Market Weighton Canal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Market Weighton Canal
Weighton Lock at the entrance to the canal
Specifications
Locks	4
Status	Part navigable
Navigation authority	Environment Agency
History
Date of act	1772
Date completed	1782
Date closed	1971
Geography
Start point	below Market Weighton
End point	Broomfleet
Connects to	River Humber

The Market Weighton Canal is a special waterway in England. It was built for two main reasons: to help drain wet, low-lying land and to allow boats to transport goods. It stretches about 9.5 miles (15.3 km) from the Humber Estuary to near the town of Market Weighton. This canal was approved by Parliament in 1772 and opened for use in 1782.

The part of the canal closest to Market Weighton, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long, was no longer used for boats after 1900. By 1971, the right for boats to pass through Weighton Lock was lost. However, the lock can still be used, and the canal is open for boats up to where it meets the River Foulness. After that point, too much mud has built up, making it hard to pass. Also, boats cannot go under the M62 motorway bridge.

History of the Canal

The idea for the canal came from a bigger plan to drain huge areas of wet land. This land was often flooded by rain and water flowing in from nearby hills. Before the canal, much of this area was marshland. The higher parts were also very wet, only good for animals to graze.

The first plans for a canal were made in the 1760s. After several years, the plan became clearer. It would be a new cut from Market Weighton to the River Foulness. This river would also be made straighter from the canal's junction to the Humber. The new channel would work as both a canal for boats and a drain for water.

The plan was officially approved by an Act of Parliament on May 21, 1772. This law allowed the canal to be built to drain land and create a navigable waterway. A group of people agreed to pay for the building work. Money for ongoing costs came from a tax on landowners who benefited from the drainage. It also came from tolls paid by boats using the canal. A person named Mr. Whitworth was chosen to be the engineer for the project.

The canal was finished by 1782. The main things transported on it were farm products and bricks. The canal was quite successful. However, there was a challenge because it had two jobs: drainage and navigation. Drainage needed lower water levels, but boats needed higher water levels. This sometimes caused problems. Many brick factories were set up along the canal, especially near Newport.

The Canal's Decline

Like many canals, the Market Weighton Canal started to decline when railways arrived. A railway line from York to Market Weighton opened in 1847. This meant fewer boats used the canal, and it started to lose money. Because of this, the canal's condition got worse.

In 1900, the people in charge tried to get permission to stop using the canal for boats. The section above Sod House lock was officially abandoned that year. However, boats still carried bricks on the lower part of the canal until the 1950s. These boats were called Humber sloops.

The canal continued to get worse until 1934. That year, the Market Weighton Drainage Board was formed. This new group took over from the original commissioners. They became responsible for managing the water channels in the area.

The lower part of the canal, including Weighton Lock, was officially abandoned in 1971. But when people heard the lock might be torn down, a local group called the Market Weighton Civic Trust acted quickly. They managed to get the lock protected as an ancient monument. This, along with public support, led to the lock being repaired and reopened. More repairs were done in 1994. Even though there isn't a public right to navigate the canal, you can still use it if you arrange it with the Environment Agency, who now own it.

Keeping the Area Dry

In the 1960s, the area suffered from a lot of flooding after heavy rain. So, a decision was made to improve the River Foulness and the canal for drainage. This involved making the banks higher, making the main channel wider and deeper, and creating areas to store floodwater. This work helped control flooding.

Several pumping stations were built between 1975 and 1979 to help move water. More improvements were made in the 1980s, including two more pumping stations.

When the sluices (water gates) at Weighton Lock were made electric in 1971, it became easier to control water levels. This meant water levels could be raised for boats without harming the drainage. Most of the water from the surrounding area leaves through the Weighton Lock sluice. Water in some parts flows into the canal by gravity. In other parts, pumping stations are used to pump water into the canal. The canal is "tide-locked," meaning that water levels in the Humber River are often higher than in the canal. So, water can only drain out of the canal when the tide is low. This drainage system is very important for the people living and working in the area.

Exploring the Canal's Route

The canal starts at Weighton Lock, which connects to the Humber Estuary. This lock can work in both directions because the Humber has tides that change water levels. From the lock, the canal goes north across flat, low-lying land.

It passes under a railway bridge (the Selby to Hull line) and bridges carrying the B1230 road at Newport. It also goes under the M62 motorway. These bridges mean that boats can only be about 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall to pass underneath.

Further along, the River Foulness joins the canal from the left. About 1.2 miles (1.9 km) past this junction is the old, broken-down Sod House lock. This is currently as far as most boats can go. Much of the canal beyond this point has been filled in, though drainage channels still follow its path. There used to be two more locks, Mill lock and Holme Ings lock. The canal ended at Canal Head, about 0.6 miles (1 km) further on. This was about 2 miles (3.2 km) short of Market Weighton town itself.

A short branch, called the Holme Canal, turns off to the left just above Holme Ings lock. This branch still has water in it. Above where it joins the River Foulness, the canal is very muddy. This makes it hard for all but the smallest boats to travel there.

Points of interest