British Waterways

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British Waterways was a public corporation in Great Britain and 100% government owned. She was responsible for the administration and management of almost all shipping canals as well as individual navigable rivers and port facilities in England , Scotland and Wales . British Waterways was founded in 1962 under the name British Waterways Board . On July 2, 2012, British Waterways ceased operations. Their tasks were taken over by the non-profit foundation Canal & River Trust .

As of 2008, she was responsible for around 3450 kilometers of waterways, some of which are over 200 years old. In contrast to continental European canals, however, there have been almost no cargo ships on the waterways managed by British Waterways since the middle of the 20th century, but almost exclusively leisure ships, especially so-called narrowboats .

British Waterways: Authority vehicle (Ford E83W Van) in front of the former sewer maintenance facility in the lock relay at Hatton, Grand Union Canal
British Waterways: Government vehicle (Land Rover) in front of the sewer maintenance facility at Stewponey Lock, Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal

history

Nationalization of the canals in the 20th century

After the freight traffic on the British canals, which were almost exclusively operated by private companies, had dramatically decreased in the first half of the 20th century due to increasing competition from road freight transport, in 1948 almost the entire canal network and most of the other inland waterways were nationalized together with the railroad and an authority called Subordinated to the British Transport Commission.

The Transportation Act 1962

The Transport Act 1962 dissolved the British Transport Commission in 1963, and the British Waterways Board, which had been set up for this purpose a year earlier, took over responsibility for the waterways. The exceptionally harsh winter of 1962/63 , which kept the canals frozen for weeks, was one reason why the British Waterways Board formally declared commercial traffic on the so-called narrowboat canals to be over. At this point in time, the usable length of the sewer network had shrunk to around half of what it was in the early 19th century.

British Waterways: restored British Waterways Transport narrowboat on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal , October 2008

The Transport Act 1968

Under the Transport Act 1968 , the remaining waterways were divided into three categories:

  • Commercial - waterways on which commercial traffic still seemed possible
  • Cruising - waterways that were suitable for recreational purposes (driving on private boats, fishing, etc.)
  • Remainder - waterways that appeared to be neither commercially nor for recreational purposes usable.

British Waterways was required by the Transport Act to maintain commercial and cruising waterways for their intended use. However, at as low a cost as possible. As Remainder however, classified waterways had to be confined in a navigable condition, they could also be closed.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ British Waterways .
  2. Annual Report & Accounts 2007/08. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012 ; Retrieved November 11, 2013 .