Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/703

 the level of the sea; from the commencensent of the canal to the Wantage River, a distance of seven miles and three quarters, is a rise of 96½ feet; from thence to the east end of the summit level, fifteen miles, is a rise of 71½ feet; the length of the head level is nine miles and three-eighths; from the west end of the head level, near Wootton Bassett, to the branch to Calne, is ten miles and three quarters, with a fall of 130 feet; from thence to the Chippenham Branch one mile and a half with 17 feet fall; and from thence to its junction with the Kennet and Avon Canal at Semington, is seven miles and three-eighths, with a fail of 54 feet. The Wantage Branch is nearly three quarters of a mile in length, and level; the Longcot Branch is nearly half a mile, and level; the branch (heretofore North Wilts Canal) from Eastcote to join the Thames and Severn Canal at Latton, is eight miles and three furlongs, with a fall to Latton, of 58 feet 8 inches; the branch to Calne is three miles and one-eighth long, with a rise of 21 feet; and the branch to Chippenham is nearly two miles, and level.

This canal furnishes coal from the Radstock and Paulton Mines in Somersetshire, which is the means of supplying with fuel the whole district through which it passes, besides affording a good supply of coal to Abingdon and other towns situate on the borders of the Thames; and, on the other hand, enables the agriculturist to export his corn, as well as the cheese for which North Wiltshire is so much celebrated, to both the London and Bristol Markets; it is also the means of conveying building-stone from the quarries in the neighbourhood of Bath to London, and forms one of the lines of communication between London and Bristol; whilst by its junction with the Thames, it is connected with all the midland counties, and by the Severn with Wales and the counties of Gloucester and Worcester; thereby affording an easy and expeditious transit for coal from the Forest of Dean into the counties of Wilts, Berks and Oxford, together with various places on the borders of the Thames. By an inspection of our map, it will be seen that this canal is an important link in the chain of our inland navigations.

Mr. Whitworth was the engineer, under whose direction these works were executed; and that part at first called the North Wilts, was executed for a less sum than the original estimate.