Now! Then! Civil engineer John Smeaton suggests how to avoid a water conflict between the Boroughbridge mills and the new River Ure navigation from Ripon

9 January 1772: Civil engineer John Smeaton suggests how to avoid a water conflict between the Boroughbridge mills and the new River Ure navigation from Ripon

John Smeaton. 1812. Reports of the Late John Smeaton, F.R.S., Made on Various Occasions, in the Course of His Employment as a Civil Engineer, Vol. 2/3. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown. Get it:

Excerpt

It seems that in case a three-feet navigation in dry seasons, three-and-a-half-feet in common ones, and four feet in open winter weather, will suffice, that this may be procured with a full dam at Boroughbridge by lowering Rockcliff shoal six, eight, or nine inches; but then, in case the miller of Boroughbridge mills should draw his water within head (as in dry times he can very easily do), the navigation, as it now stands, must, at those times, be considerably defective, and as the original expedient of building a dam at Rockcliff, or any other intermediate dam, may not be perfectly agreeable to the miller at Boroughbridge, he may possibly see it to be (as it most certainly is) for his interest to enter into a firm agreement with the navigators not to draw his water within dam, and to prevent its running over and wasting in dry seasons, to fix on a set of boards of nine or ten inches broad, which I can engage so to make, that they may be struck and removed at any time of flood; and if those are kept in repair at the joint expense of the navigation and mill, it will be a real improvement to the mill as well as benefit to the navigation, by giving them so much additional head of water when they most want it, and the mill will then have as good a latitude in drawing as it now has.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.
Abbreviations:

ER: East Riding
GM: Greater Manchester
NR: North Riding
NY: North Yorkshire
SY: South Yorkshire
WR: West Riding
WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

A summary of the industrial history of the navigation:

In 1767, an act of parliament was obtained for making the river Ure navigable to Ripon; this was effected by means of short cuts, dams, and locks. The locks are six in number, the dams two, one of which crosses the river a little above the bridge, from which a fine view of the broad and dashing waterfall is gained, but this existed long before the canal, for the use of the mill on the south side. A mill existed here as early as the time of Edward II. Vessels, drawing four feet and a half of water, and carrying seventy tons, can now ascend from Hull to Ripon. The celebrated Smeaton, builder of the Eddystone Lighthouse, was the engineer. [Author FN: A second act of parliament was obtained, by which the proprietors were incorporated under the title of “The Company of Proprietors of the River Ure Navigation to Ripon.” The former commissioners having either become insolvent, or ceased to exist, and the navigation being in danger of becoming useless from shoals and impediments. The last company disposed of the navigation, and all the buildings and works belonging thereto, to the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Company, in 1847.]

From this period the town of Boroughridge may be said to have enjoyed a high state of prosperity. The commerce of the country began to be developed – stage-coaches were established – immense numbers of post-horses had to be maintained for the accommodation of the great northern families and Scottish members of parliament, travelling up to London – of the benefits of which, this place obtained a full share – two of the inns here, keeping at that time more than one hundred horses, for posting alone. Those were palmy days for “mine host,” indeed, compared with the present degenerate age…

Enormous droves of cattle were driven from Scotland, and other places in the north, to fatten in the pastures of the south, and nearly all passed along this road; no one knew a better. Stage-waggons, with their high-piled loads, almost like moving mountains, slowly lumbering along, with their four, and often six, heavy horses each. The consumption of oats and hay, and other provisions, would necessarily, be very great. All must either stay a night, or, at least, bait; and the rejoicing landlords might truly exclaim―

“O what a glorious thing’s a turnpike road!

The traffic on the river for coals, timber, flax, and other articles was active and extensive; for Knaresborough was then one of the greatest linen manufacturing towns in England, and Boroughbridge was its port. Boat-building was carried on, and seagoing vessels sometimes constructed here. This prosperous state of things continued until the passing of the Reform Bill, in 1832, and the extension of the railway system, in 1840.

(Turner 1853)

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Original

THE REPORT

Of JOHN SMEATON, Engineer, upon the State of the Navigation of the River Ure from Ripon to Boroughbridge Lock.

HAVING carefully viewed and sounded the river and cuts the 28th September last, I find that when the cuts are cleaned, there will be four feet water from Ripon into Westwick lock.

From Westwick lock downwards, which is now the subject of the principal impediments, I find that in the state the river then was, viz. four inches water over Boroughbridge dam, there was no more than three feet nine inches and a half water over the threshold of the lower gates of Westwick lock, so that when the water is reduced to dam’s height, and subsided nearly to a level, as in time of drought must always be the case, this, together with the soundings taken by Mr. JESSOP last summer, convinces me, that in that state of the river, there will not be more than three feet water over that threshold. I found likewise that the places that had been dredged, had, at the time of my view, four, and four and a half feet water; but that in several places between and below the places that had been dredged, the river’s bottom was no more than three feet and a half, and in one place, viz. at Rockcliff shoal (where I originally proposed building the intermediate dam) there was only three feet three inches, all below to the cut’s mouth at Boroughbridge being at least five feet, and in general six feet and upwards of water: hence it appears, as also from Mr. JESSOP’s soundings taken at the time before mentioned, that in a dry season there will not be more than two feet six inches on Rockcliff shoal, with a full dam at Boroughbridge, while at all other places there will be about three feet.

