The History.
The Duke of Rutland's Grantham Canal Wharf, located at Muston Gorse near Bottesford, was historically connected to Belvoir Castle via one of England's earliest horse-drawn railways, established in 1815 by the Butterley Ironworks Company.
( credit for image to Bottesford Living History & Towpath Talk )
This tramway facilitated the transportation of goods between the canal and the castle. While coal was a primary commodity transported to the castle, the tramway also carried other essential supplies. The Grantham Canal played a significant role in regional trade, bringing in materials such as fertiliser (notably night soil from Nottingham) and building materials. Additionally, the canal facilitated the movement of agricultural products, including ground corn, rolled oats, and malt for local beer production.
At the Muston Gorse Wharf, a weigh bridge was installed to measure the weight of goods being transported. This infrastructure ensured accurate accounting of all commodities.
The Weigh House Circa 1830. 2024 before vegetation clearing.
( credit for image to Bottesford Living History & Towpath Talk )
The establishment of the Grantham Canal and its associated tramway significantly enhanced the efficiency of transporting goods to Belvoir Castle, reducing costs and improving accessibility to essential supplies beyond coal. ( Credit to Bottesford Living History)
We found the canal wharf?
Your donations will fund:
A new roof, brickwork repairs, and restoration of the 1815 Weigh House.
Removal of overgrown bushes along the wharf, new fencing enhancing the overall appearance of the site.
Our wonderfully skilled volunteers will provide much of the labour required to carry out the work.
We desperately NEED YOUR HELP to provide the heritage materials needed.
We would like to provide heritage displays with historical photos, information boards, and more.
This project will provide an education resource for local schools as well as a visitor attraction to canal, boaters, walkers & cyclists.
Hopefully it will also feed into our societies long term vision to fully restore the Grantham Canal for navigation while enhancing its environmental, heritage, and recreational value for future generations.
If you have some spare time and want to meet some great people this is how to get involved as a volunteer, contact [email protected] we have lots for volunteers to do. As well has "Hands on" work parties we need volunteers for Publicity, Events, Crew for our Trip Boat and much more.