Feeders into the Canal

Acts of Parliament 1795 and 1821

The rules regarding the taking of water for the Wilts and Berks Canal, established in the 1795 Act of Enablement and consolidated in the 1821 Act, provide specific authorizations and strict prohibitions to protect local landowners and existing water infrastructure.

Where and What Water Can Be Taken

The Company of Proprietors is generally authorized to supply the canal with water from the following sources:

• The 2,000-Yard Rule: The Company is empowered to take water from all rivers, springs, brooks, streams, and watercourses found within 2,000 yards of any part of the canal, its cuts, or reservoirs.
• The North Wilts Branch Rule: For the North Wilts Branch specifically, the Company can take water from sources found within 1,000 yards of that part of the navigation.
• Springs Found During Construction: Any springs discovered while digging the canal or its reservoirs are available for use.
• Coate Valley: The Company is authorized to take water from all springs and streams in this valley, located within the parishes of Chisledon and Swindon.
• Wanborough Mill: Water belonging to this mill (in the parish of Wanborough) can be used to supply the canal.
• Idston Stream: The Company may take water from the Idston Stream specifically to provide a constant supply to Warren’s Farm via a one-inch bore pipe.

Where Water Cannot Be Taken

To prevent injury to existing mills and estates, the Acts strictly prohibit taking water from several specific locations:

• River Avon and Associated Streams: The Company is forbidden from taking water from the River Avon (between Trowbridge and Stanley Abbey) and any streams flowing into it from Bradstock, Lineham, or Christian Malford.
• The Thames and Isis (North Wilts Restriction): The Company is specifically prohibited from taking water from the River Thames or Isis, or any streams running into them, to supply the North Wilts Branch, unless the water is sourced from the summit level of the original Wilts and Berks Canal.
• Specific Farm Springs: Prohibited sources include Elcombe Farm Spring, Chilton Farm Spring, and the Salthrop Springs.
• Named Rivulets and Streams: Water cannot be taken from the Bishopstone Brook, Sparsholt Stream, the Wantage River, or the Oxleaze Ditch.
• Edwin Martin Atkins' Stream: The Company cannot take water from the stream running from the fish-ponds and reservoirs belonging to Edwin Martin Atkins at Kingston Lisle.
• Private Estates without Consent:
  • Water arising in the estates of George Lord Viscount Barrington (Beckett), Daines Barrington, Samuel Barrington, and the Bishop of Durham cannot be taken without prior written consent.
  • They are also restricted from taking water arising in the estates of Lord Redesdale, Diana Mary Barker, and James Wild in the parish of Blunsdon Saint Andrew. Methodological and Seasonal Restrictions
• Seasonal Limits: Water cannot be taken from Wootton Bassett Brook, Tockenham Water, or Trow Lane Water between June 10th and September 10th each year. An exception is made only if rain causes these brooks to overflow their banks, in which case the overflow may be taken as long as it continues.
• Crossing Prohibited Waters: When the canal must cross a prohibited river or stream, the Company is required to build and maintain culverts, tunnels, and aqueducts to ensure the water continues in its usual course without any "Loss or Diminution".
• Reservoir Proximity: Any dam or bank built for a reservoir must be within 2,000 yards of the canal or its feeders.
• Protection of Rights: If taking water injures any existing water mills on the River Avon, the Company must improve the mills' construction or provide full financial compensation for the damage.

Ledgers A & B between 1795-1810

Feeders were essential water-supply channels constructed at various points along the canal to divert water from local brooks and rivers into the main line. Based on the financial ledgers, here are the details of where these feeders were constructed and the contractors involved: Major Feeder Constructions

• Near Deacons Mill (Swindon area): One of the most significant feeder projects was managed by William Quarrell in 1804. He was paid £77 17s 0d for making a feeder from near Deacons Mill to the canal, a project that involved cutting, boating bricks, arching, and soiling the ground over approximately 519 yards.
• Wootton Bassett Brook: In 1804, the partnership of Edwards and Camm constructed a long feeder measuring 2,979 yards in length to carry water from the Wootton Bassett brook to the canal at a cost of £37 4s 9d.
• Tockenham Valley: Edwards and Camm also constructed a 572-yard feeder in the Tockenham Valley area. Later, in 1804, they managed the Wanborough Brook feeder, which involved shifting stanks and managing water levels near Acorn Bridge.
• Cunnegar Farm: In 1798, William Large and Joseph Camm were paid £13 0s 0d for cutting a feeder from the river at Cunnegar Farm to the tail of the lower lock. Charles Pettifor later provided the specialized brickwork for this feeder in 1800.
• Pewsham Forest: Contractor Thomas Phillips was responsible for cutting a feeder into the canal at Pewsham Forest in 1804, a task that required 100 1/2 days of labor.
• Bishopstone and Wanborough Brooks: In 1806, Edwards and Camm cut temporary feeders from these brooks. The Bishopstone Brook feeder was 2,236 yards long (£18 12s 8d), and the Wanborough Brook feeder was 1,509 yards long (£9 8s 7 1/2d). Specialized Infrastructure and Maintenance
• Wroughton Brook: William Large crafted a large trunk and sluice specifically for the feeder at Wroughton Brook in 1806.
• Shrivenham and Stainswich: Daniel Powell was frequently paid for "attending" the feeder that ran from Stainswich to Shrivenham between 1807 and 1808, ensuring water flow was maintained and managing associated puddling at Longcot.
• Thatcher’s Field (Uffington): George Roe cut and filled a 380-yard feeder in Thatcher’s Field in 1807.
• Water Management: Thomas King performed extensive day work in 1800 and 1804 making feeders to fill the canal, including work near Stanley and Foxham to regulate water levels. Land Damages and Remediation The construction and presence of feeders often resulted in financial claims from landowners for "damages" caused by excavation or water leakage:
• William Smith received £15 13s 10 1/2d for damages related to a feeder at Wootton Bassett in 1809.
• Jasper Maskelyne was paid £10 10s 0d for damages caused by a feeder on his land.
• Francis Goddard was paid in 1805 for filling up a feeder

