James Brindley: The canal pioneer who changed England

BBC ^ | 31/07/2016 | Alex Homer

[moose07]

A new exhibition marking 300 years since the birth of canal pioneer James Brindley has opened. How did his work transform the English landscape and unlock a new era in the Industrial Revolution?

When James Brindley sought Parliament's backing for his plan for an aqueduct over the River Irwell in Lancashire, he apparently employed a novel means of gaining their attention.

Taking out a block of Cheshire cheese, the man who engineered England's first canal carved out a model of the waterway he hoped to build.

"It's not clear if he cut it into pieces and put it in water to illustrate how waterproof troughs worked or if he carved arches to show how an aqueduct could work," said Nigel Crowe, from the Canal & River Trust.

"The other story is he brought in a lump of clay and bashed that into shape.

"If it is true or not, it is a nice bit of fiction."

Born in Tunstead in the Derbyshire hills in 1716, Brindley moved as a child to a farm in Leek, Staffordshire, left to the family by their Quaker relatives.

His early career focused on building and repairing mills in the area, where he learned to control water flows.

A meeting with the Duke of Bridgewater led to the start of the Bridgewater Canal, commissioned in 1759, to transport coal from the duke's mine at Worsley to Manchester.

At the time a pioneering feat, the waterway became recognised as the first real canal in Britain.

The building of the Bridgewater Canal's Barton Aqueduct - the structure he had demonstrated with cheese - became his most famous feat, opening on 17 July 1761.

It was the first navigable aqueduct to be built in England and a structure that would stand for another 100 years.

[Oatka]

Here in the US, the most famous canal is/was the Erie Canal (1825).

The New Yorkers wanted Congress to foot the construction bill but because southern shipping interests feared competition - and controlled Congress - they said "No". The New Yorkers, in effect, said "Screw You", passed the hat among their own, and got it built anyway.

Ah, the "Good Ole Days". :-)

In a neat show of symbolism, they shipped a barrel of Erie water down to the City, where it was poured into the ocean, connecting Erie to the Sea. Then did just the opposite at the Lake Erie terminus.

[VanDeKoik]

I’m hopelessly fascinated by the canal system in Britain. From the construction, culture, villages, and even the canal signage.

To be able to just take a cozy boat virtually anywhere has to be a great life.

There is even an entire program from the BBC that is just a video of traveling down a canal with no music or narration. Sadly it seems to have disappeared from YouTube. I fell asleep to it many times because it was so relaxing.

[Bigg Red]

We have chartered boats and cruised the Erie Canal twice. Great experience. I highly recommend it.

[Bigg Red]

Thanks for that link.

[moose07]

You’re welcome.
The restoration and recovery of old canals continues to this day.
He is where it all started.

[LakeEffectLad]

Check out a book called “Wedding of the Waters” by Peter Bernstein. Terrific history of the canal. Also shows how little politics in Albany have changed in roughly 200 years.

[Stentor]

If not mentioned down thread, Google Falkirk Wheel.

[jocon307]

Great article, very interesting. Thanks for posting it.

[TexasBarak]

Shout out to another old can thrower! Haven’t done it in years, but I’m confident that I could still do it just as well- like riding a bike!

[moose07]

50.

[dp0622]

I didn’t post the thread but it ended up being a lot of fun, right?

A nice change up from the usual.

Ciao!

[BwanaNdege]

“I’m hopelessly fascinated by the canal system in Britain”

https://www.google.com/search?q=narrowboating&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
“Narrowboating” search

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=narrowboating

YouTube search on “Narrowboating” videos

Those ought to keep you entertained for a while!

While I was on a visit to Shropshire, a friend & his wife took me to see the canals & locks and finally the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ponsyllite+aqueducet

[VanDeKoik]

Nice!

Thanks! I will definitely check these out.

[SunkenCiv]

This topic was posted 7/31/2016, thanks moose07.

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