Oakham Canal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oakham Canal
The canal looking north from Burley Road bridge
Specifications
Maximum boat length	72 ft 0 in (21.95 m)
Maximum boat beam	14 ft 2 in (4.32 m)
Locks	19
Status	Mostly infilled
History
Original owner	Oakham Canal Company
Principal engineer	Christopher Staveley
Date of act	1793
Date completed	1802
Date closed	1847
Geography
Start point	Oakham
End point	Melton Mowbray
Connects to	Melton Mowbray Navigation

The Oakham Canal was a waterway in England. It ran from Oakham, in Rutland, to Melton Mowbray, in Leicestershire. The canal opened in 1802. However, it never made much money. It also often struggled because it didn't have enough water.

After 45 years, the canal closed down. The Midland Railway company bought it. They used parts of its path to build the Syston and Peterborough Railway. Today, most of the canal is filled in. But you can still see much of its original route. Some short parts even still have water in them.

Where the Oakham Canal Ran

The Oakham Canal started in Melton Mowbray. It generally went east, following the River Eye valley. It stayed on the north and east side of the river. The canal reached a place called Wyfordby.

Later, a railway was built. It took a more direct path east to Wyfordby. From there, the railway followed the canal's path more closely. But only small parts of the railway actually used the old canal bed.

Near where a railway branch line used to go to Bourne, the canal curved north. It crossed the River Eye. Close by was Saxby wharf, a place where boats could load and unload goods.

The canal then went south, east of Stapleford Park. There was another wharf here. It continued towards Station Cottages. This was the site of Whissendine railway station, though it was a bit far from the village itself.

Canal's Journey to Oakham

Beyond the station, the railway left the canal's route. It went southeast to Ashwell, then south to Oakham. The canal, however, went east to Edmondthorpe. It then continued to Market Overton. A third wharf served this village.

Moving south, the canal reached the road to Cottesmore. Another wharf was located here, about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) from Cottesmore. Just before this road, the canal's path is crossed by an old railway line. This line used to go to the Cottesmore Iron Mines. Now, the Rutland Railway Museum uses this area.

The canal passes the site of the former Ashwell Prison. Some parts of the canal here still hold water. Finally, the canal reached Oakham. There was a main wharf at the end of the canal here.

Building the Oakham Canal

People first thought about building a canal to Oakham in 1785. This was around the same time others were planning the Melton Mowbray Navigation. A famous engineer named William Jessop was asked to survey a route. But it was Robert Whitworth who actually did the survey work. His planned route was generally further west than the one that was actually built. It would have needed 13 locks.

Meetings were held in December 1785. They discussed extending the canal from Oakham to Stamford. In 1791, the Leicester Navigation and Melton Mowbray lines were approved by Parliament. New plans for the Oakham line were made after a meeting in April 1792. Important people like the Earls of Harborough and Winchilsea supported the canal.

A bill was presented to Parliament in September. By November, about £51,000 was promised for building costs. On May 7, 1793, Parliament passed the law. This allowed the Oakham Canal Company to raise £56,000 by selling shares. They could raise an extra £20,000 if needed.

Construction Challenges

William Jessop had surveyed the new route. But the detailed plans were made by Christopher Staveley junior. He then became the main engineer. Staveley also worked on the Leicester and Melton canals. However, the Melton company fired him in 1795. A report criticized his work on both the Melton and Oakham lines. He resigned as engineer in late 1797.

William Dunn of Sheffield took over as engineer. Dunn had no past experience building canals. But he successfully finished the project. Building costs went over budget. It was also hard to raise money because of the French Revolutionary Wars. But a second law was passed in 1800. This allowed the company to raise another £30,000. The total cost to build the canal was between £65,000 and £70,000.

The canal opened in stages. It reached Saxby in November 1800. It was officially finished in June 1802. However, there wasn't enough water. So, it probably wasn't fully usable all the way to Oakham until January 1803.

How the Canal Worked

The Oakham Canal connected Oakham to the Melton Mowbray Navigation. This linked it to the River Soar and the wider canal network in England. The canal was about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) long. It had 19 wide locks. These locks helped boats climb 38 meters (126 feet) between Melton and Oakham.

The canal didn't need any aqueducts (bridges for water) or tunnels. There was only one large raised section of land near Edmondthorpe. The main goods carried on the canal were coal, which went up to Oakham. Farm products like grain and wool were carried down the canal to markets.

The canal was not a financial success. People who invested in the canal paid £130 for their shares. The first payment back to them was only £2 in 1814. They got £3 the next year. But then there were no more payments until 1827, when they received another £2. The best year for the canal was 1840, when investors got £5.

Plans for Expansion

The idea of linking Oakham to Stamford, about 18 kilometers (11 miles) east, came up again in 1809. There were plans for a 11-kilometer (7-mile) link from Stamford to the River Nene at Peterborough. At that time, the River Welland could be reached by a canal from Stamford. The plans also included a link from the Welland near Market Deeping north to the South Forty-Foot Drain. From there, boats could reach Boston.

Two bills were put before Parliament in 1811. One was for these plans. The other was for a different idea to link Stamford to the Grand Junction Canal. This also included a link to the South Forty-Foot Drain. But neither of these plans succeeded. The idea was brought up again in 1815 and 1828. But nothing more happened.

Why the Canal Closed Down

Railway companies started to arrive in the area in November 1844. The Midland Railway company wanted to build the Syston and Peterborough Railway. They talked to the canal's shareholders. The shareholders decided to negotiate a deal.

A deal was made. The Midland Railway paid £26,000 for the canal. They also gave the canal company 200 shares worth £40 each. In 1844, the canal carried 31,182 tons of goods. About 72 percent of this was coal going up the canal. About 4,120 tons of grain and wool went down the canal.

The canal often didn't have enough water. This caused it to close for almost five months during the dry summer of 1844. Parliament approved the building of the railway. A second law was passed on July 27, 1846. This allowed the canal to be sold and closed.

The railway from Syston to Melton Mowbray opened on September 1, 1846. It took more than a year for the canal sale to be finished. This happened on October 29, 1847. Just six months later, the railway line from Melton Mowbray to Oakham opened on May 1, 1848. The money from the sale allowed a final payment of £44.35 to be made for each original share.

More Information

The website of the Melton and Oakham Waterways Society shares more history about both the Oakham Canal and the Melton Navigation.

Places of Interest Along the Canal