The Waterways
website [ visit link
] gives some statistics about
the Regent's Canal and some of those canals that join it:
"The Regent’s Canal runs from the Paddington Arm of the
Grand Union Canal at Little Venice to Limehouse Basin, which joins on to the
Tidal Thames and Limehouse Cut. It is 8.6 miles (13.8 km) long and has 13
locks. The Regent's Canal is joined by the Hertford Union Canal between
Locks 8 (Old Ford) and 9 (Mile End). The Hertford Union Canal is 1.3 miles
(2 km) long, has 3 locks and joins to River Lee Navigation just above Old Ford
Locks.
The maximum size of boat that can navigate the Regent's
Canal is:
Length: 74' 0" (22.56 metres) - Hampstead Road Lock (No 1)
Beam:
14' 6" (14.42 metres) - Hawley Lock (No 2)
Headroom: 9' 2" (2.79 metres) -
Mile End Road Bridge
Headroom on the Hertford Union Canal: 8' 2" (2.48
metres) - Skew Bridge
Draught: 4' 10" (1.48 metres) - cill of Johnsons Lock
(No 10)."
The Canal
Museum website [ visit link ]
gives us some history:
"The Regent's Canal was built to link the Grand Junction
Canal's Paddington Arm, which opened in 1801, with the Thames at Limehouse. One
of the directors of the canal company was the famous architect John Nash. Nash
was friendly with the Prince Regent, later King George IV, who allowed the use
of his name for the project. The Regent's Canal Act was passed in 1812 and the
company was formed to build and operate it. Nash's assistant, James Morgan, was
appointed as the canal's Engineer. It was opened in two stages, from Paddington
to Camden in 1816, and the rest of the canal in 1820.
Two serious setbacks, and shortage of money were to
blame for the delay in completion. Firstly an innovative design of lock, the
hydro pheumatic lock, invented by William Congreve, was built at Hampstead Road
Lock. Congreve (later Sir William) was also famous for the invention of military
rockets, and in the world of horology. The lock however was a failure, and in
1819 it had to be rebuilt to a conventional design.
Secondly Thomas Homer, once the canal's promoter,
embezzled its funds in 1815 causing further financial problems. To build the
canal cost £772,000, twice the original estimate of expenditure. The Canal was
short of water supplies and it was necessary to dam the river Brent to create a
reservoir to provide them, in 1835, extended in 1837 and 1854. A number of
basins were built such as Battlebridge basin where the London Canal Museum now
stands, which was opened in 1822. The main centre of trade was the Regent's
Canal Dock, a point for seaborne cargo to be unloaded onto canal boats. Cargo
from abroad, including ice destined for what is now the museum, was unloaded
there and continued its journey on barges. City Road Basin was the second most
important traffic centre, handling incoming inland freight, to a large
extent.
By the 1840s the railways were taking traffic from the
canals and there were attempts made, without success, to turn the canal into a
railway at various times during the 19th Century. The explosion at Macclesfield
Bridge (pictured in 2000) of 1874 was a famous incident in the canal's history,
in which a gunpowder barge blew up, destroying the bridge and sending debris in
all directions.
In the late 1920's talks took place between the Regent's
Canal, the Grand Junction Canal, and the Warwick Canals, resulting, in 1929, in
a merger between them. The Regent's Canal Company bought the canal assets of the
other two parties and the new enlarged undertaking was renamed as the Grand
Union Canal Company.
In the latter part of the second world war (1939-45)
traffic increased on the canal system as an alternative to the hard pressed
railways. Stop gates were installed near King's Cross to limit flooding of the
railway tunnel below, in the event that the canal was breached by German bombs.
Along with other transport systems the canal was nationalised in 1948, coming
under the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive, a part of the British Transport
Commission, which traded under the name "British Waterways". The British
Transport Commission was split up in 1963 and the British Waterways Board , who
still own and operate the canals, took over. They now also use the name British
Waterways.
Regent's Canal EmblemThe last horse drawn commercial
traffic was carried in 1956 following the introduction of motor tractors three
years previously. By the late 1960's commercial traffic had all but vanished.
The canal has since become a leisure facility with increased use of the towpath
which has been opened up to the public. Boat trips are regularly available
especially between Camden and the picturesque Little Venice in west London where
the canal meets the Grand Junction near
Paddington."