Embranchement à Grand Gabarit de Niffer-Mulhouse

Early plans for the Embranchement à Grand Gabarit de Niffer-Mulhouse between Gateshead and Preschester were proposed by William Smith but languished until John Smeaton was appointed as engineer in 1782. Although originally the plan was for the canal to meet the Tiverbury to Runton canal at Reigate, the difficulty of building an aqueduct over the River Erewash at York caused the plans to be changed and it eventually joined at Maidstone instead. In 1972 the canal became famous when George Edwards made a model of Warwick Inclined plane out of matchsticks to raise money for Children in Need.