St Columb Canal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Columb Canal |
|
|---|---|
Lusty Glaze Beach, with the inclined plane on the extreme left
|
|
| Specifications | |
| Locks | 2 inclined planes |
| Status | parts traceable |
| History | |
| Date of act | 1773 |
| Date of first use | 1779 |
| Date closed | 1781 |
| Geography | |
| Start point | Mawgan Porth |
| End point | Lusty Glaze |
The St Columb Canal, also known as Edyvean's Canal, was a project in Cornwall, England, that was never fully finished. It was planned to carry sea sand, which farmers used to make their soil better for growing crops. The idea for the canal was approved in 1773, and a small part of it might have been used for a short time around 1780.
Contents
The St Columb Canal Story
Why Was It Built?
The idea for the canal came from a Cornish engineer named John Edyvean in 1773. He wanted to build a canal from Mawgan Porth to Newquay. The main goal was to bring sea sand, seaweed, and stone from the coast inland. These materials were used as "manure" to improve the quality of farmland.
Edyvean got permission from the government to build the canal on April 1, 1773. The official document said the canal would be 30 miles (48 km) long. However, the actual plans were for a shorter canal, only 13 miles (21 km) long. Another engineer, John Harris, helped Edyvean get the approval. They thought the canal would cost about £5,000 to £6,000 to build. Edyvean planned to pay for it himself.
Building the Canal
Work on the canal began in 1773. Two parts of the canal were built, each with a special ramp called an inclined plane. These ramps were designed to connect the canal to the beach below. However, the canal was never fully completed.
The southern part of the canal, which went from Lusty Glaze to Rialton Barton near St Columb Minor, was started first. This section was about 2 miles (3.2 km) long. It followed the 100-foot (30 m) elevation line. But there was a problem: the sandy soil made it hard for the canal to hold water. Because of this, this section might never have been used.
The northern part started at Trenance Point, near Mawgan Porth. This section followed the 200-foot (61 m) elevation line and was about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long. It ended near Whitewater, where it got water from the River Menalhyl. In 1776, Edyvean put out an advertisement looking for 50 strong men to dig the canal. They were paid 14 pence (about 6p) a day. This northern section was used for about two or three years.
Edyvean spent most of his own money, and even his sister's money, on this project. When he realized he probably wouldn't get his money back, the project was stopped. Edyvean passed away in the 1780s.
How the Inclined Planes Worked
In 1805, a book called Cyclopaedia described how one of the canal's inclined planes operated. It was a very steep ramp covered with wooden planks. Small, square boats called "tub-boats" would arrive at the end of the canal. The front of the boat was attached to a hinge, and the back was connected to ropes.
These ropes went over a wheel and drum, which was powered by a horse-gin (a machine pulled by a horse). As the horse walked in a circle, the boat would tip up. The cargo, usually stones, would then roll down the planks to the beach below. The same wheel and drum were also used to pull boxes of coal or sand up from the beach. These materials would then be loaded into the boats.
Later Ideas for the Canal
In 1829, a businessman named Richard Retallick from Liskeard thought about bringing back the idea of a canal from St Columb to Mawgan Porth. This was part of a bigger plan to make Mawgan Porth a usable harbor during the summer. He shared his ideas, but nothing more came of it.
The Canal's Path Today
The St Columb Canal was designed for "tub-boats" and used inclined planes instead of locks to change levels. Locks are like water elevators that raise or lower boats.
Northern Section
The northern part of the canal started at Trenance Point, on the cliffs north of Mawgan Porth. It followed the Menalhyl Valley towards the east. Since it was higher than the river, it had to go around several smaller streams. It did this by making large loops away from the river to keep its level.
Most of the canal's path can be clearly seen on old maps from 1888. Some parts are even visible on modern maps today.
- The first loop was near Trenance, now covered by houses in Mawgan Porth.
- East of Mawgan Porth, another loop is still visible near Merlin Farm. This loop went around springs and a stream.
- North of Retorrick Mill, a track follows the canal's path for a while.
- After crossing a road, tracks near New Farm and Higher Lanvean also follow the canal's route.
The canal continued east, passing south of Trevedras, and crossed the road to Bolingey. A curved track shows its route, which then becomes a bridleway east of Bolingey. The canal reached Menadews Plantation and ended along its northern edge, about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) before Whitewater.
Southern Section
The southern part of the canal began at Lusty Glaze. You can still clearly see where the incline (ramp) went down the cliffs there. It went east, then curved south and north around Porth Veor and Higher Porth, which are now part of Newquay.
From Porth, it turned east, following the 100-foot (30 m) elevation line. Its path is marked by several field boundaries as it gets closer to St Columb Minor. An old bridge still carries a footpath over the canal's route from St Columb Minor to Penrose. It then turned southeast to Priory Road and continued east towards Rialton Mill. Near the junction of Priory Road and the A3059 Rialton Road, it turned south. It ended where a smaller road to Rialton Barton leaves the A3059.
In 2008, during work to replace a sewage pipe at Porth, archaeologists looked at a section of the canal. They found that while some digging had been done to create a flat area for the canal, it had not been completed in that spot.
