The Coventry Canal

Description of this historic site

The Coventry Canal, a waterway for transporting goods, was built during the Imperial period.

Notes about this historic site

1 In 1768 the act was passed authorising a link from the Grand Trunk to Coventry. The scheme had been mooted alongside the scheme for the Oxford Canal but it was appreciated that the C.C. on its own would have benefits such as improving the coal supply to Coventry. Brindley was the original choice of engineer but he was dismissed in 1769. By 1771 the canal was open to Nuneaton. There were problems regarding the choice of line to Polesworth and the company’s work slowed down. The Oxford had to exert pressure on the C.C. to persuade it to make the junction with the Oxford. Legal action finally succeeded in 1777 and a junction was made at Longford. The Coventry also had to be persuaded to complete its line to Fradley and the Trent and Mersey Canal. As it was, the canal served fully the interests of the colliery owners along the banks if not serving fully its investors. Eventually a deal was struck whereby the Trent and Mersey and Birmingham and Fazeley shared the cost of the Fazeley-Fradley line. In 1790 the Coventry was completed to Fazeley. After the opening of the Warwick canals the Coventry suffered a drop in profits, but it benefited from the opening of the Ashby canal in 1804. Along with the other Midlands canals it suffered greatly from railway competition and dividends fell sharply from 40% in 1839 to 24% in 1845. By 1890 it was 8%. An approach made to the LNWR was unsuccessful in getting a rates agreement. The canals great earlier success meant that it didn’t suffer so badly as other canals and it kept going until nationalisation by developing its property and selling water to local authorities. However, the final dividend was 6% rather than the 50% payed 1824-1828. The canal totalled 32 and a half miles including that section between Whittington Brook and Fradley built by the Trent and Mersey then purchased by the Coventry. There are a total of 13 locks.
2 Plan of the Coventry and Warwick Canals and their connections.
3 cf West Midlands SMR No 5861.

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