From the cut’s mouth to Milby lock there are some impediments; but as it is always in the power of navigators to remove those, and there being four feet water over the upper thresholds at Milby, at dam’s height, I consider this cut as capable of complete four feet water with a full dam.

It seems, therefore, that in case a three-feet navigation in dry seasons, three-and ́a-half-feet in common ones, and four feet in open winter weather, will suffice, that this may be procured with a full dam at Boroughbridge by lowering Rockcliff shoal six, eight, or nine inches; but then, in case the miller of Boroughbridge mills should draw his water within head (as in dry times he can very easily do), the navigation, as it now stands, must, at those times, be considerably defective, and as the original expedient of building a dam at Rockcliff, or any other intermediate dam, may not be perfectly agreeable to the miller at Boroughbridge, he may possibly see it to be (as it most certainly is) for his interest to enter into a firm agreement with the navigators not to draw his water within dam, and to prevent its running over and wasting in dry seasons, to fix on a set of boards of nine or ten inches broad, which I can engage so to make, that they may be struck and removed at any time of flood; and if those are kept in repair at the joint expense of the navigation and mill, it will be a real improvement to the mill as well as benefit to the navigation, by giving them so much additional head of water when they most want it, and the mill will then have as good a latitude in drawing as it now has.

If the above cannot be acceded to, then it appears necessary either to lay a catch dam across the river just below the head of Boroughbridge cut, or to build a lock and dam at Rockcliff shoal as first intended.

The former expedient will cure the present inconveniences in the most effectual manner, because it will render the navigation entirely independent of the mills: but at the same time, I cannot take upon me to report, that in case the catch dam is raised as high as the mill dam (which, as the works are now laid, is absolutely necessary) there will not be a real injury to the mill; on the contrary, my opinion is, that there will be a real injury, which will require recompense, and if this recompense could be easily agreed upon it would be well, but otherwise, as it is of such a nature as not readily to be adjusted by a jury, it appears to me better to submit to some extra charge and inconvenience than embark in a troublesome piece of litigation.

The dam at Rockcliff shoal, as originally proposed, was intended to raise the water two feet, in order to clear all the shoals above without dredging; but, as now they are in a great degree cleared, it will be sufficient to raise the water there a single foot, and this may be done by a rubble dam; that is to say, by adding to the present, and making an artificial shoal, so as to keep up the water a foot above its present surface, that is, much about as high as the shoals intermediate, between this and Westwick, penned the water before they were cleared away. By the side of the shoal to be made at Rockcliff, there must be a lock to give passage to vessels, but as this lock need not be raised higher than till the vessels can go over the shoal itself, I apprehend the whole of this businees at Rockcliff may be done for about 1200/., which may be more particularly estimated if this mode of relief be adopted.

When this is done, and the Boroughbridge cut cleared so as to be six inches below the upper threshold of Milby lock, together with the cut above also cleared, and particularly the tail cut of Oxclose lock, there will be then complete four feet water, with fill ponds in the driest seasons: and after the mill at Boroughbridge has drawn down one foot, there will still remain three feet in the Boroughbridge cut, and should the miller then attempt to draw and keep down his water below one foot within dam, as this cannot be with any other view than to distress the navigation, I would then advise to lie in a shoal at the head of Boroughbridge cut, which will give him the command of the pond to one foot within head, but will prevent his wantonly drawing it lower.

I would advise that the navigation should be furnished with proper dredging utensils for making such clearances as can be done without taking off the water, the principal of which is a machine of known construction, used in the neighbouring river, called a hell rake: also a set of grooved piles with proper beams and braces, for readily taking off the water from any cut, so as occasionally to clear it by hand. For want of the former, the head of Boroughbridge cut has never been sufficiently cleared; and for want of the latter, the silt that has been lodged there in time of floods is obliged to remain: but I am apprehensive, from the position of this cut’s head, it will be so liable to gather silt, that it will be worth while to have a staunch fixed at the head; by shutting of which the water may be readily taken off the cut, and the soil, while light, washed out by a current of water.

AUSTHORPE, January 9, 1772.

J. SMEATON.

P.S. In my Report of May 12th, 1770, I advised that the three overfals from the ponds of Oxclose, Bell Furrows, and Rhode’s field locks, should be made twenty feet in the crown; now the two already constructed above Oxclose and Bell Furrow, are not above half that dimension; and though they may answer the purpose in ordinary, yet I shall not be surprised if, on extraordinary occasions, damages are done for want of a proper vent for the water, as well as from the pond from Rhode’s field lock to Bondgate green, for want of one being constructed on this line: somewhat near the tunnel I apprehend will be the proper place.

J. S.

1427 words.