The Caistor Canal

Description

In the late eighteenth century Caistor, like other Lincolnshire towns, needed a canal to link it to a wider world of trade and business.   In due course a 4-mile stretch of canal was built eastwards from the Ancholme as far as Moortown, barely halfway to Caistor.  For the next 80 years coal and other essential goods were brought in and local produce, especially corn, was taken to distant markets.

The line of Caistor Canal can still be traced today and several locks survive (mainly on private land). However, records of the canal’s construction and operation are scanty and this account brings together all known sources and adds previously unpublished information.

Chris Padley has had an interest in Caistor Canal for over 50 years.   He is a member of the Industrial Archaeology team at SLHA.