121-586: The Petworth Canal was one of Britain's shorter lasting canals, opened in 1795 and dismantled in 1826. Upon completion of the Rother Navigation , the Earl of Egremont used his estate workforce to build the 1¼ mile long canal from just upstream of the Shopham Cut to Haslingbourne, with two locks, each with a rise of 8 feet and 6 inches. The Haslingbourne Stream was diverted to provide the water supply, and still flows in
242-507: A Gault Formation , which consists of clay. At the western edge of the region, both the chalk and the gault turn to the north, creating a scarp slope. The base flow of the river consists of water from the Lower Greensand aquifer, and from springs along the bottom of the chalk scarp slope. These help to maintain the flows in the river during the summer months, although there have been significant periods where flows have been low, notably in
363-453: A bridge built at Haines Lock. Sandstone from the nearest quarries at Fittleworth and Upperton would have been used for the bridges and locks. Coping stones are recorded as being barged from Todham and Moorland locks near Midhurst by Edmund Sayer. The navigation was open by October 1795. The Earl of Egremont wanted a safe inland waterway that would link London on the River Thames with
484-482: A canal from London to Portsmouth . Between 1802 and 1831, the average income from the canal was around £550 per year. Competition arrived in 1859, when the Mid-Sussex Railway opened a line from Horsham through Pulborough to Petworth. Traffic declined, and by the 1880s, the navigation was no longer used by commercial boats, although it was not officially abandoned until 1936. Despite the navigation being closed,
605-529: A friend appeared in As the Water Flows , first published in 1920, which described canoe journeys on the rivers of southern England made by her over a period of seven or eight years. The warrant of abandonment was obtained jointly by the estates at Petworth and Cowdray after an Oxford undergraduate called Roger Sellman pointed out that the river was still officially a right of way, and that anyone could therefore offer to pay
726-401: A guide to Midhurst published in 1895 advertised that skiffs could be hired, and fishing could be enjoyed. The boats were hired out by a plumber called William Port, and his business continued to prosper until 1912, when his boathouse burned down. Rowing boats were also available for hire at Coultershaw and Fittleworth. Another book called A New Oarsman's Guide , published in 1896, suggested that
847-460: A hamlet which forms part of the civil parish of Rogate , it passes the ruins of Durford Abbey , a Premonstratensian monastery situated on the north bank. It is a scheduled ancient monument , and the site includes a threshing barn with a water wheel and associated drive shafts. On the south bank is Durford Mill. This mill house is a grade II listed structure, and was built of clunch in 1770. The mill itself has been modernised and enlarged, and
968-432: A house, it still contains two iron waterwheels, one for each mill, and its machinery. The earliest documentary evidence for the mill dates from 1635. The adjacent mill house, parts of which date from the eighteenth century, is also a listed building. The river turns to the north to pass to the east of Trotton, and is crossed by Trotton Bridge, dating from the early 1600s, which has five ribbed arches. The river then turns to
1089-536: A more detailed survey in 1793 and concluded that the 32 mile route would rise some 220 feet to cross the watershed into Surrey , with as many as nine locks needed just to climb 58 feet to the north side of Petworth. He suggested that a 17-mile extension of the Arun Navigation from Newbridge to the River Wey would be more practical. Even in that year when Canal Mania was at its height it was apparent that extension of
1210-478: A nature reserve area. Reaching the site of Haines Lock the stream can be heard pouring through a broken down weir in the undergrowth as it turns eastward into its natural course. The west bank of the canal here runs into the pasture for some twenty metres and the position of the levelled course beyond can just be discerned. Beyond the slightly higher ground here, as the Haslingbourne Stream again comes close to
1331-467: A new water supply should be obtained from springs at Gorehill to the south-east of the town. A new pumping station was built, under consulting engineers Hassard & Tyrrell, at Haslingbourne from where the water was pumped by a 6 h.p. Mason & Weyman steam engine with a Cornish boiler, through 5 in (127 mm) pipes to a new reservoir near the Cottage Hospital, on high ground a mile east of
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#17330925445611452-493: A number of non-return valves. At its peak, the pump could deliver water at the rate of 20,000 imp gal (91,000 L; 24,000 US gal) per day, or "a hogshead a minute". The original water wheel was made entirely of wood but was replaced in the mid-19th century by an iron wheel cast at the Chorley Iron Foundry at Cocking . The present wheel has two cast iron spiders with hexagonal centres fixed to
1573-406: A patent for "Improvements in plansifters and the like" (United Kingdom Patent GB353145). A "plansifter" was "a stack of sieves of decreasing mesh size that separate particles by size" for use in milling operations. In 1992, Phyllis Catt, the daughter of John Gwillim published "A Miller's Daughter" in which she recorded her experiences living at the mill and North Mill, Midhurst to a background of
1694-427: A pedestrian bridge has been built on the north west side, attached to the original bridge by cantilevers, and one of the two arches was widened in 1912 by the addition of another arch outside it. Below the bridge is the mill house and adjoining water mill of North Mill. The mill carries the date 1840, and the house is of a similar age, although built in two stages. The river flows briefly to the south, passing Cowdray on
1815-456: A southern section, originally built in the sixteenth century, which was rebuilt between 1717 and 1739, and modified when the navigation was built, to enable boats to pass through the centre arch. A north section, adjacent to the millpond, dates from 1811 to 1812. Near its junction with the River Arun, the river loops to the south in a large meander. A cut ran from the start of the meander to join
