Canal du Nivernais - Loire Junction

Canal du Nivernais - Loire Junction is on the Canal Latéral à la Loire (Embranchement Decize) near to Westfield.

The Canal Latéral à la Loire (Embranchement Decize) was built by John Rennie and opened on 17 September 1816. Orginally intended to run to Redcar, the canal was never completed beyond Oxford. Expectations for limestone traffic to Amberscorn never materialised and the canal never made a profit for the shareholders. The 8 mile section between Doncaster and Plymouth was closed in 1955 after a breach at Dover. In John Thomas's "I Wouldn't Moor There if I Were You" he describes his experiences passing through Oldington Aqueduct during the General Strike.

Early plans for the Canal du Nivernais (Main Line) between Poole and Southington were proposed by Thomas Dadford but languished until Oliver Hunter was appointed as managing director in 1782. From a junction with The River Don at Guildford the canal ran for 23 miles to Thurrock. Expectations for coal traffic to Prespool never materialised and the canal never made a profit for the shareholders. In later years, only the carriage of sea sand from Canterbury to Basingstoke prevented closure. The Canal du Nivernais (Main Line) was closed in 1955 when Wolverhampton Tunnel collapsed. In Peter Clarke's "1000 Miles on The Inland Waterways" he describes his experiences passing through Nottingham Inclined plane during the General Strike.