Southam Road, Long Itchington, Warwickshire, CV47 9QZ   Telephone : 01926 812314

WARWICK AND NAPTON CANAL.

This canal, commencing at the Warwick and Birmingham Canal, in the parish of Budbrook, runs in an easterly direction, leaving the city of Warwick on the south, and passing by Leamington Prior's, Radford, Long Itchington and Stockton, it joins the Oxford Canal near Napton-on-the-Hill. In its course, which is about fourteen miles in length, it crosses the River Avon near Warwick by an aqueduct bridge, and near Radford and Long Itchington there are other smaller aqueducts.

The first act of parliament relating to this canal was passed in 1794, and entitled, 'An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Canal, out of, and from, the Warwick and Birmingham Canal now cutting, or intended to be cut, in the parish of Budbrook, in the county of Warwick, into the Oxford Canal, in the parish of Braunston, in time county of Northampton.' It incorporates the subscribers to the undertaking, by the name of "The Company of Proprietors of the Warwick and Braunston Canal "Navigation," and empowers them to raise amongst themselves, for the purposes of the act, the sum of £100,000, in one thousand shares of £100 each, and if necessary, a further sum of £30,000.

The course prescribed by this act was soon found to be inconvenient, the company of proprietors therefore obtained a second act of parliament in 1796, entitled, 'An Act for authorizing the Company of Proprietors of time Warwick and Braunston Canal Navigation to vary the Course of a certain Part of the said Canal, and for amending and altering the Act made in the Thirty-fourth Year of the Reign of his present Majesty for making the said Canal,' which authorized them to adopt the present line of the canal, and change the name of the company to that of "The Company of Proprietors of the Warwick and Napton Navigation ;" and to take the following :

TONNAGE RATES.

For all Coal and other Goods navigated less than Six Miles, and passing any Lock or Locks  1s 0d per Ton.

From Six and not exceeding Eight Miles  0s 2d ditto, per Mile.

From Eight and not exceeding Thirteen Miles, for the first Eight Miles  0s 2d ditto. ditto.

After the Eighth Mile  0s 1d ditto. ditto.

For all Coal or other Goods navigated along the whole of the Canal or any part thereof more than Thirteen Miles  0s 1½d ditto. ditto.

If such Goods do not pass a Lock  0s 1½d ditto. ditto.

Lime and Lime-stone only half the said Tonnage.

Fractions of a Mile to be taken as a Mile, and of a Quarter of a Ton as a Quarter.

Only Two-pence per Ton per Mile to be taken on Goods carried on this Canal, not exceeding Five Miles from the Warwick and Birmingham Navigation; nor more than Three Half-pence per Ton per Mile for Free-stone, nor any Tonnage on empty Boats passing for the purpose of fetching Free-stone, or Boats laden with Manure for the Lands of Persons whose Ground has been taken for the Canal.

The first act of parliament contained certain clauses of tonnage rates in favour of the Oxford Canal Company, which by this act are repealed, and in lieu thereof, it is enacted :-

"That time proprietors of the Oxford Canal shall receive, over and above the rate of tonnage they are entitled to, on coal, goods, &c. passing on their canal by virtue of any act now in force, the following

RATES.

For all Coals navigated out of this Canal into the Oxford Canal (except such as shall be navigated into the Grand Junction Canal) 3s 4d per To

For all Goods navigated out of this Canal into the Oxford Canal, or out of the Oxford into this Canal, except such as shall be navigated into or out of the Grand Junction Canal, or from the Coventry Canal, or from any intermediate Place between the said Coventry Canal and this Canal, and also except Lime, Lime-stone and Manure  5s 2½d ditto.  

For all Coal navigated out of this Canal into the Oxford Canal, and along the same into the Grand Junction canal 2s 9d per Ton.

For all Goods (except Coal, Lime, Lime-stone, and Manure) navigated out of this Canal into the Oxford Canal, and along the same into the Grand Junction Canal, or out of the Grand Junction Canal, into the Oxford Canal, and along the same into this Canal 4s 4d ditto.

Coal navigated out of this Canal into the Oxford Canal towards Braunston, and laid down on the Banks of such Canal and not carried into the Grand Junction Canal, the usual Tonnage over and above the said Two Shillings and Nine-pence per Ton.

Goods (except Coal, Lime, Lime-stone and Manure) navigated out of this Canal into the Oxford Canal, and along the same towards Braunston, and laid down on the Banks of the said Oxford Canal, and not carried on the Grand Junction Canal, or from any Place on the Oxford Canal, between Braunston and Napton, along the Oxford Canal into this Canal, the usual Tonnage payable for such Goods, Wares and Merchandize (except as aforesaid) on such Canal, over and above the said Four Shillings and Four-pence per Ton.

Lime and Lime-stone navigated out of this Canal into the Oxford Canal, and whether along the same into the Grand Junction Canal or not 0s 6d per Ton.

This canal is upon the same level with the Warwick and Birmingham Canal at their junction at Budbrook, and is entitled to the waste water of that canal; but from thence to its junction with the Oxford Canal it rises 134¼ feet.

The last act of parliament obtained by this company was passed in 1809, and is entitled, 'An Act for amending, altering and enlarging the Powers of the several Acts relating to the Warwick and Napton Canal Navigation.' Its principal clause is explaining one in a former act, respecting vessels under twenty tons passing any of the locks, and providing that such vessels may pass them at all times on paying for twenty tons.

By executing this short canal from Warwick to Napton, another and a shorter line of communication is opened between London and Birmingham; besides affording a more direct conveyance for coal to supply the demands of the country connected with the Oxford and Grand Junction Canals, and the River Thames, to the great advantage of many large towns, as well as to the trade carried on between London and Birmingham.