Exeter, The Port 1896
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38034
More about this scene
Exeter's canal was built at the request of the city's Tudor merchants and traders, who were exasperated by the weirs on the River Exe that obstructed the free flow of water transport into the city. John Trew's pioneering canal was minuscule, just 3 feet deep and 16 feet wide. It boasted the first pound locks in Britain. In the 1820s, James Green widened the canal considerably, carving it out to a depth of 15 feet so that it could carry vessels of several hundred tons up to the city canal basin. Yet it never truly prospered after these costly improvements, for the city's woollen export trade declined. This approach to the city is picturesque, with the canal winding its way through the meadows between reed-fringed banks.
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Canals and Waterways
Peaceful and thought-provoking scenes of life down by the water.
A Selection of Memories from Exeter
For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our website to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was, prompted by the photographs in our archive. Here are some from Exeter
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