1936-411: A steel-framed concrete building replaced it. When it ceased to operate in 1972, the building was demolished, but the beam pump, which was located beneath the building, was rescued and has been restored. The pump no longer performs its original function, but supplies a fountain near the visitor centre. Shopham Lock was another where the lock cut was built across a large meander to the north. The bridge at
2057-423: A temporary visitor centre was in place and regular fortnightly work sessions were under way. As the pump installation was below ground level, and the mill having been demolished, the plan was to acquire a barn locally and erect it over the installation. A 100-year-old barn was obtained from the nearby Goodwood estate and erected over the pump both to protect it and to serve as a visitor centre. By early 1980,
2178-402: A water turbine and the grindstones being replaced by steel rollers. An engine house was built in 1919 to provide supplementary power for when there was little water in the river, and a second turbine was added in 1922. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1923, and an unattractive steel-framed concrete building replaced it. From the early 20th century until the mill was closed in 1972, the mill
2299-569: A wide range of fish, and its upper reaches are the only location in Sussex where native white clawed crayfish can be found. The quality of the water is generally good, and the river is measured at four gauging stations, three on the main channel, and one of the River Lod , just before its junction with the Rother. Water from the underlying Lower Greensand aquifer and the adjacent chalk aquifer helps to maintain
2420-430: A wrought iron shaft. The spiders are 8 ft 6 in (2.6 m) in diameter with oak paddles 16 in (410 mm) deep by 4 ft 6 in (1.4 m) wide, making the overall diameter of the wheel 11 ft 2 in (3.4 m). The alignment between the crankshaft and the waterwheel shaft was not very accurate; to reduce friction, the bearings between the wheel and the pump were left loose. When operating,
2541-430: Is Coultershaw Beam Pump ; it was built in 1782 to provide a better water supply to Petworth House. The pump is powered by a water wheel, cast at Cocking Foundry , which is 11 feet (3.4 m) in diameter. There were two corn mills and a malt mill recorded on the site in 1534. The mill was modernised in 1910, when turbines replaced the wheels, and standby engines were installed in 1919. It was destroyed by fire in 1923, and
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#17330925445612662-561: Is a rural community situated 1.5 mi (2.4 km) south of the town Petworth in West Sussex , England where the A285 road from Petworth to Chichester crosses the River Rother . Between 1792 and 1888, there were also wharves and a lock at Coultershaw on the Rother Navigation . Until the 1970s, a water mill stood on the river housing a beam engine which was originally installed in 1782 by
2783-650: Is believed to be the first of its kind in the south east of England. The six-ton screw can develop 65,000 kWh of electricity per annum and is connected to the National Grid . The project was managed by Robin Wilson CBE , the chairman of the Coultershaw Trust, who had been president of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1991–92. The trust has continued to improve the facilities at Coultershaw. In July 2013, work
2904-568: Is designated as a Site of Nature Conservation Importance by the local authorities through which it flows, in recognition of its value for wildlife. The upper reaches of the Rother are important for their fish populations of brown trout , grayling , juvenile sea trout, and the spawning and early development of salmonids . There are also populations of bullhead , eel , lamprey , minnow and stone loach . There has been some concern about declining fish stocks, thought to be partly caused by soil erosion, leading to silt and sediments being deposited on
3025-502: Is known to exist, the restored Coultershaw pump was declared an Ancient Monument in 1980. Although the mill was demolished in 1973, the beam pump and water wheel were saved for restoration, although the sluices and waterwheel paddles needed replacement. In 1976, the Sussex Industrial Archaeology Society received permission from the present Lord Egremont to restore the pump to working order. The restoration
3146-505: Is not listed. A little further downstream, Harting Road crosses the river at Durford Bridge, build in the early 1600s with four semi-circular arches. It was restored in 1924. To the north of Habin, another hamlet in Rogate, North Lane crosses the river on Habin Bridge, which has four round-headed arches, and was probably built in the seventeenth century, but might be earlier. It is built of stone, and
3267-425: Is the custom of this manor for the tennants to grind at the said mill". The Duke of Somerset died in 1750, followed two years later by his son, the 7th Duke . On the death of the 7th Duke, his nephew, Charles Wyndham , inherited Petworth and the title Earl of Egremont . There were two corn mills and a malt mill recorded on the site in 1534. The corn mill was modernised in 1910, with the wheel being replaced by
3388-463: The 3rd Earl of Egremont to pump water from the river to Petworth and his home at Petworth House . Following the demolition of the mill, the Coultershaw Beam Pump was restored to working order and is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument , which is open to the public on summer weekends. In Saxon times the locality was known as "Cuóheres Hóh", meaning "Couhere's spur of land". By 1240, the name
3509-771: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs . It worked with the Arun and Rother Connections (ARC) Partnership and the South Downs National Park Authority to ensure that local opinion was adequately represented in the document. The Environment Agency measure the water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at
3630-621: The River Arun . At 52 kilometres (32 mi) long, most of the river lies within West Sussex except for the first 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) which lie in Hampshire. The upper river, from its source to Midhurst , has been used to power watermills, with the earliest recorded use being in 1086, when the Domesday survey was conducted. Although none are still operational, many of the buildings which housed
