North Walsham & Dilham Canal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The North Walsham & Dilham Canal is the only canal in the English county of Norfolk. It is 7.3 miles long and runs from Smallburgh Junction with the River Ant to Swafield Bridge.
- Smallburgh junction with River Ant - 0.0 miles
- North Walsham canal junction - 0.4 miles
- Tonnage Bridge, Dilham - 0.9 miles
- East Ruston branch junction - 1.3 miles
- Honing Lock - 2.1 miles
- Honing Common Bridge, junction with Honing Staithe Cut - 2.6 miles
- Lock No.2, Briggate Mill[1] - 3.3 miles
- Meeting Hill Branch junction - 4.1 miles
- Lock No. 3, Ebridge Mill[2] - 5.0 miles
- Spa Common bridge - 5.9 miles
- Lock No. 4, Bacton Wood [3] - 6.0 miles
- Austin Bridge - 6.5 miles
- Bridge at Swafield Mills [4]- 7.3 miles.
The canal was established in 1812 by an Act of Parliament as a wide gauge canal able to take a Norfolk wherry. It was built at a cost of £ 30,000 and opened on July 25, 1826, navigable all the way to Antingham Bone Mills [5]. It carried manure, offal, flour, coal, and farm produce. In 1885, the canal was sold for £600, but the canal company's solicitor disappeared with the money. The flood of 1912 washed away several staithes. The wherry "Ella" made the final trading journey on the canal from Bacton staithe in 1934. The canal was never nationalised and still belongs to the North Walsham Canal Company.
Nowadays, the canal is only navigable for the first 2 miles from the Smallburgh end. There are moves to restore the canal, and at present there is work going on to restore the bottom lock.
North Walsham made 10 mosaics for the Millennium celebrations, and one shows a Norfolk wherry.
