{{Short description|British river navigation company between 1783–1940}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}} {{Use British English|date=September 2017}} [[File:Trent Navigation Warehouse at Newark on Trent.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Trent Navigation Warehouse at Newark-on-Trent]]
The '''Trent Navigation Company''' existed from 1783 to 1940. It was responsible for control of navigation on the River Trent in England.
==History== [[File:Canalside Nottingham.jpg|thumb|left|British Waterways building (formerly the Trent Navigation Company warehouse) on the Nottingham Canal]] thumb|Share of the company of Proprietors of the River Trent Navigation, issued 1. February 1859
{{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = Trent Navigation Act 1783 | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of Great Britain | long_title = An Act for empowering Persons navigating Vessels upon the River Trent, between a Place called Wilden Ferry, in the Counties of Derby and Leicester, or one of them, and the Town of Burton upon Trent, in the County of Stafford, to hale the same with Horses. | year = 1783 | citation = 23 Geo. 3. c. 41 | territorial_extent = Great Britain | royal_assent = 17 April 1783 | commencement = 5 December 1782{{efn|Start of session.}} | repeal_date = | repealing_legislation = | related_legislation = {{ubli|River Trent Navigation Act 1698|Trent Navigation (No. 2) Act 1783}} | status = Amended | original_text = https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=4sAuAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA269 | collapsed = yes }} The Trent Navigation Company was established by '''{{visible anchor|Trent Navigation Act 1783}}''' (23 Geo. 3. c. 41) 'An Act for improving the Navigation of the River Trent'.<ref>The Dock and harbour authority, Volume 36. 1955</ref> It was responsible for improving and maintaining the navigation on the river between Wilden Ferry (near Cavendish Bridge) and Gainsborough (with the exception of Averham to South Muskham), and junctions with the various other canals. The first business tackled by the company was the building of towpaths.
Some of the canals opening in the 1790s offered routes for traffic by-passing large sections of the River Trent. By 1796 the Derby Canal connected directly to the Erewash Canal at Sandiacre and the River Trent at Swarkestone. The Nottingham Canal ran from the Erewash Canal junction at Langley Mill, which itself linked to the Cromford Canal, down to the River Trent near Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Coal from Derbyshire could be transported to Nottingham and Derby without using the river.
thumb|left|250px|The entrance to Cranfleet Cut
{{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = {{visible anchor|Trent Navigation Act 1794}} | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of Great Britain | long_title = An act to alter and amend an act of the twenty-third year of his present Majesty, for improving the navigation of the river Trent; and for making and maintaining a navigable canal, from the said river, in the parish of Beeston, to join the Nottingham canal, in the parish of Lenton, in the county of Nottingham, and also certain cuts on the side of the said river. | year = 1794 | citation = 34 Geo. 3. c. 95 | territorial_extent = Great Britain | royal_assent = 9 May 1794 | commencement = 9 May 1794{{efn|name=aopca|The Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793.}} | repeal_date = 14 June 1858 | amends = Trent Navigation (No. 2) Act 1783 | amendments = | repealing_legislation = Trent Navigation Act 1858 | related_legislation = | status = Repealed | original_text = https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XwbC08mcZ-4C&pg=PA716 | collapsed = yes }} The competition prompted the company to implement canals cuts of their own. The Sawley cut, the Cranfleet cut and the Beeston canal provided easier navigation avoiding difficult and shallow sections of the river.<ref>Nottingham and Beeston Canal. Keith Train. 1981</ref>
{{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = Trent (Burton-upon-Trent and Humber) Navigation Act 1887 | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom | long_title = An Act to provide for the improvement and maintenance of the Navigation of the River Trent from Wilden Ferry in the counties of Derby and Leicester or one of them to Gainsborough in the county of Lincoln and for other purposes. | year = 1887 | citation = 50 & 51 Vict. c. cxv | introduced_commons = | introduced_lords = | territorial_extent = | royal_assent = 19 July 1887 | commencement = | expiry_date = | repeal_date = | amends = | replaces = | amendments = | repealing_legislation = | related_legislation = | status = | legislation_history = | theyworkforyou = | millbankhansard = | original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/50-51/115/pdfs/ukla_18870115_en.pdf | revised_text = | use_new_UK-LEG = | UK-LEG_title = | collapsed = yes }} {{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = Trent Navigation Act 1892 | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom | long_title = An Act to enable the Trent (Burton-upon-Trent and Humber) Navigation Company to raise additional Capital to change the Name of the Company and for other purposes. | year = 1892 | citation = 55 & 56 Vict. c. cxxxv | introduced_commons = | introduced_lords = | territorial_extent = | royal_assent = 27 June 1892 | commencement = | expiry_date = | repeal_date = | amends = | replaces = | amendments = | repealing_legislation = | related_legislation = | status = | legislation_history = | theyworkforyou = | millbankhansard = | original_text = | revised_text = | use_new_UK-LEG = | UK-LEG_title = | collapsed = yes }} In a minor hiccup in its history, the '''{{visible anchor|Trent (Burton-upon-Trent and Humber) Navigation Act 1887}}''' (50 & 51 Vict. c. cxv) caused the company to be taken over by the Trent (Burton-upon-Trent and Humber) Navigation Company. The '''{{visible anchor|Trent Navigation Act 1892}}''' (55 & 56 Vict. c. cxxxv) restored the original company name.
