Monmouthshire Canal Navigation Company

Miscellaneous records of the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation Company.

Topics

Canals and river transport

The Monmouth Canal Navigation Company was created by the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation Act 1792 (32 Geo III, c102) which authorised the construction of a canal from the River Usk near Newport to Pontnewynydd and a branch from Crindai Farm to Crumlin. The Act also authorised the construction of several tramroads to link the canal to various iron works.

The first section of the canal was opened in March 1794 and throughout in February 1796. The branch to Crumlin was completed early in 1799.

The canal was 10.5 miles long, had 42 locks, 3 tunnels and could take barges 64ft and 9ft wide. The Crumlin branch was 11 miles long and had 32 locks.

In February 1812 the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal was opened and linked the Monmouth Canal Navigation at Pontymoile to Brecon.

Further Acts were passed to authorise the construction of further tramroads, change of name to Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company (1845) and purchase of Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal (1865).

In 1875 the Great Western Railway took over operation of the company and absorbed it under the Great Western Railway Amalgamation Act 1880.

The use of the canal gradually declined thereafter, commercial use of the Crumlin branch ceasing in 1930 and of the main canal in 1938.

The formal abandonment of sections of the canal took place between 1949 and 1962 under the auspices of the British Transport Commission which succeeded the Great Western Railway Company in 1948.