The Foss Navigation at Strensall (from the River Foss Society)

Discussions to build the Foss Navigation from York to Stillington began in 1791, and in 1793 work commenced in constructing the canal in York. By 1805-06 the canal was built and opened as far as Sheriff Hutton Bridge. Lime, coal and building materials were the main cargoes carried upstream, whilst timber and farm produce were the main cargo carried downstream. Tanneries were also served by the canal.

During its brief life the Navigation suffered from lack of water, this was due to the main source of water, Pond Head reservoir, being situated too far away between the villages of Oulston and Yearsley in the Howardian Hills, a distance of some twelve miles.

The coming of the York to Scarborough railway in 1845 spelt the end of the canal as a commercial concern, income from cargo carried was down and in 1852 The Foss Navigation was sold to the York Corporation and an Act was obtained to abandon the Navigation and it fell into disrepair, apart from a short distance in the centre of York.

The industrial archaeology of the Foss Navigation Canal can be clearly seen in Strensall village approximately six miles upstream from the City of York. The river Foss having canalised up to this point for the carriage of cargoes.

Evidence of the canal include: The iconic canal bridge, a dry dock for the transfer of cargo, two locks, one low level, and one double high rise lock, together with the site of the lock keepers house.

Strensall New Bridge, known locally as Old Humpy dates from 1796 and is surprisingly one of the oldest bridges in York, it’s in regular use today, albeit with a traffic weight limit of nine tonnes. The bridge in situated next to the low rise lock, but all that remains of the lock are its walls, the lock gates having been removed. The lock walls are in reasonable order but crumbling in places, the River Foss Society has been involved in having some offending trees removed whose roots are damaging the lock walls.

Strensall New Bridge: “Old Humpy” The lock wall had been damaged by trees growing out of it for years

The trees growing out of the canal wall next to “Old Humpy” at Strensall have been cut down. To prevent further growth of the tree roots the exposed trunks have been drilled and treated with glyphosate plugs. This has been achieved by drilling 13mm holes in the trunk and inserting plugs 6 to 7cm apart. Some 400 plugs were fitted and 57 trunks were treated in this way. This method, clearly labour intensive, is certainly neater and more environmentally friendly than spraying them with glyphosate, which could find its way into the river and damage wildlife. This work will help to prevent the collapse of the lock wall and preserve the heritage of the canal era. The work was carried out by a local tree surgeon and the cost, approximately £450, funded equally by Strensall Parish Council and the Robert Wilkinson Trust who are the owners of the property (see images and further sources below).

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In the centre of the village, close to the Sheriff Hutton road bridge which was built by John Carr in 1798, is the remains of a dock, known locally as the “drydock” it was thought to be used for the transfer of canal cargoes. The dock still has part of its gate winding gear in place.

Remains of the “dry dock” winding gear Strensall lock keepers house (c.1967)

Situated approximately one mile upstream was the double high rise lock, this was installed at right angle to the river and was built to take a newly dug section of the canal over the high ground, north to Sheriff Hutton bridge, a distance of some 1.6 miles where the canal terminated. It was intended to install the canal as far as Stillington but the canal builder ran out of funds, so Sheriff Hutton became the canal terminus. Situated at Sheriff Hutton bridge was small hotel and reservoir, last used in 1852, but nothing remains there now the area together with the new canal having been back filled and returned to agriculture, but the route of the canal can still be seen by the rows of trees lining the route.

Double rise lock (c.1967) Site of double rise lock as it is today

Returning to the double high rise lock, it was back filled in the late sixties but the top of the original lock wall can still be seen in the garden as it slopes down towards the river Foss. The lock keepers house stood beside the double lock, the area has now been transformed into an attractive country property overlooking the river.

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Some of the 400 plugs put in cut trunks

For further information on the Foss Navigation and Strensall, see the Spring 2020 and Winter 2019/2020 River Foss Society Newsletters: https://www.riverfosssociety.co.uk/newsletters/

For a brief history of the River Foss see: https://www.riverfosssociety.co.uk/foss-history/

John Millett. (River Foss Society, April 2020)

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