3751-584: The River Lod just above its junction with the Rother, and at Hardham, just before the river joins the Arun. Flows in the river are swelled by discharges from several sewage treatment works. The three largest are at Princes Marsh, Petersfield and Ambersham, all of which have outflows between 0.22 and 1.10 million imperial gallons (1 and 5 Ml) per day, with another three discharging between 0.022 and 0.220 million imperial gallons (0.1 and 1 Ml) per day at Rogate, Coultershaw and Fittleworth. The entire river, including parts of some of its tributaries,
Petworth Canal - Misplaced Pages Continue
3872-559: The Wey Navigation at Shalford . Canal engineer William Jessop believed a route could be found past Northchapel , Shillinglee, Dunsfold and Alfold , then following the Cranleigh stream through Bramley to Shalford. A branch from Alfold to Horsham was also proposed. Agriculturalist Arthur Young advocated the scheme as a means to bring lime for the farms to improve their productivity. The Earl's estate surveyor Thomas Upton carried out
3993-449: The south coast mainline . Within a year, the navigation had lost 5,000 tons or 40% of its annual traffic. The extension of the railway to Midhurst in 1866, resulted in further loss of traffic, with the canal traffic being restricted to loads, such as large trees, which were too large for the railway. Commercial traffic continued on the navigation until 1888 although it was only formally abandoned in 1936. The toll house at Coultershaw
4114-458: The " villeins " at Tillington and Petworth should give the prior up to three days' aid each year to repair the mill-pool. In consideration for the transfer, the prior was to pay Percy or his heirs two marks of silver each year until such time as Percy gave "ten librates of land in a suitable place in Sussex or Yorkshire" to the prior, after which the mill would revert to Percy. The Percy family failed to exercise their right to reclaim ownership of
4235-548: The "rumble of machinery and the rush of water". Following the death of John Gwillim in 1972, the mill ceased to operate and the building was demolished the following year, although the beam pump and water wheel were saved for restoration. Before the supply of piped water to the town, the residents of Petworth obtained water from springs to the east of the town, such as the Virgin Mary Spring, from which water can still be drawn. The first piped water supply to Petworth
4356-534: The 1880s. Pleasure boats continued to be used on the river for many years, and published accounts of journeys along the decaying navigation appeared in 1914 and 1920. The navigation was officially abandoned in 1936, after an undergraduate pointed out that it was still a public right of way. The river flows through the South Downs National Park , and is a designated Site of Nature Conservation Importance , in recognition of its value for wildlife. It supports
4477-466: The Arun above the original junction, with a lock towards the downstream end. The meander fed Hardham Corn Mill. A lock bypassed the mill and the millstream, to enable boats to reach the Hardham Tunnel cut, which headed south from a junction above the mill. The Tunnel Branch was destroyed by the construction of a water treatment works, and the modern weir near the mouth is much closer to the junction than
4598-467: The Arun in 1615, and after the Arun Navigation was completed in 1790, the Earl of Egremont made the river navigable up to Midhurst by constructing eight locks and some small cuts. The work was completed in 1794, and many of the bridges built at that time still survive. With the opening of the Mid-Sussex Railway branch to Midhurst in 1859, traffic declined, and commercial use of the river had ceased by
4719-800: The Earl of Egremont to make and maintain the River Rother navigable, from the Town of Midhurst , to a certain Meadow, called the Railed Pieces , or Stopham Meadow in the Parish of Stopham , and a navigable Cut, from the said River to the River Arun , at or near Stopham Bridge, in the county of Sussex ; and for other Purposes." Digging began early in 1795, employing about twenty navvies. In August lock gates were being hung and
4840-508: The Earl of Egremont, should pay for its repair. After some disagreement, a compromise was reached, under which the bank was repaired and a floodgate was fitted at the upper end of the lock, with both men paying half of the cost. Lord Leconfield assumed that when the Arun Navigation finally obtained an Act of Abandonment in 1896, his responsibilities for the maintenance of the River Rother had ended. However, in 1903 heavy rain and floods destroyed
4961-560: The Percy family. Lady Elizabeth Percy inherited the Petworth properties on the death of her father in 1670. In 1682, she married Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset , and so became Duchess of Somerset, with the Duke thus becoming the owner of the Petworth estate. In 1703 the court roll refers to a "mill called Coutershoal Mill" being kept up "for the conveniency and service of the tennants and that it
Petworth Canal - Misplaced Pages Continue
5082-497: The Petworth Canal could not be cost effective. The main products carried on the canal were chalk , coal and timber. Coal from Newcastle or South Wales was transferred from coastal ships into barges at Arundel . Chalk was barged up the River Arun from pits leased and operated by the Earl at Houghton and Amberley . Timber and all kinds of timber products, including charcoal and oak bark for tanning were barged out from
5203-485: The Peworth area, although there are few records of what passed through Haslingbourne. A lime kiln was operated at Haslingbourne wharf, and some lime barged down the canal. Most of the Petworth trade however went to Coultershaw wharf on the Rother navigation, which was further away from the town but was on the well maintained turnpike road to Chichester . There was no extra toll for using the Petworth canal but this also saved
5324-635: The appropriate tolls to use a boat on it, and expect the owners to rebuild the locks. The powers of the Railway and Canal Traffic Act 1888 ( 51 & 52 Vict. c. 25) were invoked to declare that the navigation was no longer necessary, and despite objections from the River Arun Catchment Board and a canoe club, the warrant was granted on 15 April 1936. However, the Environment Agency noted in 2003 that although there used to be navigation rights on
5445-483: The barge masters having to travel through two locks. From east of Petworth it was often cheaper to cart goods to and from the River Arun, which was free of tolls below Pallingham, avoiding the Rother Navigation tolls payable on passing through Stopham Lock. Dredging was carried out in 1824 and the banks repaired, but when repairs to locks on the Rother navigation were urgently needed in 1826 the Earl decided to close