{{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = Trent Navigation Act 1906 | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom | long_title = An Act to authorise the Trent Navigation Company to construct certain new works for improving the navigation of the River Trent between Wilden Ferry and Gainsborough to confer further powers upon the Company and for other purposes. | year = 1906 | citation = 6 Edw. 7. c. lvii | introduced_commons = | introduced_lords = | territorial_extent = | royal_assent = 20 July 1906 | commencement = | expiry_date = | repeal_date = | amends = | replaces = | amendments = | repealing_legislation = | related_legislation = | status = | legislation_history = | theyworkforyou = | millbankhansard = | original_text = | revised_text = | use_new_UK-LEG = | UK-LEG_title = | collapsed = yes }} {{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = Nottingham Corporation (Trent Navigation Transfer) Act 1915 | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom | long_title = An Act to transfer to the mayor aldermen and citizens of the city of Nottingham part of the undertaking of the Trent Navigation Company and for other purposes. | year = 1915 | citation = 5 & 6 Geo. 5. c. lxvi | introduced_commons = | introduced_lords = | territorial_extent = | royal_assent = 29 July 1915 | commencement = | expiry_date = | repeal_date = | amends = | replaces = | amendments = | repealing_legislation = | related_legislation = | status = | legislation_history = | theyworkforyou = | millbankhansard = | original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo5/5-6/66/pdfs/ukla_19150066_en.pdf | revised_text = | use_new_UK-LEG = | UK-LEG_title = | collapsed = yes }} thumb|left|250px|Sawley Cut and Marina
In 1906 the Trent Navigation Company obtained the '''{{visible anchor|Trent Navigation Act 1906}}''' (6 Edw. 7. c. lvii) authorising improvements upstream of Newark. However, only one lock at Cromwell was constructed before the outbreak of the First World War.<ref>Commerce reports, Volume 3. United States. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce 1915</ref> By the '''{{visible anchor|Nottingham Corporation (Trent Navigation Transfer) Act 1915}}''' (5 & 6 Geo. 5. c. lxvi), the river from Averham to Nottingham was put under the control of Nottingham Corporation. They implemented improvements to a value of £450,000 (equivalent to £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|450000|1927|{{Inflation-year|UK}}|r=-4}}}} in {{Inflation-year|UK}}),{{Inflation-fn|UK}}which included a new locks and a cut at Holme Lock. The works completed by 1927 enabled larger river boats to sail up to Nottingham from Hull and the continent.<ref>Nottingham. Official Handbook. Tenth Edition.</ref>
In 1937, the bulk of the Nottingham Canal was closed with the exception of the stretch through Nottingham, from Trent Bridge to the junction with the Beeston Canal at Lenton. This was taken over by the Trent Navigation Company.<ref>Priory demesne to university campus: a topographical history of Nottingham. Frank Arnold Barnes, University of Nottingham</ref>
The Trent Navigation Company ceased to exist in 1940, when it was taken over by the Trent River Catchment Board.<ref>Severn-Trent Water Authority 1930-1975: records of the Trent Catchment Board ... By University of Nottingham. Manuscripts Dept</ref> The catchment board was replaced by the Trent River Board in 1951<ref>Coulson and Forbes on the law of waters, sea, tidal and inland, and land ... By Henry John Wastell Coulson, Urquhart Atwell Forbes, S. Reginald Hobday</ref> and by the Trent River Authority in 1965.<ref>Water services, Volume 78. 1974</ref>
==Statistics==
Annual tonnage carried for the years 1913 to 1926 inclusive 29,062 tons.<ref>Nottingham. Official Handbook. Tenth Edition.</ref> {{Div col}} *1928 – 66,960 tons *1929 – 83,118 tons *1930 – 105,337 tons *1931 – 159,315 tons *1932 – 284,666 tons *1933 – 230,609 tons *1934 – 242,853 tons *1935 – 222,538 tons *1936 – 230,514 tons *1937 – 259,321 tons *1938 – 275,030 tons {{Div col end}} The annual tonnage carried increased more than eight-fold following the Nottingham Corporation assumption of control of part of the Trent Navigation.
==Freight transport==
In the late 1930s, the powerful motor vessels and dumb barges owned by the company had a total carrying capacity of 4,500 tons.<ref>Nottingham. Official Handbook. Tenth Edition</ref> Each day, vessels were in attendance at each of the Hull docks and consignments of five tons and upwards were collected direct overside from steamers. Under an ancient charter, the port of Hull is free to river and canal craft. No wharfage or landing charges were incurred when cargo was directly discharged into the company's boats.
A train of the company's barges could reach Gainsborough within five hours from Hull, and Newark-on-Trent within twelve hours. The journey from Hull to Nottingham took eighteen hours.
A typical train consisted of a mechanically propelled barge carrying 60 tons, towing three dumb barges each of which had 120 tons of goods. The largest trains of barges could carry 600 tons of cargo.
== Notes == {{Notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
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Category:River Trent Category:River navigations in the United Kingdom Category:Transport companies established in 1783 Category:Transport companies disestablished in 1940 Category:1783 establishments in England Category:1940 disestablishments in England Category:British companies disestablished in 1940 Category:British companies established in 1783