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North Walsham and Dilham Canal
Canal
Dee Bridge near Honing
Country	England
State	Norfolk
Region	East of England
District	North Norfolk
Source	begins Swafield Bridge
Mouth	Merges with the River Ant
Length	8.7 mi (14 km)
in North Norfolk
watermills Briggate Mill Ebridge Mill Bacton Wood Swafield Mill Antingham Bone Mills

North Walsham and Dilham Canal

legend Antingham Ponds Terminus Antingham Mill Pond Bradfield bridge Bradfield Broad Swaffield upper lock Swaffield lower lock Swaffield bridge Royston bridge Bacton Wood lock and mill Bacton Wood bridge Ebridge lock Ebridge Mill Meeting House Staithe Briggate lock Briggate Mill Honing Staithe Honing bridge Honing lock East Ruston East Ruston branch Tonnage bridge Dilham Staithe Tylers Cut Smallburgh River Jn Wayford bridge River Ant

The North Walsham and Dilham Canal is a waterway in the English county of Norfolk. It is accepted officially that this waterway is the only canal in Norfolk although it is the canalization of the upper reaches of the River Ant. This navigation was constructed with locks a little wider than most canals in the UK to accommodate the use of the Norfolk wherries. It is 8.7 miles (14.0 km) long and runs from Swafield Bridge to a Junction with the River Ant at Smallburgh.

History

The navigation was authorised in 1812 by an Act of Parliament which created the Company of Proprietors of the North Walsham and Dilham Canal Navigation, who had powers to raise £30,000 by the issuing of shares, and a further £10,000 if required, either from shares or by mortgage.^[1] Work on the canalisation of the River Ant did not start until 1825,^[2] with some of the delays caused by a claim for damages made by Issac Harris Lewis, who owned his own staithe at Dilham and felt that the new canal would damage his trade. His case was heard in April 1825, and he was awarded £1,500 in compensation. Work began in the same month, employing 100 men from Bedfordshire. Wherries were able to reach Cubbitt's Mill by 14 June 1826, and the canal was formally opened on 29 August 1826. The canal was designed and built by the engineer John Millington, and included six locks to raise the level by 58 feet (18 m) along its 8.2-mile (13.2 km) length.^[3]

John Millington came from Hammersmith in London. The North Walsham and Dilham Canal was his only canal building venture. Later in his career he went to the United States of America and wrote Elements of Civil Engineering which includes much information on canal building.^[3] The main use of this canal was to carry offal to the two Antingham Bone Mills, although other cargoes were carried such as manure, flour, grain, 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 nationalized and still belongs to the North Walsham Canal Company.

Locks and Watermills

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^[4] - 3.3 miles

Meeting Hill Branch junction - 4.1 miles

Lock No. 3, Ebridge Mill^[5] - 5.0 miles

Spa Common bridge - 5.9 miles

Lock No. 4, Bacton Wood ^[6] - 6.0 miles

Austin Bridge - 6.5 miles

Bridge at Swafield Mills ^[7]- 7.3 miles.

The Canal Today

Nowadays, the canal is only navigable for the first two miles (3 km) from the Smallburgh end. There are moves to restore the canal, and at present there is work going on to restore the bottom lock. The East Anglian Waterways Association has undertaken a detailed environmental survey of the canal and engineering studies on lock restoration and other technical matters, and, with help from the North Walsham and Dilham Canal Trust, has held work parties at Honing, Briggate and Ebridge Locks, to clear encroaching trees. The bottom two-mile (3 km) stretch up to Honing Lock is currently largely navigable.

North Walsham made 10 mosaics for the Millennium celebrations, and one shows a Norfolk wherry.

See also

UK Waterways portal

• Canals of the United Kingdom
• History of the British canal system

References

Rivers and Watercourse of Norfolk River Ainse (or Eyn) • River Ant • River Babingley • Beeston Beck • River Bure • River Burn • River Chet • River Cong • River Gadder • Gaywood River • River Glaven • River Great Ouse • Gur Beck • Hagon Beck • River Heacham • River Hor • River Hun • River Ingol • River Little Ouse • River Mun • River Nar • River Nene • North Walsham & Dilham Canal • Panford Beck • Penny Spot Beck • Scarrow Beck • Spring Beck • River Stiffkey • River Tas • River Tat • River Thet • River Thurne • River Tiffey • River Tud • River Waveney • River Wensum • Wisbech Canal • River Wissey • River Yare •

Watermills of Norfolk Aldborough Watermill • Bolwick Hall Watermill • Buxton Watermill • Congham Oil Mill • Eade’s Watermill • Gimingham Watermill • Glandford Watermill • Gresham Watermill • Gunton Park Sawmill • Heacham Watermill • Hempstead Watermill • Kettle Watermill • Lenwade Watermill • Letheringsett Watermill • Letheringsett Brewery watermill • Mundesley Watermill • Narborough Bone Mill • Sheringham Watermill • Snettisham Watermill • Weybourne Watermill

Coordinates: 52°48′12″N 1°25′26″E / 52.8034°N 1.4239°E / 52.8034; 1.4239