5566-401: The beams travel in a substantially straight-line motion; these were fitted with back to back 6 in (150 mm) diameter leather cups and non-return valves made from leather flaps. The pump has three cylinders with a 6.5 in (165 mm) bore and a stroke of 13 in (330 mm). The pump could produce an operating pressure of in excess of 75 psi (520 kPa). The water
5687-454: The brewery, malt house, a windmill and the Swan Inn. In 1874, Dr Charles Kelly reported to Lord Leconfield on the state of the town's water supply and the health of the townspeople. His report showed that the town's sewage was drained onto fields to the south of the town, where it flowed along ditches into the River Rother, about 1 mi (1.6 km) upstream of the pump at Coultershaw; thus
5808-505: The canal bed from Haslingbourne to the site of Haines Lock. The initial intention was to extend the canal through the Shimmings Valley to Hamper's Green on the north side of Petworth , then northwards to join the Wey Navigation at Shalford . Construction of the branch to Haslingbourne bridge was included in the Act of Parliament , numbered [2151] passed in 1791, titled; "An Act to enable
5929-463: The canal, the embankments can be seen forming a straight line across the floodplain to the river. A pond near the river is the site of a weir and tumblebay. 50°57′51″N 0°36′10″W / 50.96417°N 0.60278°W / 50.96417; -0.60278 Rother Navigation The River Rother flows from Empshott in Hampshire , England, to Stopham in West Sussex , where it joins
6050-639: The channel, the presence of North American signal crayfish, which are an invasive species, and runoff of chemicals as a result of agriculture and land management. Like most rivers in the UK, the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019, due to the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and mercury compounds, neither of which had previously been included in the assessment. Download coordinates as: 50°57′5.08″N 0°31′44.93″W / 50.9514111°N 0.5291472°W / 50.9514111; -0.5291472 Coultershaw Coultershaw Bridge
6171-436: The civil parish of Stedham with Iping , Stedham Lane crosses the river on a stone bridge with six segmental arches. Five of them date from the seventeenth century, with one later addition. The river then makes a large loop to the north, where Stedham Mill was situated. The mill building has been demolished, but the mill house is a listed structure. After the loop, Woolbeding Bridge, on the northern Edge of Midhurst , dates from
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#17330925445616292-482: The course of the river, including a site in the upper reaches where more than 5 megalitres (1.1 × 10 ^ imp gal) per day is abstracted from the aquifer, and another where the volume exceeds 10 megalitres (2.2 × 10 ^ imp gal). Just above the junction with the River Arun, the Hardham Water Supply Works abstracts up to 75 megalitres (16 × 10 ^ imp gal) per day from
6413-480: The designer of the pump at Coultershaw is now unknown but, as it is very similar in design to the pumps installed by George Sorocold under London Bridge in 1705, it is probable that Lord Egremont was aware of these pumps from his visits to London. Similar pumps were installed nearby in West Sussex at about the same time, at Uppark and Bignor Park , and in the 1840s at Woolbeding , although these as well as those at London Bridge have now been destroyed, leaving
6534-430: The drought of the early 1990s, and again in 1995–96. These led to declines in the populations of the macro-invertebrates which are used to measure the health of a river, but these have subsequently recovered. In order to monitor the hydrology, the Environment Agency has a series of observation boreholes along the valley, and maintains gauging stations at Princes Marsh, close to the source, at Iping Mill, at Halfway Bridge on
6655-451: The earl, who could also dredge the river above the lock. P. Bonthron, who published a book entitled My Holidays on Inland Waterways in 1916, described a journey down the river that he had made with friends in 1908, in a boat hired from William Port at Midhurst. They reached Arundel on the River Arun after two days, from where the boat was sent back to Midhurst by train. Another account of a similar journey made in 1914 by Eleanor Barnes and
6776-445: The east again at Chithurst, where Abbey House, an L-shaped timber-framed building dating from the fifteenth century, and the parish church, much of which dates from the eleventh century, are located on the north bank. An eighteenth century stone and brick bridge with two arches carries Chithurst Lane over the river. Continuing eastwards, the river is crossed by Iping Bridge at Iping , a narrow stone bridge with five arches dating from
6897-468: The east bank, which is a scheduled ancient monument. It consists of a medieval fortified house, which is partly ruined, although some of it has been reused. It is situated within Cowdray Park, a grade II* listed landscaped park, which forms the grounds for Cowdray House , a nineteenth-century mansion some 0.75 miles (1.2 km) further east. On the opposite bank is a motte-and-bailey castle, dating from
7018-460: The fifteenth or sixteenth centuries. It has four segmental arches, was restored in 1919, and is a grade II* listed structure. After another loop to the north, the river passes between Easebourne to the north east and Midhurst to the south west. The bridge which carries the A272 road has two wide arches, and was of ashlar construction. Although this structure is still in situ, it is difficult to see, as
7139-409: The first public Open Day was held. The pump now supplies a fountain outside the visitor centre and can still deliver a "hogshead a minute". The museum is open to the public on the first and third Sundays and all bank holiday Mondays from April to September. As well as the pump, other exhibits include an hydraulic ram pump, hand pumps and an electrically driven borehole pump. Visitors can also see
7260-513: The floodgate and part of the adjacent weir, resulting in river levels though the 8th Earl of Egmont's estate dropping by 2 feet (0.6 m). The earl, Augustus Arthur Perceval, issued a writ against Lord Leconfield for damages. The case was heard in the High Court, at which it was agreed that the navigation was now useless, but that the two men would share the costs of rebuilding the floodgate, after which responsibility for its maintenance would pass to