Ledger C covering 1810-1817

Primary Feeders and Locations

The ledger identifies several key feeders by name, often associated with the specific mills or villages they served:

• Wanborough Feeder (or Wanboro): This was one of the most significant water sources mentioned. Records show land for this feeder was taken from various owners at Wanborough Mill, Stratton Meadow, and Sandshill Farm.
• Coate Feeder: This feeder is frequently linked with the Wanborough accounts. Land was specifically acquired for it in the meadow at Coate.
• Marston Feeder: This feeder was "taken in at the tail of the locks".
• Ashbury Feeder: Detailed as a separate account, with expenses recorded for digging the "Brook Course".

Journal covering 1810-1817

The following feeders are mentioned.

• Wanborough Feeder (Wanbro' Mill Feeder): This is the most frequently mentioned feeder in the journal entries. It was constructed to conduct water from Wanborough Mill and surrounding "Cole Waters" into the canal. Significant engineering work, including digging, puddling, and the creation of drain bridges, was required to complete it.
• Marston Feeder: The Marston Feeder was designed to conduct water to the tail of the Marston lowest lock. Records indicate it drew water from a hatch in a brook located in "Little Rough Ground". Maintenance on this feeder included frequent cleaning out and repairs to hatches.
• Ashbury Feeder: The Ashbury Feeder was used to turn "Idstone Water" into the canal or the Sainswick Feeder. Construction details mention dispensing the brook course and making trunks for the water flow. Parts of this feeder were eventually relinquished following a specific Act of Parliament.
• Sainswick Feeder (also Hainswick or Stains Wick) This feeder is referred to by several spelling variations, including "Stains Wick" and "Hainswick". It was connected to the Ashbury Feeder system to manage the flow of Idstone water. The canal company paid compensation and rent for land taken for its construction.
• Cole Feeder: The Cole Feeder is specifically identified in land acquisition records for the parish of Wanborough. The sources list payments for leading stone to this feeder and for land taken from the estate of William Durham.

Randell Survey Report from 1897

Randell, a surveyor from Devizes, performed a comprehensive survey of the Wilts and Berks Canal where it passed through the Cricklade and Wootton Bassett District, within this report he details several small feeders that flowed into the canal at various points:

• West Close Copse Feeder: A small feeder running along the boundary of fields in the Parish of Tockenham, entering the canal on its south side.
• West of Farmers Bridge Feeder: A small feeder from Woodshaw and Noremarsh that enters the north side of the canal about 30 yards west of Farmers Bridge.
• East of Chaddington Bridge Feeder: Located about 500 yards east of Chaddington Bridge, this feeder flows from Chaddington and Bincknoll into the south side of the canal through a 4-foot-wide brick arch under the towing path.
• Riverbank Cottages Feeder: A small feeder from Red House that enters the north side of the canal opposite the River Bank Cottages.

Wheeler survey report from 1900

The feeders of the Wilts and Berks Canal system are essential for maintaining the water levels necessary for navigation, particularly at the summit level. These feeders draw from reservoirs, brooks, and streams governed by the Canal Acts of 1795 and 1821.

The Coate Reservoir Feeder

The primary source of water for the canal’s summit level is the Coate reservoir, which covers 70 acres. The water is transported from the reservoir through a 10-inch iron pipe under an embankment into a stone culvert. From there, an open feeder carries the water into the summit level of the canal, entering approximately one mile east of Swindon and half a mile west of Stratton Mill. This feeder system is vital because the water supplied to the summit level must eventually pass in three different directions to support the rest of the navigation:

• West: Toward the Kennet and Avon Canal.
• East: Toward the Thames at Abingdon.
• North: Toward the North Wilts branch and the Thames and Severn Canal.

Tockenham Reservoir and Local Feeders

The Tockenham reservoir serves as another significant water source. Its feeder enters the canal through an 18-inch brick culvert located under the towpath to the west of Trow Lane Bridge, positioned above the seven locks at Tockenham. Interestingly, the sources note that this reservoir also acts as the principal feeder for the Grittenham Brook, which it accesses via a 4-foot brick arch under the canal. Other smaller feeders identified in the sources include:

• Wanborough Brook: Enters the canal below the South Marston Lock.
• Ashbury Brook: Enters in Shrivenham parish above the Longcot Lock.
• Minor Feeders: Various small feeders exist between Tockenham and Semington, as well as between Swindon and Abingdon.

Limitations and Future Requirements

The effectiveness of these feeders is sometimes hindered by legal and physical constraints. For instance, the Tockenham reservoir's value as a feeder is impaired by a restriction in the Canal Act that prohibits taking water from specific nearby streams (such as the Wootton Bassett Brook) between June 10 and September 10, except during floods. Additionally, the North Wilts branch itself is regarded as an important feeder to the Thames and Severn navigation, although the Company is not legally obligated to provide this water.

If the portion of the canal through Swindon were to be abandoned, the sources indicate that a new culvert or pipe line (estimated at 1.75 miles long) would need to be constructed under the towing path. This would be necessary to convey water from the Coate reservoir feeder directly to the waterway on the west side of Swindon to continue supplying riparian owners and any remaining navigation.

Google Earth Map

• Section 6 includes Feeder Points of Interest