History of the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation
The same company that built the canal still maintains and owns the canal (The Company of The Proprietors of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation Limited).
Despite many prior discussions for the construction of a canal here, it took an Act of Parliament passed on 17th June 1793, to pave the way for construction work to commence. Three years later, almost to the day, the canal was completed. The design engineer was John Rennie who also designed and built the Kennet & Avon Canal.
It was used for the transportation of coal initially, for the new gas works at Chelmsford (the first inland in Britain). Later, ironically, it was used to transport supplies for the construction of the London to Colchester railway, which was completed in 1843 and precipitated the end of usage of the canal for commercial transportation.