7381-424: The flows during the summer months, despite the fact that large volumes are abstracted from both the aquifers and the river for the public water supply. Following improvements to the River Arun in 1615, which allowed boats to reach Pallingham, they could also navigate part of the Rother, as far upstream as Fittleworth . The canal engineer William Jessop was asked to survey the river below Petworth Mills in 1783, and
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#17330925445617502-414: The foot of Gore Hill to Petworth, are on the site. The area is now used for storage of construction machinery. Below Haslingbourne Cottages the stream flows in the canal bed which is cut through sandstone beds, creating a shaded artificial gorge rich in mosses and lichens . Emerging from this cutting at the site of Upper Lock the canal follows a straight course across low lying boggy ground, fenced off as
7623-416: The gauging stations. The only known population of native white clawed crayfish in Sussex is located in the upper reaches of the Rother. The quality of the water is generally good, helped by the fact that the groundwater in the chalk aquifer is of very high quality. However, some of the small streams in the upper reaches are polluted by discharges of effluent which are not licensed, and there are areas where
7744-477: The heavy traffic of the A285; the bridge over the former navigation was originally a steep hump back type, but the road bed has since been flattened out. The beam pump was installed in the mill in 1782 by the 3rd Earl of Egremont to pump water from the river to Petworth and his home at Petworth House , which was 1.5 mi (2.4 km) north of the mill and more than 150 ft (46 m) higher. The identity of
7865-511: The initial phase of the restoration project was completed. On 16 March, the mill wheel was running again for the first time after restoration. Two months later, the wheel, pump and fountain were working together for the first time. On 4 July 1980, the Beam Pump was ceremoniously started by Lord Egremont, in the presence of invited guests including Philip Green, Chairman of West Sussex County Council's Coast and Countryside Committee, and two days later,
7986-447: The land adjacent to the river, the precise route of the navigation was not specified, and he was free to improve the channel or make cuts as he saw fit. The only restriction was that cuts could not be made through gardens or enclosed grounds. Compared to most other canals at the time, the charges for using the navigation were low, as the earl wanted to develop the region rather than make a profit. The river's lower section, below Midhurst,
8107-501: The late eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries, and are built of brick, are Grade II listed structures. All of the original machinery of the mill is still in situ, but is not operational, as the water supply has been diverted. The stream turns to the south-east, and passes under the A3 West Liss bypass, and Greatham Bridge, on the old route. It is joined by other streams, and turns south to reach Liss railway station . The railway and
8228-399: The lock was. The Arun & Rother Rivers Trust (ARRT) was set up in 2011 with the objective of enhancing and protecting the river and other connected waterways. It is a charity with further objectives concerning education, fisheries, biodiversity, access and pollution. The organisation is registered as a limited company , and was asked in 2012 to produce a Catchment Management plan by
8349-491: The long walk to and from the conduits. Dr Kelly recommended that a new system should be installed to obtain fresh water from three springs in the neighbourhood and that sewage should be prevented from entering the river to avoid the risk of cholera or typhoid . Although Dr Kelly's proposals were not immediately acted upon, in 1882 agreement was reached between Lord Leconfield and the Rural Sanitary Authority that
8470-469: The main stream of the river running in a large meander to the west with a weir at its head. At the mill itself, the fourth lock was constructed a few yards to the west of the mill. By June 1793, commercial traffic had started to use the canal with timber being carried from Coultershaw to the Arun in August 1793. In November 1794, the first barge loads of chalk arrived at the newly built kiln at Coultershaw, which
8591-482: The mill pond below the sluices, the navigation pool and the former stables for the canal horses. The River Rother at Coultershaw is popular with anglers and contains large quantities of chub and barbel . In July 2012, Lord Egremont officially "switched on" the Archimedes' screw water turbine which had been installed into the wheel pit of the former corn mill. The water turbine, which generates "green" electricity,
8712-503: The mill was owned by the Percy family , and in July 1240, William de Percy endowed the priory at Shulbrede near Linchmere with the mill at "Cutersho" while retaining the right to "the free grinding of all kinds of corn which shall be used in his house at Pettewurth". He also granted the priory the right to take earth from his land near the mill to repair the mill-pool when necessary, and granted that
8833-535: The mill; in the Sussex Hundred Rolls of 1275, the mill was shown as belonging to the priory, with an annual value of £10. In 1291, in Taxatio Ecclesiastica (a survey of temporal property held by religious bodies granted to King Edward I by Pope Nicholas IV ), the mill (now valued at £2 per annum) was recorded as at "Catesstowe" or "Cotestoke" while in 1380 it was recorded as at "Codestowe". When
8954-428: The mills still exist, and in some cases, still retain their milling machinery. This upper section is also noted for a number of early bridges, which have survived since their construction in the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The lower river, from Midhurst to its junction with the River Arun, has been used for navigation. Boats used the section from the Arun to Fittleworth following improvements made to
9075-419: The navigation's traffic. In 1820, 1,683 tons of coal were carried to Coultershaw. By 1808, the wharf stretched over both sides of the river. "Big Wharf" on the north (east) bank, contained a small warehouse (leased to William Upton, a Petworth merchant, until 1840), a blacksmith's shop and shoeing shed (leased to Michael Ford), and six coal pens. A variety of huts and storehouses also stood on "Little Wharf" on
