David
Bick’s book, "The Hereford & Gloucester Canal", is the most complete
account of the canal available. Published first in 1979 before the Trust came into
existence, it is now in its third edition.
The book tells the story of the building of the canal, the decline in its use and the
development of the railway. It provides a lot more information about Stephen Ballard and
sums up what still remains to be seen on the ground.
In a chapter about the Trust, we learn of David’s early attempts to start preserving
the canal in Newent. By 1983 there were a few more like-minded people interested in
preserving sections of the canal, and the first meeting of the Trust (called the H&G
Canal Society at that time) took place in Hereford. |
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Jammed in the
Oxenhall Tunnel
The tunnel, with a narrow and crooked bore lacking a single passing-place in its
entire 1¼ miles, was always dreaded, not least for the risk of meeting another boat.
Bick relates an incident from 1851:
About midnight one Thursday, a barge...had entered the tunnel and met another mid-way
through...Each refused to retreat, and more barges soon crowded behind.
...and the tunnel was not cleared until 10 am on the following Sunday |
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Ballard’s
Ice-breaker
Ballard was also something of an inventor. His ice-breaking machine was
trialed in 1837 and won him the Institution of Civil Engineers’ Telford Medal.
The plan involved cracking the ice from below instead of above, and virtually reversed
the old system; a prototype was launched from Ledbury Wharf on 20th December 1837 and
three weeks later eight boats were liberated on the first working trial to Over.
David Bick quotes Ballard who wrote "at Dymock ice 4 inches thick broken with ease,
only drawn by 2 weak horses". |
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