Tone Navigation

Last Updated on Monday, 04 January 2010 18:11 Wednesday, 30 December 2009 12:06

Total length 12_ miles, Burrowbridge to French Weir

Royal Charter granted to John Mallet 1683
Acts of Parliament 1699 and 1707

Oldest “improved” navigation in Somerset. John Mallet’s Charter authorised improvement by construction of weirs and staunches from Burrowbridge to Ham Mills about three miles from Taunton. Under the 1707 Act, Conservators made the river navigable to Taunton with half locks and full locks. After several years of hostility, the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal Company purchased the river in 1832 and maintained it as a navigation. The section in Taunton between Firepool and Taunton Gas Works carried cargo until 1907 and is still managed as a navigation by British Waterways. Coal was brought upstream to Ham until 1929 in spite of little or no maintenance being undertaken.

The Waterway Today – The navigation works at Bathpool and Obridge were demolished in the 1960s when the flood relief scheme was undertaken which straightened the river between Firepool and Bathpool. However the former towing path remains as a public right of way and the remains of the lock at Ham and the only remaining “navigation” bridge at Knapp can be visited. Small boats can and do navigate from Hankridge to Ham and from Ham to New Bridge near North Curry.

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