Andover Canal

The Andover Canal was a 35-kilometre waterway in Hampshire, running from Andover to Redbridge. It followed the valleys of the River Anton and River Test for most of its route. The canal had 24 locks to manage a 55-metre drop in height. It opened in 1794 but never became a profitable trade route. The London and South Western Railway bought it in 1859 to build a line along its path. The canal was planned by engineer Robert Whitworth in the 1770s. Parliament approved its construction in 1789 after local landowners raised £30,700 in subscriptions. Boats up to 20 metres long and 2.6 metres wide could use the canal. Coal, slates and manure arrived from Southampton Water while farm produce left the region. Despite efforts to cut tolls, the canal closed in 1859. Today, only fragments of the canal remain visible. A stretch between Timsbury and Romsey still shows traces of the waterway. Stone and brick remains of a lock can be seen near Westover and Fullerton. The old railway line built on the canal bed has also disappeared. The route follows the east bank of the River Test below its aqueducts.