9196-496: The neighbourhood to carry out the work, the earl employed local men on the project, most of them already employed by him, and a clergyman praised him for this when writing in 1808, as it led to much less disruption, but provided increased income for those who worked on the scheme. Wages rose from 8 or 9 shillings (40-45p) per week to 14 or 15 shillings (70-75p). During his life, the earl invested some £100,000 in waterways, some in his native county of Sussex, but also in attempts to build
9317-414: The nineteenth century from red brick with grey headers and a parapet in stone, with three segmental arches. At Lower Fittleworth, there is another mill building, although it is unused and in poor condition. It was built in 1628 and enlarged in 1742. It stands in the grounds of the mill house, which was rebuilt in 1913. The lock cut ran along the south-western edge of the site. Fittleworth Bridge consists of
9438-483: The north side of the churchyard with branches to points in the lower levels of the town. By 1575, the pipes were severely decayed and to help pay for their maintenance, Henry, 8th Earl of Northumberland endowed the town with the 7 acres (2.8 ha) Conduit Field, east of Hungers Lane on the south side of the road to Midhurst . In 1625, there were fountains outside the church and in the Market Square and conduits in
9559-402: The north, which has been repaired with brick. Moorland Lock was on a straight cut across a large meander to the south, close to Moorlands Farm. Lodsbridge Lock also bypasses a meander to the south, which fed Lodsbridge Mill. The mill building dates from the eighteenth century, and has been converted into a house. The seventeenth-century timber-framed mill house is also a listed building. There
9680-401: The ongoing upkeep of the pipes with two wardens being chosen, one by the Earl and one by the town, who would supervise the maintenance of the supply. By the late 18th century, the conduit system was inadequate to meet the needs of the town and in 1782, George, 3rd Earl of Egremont installed a pump at Coultershaw Mill on the River Rother 1.5 mi (2.4 km) south of the town. The pump
9801-458: The other direction. A branch connected it to Petworth by the short Petworth Canal , which was 1.25 miles (2.0 km) long with two locks, and terminated at Haslingbourne to the south of the town. It was opened in 1793, having cost the Earl £5,000 to build, but only lasted for a few years, until a turnpike road was diverted. This made access to Petworth easier, and the canal ceased to be used. Unlike many canals, where navvies were brought into
9922-581: The priory was surveyed for Valor Ecclesiasticus (a survey of the finances of the church made in 1535 on the orders of King Henry VIII ), the mill (now at "Cowtershall") was still recorded among the priory's assets, with an annual value of 53s 4d. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, the priory and its possessions were granted by charter by King Heny VIII to Sir William FitzWilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton . The mill subsequently reverted to
10043-421: The pump at Coultershaw as the only surviving example, although a project to restore the pump at Woolbeding commenced in 2014. The pump was operated by a breastshot water wheel which was direct coupled to a three-throw crankshaft (cast in 1912) which swung three 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m) long beams pivoted at one end through connecting rods . The pump plunger rods connected to the outer free ends of
10164-424: The pump was very noisy and the clatter could be heard throughout the mill building. Since it has been restored, a flexible coupling has been inserted between the two shafts, thus reducing the amount of clatter. The pump survived the fire which destroyed the original mill in 1923 and continued to operate in the replacement building until about 1960. Because no other beam pump of similar size and age in working order
10285-407: The quantity and varieties of invertebrates , angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations, is rated good or fail. The water quality of the River Rother system was as follows in 2019. The reasons for the quality being less than good include sewage discharge affecting most of the river, some physical modification of
10406-463: The river bed, which has been exacerbated by low flows in the river. Parts of the lower river support the same types of fish, but there are areas, particularly immediately upstream of weirs, where the major species are bream , pike and roach , with chubb , dace and perch on the lowest reaches. In order to assist the movement of fish along the river, particularly those that migrate to the headwaters to spawn, fish passes have been constructed around
10527-408: The river by using the mill bridge, thus avoiding the toll for use of the turnpike. By Act of Parliament in 1800, Lord Egremont paid for the construction of a new bridge at Coultershaw and the re-routing of the turnpike direct from there to Petworth. As a result, the former twin-arched bridge at Rotherbridge was pulled down and the stone was used to build the new bridge at Coultershaw with a toll-house on
10648-458: The river could be canoed from Iping to the Arun, a distance of 19 miles (31 km), when there was sufficient water. By that time, none of the locks were workable, and boats had to be carried around them. In 1887, part of the river bank near Todham Lock, which bordered the Cowdray estate of the Earl of Egmont , had collapsed, and the earl suggested that Lord Leconfield of Petworth, a successor to
10769-505: The river follow the same general route, and the river crosses under the railway five times before reaching Sheet . At the northern edge of the village, the river is joined by the Ashford Stream, and there is another mill. After passing under the A272 road , to the east of the village, it reaches Sheet Mill. Tillmore Brook joins from the west, and the course turns to the east. At Durleighmarsh,
10890-495: The river navigable for commercial traffic between the River Arun at Pulborough and Midhurst . Digging the route for the new Rother Navigation began in August 1791 at Stopham , where, by use of the River Arun, it connected with the Wey and Arun Canal and thus to London. By the end of July 1792, the excavations had been completed to Coultershaw Wharf, where the canal made use of the millstream, which here ran nearly due south, with
11011-521: The river, "the existing status of the navigation is unknown." The river flows through the South Downs , an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and since 2011, a designated national park . There are two large aquifers in the area, one consisting of chalk, to the south of the river valley, and the other the Lower Greensand Group , underlying the whole of the river. The aquifers are separated by
