John Hore
Encyclopedia
John Hore was an English navigation engineer notable for engineering the River Kennet
navigation in 1718.
Born in Newbury, Berkshire
to a line of maltsters, worked alongside his father. When his father acquired part-ownership of the River Kennet, he also invested. With John Rennie he designed the Kennet and Avon Canal
to reduce the length of the navigation to 18.5 miles (29.8 km) by constructing 11.5 miles (18.5 km) of canal. The initial works were completed in 1723. On 15 December 1727, the first barge arrived at Bath from Bristol
after the 11.5 miles (18.5 km) of the River Avon
between the two cities was canalised. The work including six locks is attributed to Hore. He received no payment for any of this work because, when he claimed the cost from the company in 1728, his figures were rejected because he had not kept proper accounts.
In 1728 Hore surveyed the line of the Stroudwater Canal and recommended a 12-lock canal running 8.25 miles (13.3 km). He estimated the construction cost to be £20,000.
On 13 July 1733, he began to survey the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation. He estimated that it would cost £9,355 to make the river navigable, but recommended spending an estimated £12,870 to build a canal.
River Kennet
The Kennet is a river in the south of England, and a tributary of the River Thames. The lower reaches of the river are navigable to river craft and are known as the Kennet Navigation, which, together with the Avon Navigation, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames, links the cities of Bristol...
navigation in 1718.
Born in Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
to a line of maltsters, worked alongside his father. When his father acquired part-ownership of the River Kennet, he also invested. With John Rennie he designed the Kennet and Avon Canal
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
to reduce the length of the navigation to 18.5 miles (29.8 km) by constructing 11.5 miles (18.5 km) of canal. The initial works were completed in 1723. On 15 December 1727, the first barge arrived at Bath from Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
after the 11.5 miles (18.5 km) of the River Avon
River Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
between the two cities was canalised. The work including six locks is attributed to Hore. He received no payment for any of this work because, when he claimed the cost from the company in 1728, his figures were rejected because he had not kept proper accounts.
In 1728 Hore surveyed the line of the Stroudwater Canal and recommended a 12-lock canal running 8.25 miles (13.3 km). He estimated the construction cost to be £20,000.
On 13 July 1733, he began to survey the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation. He estimated that it would cost £9,355 to make the river navigable, but recommended spending an estimated £12,870 to build a canal.
See also
- Canals of the United KingdomCanals of the United KingdomThe canals of the United Kingdom are a major part of the network of inland waterways in the United Kingdom. They have a colourful history, from use for irrigation and transport, through becoming the focus of the Industrial Revolution, to today's role for recreational boating...
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...