VOL. XVIII. (2) GLOUCESTER & BERKELEY CANAL 171 



THE GLOUCESTER & BERKELEY CANAL 



BY 

 A. J. CULLIS 



Engineer to the Sharpness New Docks and Gloucester and 

 Birmingham Navigation Company. 



The ship-canal between Gloucester and Sharpness is known 

 as " The Gloucester and Berkeley Canal," for which the 

 first Act of Parliament was obtained in 1793. In the original 

 scheme, it was intended to make the connection with the 

 Severn Estuary at Berkeley Pill, but this idea was abandoned 

 twenty-five years after, and further powers were obtained to 

 vary the fine and terminate the canal at Sharpness Point, 

 but no attempt seems to have been made to alter the title. 



During this period many financial difficulties had beset 

 the construction of the canal, and many differences of opinion 

 had arisen between the numerous engineers (including the 

 famous Telford), who, from time to time, were engaged upon 

 the works. Thus, it was not until the year 1827 that this 

 important undertaking was finally completed and opened for 

 traffic. But for many years previous to this date the dock 

 basins at Gloucester, and the canal as far as the Hardwicke 

 Bridge (still called the Stank Bridge) had been completed, 

 and the former were used for the discharge of cargoes by 

 vessels which had successfully navigated the tortuous channels 

 of the River Severn, and entered from the river by the Glouces- 

 ter Lock. 



The canal was originally designed to enable vessels of 

 600 to 700 tons burthen — ^probably the largest ships of the 

 day — ^to reach the City of Gloucester, which had been formerly 



