Kensington Canal
Encyclopedia
The Kensington Canal was a canal
, 1.75 miles long, opened in 1828 in London
from the River Thames
at Chelsea
, along the line of Counter's Creek
, to a basin near Warwick Road in Kensington
. It had one lock, at the entrance.
in 1846, leaving it owning only the canal. The original canal company was wound up that year. An Act of Parliament
of 1859 authorised a joint venture of several railway companies to extend the railway south from Kensington, and most of the canal became track bed with only a short stretch of canal remaining, its principal customer was a gas works. The canal carried traffic until 1967.
from Willesden Junction station
to runs along the route of the canal, a re-use by rail which has been the fate of several former canals in London, including the Croydon Canal
.
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
, 1.75 miles long, opened in 1828 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
at Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
, along the line of Counter's Creek
Counter's Creek
Counter's Creek is a largely subterranean stream that arises in Kensal Green, west London and flows south into the River Thames on the Tideway at Sands End, Chelsea...
, to a basin near Warwick Road in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
. It had one lock, at the entrance.
History
The canal had problems with silting and mud, making navigation difficult, especially at low tide and it was sold to the Bristol, Birmingham and Thames Junction Railway in 1836, which built a railway line from the north to the canal basin for the transshipment of goods. The railway company, renamed the West London Railway, leased the line to the London and Birmingham RailwayLondon and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
in 1846, leaving it owning only the canal. The original canal company was wound up that year. An Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of 1859 authorised a joint venture of several railway companies to extend the railway south from Kensington, and most of the canal became track bed with only a short stretch of canal remaining, its principal customer was a gas works. The canal carried traffic until 1967.
Current status
The West London LineWest London Line
The West London Line is a short railway in inner West London which links lines at in the south to lines near Willesden Junction in the north. It has always been an important cross-London link especially for freight services...
from Willesden Junction station
Willesden Junction station
Willesden Junction station is a Network Rail station in Harlesden, northwest London, UK. It is served by both London Overground and the Bakerloo line of the London Underground.-History:The station developed on three contiguous sites:...
to runs along the route of the canal, a re-use by rail which has been the fate of several former canals in London, including the Croydon Canal
Croydon Canal
The Croydon Canal ran from Croydon, via Forest Hill, to the Grand Surrey Canal at New Cross in south London, England. It opened in 1809, and closed in 1836, making it the first canal to be formally abandoned by an Act of Parliament.-History:...
.
External links
- The Kensington Canal, railways and related developments, Survey of LondonSurvey of LondonThe Survey of London is a research project to produce a comprehensive architectural survey of the former County of London. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Robert Ashbee, an Arts-and-Crafts architect and social thinker, and was motivated by a desire to record and preserve London's ancient monuments...
: volume 42: Kensington Square to Earl's Court (1986), pp. 322-338. Date accessed: 02 September 2008.