Lock Mechanism
At the Double Locks
The double locks (locks wide enough to take in two boats side-by-side) were added in 1701 when the 3 previous pound gates were removed.
Taken along the Exeter Ship Canal
The Exeter Canal was the first pound lock canal in the country. In 1564-6 John Trew of Glamorgan cut a 13/4 mile channel to by-pass shallows on the River Exe which prevented boats from reaching Exeter. The canal was only 16ft wide and 3ft deep. It was often impassable with the result that many merchants preferred to unload their goods at Topsham and bring them to Exeter by road
In 1676 the canal was extended to Topsham and in 1698-1701 it was further straightened and enlarged to 50ft wide and 10ft deep to accommodate ships.
The canal was extended to Turf in 1827, where it could be reached by ships at all states of the tide. The Canal Basin was opened in 1830 as an alternative to the river Quay. The fine Victorian warehouses on The Quay were built in 1835
The city's prosperity from the late Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century was based on the woollen industry and trade with Europe. For several centuries Exeter was one of the largest and richest towns in England. When Daniel Defoe visited the city in 1714 he wrote 'Exeter is large, rich, beautiful, populous, and was once a very strong city'.
During the Napoleonic wars (1793-1815) trade with Europe ceased. By the time peace was restored the centre of the textile manufacturing had shifted to the northern industrial towns and the Devon woollen industry never regained its former importance.
[Exeter City Council]
Lock Mechanism
At the Double Locks
The double locks (locks wide enough to take in two boats side-by-side) were added in 1701 when the 3 previous pound gates were removed.
Taken along the Exeter Ship Canal
The Exeter Canal was the first pound lock canal in the country. In 1564-6 John Trew of Glamorgan cut a 13/4 mile channel to by-pass shallows on the River Exe which prevented boats from reaching Exeter. The canal was only 16ft wide and 3ft deep. It was often impassable with the result that many merchants preferred to unload their goods at Topsham and bring them to Exeter by road
In 1676 the canal was extended to Topsham and in 1698-1701 it was further straightened and enlarged to 50ft wide and 10ft deep to accommodate ships.
The canal was extended to Turf in 1827, where it could be reached by ships at all states of the tide. The Canal Basin was opened in 1830 as an alternative to the river Quay. The fine Victorian warehouses on The Quay were built in 1835
The city's prosperity from the late Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century was based on the woollen industry and trade with Europe. For several centuries Exeter was one of the largest and richest towns in England. When Daniel Defoe visited the city in 1714 he wrote 'Exeter is large, rich, beautiful, populous, and was once a very strong city'.
During the Napoleonic wars (1793-1815) trade with Europe ceased. By the time peace was restored the centre of the textile manufacturing had shifted to the northern industrial towns and the Devon woollen industry never regained its former importance.
[Exeter City Council]