Cowley Park, to the village of Ambersham, where it crosses a narrow stripe of Hampshire, a quarter of a mile in breadth; from thence, following the line of the river, it passes within a mile and a half of the town of Petworth; thence by Burton to a little beyond Lower Fittleworth, where there is a cut to the River Arun, near Stopham Bridge, where the navigation terminates. Its entire length is eleven miles.
The act for executing this work was obtained in 1791, under the title of 'An Act to enable the Earl of Egremont to make and maintain the River Rother navigable,from the town of Midhurst, to a certain Meadow called the Railed Pieces, or Stopham Meadow, in the parish of Stopham, and a navigable Cut from the said River to the River Arun, at or near Stopham Bridge, in the county of Sussex; and for other Purposes.' By this act the Earl of Egremont had authority to make the river navigable, and to make, if necessary, a cut or navigable canal from the Rother to Haslingbourn Bridge, as well as to make a navigable communication between the Rother and the Arun Rivers, with all works necessary for the completion of the same. For repaying the money laid out, the Earl is empowered to demand the following
TONNAGE RATES.
| For all Chalk, Soil or Dung for Manure | 1d per Ton, per Mile. |
| For all Timber, Plank, Coal, Lime, Corn, Grain, Fire-wood and all other Goods and Wares | 3d ditto. ditto. |
Fractions of a Mile and of a Ton to be charged as the Quarters therein, and of a Quarter as a Quarter.
Owners of lands and lords of manors may erect wharfs, quays and warehouses, and if they refuse so to do, the Earl of Egremont may himself erect the same and charge the following
WHARFAGE RATES.
| For all Goods, Wares and Merchandize remaining on the Wharfs, &c. Three Months | 6d per Ton. |
| For ditto every Week after the said Three Months are expired | 3d ditto, each Week. |
The principal object is for supplying the interior with coal, and for the export of lead, corn, and that beautiful variegated fossil limestone, well known in London by the name of Petworth Marble.
