JESSOP, William A plan of the intended navigation from Loughborough to Leicester with the proposed water level and railways from Loughborough to the coal mines at Swannington, Cole-Orton and Thringston Commons; and the lime works at Cloud Hill, Barrow Hill and Gracedieu. Also of the intended navigation from Leicester Navigation to Melton Mowbray. Will.m Jessop Eng.r. Surveyed in 1790 by Chris.r Staveley 1790
Fine engraved map, 26½ x 49ins. Printed on two sheets with central join, railways marked in colour. Repaired for marginal tears and hole at lh edge. Skempton No.789. In 1791, the Leicester canal act authorising the Leicester and Melton Mowbray navigations was passed. Jessop was appointed engineer for both schemes with Christopher Staveley Junr. as resident engineer. This beautiful map, surveyed by Staveley under Jessop's direction, was made in preparation for the bill and shows both projects much as they were eventually built.The Leicester navigation fell into two parts. From Leicester to Loughborough it followed the River Soar, which was made navigable for the purpose with cuts, straightenings and locks, to a junction with the Loughborough canal. The remainder, from the Loughborough canal, began as a horse-drawn railway 2½ miles long running to a level canal, which was connected to the mines and quarries of the Thringstone area at the other end by further horse-drawn railways. This mixed canal ailway system was intended to obviate the need for locks, for which there was insufficient water supply. The railways themselves were laid withwhat are almost the earliest examples of cast-iron edge rails. The Melton navigation followed the canalized River Wreak with its extensive straightening cuts and 12 locks from a junction with the Leicester navigation to Melton Mowbray. The Leicester navigation was opened in 1794 but through navigation of the Melton Mowbray line seems not to have begun until 1797.
£650
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