History River_Bure

river bure











































































































































































































































































































































































































































the wherry hathor on river bure

the river bure has been navigable 31 miles (50 km) far horstead mill, near coltishall, since @ least 1685, when cargoes of coal, corn , timber carried within 1 mile (1.6 km) of meyton manor house. stated @ time river improved enable boats reach house. vessels not travel beyond coltishall, , aylsham served carts, either loaded wherries @ coltishall , carried north, or loaded boats @ cromer , carried south.

plans extend limit of navigation drawn in 1773. act of parliament obtained on 7 april 1773, authorising improvements coltishall aylsham, john adey estimated cost £6,000. £1,500 had been raised or promised, , balance funded subscriptions. adey acted clerk bure commissioners, while john smith appointed engineer. work began on 29 june 1774, , lock , cut @ coltishall completed 16 march 1775, when first boat used lock. progress after slow, in october 1777 smith announced had spent £3,600 far, estimated further £2,951 required complete work. appears money had run out, smith persuaded carry on after 18 traders , landowners provided loans of between £50 , £150. john green of wroxham appointed joint engineer in march 1779, , new waterway opened in october 1779.

five locks provided, @ aylsham, burgh-near-aylsham mill, oxnead mill, buxton mill @ oxnead lamas , coltishall. within month, commissioners found silting of river bed had occurred, reducing navigable depth, , dredging of river bed using scoop, known locally didle, regular activity. small wherries, capable of carrying 13 tons, used carriage of flour, agricultural produce, coal , timber. brickyard @ oxnead served boats, while below coltishall, marl carried away pits served system of navigable dikes on estate of horstead hall. marl trade continued until 1870, dikes remain, in area called little switzerland.

at each of mills, cuts made accommodate locks, @ aylsham longer cut of 1 mile (1.6 km) made, ending @ basin warehouses constructed. boats there aylsham mill pool, enabled them deliver grain , carry flour away. navigation reasonably successful until 1880, when railway competition arrived, in form of east norfolk railway, followed bure valley. east norfolk later became part of great eastern railway. further competition arrived in 1883, when eastern , midlands railway opened railway station near terminal basin on line melton constable north walsham. despite this, wherries using navigation until 1912, when disastrous flood damaged locks. assessment of damage suggested repairs cost £4,000, commissioners not find, , navigation abandoned. act formalised in 1928, when officially abandoned. oxnead lamas lock filled in, in 1933, other structures remain, although lock gates have been replaced sluices.