Glastonbury Canal - Construction

Construction

Construction began once the necessary land had been purchased, but it soon became apparent that the original surveys were inadequate. The canal engineer John Rennie was asked to advise the proprietors, and proposed three options, for boats of 120-140 tons, for boats of 40-60 tons, and for barges which were 5 feet (1.5 m) wide. The first was ruled out on cost, the third because of the need to transship all goods at Highbridge, and the second was adopted because it allowed the coasters that worked the Bristol Channel to use the canal. This option required locks of 64 feet (20 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m), and was costed at £28,720. The route would be as authorised, but a single lock was required on the upper section to simplify the water supply. Work resumed in July 1828.

At the Glastonbury end, the canal was required to cross the South Drain and the River Brue. Rennie suggested inverted syphons, rather than locking down into the river and up again, and a cast iron aqueduct for the River Brue crossing was obtained for nearly £3,000 from a Glastonbury blacksmith called John Wright. At the Highbridge end, the plans for a floating harbour to accommodate vessels of up to 250 tons were dropped, and the entrance lock was moved further along the original course of the River Brue. This saved money, but meant that ships did not have to pay lockage changes to reach Highbridge.

The proprietors failed to raise all of the capital promised, and there were financial difficulties. The Commissioners of Sewers were unhappy with some of the work at Highbridge in 1830, and reported that the contractor "had run away", and work had stopped in 1831. The company had also failed to lodge £1,000 with the Commissioners which was required to cover any costs they might have as a result of the construction of the canal, and they sued for the money in 1831. Even Rennie threatened to sue, as much of his fee remained unpaid. The cost of construction was about £30,000, but it appears that some debts were never paid. On 16 December 1831 the proprietors borrowed £5,000 from the Exchequer at a 5 per cent rate of interest.