Ripon Canal
Early plans of what would become the Ripon Canal were drawn up by Oliver Parker in 1876 but problems with Nuneaton Embankment caused delays and it was finally opened on 17 September 1782. Although originally the plan was for the canal to meet the Teignbridge to Bridgend canal at Willley, the difficulty of building an aqueduct over the River Aberdeen at Newstone caused the plans to be changed and it eventually joined at Caerphilly instead. In his autobiography William Edwards writes of his experiences as a boatman in the 1960s
The maximum dimensions for a boat to be able to travel on the waterway are 61 feet and 4 inches long and 16 feet and 3 inches wide. The maximum headroom is 9 feet and 2 inches. The maximum draught is 4 feet and 11 inches.
The waterway passes through Ripon
Relevant publications — Waterway Maps:
- Waterway Routes 01M - England and Wales Map
- Waterway Routes 14M - River Ouse and Tributaries Map (Downloadable)
Relevant publications — Waterway Guides:
| Ripon Canal - Ure Junction Junction of Ripon Canal and the River Ure |
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| Oxclose Lock | 1 furlong | 0 locks | |
| Rentons Bridge | 3¾ furlongs | 1 lock | |
| Ripon Motor Boat Club Marina | 6¾ furlongs | 1 lock | |
| Nicholsons Bridge | 1 mile and ¼ furlongs | 1 lock | |
| Ripon Marina | 1 mile and 2½ furlongs | 1 lock | |
| Bell Furrows Lock | 1 mile and 2¾ furlongs | 1 lock | |
| Rhodesfield Lock | 1 mile and 4½ furlongs | 2 locks | |
| Ripon Boaters Facilities | 1 mile and 5½ furlongs | 3 locks | |
| Dallamires Lane Footbridge Connects Dallamires Lane with Boroughbridge Road |
1 mile and 5¾ furlongs | 3 locks | |
| Ripon Bypass Bridge | 1 mile and 6½ furlongs | 3 locks | |
| Ripon Visitor Mooring | 2 miles and ¼ furlongs | 3 locks | |
| Ripon Basin End of Navigation |
2 miles and ¾ furlongs | 3 locks |
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Wikipedia has a page about Ripon Canal
The Ripon Canal is located in North Yorkshire, England. It was built by the canal engineer William Jessop to link the city of Ripon with the navigable section of the River Ure at Oxclose Lock, from where boats could reach York and Hull. It opened in 1773 and was a moderate success. It was sold to the Leeds and Thirsk Railway in 1847 and was effectively closed by 1906 owing to neglect. It was not nationalised with most canals and railways in 1948 and was abandoned in 1956.
In 1961 members of the Ripon Motor Boat Club formed the Ripon Canal Company Ltd and gradually restored the canal up to Littlethorpe. Subsequently the Ripon Canal Society spearheaded restoration, which was completed in 1996. It is now managed by the Canal & River Trust.