South Cerney Old and New THAMES AND SEVERN CANALThis is one of the few remaining green county walks for Cerney people. Three and a half miles of it run east of the village, passing Cerney Wick to Cerney and on to Siddington. The Thames and Severn Canal was authorised by Act of Parliament of 1783. The cutting of the canal bed through South Cerney was done from about the end of 1787 to some time in 1788. It was filled with water the same year, and the whole canal was opened in 1789. The engineer was Whitworth. The canal runs from the Stroudwater at Wallbridge to the Thames at Inglesham above Lechlade, and includes the great Sapperton tunnel, over two miles long. South Cerney has a lock-house on the Cirencester road at Cerney Top Lock. This is also a wharf house, and has a small warehouse underneath it. Across the Cirencester road the whole line of the canal has been ploughed in, but just below the road where was a canal basin and a small wharf, and two more locks. Below them ther is still water in the canal bed among reeds and bushes, and remains of Boxwell Lock, Humpback Lock, Wildmoorway (pronounced Wilmer) Lock, and finally Cerney Wick Lock In 1794 and 1798 the lock-keepers were Richard Cooke at South Cerney and John Butt at Cerney Wick. Both were paid 9/- per week and given the free house. In 1800 James Herbert or Herbett was lock-keeper at Cerney Wick. In 18955 Joseph Gardener was lock-keeper at South Cerney. The locks were not all built at once. Lack of water made the canal company seek every possible source of water along the canal. To make more use of the Boxwell spring to fill the lower length towards Cerney Wick, beteen August 1791 and 1792, the shallow lock at Boxwell was built, and the canal lowered by 2ft 6in from there to the next lock, called Humpback or Wildmoorway Upper. The sill of Humpback was also lowered by 2ft 6in. The spring water then drained more into the canal. For the sme purpose of saving water, in 1830 the side pond was built beside Wildmoorway lower lock, which can still be seen as a dry stone walled enclosure beside the towpath. This was meant to economise water at that particularly deep lock. In 1798 the canal company were acting as coal merchants and kept a stock of 442 tons of coal at South Cerney wharf for sale. The canal was never a financial success. From 1882-95 it was under railway control. Then a trust was formed, or neighbouring navigations and the local authorities, to try to keep it going. In 1901 the Gloucestershire County Council took it over, but in spite of efforts to promote traffic the canal closed in 1927. One by one the road bridges were flattened. It has become derelict. The tow path through the parish of South Cerney is kept clear for walking by the Footpath Group of South Cerney Trust with the co-operations of the Parish Council. The canal carried loads of cheese from the farms to markets along its line. Donkeys were used to haul the boats. Many reminiscences of the activity on the canal remain among village people. There were evening trips on the water, sometimes in rowing boats, which are said to have been heavy work. Some village men worked on the canal for a time. Skating was a pleasure on the stretch between locks to Cerney Wick down. Mr George Short told the story of how he was passing Top Lock during a long frost, and heard cries, but could see no one in the lock. He went nearer, and found that during the frost the water level had fallen below the ice, leaving a gap of two feet or so between water and ice. A boy had fallen in and though he could swim he was trapped. George got a rope, and saved him. People drowned in the canal
(Source: burial registers of South Cerney 1813-1899)
(W & G) |