Westport Canal

Westport Canal
The derelict Westport Canal near Westport.
Specifications
Locks	1 + a flood gate
Status	Derelict
History
Original owner	Parrett Navigation Company
Principal engineer	William Gravatt
Date of act	1836
Date of first use	1840
Date closed	1875
Geography
Start point	Westport
End point	Muchelney
Branch of	River Parrett

The Westport Canal was built in the late 1830s to link Westport and Langport in Somerset, England. It was part of a larger scheme involving improvements to the River Parrett above Burrow Bridge. Langport is the point at which the River Yeo joins the River Parrett and the intention was to enable trade via the port at Bridgwater.^[1] It remained in use until the 1870s, but closed when the Somerset Drainage Commissioners took over control of the River Parrett. Despite a petition against closure by local people, the Commissioners ruled that navigation of the canal must cease due to their interpretation of the Act which gave them control of it, leaving the canal to serve as a drainage channel since 1878.

The channel has survived to the modern day due to its drainage function, and many of the structures associated with the canal can still be seen. A number of them are on the listed building register because of their historic importance. There is some interest in improving the canal for its amenity value.