11132-641: The river. The river takes its name from Rotherbridge , not the other way round. Rotherbridge is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Redrebruge , meaning cattle bridge, which was also the name of the Saxon Hundred or administrative group of parishes. Before this the river was known as the Scir. The route description has been split into two sections. From its source to Midhurst, the river has powered several mills, but has never been navigable. Below Midhurst, it
11253-421: The seventeenth century. To the west of the bridge is the site of Iping watermill. A mill was recorded there in the Domesday survey , completed in 1086. By 1665, there were the remains of a fulling mill at the site, and a wheat-mill and malt-mill, both part of the same building. It became a paper mill in the eighteenth century, and continued to operate until it was destroyed by fire in 1930. At Stedham , part of
11374-411: The silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II . The first lock was near Little Topham farm. There was a lock cut across a loop to the north. Costers Brook, which flows north from springs near Cocking , and then alongside the river for a short distance, joins below the site of the lock. The bridge at South Ambersham was built of stone rubble in 1791, with a main arch across the navigation and a smaller arch to
11495-403: The site of Ladymead Lock, with a weir to the south and the lock structure to the north. The fourth lock was Coultershaw Lock. The river at this point runs to the south, and there was a large meander to the west with a weir at its head. The mill stream ran to the east, and the lock was built just to the west of the mill. Coultershaw Bridge now carries the A285 road over the mill stream, near which
11616-426: The south (west) bank. Adjacent to the wharf stood the flour mill (now leased to William Dale), with Lord Egremont's limekilns nearby. The navigation was at its busiest from 1823 to 1863, with the annual tonnage never falling below 10,000. In 1843, the quantity of coal carried to Coultershaw had risen to 2,000 tons with a total of 7,000 tons of merchandise passing through Coultershaw that year, which represented 55% of
11737-482: The south coast and the naval base at Portsmouth . Coastal shipping at that time faced serious hazards such as the notorious Goodwin Sands , where the Earl's own two-year-old brigantine Egremont was wrecked in 1797. During wars with France there were military dangers as well. The initial intention was to extend the canal through the Shimmings Valley to Hamper's Green on the north side of Petworth , then northwards to join
11858-410: The tail of the lock is built from red and grey brick, and has a single, round-headed arch. It dates from the construction of the navigation, and is virtually unaltered. Nearby, the Petworth Canal headed northwards to Haslingbourne Bridge. Below the end of the cut, the river is joined by the stream from Burton Mill Pond, which supplied an iron forge built in 1789. It is crossed by Shopham Bridge, built in
11979-587: The total traffic on the navigation. In October 1859, the London Brighton and South Coast Railway opened the railway line from Pulborough to Petworth with the new Petworth station being sited half a mile south from Coultershaw, 2 mi (3.2 km) in all from the town centre. At first, the railway had little effect on the navigation until, in 1863, the Arun Valley Line was extended south from Pulborough to Arundel and Ford where it connected to
12100-455: The town, including outside "The George" inn at the north end of South Street (now Pound Street). By this time, the revenue from the lands at the Conduit Field were insufficient to finance the maintenance of the pipes and agreement was reached between the townspeople and the earl that, in return for receiving back the Conduit Field, he would carry out the necessary repairs and be responsible for
12221-516: The town. The supply to the town from the new reservoir was connected to the existing river mains which were plugged so that only spring water could circulate through the town, while the water from the river continued to supply the reservoir in Petworth Park. Between 1791 and 1794, the Third Earl of Egremont financed the upgrading of the River Rother and the construction of a series of locks, to make
12342-400: The twelfth century. Below this point, the river was navigable. The terminus of the Rother Navigation was on a side stream, at the southern edge of Midhurst. There was a wharf and basin, close to a road which is still called The Wharf, and an ashlar bridge crosses the navigation between the wharf and the junction with the main river. It was built in 1794, and was restored in 1977 to commemorate
12463-402: The underused canal and reuse materials from the locks, which were completely dismantled that summer. This paid no regard to the landowner's legal duty to maintain the navigation. The cutting across the field below Haines Lock was then filled in. The wharf at Haslingbourne has entirely disappeared and an electricity sub-station and a former water treatment plant, which pumped water from springs at
12584-408: The water in the aquifer, and hence the river, has raised levels of nitrates , largely caused by agricultural fertilisers. The Environment Agency has produced improvement plans to address a number of sources of both agricultural and urban pollution. Natural flows in the river are affected by the abstraction of water for the public water supply. There are many locations at which water is abstracted along
12705-400: The water that was extracted from the river and pumped to the town was polluted by human waste. Although there was still a plentiful supply of clean drinking water from the 17th century system, its distribution around the town was inadequate with only a small number of cisterns. As a result, the inhabitants of the town found it more convenient to obtain water from the river system rather than make
12826-421: The west bank of the river. Although Coultershaw was about 1.5 mi (2.4 km) south of Petworth, it was the nearest wharf on the navigation and quickly eased the transport of fertiliser, coal and building materials to the town and surrounding areas and improved access to wider markets for agricultural, timber and other products. The wharf at Coultershaw was the busiest on the navigation, handling over half
