct of stone, of five arches, of 30 feet span each; at the south side of which, and at a distance of ten miles from its commencement at the Calder, it forms a junction with the Dearne and Dove Canal. From the aqueduct, the canal takes a westwardly course, on the same level, parallel with the Dearne, crossing the London Road within half-a-mile of the town of Barnsley; from thence, by Gawber Hall Collieries, to near Barugh Mill, where the long level of the canal terminates, having extended eleven miles. From this place, to the end of the canal at Barnby Basin, there is a rise of 40 feet, by five locks; the water, for the supply of which lockage, is, in a time of scarcity, lifted by a steam engine, from the long level, to which place there is a drift, nearly a quarter of a mile in length, but this is only used when the stream supplying Barugh Mill is very low. The length of the canal is fiteen miles and an eighth, and the act for making it was passed in the 33rd George III, and entitled, 'An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal, from the River Calder, in the township of Warmfield-cum-Heath, to or near the town of Barnsley; and from thence to Barnby Bridge, in the township of Cawthorne, in the West Riding of the county of York; and certain Railways and other Roads to communicate therewith.'

The subscribers to this work were incorporated by the name of "The Company of Proprietors of the Barnsley Canal Navigation," and consisted of one hundred and thirteen persons, among whom were the Duke of Leeds, Lord Hawke, the Countess Dowager of Bute, the Earl of Wigtoun, seven baronets, and almost all the landholders in its immediate vicinity.

They were empowered to raise among themselves £72,000, in seven hundred and twenty shares of £100 each, with power to raise a further sum, not exceeding £20,000, either among themselves or by mortgage of the rates.

In this act, permission is given to the Calder and Hebble Navigation Company, and Thomas Richard Beaumont, Esq. to make a navigable communication between the Calder, at Horbury Pasture, and the Barnsley Canal, at Barugh Mill, the length of which would be six miles, and the estimate, amounting to £72,115, was made by the late Mr. Jessop, Mr. Elias Wright, and Mr. Gott, the engineers employed on the Barnsley Canal; but no part of this canal has ever been executed.

THE RATES OF TONNAGE ALLOWED UNDER THIS ACT.

	d.
Wheat, Shelling, Beans, Peas, Vetches and Lentils, Rape, Line, Cole and Mustard Seed, Apples, Pears, Onions and Potatoes	6	per Quarter for the whole Length.
Barley	5	ditto, ditto.
Oats and Malt	4	ditto, ditto.
Pack or Sheet of Wool, Dried Pelts or Spetches	6	per 312lbs. ditto.
Coal, Slack, Cinders, Culm, Charcoal and Lime	1	per Ton, per Mile.
Limestone	¾	ditto. ditto.
Stone, Iron-stone, Flag, Paving-stone and Slate	1	ditto, ditto.
Pig or Old Iron	1½	ditto. ditto.
Cast Metal Goods and Bar Iron	2	ditto, ditto.
English Oak, Timber and Planks	1½	per Forty Cubical Feet, per Mile.
Elm, Oak and other English Timber	1½	per Fifty Cubical Feet, per Mile.
Fir, and all other kinds of Foreign Timber	1½	ditto, ditto.
Deals and Battens, equal to Thirty Deals, of 12 feet long, 3 inches thick, and from 9 to 12 inches broad	1½	per Mile.
All other things not before enumerated	2	per Ton, per Mile.

That Ten superficial Yards of Flag Paving-stone, from One Inch to Two Inches and three-quarters in Thickness, or Sixteen Cubical Feet of Stone, to be deemed a Ton.

The only railway belonging to this company, made under the authority of the before-mentioned act, is from Barnby Basin to Norcroft Bridge, near the Silkstone Collieries, and is one mile and a quarter in length.

TONNAGE RATES ON THE RAILWAY.

	d.
Coal and other Minerals	3 per Ton, per Mile.

From the preamble of a second act, passed in the 48th George III. and entitled, 'An Act for amending and enlarging the Powers of an Act of his present Majesty, for making and maintaining the Barnsley Canal Navigation, and certain Railways and other Roads to communicate therewith; and for increasing the Rates, Tolls, and Duties, thereby granted,' it appears that the company had expended the sum of £97,000, authorized to be raised under the preceding act, in the canal alone, and had incurred sundry debts; they, therefore, obtained power to raise the further sum of £43,200, by a call of £60 on every shareholder of £100 each, and they were further empowered to raise £10,000 on mortgage, if the former sum should not be sufficient. By this act the rates of tonnage are increased one half, excepting on that part of the navigation extending from the junction with the Dearne and Dove Canal at the aqueduct, to Barnby Basin, for vessels which come out of, or enter, the Dearne and Dove Canal, or on the railways connected, or that may be connected with this portion of the Barnsley Canal. An exception to the additional charge is also made on all flag, paving-stone, lime-stone, or lime, navigating on this part of the canal, which shall previously have been navigated on the Dearne and Dove Canal.

This canal was projected principally with the view of opening the very valuable and extensive coal fields in the neighbourhood of Barnsley and Silkstone, and its execution has had the effect of introducing the coal, worked in the latter place, into the London Market, where it holds a distinguished place among the Yorkshire Coals. The making of this canal has also been of incalculable advantage to the agriculturists in its vicinity, by the facility it gives to the introduction of Knottingley Lime; but it has been more particularly experienced by those who are employed in bringing into cultivation the vast tracts of moor land lying to the north and west of its termination at Barnby Basin. The depth of this canal is 5 feet, the width of the locks 15 feet, and the length 66 feet.

When the second act was obtained, authorizing the advance of £60 for every £100 share, it was deemed so unpropitious as to induce a many original subscribers to dispose of their shares, at the rate of £5 each, after having advanced the whole amount authorized to be raised by the first act, and these shares are now (1829) valued at £325 per share.

The canal was opened on the 8th of June, 1799, but the railroad to Silkstone was not commenced until after the passing of the act of 48th George III.