The Canal
"The Pocklington Canal runs for 9.5 miles between East Cottingwith and Canal Head at Pocklington. The Pocklington Canal Amenity Society have restored the section from the River Derwent to the Melbourne Arm back to navigation, approximately half the length of the canal. Together with the Amenity Society, we're currently working to extend the navigation to Bielby Arm, which will increase the navigable section by around two miles.
The majority of the canal is designated as SSSI for its wildlife value, with the lower reaches lying within the Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve. The towpath that runs along the canal is a great place for spotting the brilliant blue flash of a kingfisher or dragonflies darting above the reeds.
The canal architecture also adds interest to the scenery, with distinctive swing bridges, classic hump-backed bridges and restored and unrestored locks.
The Pocklington Canal history
The canal was one of the last to be built, and was promoted by prosperous local farmers who sought more effective means of transporting their goods to the fast-growing towns of West Yorkshire. Its Act was passed in 1815, and it opened three years later.
The Pocklington is one of the few canals in Britain that were completed for less than the original estimated cost, costing only £32,695. Coal, lime, fertiliser and industrial goods were carried to Pocklington, and agricultural produce was sent out to the West Riding.
It was taken over by the York & North Midlands Railway in 1848, after just thirty years of operation. During the middle part of the last century the canal fell into disuse and became unnavigable. Despite plans in the 1950s to turn it into a dumping ground for chalk sludge, the canal survived, thanks to an active restoration group."
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The bridge
The bridge is a Historic England Grade II listed building.
"Hagg Bridge on the Pocklington Canal is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * It is a pre-1840 canal structure and is one of a group crossing the Pocklington Canal * It was designed by George Leather, a well-known navigation engineer and designer * It remains largely in its original condition * It is of good architectural quality with a strong design.
MATERIALS: Brick with stone voussoirs and coping.
PLAN: The bridge has two basket arches, the larger over the canal and a smaller one over a beck immediately to the north-west. The towpath runs beneath the canal arch on the north side. There are rectangular buttresses to either side of each arch. The smaller arch has some stonework on the south-west side, and some of the brickwork has been replaced with C20 brick. There is no brick parapet, but a concrete post and metal rail fence borders the road."
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It is believed that a bridge already existed that crossed the Beck and when the canal was built it was simply extended to also carry traffic over the canal.
In 2020 the bridge needed major repairs which due to its listed status had to be done with minimal changes to its original design.
The narrow single lane bridge had to be closed to traffic and caused major disruption. It was kept as a single lane carriageway, but is now controlled with traffic lights.