Rolle Canal
The Rolle Canal (or Torrington Canal) in north Devon, England, was constructed to provide a six mile link between the River Torridge at Landscross to the industrial mills and corn-mills at Town Mills (now known as "Orford Mill"), Rosemoor, Great Torrington and beyond to Healand Docks and weir on the Torridge, where survive the ruins of Lord Rolle's limekilns, upstream of today's Rosemoor Garden.
Construction of the canal commenced in 1823 as a private venture financed largely by John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (died 1842), He was the largest landowner in Devon and owned much land around Torrington, including the estate of Beam, where continues to exist a mansion house which had served as a home for junior members of the Rolle family.
Other shareholders in the company were William Tardrew of Annery, Monkleigh and Richard Pine-Coffin of Portledge, who owned land on which the northerly section of the canal was constructed between the Rolle estate of Beam and the end of the canal at Landcross.
The canal was built largely without permission, with an act of Parliament eventually being granted for this purpose in 1835.
The function of the canal was to import limestone from Wales to be burnt with coal, also imported, at inland kilns to make lime fertiliser which would greatly increase the fertility, and thus the value, of agricultural land. Marland Clay, mined south of Torrington, was to be exported via the seaport of Bideford, at the estuary of the River Torridge, for the making of bricks.
More generally the canal was to link the industrial mills at Great Torrington, some of which were owned by Lord Rolle, to the seaport of Bideford on the River Torridge. James Green was employed as the lead engineer.
Lord Rolle laid the foundation stone of the aqueduct in a ceremony which included the firing of a cannon, which unfortunately exploded, causing injury to a man by the name of John Hopgood, whom Rolle compensated with a year's salary. A stone tablet on the north parapet of the Beam Aqueduct is inscribed:
The first stone of this aqueduct was laid by the Right Honourable John Lord Rolle, Baron Rolle of Stevenstone in the county of Devon, on the 11th day of August 182(1?) in the presence of the mayor, corporation and feoffees of Great Torrington and other persons assembled to witness the commencement of the (word chiselled out) CANAL undertaken at the sole expense of his Lordship. James Green Engineer.
The canal was completed in 1827 at a cost of between £40,000 and £45,000. The canal shared many design features with the Bude Canal, unsurprisingly as the Bude Canal had partly inspired the scheme and shared the same lead engineer. Similarities included the use of trains of tub boats and of canal inclined planes rather than locks. The inclined plane was powered by a water wheel. The canal received its water supply from a weir on the River Torridge which also supplied two mills with power.
In 1871 the canal was closed and sold to the London and South Western Railway to form the trackway of the new railway from Bideford to Torrington. The track followed the canal in several stretches, not sitting within the former canal but on elevated ground beside it. The railway was dismantled during the late 20th century and the trackway now forms part of the Tarka Trail cycleway.
Some parts of the canal are still visible today, including the Beam Aqueduct, now a viaduct carrying a new entrance drive to Beam Mansion, today an adventure holiday centre. The sea lock also survives, without its gates, as do parts of the inclined plane. The Annery kiln near Weare Giffard lies close to the old canal, between it and the River Torridge, and is visible from the Tarka Trail. The canal has been designated a Devon County Wildlife Site.
The Beam section of the canal is still owned by the heir of Lord Rolle, Lord Clinton and is managed by the family's management company, Clinton Devon Estates, still possibly the largest landowner in Devon.
Parts of the canal have been under restoration since 1988.
Clinton Devon Estates plan to restore the Beam estate section of the canal after 2013, and in 2000 completed restoration of the old stone bridge which took the old driveway from Beam Mansion northward over the canal. Some work on the sea lock was carried out in 2006 involving re-pointing and rebuilding the eastern wall.
Read MoreConstruction of the canal commenced in 1823 as a private venture financed largely by John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (died 1842), He was the largest landowner in Devon and owned much land around Torrington, including the estate of Beam, where continues to exist a mansion house which had served as a home for junior members of the Rolle family.
Other shareholders in the company were William Tardrew of Annery, Monkleigh and Richard Pine-Coffin of Portledge, who owned land on which the northerly section of the canal was constructed between the Rolle estate of Beam and the end of the canal at Landcross.
The canal was built largely without permission, with an act of Parliament eventually being granted for this purpose in 1835.
The function of the canal was to import limestone from Wales to be burnt with coal, also imported, at inland kilns to make lime fertiliser which would greatly increase the fertility, and thus the value, of agricultural land. Marland Clay, mined south of Torrington, was to be exported via the seaport of Bideford, at the estuary of the River Torridge, for the making of bricks.
More generally the canal was to link the industrial mills at Great Torrington, some of which were owned by Lord Rolle, to the seaport of Bideford on the River Torridge. James Green was employed as the lead engineer.
Lord Rolle laid the foundation stone of the aqueduct in a ceremony which included the firing of a cannon, which unfortunately exploded, causing injury to a man by the name of John Hopgood, whom Rolle compensated with a year's salary. A stone tablet on the north parapet of the Beam Aqueduct is inscribed:
The first stone of this aqueduct was laid by the Right Honourable John Lord Rolle, Baron Rolle of Stevenstone in the county of Devon, on the 11th day of August 182(1?) in the presence of the mayor, corporation and feoffees of Great Torrington and other persons assembled to witness the commencement of the (word chiselled out) CANAL undertaken at the sole expense of his Lordship. James Green Engineer.
The canal was completed in 1827 at a cost of between £40,000 and £45,000. The canal shared many design features with the Bude Canal, unsurprisingly as the Bude Canal had partly inspired the scheme and shared the same lead engineer. Similarities included the use of trains of tub boats and of canal inclined planes rather than locks. The inclined plane was powered by a water wheel. The canal received its water supply from a weir on the River Torridge which also supplied two mills with power.
In 1871 the canal was closed and sold to the London and South Western Railway to form the trackway of the new railway from Bideford to Torrington. The track followed the canal in several stretches, not sitting within the former canal but on elevated ground beside it. The railway was dismantled during the late 20th century and the trackway now forms part of the Tarka Trail cycleway.
Some parts of the canal are still visible today, including the Beam Aqueduct, now a viaduct carrying a new entrance drive to Beam Mansion, today an adventure holiday centre. The sea lock also survives, without its gates, as do parts of the inclined plane. The Annery kiln near Weare Giffard lies close to the old canal, between it and the River Torridge, and is visible from the Tarka Trail. The canal has been designated a Devon County Wildlife Site.
The Beam section of the canal is still owned by the heir of Lord Rolle, Lord Clinton and is managed by the family's management company, Clinton Devon Estates, still possibly the largest landowner in Devon.
Parts of the canal have been under restoration since 1988.
Clinton Devon Estates plan to restore the Beam estate section of the canal after 2013, and in 2000 completed restoration of the old stone bridge which took the old driveway from Beam Mansion northward over the canal. Some work on the sea lock was carried out in 2006 involving re-pointing and rebuilding the eastern wall.
