St. Columb Canal
Encyclopedia
St Columb Canal sometimes referred to as Edyvean's Canal, was first proposed by the Cornish engineer, John Edyvean
John Edyvean
John Edyvean was a British engineer from Cornwall who invented the inclined plane system, to reduce the necessity for locks on the canal system....

 in 1773. His idea was to run a canal from Mawgan Porth
Mawgan Porth
Mawgan Porth is a beach and small settlement in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated north of Watergate Bay approximately four miles north of Newquay, on the Atlantic Ocean coast....

 through parishes inland and to return to Newquay. Its purpose was to import sea-sand, seaweed and stone for manuring to improve land. Two sections were built. One, from Trenance Point at Mawgan Porth to Whitewater, and the other from Lusty Glaze to Rialton Barton near St Columb Minor.

Work started in 1773, but it was never completed. At Lusty Glaze
Lusty Glaze
Lusty Glaze is a beach in Newquay, Cornwall.Lusty Glaze is privately owned although it has full public access. An outdoor activity company runs a range of beach based activities. The cove is naturally sheltered by high cliffs...

 an inclined plane
Canal inclined plane
An inclined plane is a system used on some canals for raising boats between different water levels. Boats may be conveyed afloat, in caissons, or may be carried in cradles or slings. It can be considered as a specialised type of cable railway....

 can be seen linking canal and sea. The canal was dug to Rialton at a height of 100 ft passing under the path from St Columb Minor
St Columb Minor
St Columb Minor is a village on the north coast of Cornwall, UK. St. Columb alone by default refers to the nearby St. Columb Major.At one time St Columb Minor used to be the main settlement in the area, but it has now been encroached upon by its larger neighbour Newquay. The National School in the...

 to Penrose. Parts are clearly visible. A section from Mawgan Porth
Mawgan Porth
Mawgan Porth is a beach and small settlement in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated north of Watergate Bay approximately four miles north of Newquay, on the Atlantic Ocean coast....

 to Whitewater was used for three years. Failed attempts were made to complete it in 1829.

Description

It was a 13 mile 'tub-boat' canal which used inclined planes instead of locks to change levels. It ran from the sea at Mawgan Porth inland to St Columb Major then back to the sea at St Columb Porth
Porth, Cornwall
Porth is a sea-side village near Newquay in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Notable residents have included:* Sir Richard Tangye* Sir Basil Tangye, Bart. * Derek Tangye, author, grandson of Sir Richard...

. Two lengths of 4.5 and 2 miles with inclined planes were built. Apparently it was opened between 1777 and 1779 and then closed in 1781.

See also

  • Canals of Great Britain
  • History of the British canal system
    History of the British canal system
    The British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...

  • Bude Canal
    Bude Canal
    The Bude Canal was a canal built to serve the hilly hinterland in the Devon and Cornwall border territory in the United Kingdom, chiefly to bring lime-bearing sand for agricultural fertiliser. The Bude Canal system was one of the most unusual in Britain....

    (also by John Edyvean)
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