12947-485: Was a motte castle immediately to the south of the mill. A modern timber yard and saw mill is located to the north of the lock site, and Lods Bridge, which carries a minor road over the river, dates from the construction of the navigation. The River Lod joins on the north bank just below the bridge. A widening in the modern river, close to the dismantled Midhurst branch of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway , marks
13068-406: Was completed on a new boardwalk and footbridge spanning the river and former navigation, thus extending the site area accessible to visitors. The disused lock has now been dammed off and a footpath has been laid within the lock chamber, to enable visitors to walk through and inspect the walls and remaining gate fittings. In December 2013, the boardwalk was seriously damaged by exceptional flooding on
13189-402: Was demolished in the late 1870s, although its foundations were still visible on the west side of the canal bridge in the 1950s. The lock and bridge have survived despite being threatened with destruction by the need to widen the narrow bridge carrying the A285 road from Petworth to Chichester. There are two bridges at Coultershaw wharf: that over the River Rother, built in 1803, still carries
13310-406: Was drawn from the main culvert feeding the wheel by means of a vertical oak penstock , through a 4 in (100 mm) diameter cast iron pipe , and delivered through a 3 in (80 mm) diameter cast iron pipe to the reservoirs at Petworth. At a later date, a compressed air vessel was installed in the delivery line to reduce pressure fluctuations. Between the pump and Petworth, there were
13431-432: Was driven by an undershot wooden wheel and forced the water along a main pipe of 3 in (76 mm) inside bore to feed two reservoirs, one in Petworth Park, on Lawn Hill and the other in the south-east corner of the town to the west of Percy Row near the old gaol. The supply was kept separate from the supply from the conduit system, as the river water contained suspended fine sediment of greensand and other pollutants and
13552-519: Was established in the early 16th century by Rev. John Edmunds, the local Rector, who installed a 3 in (76 mm) diameter lead pipe from springs, at the junction of the lower greensand and Atherfield clay , in Boxgrove Paddock, about 1 mi (1.6 km) west of the town, to supply the Manor House (now Petworth House ) and conduits in the town. The main pipe led to a stone reservoir on
13673-405: Was given as "Cuteresho". Since then, the name has been spelt in many different ways, including "Cowtershall" (1535), "Cowtershawe" (1564), "Coultersole" (1716), "Cowdersole" (1779), "Cowters Hall" (1795) and, finally by its present name in 1800. The Domesday Book , compiled in 1086 records a mill at Petworth, which almost certainly referred to the mill at Coultershaw. By the mid-13th century,
13794-537: Was made navigable by the construction of the Western Rother Navigation in 1794. The length of the navigation was 11.25 miles (18.11 km) of which less than 2 miles (3.2 km) consisted of new cuts, with the rest following the existing channel. It rose through 54 feet (16 m) from Stopham to Midhurst by a series of eight locks, and cost £13,300 to build. Traffic consisted of coal transported up-river, with cargoes of timber, corn and Petworth marble in
13915-448: Was navigable until the navigation closed in the 1880s. There were eight locks on this section, some of which bypassed additional water mills. The River Rother rises from several springs near Empshott in Hampshire . The main one supplies watercress beds, before passing under Mill Lane, to the south of the village. It continues eastwards, to reach Greatham Mill. The mill, together with the mill house and an attached barn, which date from
14036-407: Was not considered fit for human consumption. Connection to the new supply required approval from the Earl of Egremont; despite this, there were a large number of unauthorised connections although the system was not intended to be used for drinking, being untreated river water. In 1839, it was recorded that the pipes from Coultershaw supplied 7 public and 146 private stopcocks in Petworth, including
14157-686: Was operated by the Gwillim family, who also operated North Mill in Midhurst. Correspondence relating to the tenancy of Coultershaw Mill by the Gwillim family from 1905 to 1930 is held in the West Sussex Record Office, as is a copy of the final lease drawn up in August 1968 between " John Edward Reginald, Baron Egremont , of Petworth House" and "J. Gwillim Limited, Coultershaw"; this was for a period of twenty years at an initial rent of £1,250 per annum. In 1930, John Gwillim and Novadel Limited registered
14278-404: Was recalled in 1790, when he surveyed it below Midhurst . In the same year, the construction of the Arun Navigation was finished, and in 1791, George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont , who was based at Petworth House , obtained an act of Parliament , the 31 Geo. 3 . c. 66), which would enable him to improve the Rother. The act also authorised a branch canal to Petworth . Since he owned most of
14399-464: Was restored in the eighteenth century. To the north of Dumpford, a hamlet in the civil parish of Trotton with Chithurst , is Terwick Mill. It is a grade II* listed structure, and consists of two mills, side by side. They were operational until 1966. The north mill is a timber-framed building, clad with weatherboarding , dating from the sixteenth century. The south mill was built of coursed stone rubble around 1750. Although it has been converted into
14520-473: Was situated to the east of the road about a hundred yards north of the mill. Until 1800, the turnpike from Chichester to Petworth descended Duncton Hill before crossing the River Rother at Rotherbridge , half a mile north-west of Coultershaw. The Petworth Turnpike Trustees, including the Third Earl of Egremont , suspected that William Warren, the miller at Coultershaw, was allowing his "friends" to cross
14641-593: Was undertaken voluntarily by the society members in order to eventually open the site to the public and was financed by grants from the Historic Buildings Section of the Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments, West Sussex County Council and the Department of the Environment as well as assistance from Lord Egremont, the owner of the land surrounding the installation. Work commenced immediately, and by October
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