Where Was the Spoil
Deposited? Top
When the Main Basin at Gloucester
was dug out, the spoil was used to build up the level of the surrounding
land, which had formerly been meadows sloping down to the River
Severn. The spoil from digging the canal was piled up on either
side of the excavation, where much of it can still be seen today,
although some material from the cuttings was boated to help build
up the embankments over low-lying ground.
How Was the Canal Made Watertight?
Top
Along most of the route, the underlying
strata is clay or some other impermeable rock, and the side embankments
were built with a central core of puddle clay.
Why Was the Canal Built With a Double Bend Two
Miles South of Gloucester? Top
The double
bend resulted from a desire to choose an easy course through high
ground and to avoid cutting through an estate. (More details)
How Far is Gloucester from the Sea?
Top
Gloucester is 35 miles from the
mouth of the Bristol Avon, where the Severn Estuary is five miles
across, and Gloucester is 55 miles from Cardiff and Weston-super-Mare,
where the Severn Estuary widens into the Bristol Channel.
Why Does Llanthony Bridge Have a Welsh
Name? Top
Llanthony Bridge is named after the
priory of Llanthony Secunda, of which some remains survive to the
south-west of the bridge. The priory was founded in the 12th century
as an offshoot of Llanthony Prima in the Honddu valley, north of
Abergavenny, Monmouthshire.
Why did the Commercial Use of Gloucester Docks Decline?
Top
Gloucester docks developed to accommodate
the discharge of cargoes from ships. Since the canal from Sharpness
was built, the size of ships used in international trade has increased
substantially, and it became increasingly uneconomic to operate
ships small enough to come up the canal to Gloucester. This led
to the general transfer of trade to ports that could handle larger
ships, and regular ship movements to Gloucester died
out in the 1980s.
Why Does the Water in the Main Basin Look Dirty?
Top
The water level in the canal is maintained
by pumps under the West Quay that draw water from the River Severn,
and this carries a high level of silt in suspension. Much pumping
is required, not only to make "../vessels/dredgers.htm"operated
but also to feed an extraction and purificat"../vessels/dredgers.htm" which supplies drinking water to Bristol.
How Much Do Apartments
Cost in the Converted Warehouses? Top
In Oct
2004, advertised prices for one-bedroom apartments were around £150,000
and for two-bedroom apartments around £180,000.
Do Boat Owners Have to Pay to Have the Bridges
Opened? Top
Boat owners
pay a licence fee, related to the size of their boat, and they do
not have to pay any extra to pass through the bridges and locks
on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. |
